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GMR and XBN magazines are no more

B

Bishman

Member
This blows...I loved the writing style of XBN and Che Chou. You're a cool dude, very active here on GA and your 1up blog. I don't see how anyone could like OXM except for the demo disk. XBN has better features, writing, and monthly Japan report and other parts of the world, can't forget the Itagaki column too.
 
J

JasoNsider

Member
This has been a really strange day, even if none of the events that transpired affect me directly.

GMR - I actually did read GMR from time to time, and it was really well done (especially the snazzy designs.) I can't believe you guys are out of a job.

XBN - Does not affect me in the least, as I don't really care much for the majority of the Xbox games and especially do not care to read about them in a console-exclusive magazine. Though, once again, I hate seeing people lose their job. It really sucks that you guys were let go. By the sounds of it, you ran a tight operation.

EA securing the NFL license - I don't play football games, but I am still disgusted by the actions of the parties involved. If there was a way to organize a mass EA boycott, I would definitely be willing to take part. Obviously this isn't really viable, but I'm sure there are many that wish they could make it happen. Even if it means passing up a gem or two.

So while none of these affect me directly, I still feel really bad for all the staffers and am angered by the EA deal.
 
I

Infinitemadness

Member
Goddammit this blows, cant you guys try to team with Game rush or game crazy? I dont personally shop at those places but they seem to be trying hard to be real game stores.
I'd go in just to renew those mags. :(
 
D

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
I never really picked up a copy of GMR, from how it sounded, I definitely regret it... But I got a free subscription to XBN a while back and they sent me like a whole year's worth. I don't have an Xbox nor a lot of interest in the system, but the mag was a pretty interesting read. So I'm definitely sorry to see the mags and the jobs go... We've lost so many good mags throughout the years, but I guess unless you're the Maxim of gaming, there's no place for you here in America :(
 
K

Kumiko Nikaido

Vindication...sweet.
Geez....XBN is gone too. That's just crappy. These 2 publications fold while LamePro and Game Indouchemer still keep going. Sucks.

Well, here's the actual corporate internal email that all EB stores got:

[Source: Daily E Bee Line; 12/13/2004]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Marketing & Merchandising
Subject: Farewell to GMR Magazine.....

GMR Magazine will be discontinued as of it's next issue, February 2005.

Our seperation of the EB Edge Card discount program from GMR magazine in August continues to be a tremendous success and competitive advantage for EB Games. Edge card sales have dramatically increased since the split!

On the other hand, GMR magazine subscription sales have declines tremendously since August. In conjunction with Ziff Davis Media, we have made the decision to discontinue GMR Magazine. As a result, the current issue of GMR (January) is the last that stores will receive, and STORES SHOULD DISCONTINUE SELLING GMR SUBSCRIPTIONS IMMEDIATELY AND REMOVE AND THROW AWAY ALL GMR-RELATED MARKETING MATERIALS. Stores may still sell individual copies of the January issue using the January single copy SKU: xxxxxx.

The last issue of GMR that all current subscribers will receive will be the February issue. Ziff Davis will notify customers accordingly and current subscribers will be given a choice of transferring their remaining GMR subscription to another Ziff Davis gaming magazine, or receive a cash refund for their outstanding issues.

Please join us in bidding a fond farewell to our dear friend Mr. Game Geeezer and GMR.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
S

Soul4ger

Member
Really, here's the most important question:

Are they still going to do SYNC?!

Sorry to the XBN folks, too. I was talking to some other employees at work tonight, and they thought it sucked as well.
 
I

impirius

Member
Holy crap. Just got in from work... I thought the edited thread title was a typo. This sucks. GMR and XBN were both excellent and will be missed.

Good luck to everyone affected; sorry that you all found out about it the way you did.
 
M

Matlock

Banned
Kumiko Nikaido said:
Our seperation of the EB Edge Card discount program from GMR magazine in August continues to be a tremendous success and competitive advantage for EB Games. Edge card sales have dramatically increased since the split!
Click to expand...


They're awfully goddamned chipper about it, ain't they?

But that brings a nice question--who was game geezer?
 
