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Retro Games Journalism: EGM is back?!
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Heck yeah, but with some hesitation.
So the biggest game-related news coming out of the wire right before E3 was the announcement that Electronic Gaming Monthly has been purchased by its "dad," Steve Harris. While it's not a complete surprise (thanks mostly to Shane Bettenhausen and James Mielke) to see the name return to its original owner, the idea that the magazine will come back and be stronger than ever is a surprise to me. Sure, EGM can return to the newsstands again and do the same thing as its always been doing (heck, the Wolverine cover is still floating around some groceries and Barnes and Noble locations), I don't see myself being as attached to this iteration as I was the "old" EGM.
I've always been a fan of the personality, and not the entity. For example, I like the Los Angeles Lakers only because Kobe Bryant is there. If Black Mamba isn't playing, I'm not watching. So when it comes to gaming journalism, I'm all about the quality of the writers; not the name behind them. For me, EGM was Dan Hsu, Shane, Milky, Jennifer Tsao, Seanbaby, and a whole cast of amazing people who had carte blanche to write honestly about games. If they thought a game was great, they'd champion it even when no one cared (they were one of the first to really hype Bioshock), and they were not afraid to trash a game if it deserved it (Too Human). Their connection to 1UP allowed them to be seen and heard in other avenues which only served to stregthen the bond with their readers. Being so transparent in their coverage created trust in their readership, and this openness really came to the forefront with the tributes and outpouring of emotion and support for the people let go when we all thought the magazine was dead and gone.
When I got a chance to talk with Shoe at E3, he mentioned that he or any of the old crew would not be a part of the new EGM, and that revelation gave me a moment of pause. So if the new EGM doesn't have these people I kind of grew up with, will I care as much? It's the Lakers without Kobe again; I may not give a crap. Right now, I pick up EDGE Magazine all the time for the features, but not for the reviews. So while I'm happy to see the magazine make a comeback in the dying world of print, I am hesitant to let them in just yet. Steve Harris and whomever is part of the new EGM will have to prove themselves again, and I sure hope they can.
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