How do you find out about your games?

CM · Post by CM » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:16 pm

The last game i bought was Warcraft 3. I have yet to buy the frozen throne and i am basically waiting for WoW. So the question is where can I find information about games reliably and for free. Oh yeah i loved game spot until you had to pay for their services. So where do you find out about your games and how do you actually decide you are gonna buy/play that game. I am also waiting for Rome: Total War.

moltovir · Post by **moltovir** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:20 pm

Read a magazine! They have lots of advantages!

1) You can read them on the toilet!

Enjoy!

Mccool · Post by **Mccool** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:32 pm

I agree you should read the gaming mags there are many for each console depending on where you live you must find the on that best suits your state of gaming.And if you have many friends who are into gaming (like I do) they can tell you (they are actually the reason I now have an Xbox, and Morrowind)

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:41 pm

Check individual developer forums for games that are already available. It isn't too difficult to separate out the trolls from the genuine complaints, and the fanbois from the genuine praise.

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:34 pm

[QUOTE=moltovir]Read a magazine! They have lots of advantages!

1) You can read them on the toilet!

Enjoy![/QUOTE]

A friend of mine has internet on his toilet!

CM · Post by CM » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:27 am

So any recommendations for PC mags? I like RTSs, FPSs and RPGs. Any good mags in English that cover those genres?

Nippy · Post by **Nippy** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:47 am

[QUOTE=CM]So any recommendations for PC mags? I like RTSs, FPSs and RPGs. Any good mags in English that cover those genres?[/QUOTE]

I subscribe to PC Gamer, I trust the mag as far as magazines go...

CM · Post by CM » Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:06 am

I can actually get PC Gamer here, so i will look into it thanks

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:57 am

Just remember that those printed magazines derive their revenues from ads, and those ads come from the large companies that produce the best known games. This explains why a little known title will seldom get in PC Gamer (for example) a single page review, and be relegated to half a page; while a new title from a big company will receive an enthusiastic, 1 to 3 page review. The better magazines will not change their opinions to suit the advertiser, but they will be more receptive to those advertisers' hype because of prolonged visits that present features, game demos, etc, obviously presenting games in a way that makes them incredibly appealing.

This explains why an absolute dud like Black-and-White received raves. Origin Systems, which at the time had a publishing arrangement with Bullfrog, made the tours of all the major magaines, showing off the game in pre-alpha and beta stages to staff in great detail. Every magazine tried to rush their review ahead of the competition to press, so they skimped on actually playing the thing--and the results, as they say, is history.

Just consider these things while reading those gaming magazines.

smass · Post by **smass** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:22 am

I will give PC Gamer another vote.

....shuffles back to Ruminations....

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:38 am

Me, I use practically all the sources mentioned. I like to get multiple perspectives on a game in order to come to a verdict. One article may be centered on one aspect, while another could focus primarily on another aspect.

Primarily, when it comes to what I use within my variety of sources, it's these:

Magazines: GamePro & Computer Games (I was also subscribed to PC Gamer, but not at this point).

Website: GameSpot.com.

I like to look at things through more than one lense before I know what to think of a game myself.

Moonbiter · Post by **Moonbiter** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 9:37 am

Since I only play RPGs it's not that hard. I just come to GB and see what's on. I read a lot of stuff like PC Gamer in the early 90s, but stopped when I got a phone books worth of trite console ads while the cover said "Now 300 pages of Gaming Goodies."

Anyway, in my top ten list of "what to do with my spare time" computer gaming comes in around 8. That's still about 421 steps above Watching TV, though.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 10:17 am

Basically, what Moonbiter said

I find that reading opinions on games that are expressed in the GB forums is a great way to go, because the forums reflect a diversity of opinion that is not usually compromised by vested interests.

captainbrumble · Post by **captainbrumble** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:34 pm

i mostly stumble onto stuff when i see it at best buy. lucky for me i seem to have struck up a friendship with a guy who works there and he kind of gives me the lowdown on titles, etc. i tend to trust him because now and then he'll go "dude, you don't want that, it sucks." i guess if he was just trying to make a sale, he'd be talking up every gamethey sell. in any case, he was kind enough to put aside a copy of star wars battlefront for me (they sold out quick) so he's pretty much my new hero now.

giles337 · Post by **giles337** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:40 pm

i too am with Moonbiter and DW. The only time my TV get used is
A) X Box
B) Dreamcast
C) N 64
D) NES
E) Megadrive
F) DVDs