L

luxsol

Member
Kumiko Nikaido said:
The last issue of GMR that all current subscribers will receive will be the February issue. Ziff Davis will notify customers accordingly and current subscribers will be given a choice of transferring their remaining GMR subscription to another Ziff Davis gaming magazine, or receive a cash refund for their outstanding issues.
Click to expand...
So will this apply to XBN too? Would the free subs not apply for a cash refund?
 
F

ferricide

Member
Kobun Heat said:
Yeah guys. Bill Kunkel told us he was The Game Doctor when Electronic Games bit it. Spill the beans!
Click to expand...
i'm not supposed to spill proprietary info!!! it's part of my layoff agreement.
 
M

MC Safety

Member
ferricide said:
so does the final (EGM, not GN) sushi-X.

puzzle that out.
Click to expand...

I heard the ghost of the original Sushi-X haunts the men's bathroom at Ziff, ensuring that whenever you go to wash your hands, your entire shirt gets soaked and then you come out of the bathroom and every wit accuses you of bad aim.

I'm just saying, is all.
 
F

fennec fox

ferrets ferrets ferrets ferrets FERRETS!!!
Soul4ger said:
Are they still going to do SYNC?!
Click to expand...
Thank you for reading SYNC! That magazine is based in New York and doesn't have anything to do with the office that produces the game magazines.
 
S

SatelliteOfLove

Member
XBN, too? For fuck's sake; first GMR ending, then the EA/NFL thing *cue The Imperial March*, then XBN.

Whelp, there goes Signs of the Apocalypse #'s 5, 6, and 7. I was wondering why there was a seven-headed dragon flying around outside the window...
 
S

StorablePrawn

Banned
I just got the latest issue of XBN. I was writing up a review for the atrocious Fight Club and decided to take a look at their review of the game. Fluid, informative, and honest. How it should be. I'm going to miss this publication.
 
R

Rhindle

Member
Wow .. this sucks ... hard.

XBN was a class act through and through, as was GMR. And it seems like both mags were just beginning to hit their stride.

Thanks for a great 2-3 years to the XBN and GMR crews. You guys made it seem OK to be an adult and a gamer.
 
S

SoulSonicForce

Member
Best of luck to any editors who were affected by either of these magazines being canned.

Some of the best writing and best articles i've ever read were in those two magazines, and it will be missed. I respect all the work you've done to bring each issue to us month after month, it's been great. I guess all good things must come to an end though.
 
M

MightyHedgehog

Member
Hitler Stole My Potato said:
XBN was the last decent American game magazine out there and the only one I've bothered to subscribe to since Next Generation went under. This really bites.
Click to expand...

IAWTP x 10

Though, I don't mean offense to the GMR guys and gals.
 
T

Tellaerin

Member
MightyHedgehog said:
IAWTP x 10

Though, I don't mean offense to the GMR guys and gals.
Click to expand...

I'd say that GMR was the best of the best, myself, though XBN was a consistent close second. :) Not knocking the XBN staff at all, but with all the 'I don't care about GMR but XBN was the best' posts I'm seeing, I thought it'd be only fair for me to show GMR the same kind of love. :)
 
S

Seth C

Member
Bah, I loved XBN, and I have a subscription through 2008. Watch them pick the worst magazine in the world to transfer my 4 years over to.
 
M

Matlock

Banned
I'd like to see the first word in the list on this page to be somewhere in GMR, even if slightly in the background of some image where it's completely subtle.

Of course, that's a pipe dream.
 
S

skip

Member
Matlock said:
I'd like to see the first word in the list on this page to be somewhere in GMR, even if slightly in the background of some image where it's completely subtle.

Of course, that's a pipe dream.
Click to expand...

hmm. I still have the staff page to write tomorrow.
 
T

TekunoRobby

Tag of Excellence
I liked and subscribed to both XBN and GMR. I really liked XBN after they posted a few letters that shot down that anti-gun loon and apologized for the incident. Those were fine magazines that I enjoyed to read.

Any of you already have plans to work on another magazine? How do they handle staff relocation?
 
K

Kobun Heat

Member
I think these issues need to be full-on Kohlerpaloozas. Pics of me, pics of me with Seanbaby, pics of my book. Let me know what art assets you need and I'll hook you right up.
 
B

BuddyC

Member
Sad.gif is completely appropriate.

sad.gif
 
D

DJPS2

Banned
My thoughts go out to those who will be losing their jobs as a result of today's events. It's times like these that are a sobering reminder of how unstable that the gaming journalism business is. I've done some writing over the last few years with the aspiration of one day getting published and maybe even making a career out of it, but it's becoming more and more apparent that aspirations may be as close as I'll ever get.

GMR was a fun read that I really enjoyed-- in fact, I had planned on renewing my subscription just after the holidays. XBN was great stuff, too. I guess that (forgive me if I play the role of Captain Obvious) print media is becoming a really hard sell as internet access becomes more and more prevalent and websites are timely in terms of delivering news and current screens for games.

I really do hope that all of those writers affected are able to find new positions really soon. The fact that this happened just prior to Christmas really makes me sick to my stomach, though. As if the holidays aren't depressing enough...
 
X

XS+

Banned
In this economy, one must always lament the loss of a job, of which there are many with the dissolution of these two publications. HOWEVER, with that said, I am not sad to see GMR gone. While XBN, a console-specific magazine, made no pretense to be anything but a fanzine, GMR had a responsibility to be impartial -- yet they were anything but. GMR had a clear and unmistakable preference for the Xbox, awarding many games undeservedly high ratings.
 
S

skip

Member
XS+ said:
In this economy, one must always lament the loss of a job, of which there are many with the dissolution of these two publications. HOWEVER, with that said, I am not sad to see GMR gone. While XBN, a console-specific magazine, made no pretense to be anything but a fanzine, GMR had a responsibility to be impartial -- yet they were anything but. GMR had a clear and unmistakable preference for the Xbox, awarding many games undeservedly high ratings.
Click to expand...

haha you have got to be kidding me.
 
D

DJPS2

Banned
XS+ said:
In this economy, one must always lament the loss of a job, of which there are many with the dissolution of these two publications. HOWEVER, with that said, I am not sad to see GMR gone. While XBN, a console-specific magazine, made no pretense to be anything but a fanzine, GMR had a responsibility to be impartial -- yet they were anything but. GMR had a clear and unmistakable preference for the Xbox, awarding many games undeservedly high ratings.
Click to expand...

Gotta kick 'em when they're down, eh? Geez.
 
C

carbonbased

Member
Wow, this is horrible news. Che, Milkman, and everyone else that takes the time to grace our message boards: good luck with relocating, I sure hope you're able to find new rags as high-quality as the two being unduly cancelled.

While I enjoy my EGM subscription, XBN was something else. The reviews are well written and spot-on, the grading system is simple (which is how it should be, none of this 100-point crap), and most of all the articles are unlike those in any other magazine. Industry insiders, Ask Itagaki, coverage of Japan and other territories, and in-depth scoops well before others all helped make XBN the best video gaming mag in a long while, and I'm not even a huge Xbox fan.

Once again, I wish you all well, and bid farewell to some truely great reading. :(
 
B

BlackClouds

Member
XBN was no different from the average US game mag. I will not be sorry to see it go. The last issue I read in 25 minutes it was so lacking in content. Not to mention some horrible sports reviews that Gamepro would be ashamed of. I get this mag for free and it's not even up to the level of toliet paper (which is at least useful). No assorbtion, all it does is spread shit around! Almost totally worthless except for a surprise gift for my young cousins after I'm done reading it.


I'll really be dancing a jig (The running man ofcourse) when I finally hear of news of the "high brow" but really fanboyish Edge goes under. These magazines deserve no special condolences when they die, and only relief. I'm mean, come on, Edge is Daily Radar with a mature presentation. It's like going to the club and lifting a girl's skirt, only to see balls (But it would seem some of you would still hit it). Intentionally misleading so you'll except their crap.
 
K

Kabuki Waq

Member
man this sucks.

Im sorry to hear about all you guys being unemployed now.
It was really nice of Che to give us the heads up about upcoming games whenever we asked. Im sure you guys will be back on your feet in no time.

Good luck guys!
 
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