Sad news: Computer Gaming World, I mean, "Games for Windows Magazine" is no more. The original computer gaming magazine, founded at a time when that meant reviews of AppleDOS and CPM titles, has been shit-canned by its corporate masters, Ziff Davis (which is going through bankruptcy). I suspect the magazine was still profitable at a low level, though I don't know for sure, but had certainly been losing ad revenue and circulation for some time. Word is editorial staff goes to 1UP, and others look for new jobs.
Just a bit over a year ago, Computer Games magazine was also killed, by its corporate masters, leaving PC Gamer as the only game zine specifically devoted to computer games in the US.
The basic problem is that a) core gamers increasingly find news and reviews online, and b) revenue in PC games has shifted out of conventional-retail software and toward casual games on one side, and MMOs on the other. Soccer moms don't buy magazines with names like "Games for Windows Magazine" (or PC Gamer, either), and for a hard-core publication to try to appeal to casual gamers would basically piss off its existing audience. And MMO players might subscribe to "the Official World of Warcraft Magazine" (12 Hot Tips for Buffing Your Nightelf!), but largely don't want or need coverage of anything other than their current obsession.
Meanwhile, PC gaming through conventional channels is largely becoming an afterthought, the fourth and least viable platform after the three major consoles, and consists largely of ports of games that were already being developed for Xbox (which is basically a specialized PC with a console controller, anyway).
But there is some hope, I think, that we won't be left with games designed for controllers that don't work as well with mouse and keyboard, along with braindead pick-three casual game treyf that's utterly lacking in challenge -- I notice that #4 on the current NPD PC game bestseller's list is Ironclad Games's Sins of a Solar Empire, from Stardock. Which I, at least, would consider sufficiently "indie" -- from an independent developer, and published by a small, non-ESA member.
Still, a sad end for what was once a great magazine.
Update:
- Jeff Green's blog post about the magazine's demise
- My 2007 blog post about Computer Games magazine's demise
We're It
Jay Is Games has successfully taken the kind of market share that a highly successful Casual Game magazine might, moreso actually, a successful Mag has maybe 100k 'scripts, JIG has 1,000,000 uniques a month. We're doing alright too. Doesn't it make sense for the media around PC games to be integrated into the PC experience? The interactivity of search archives, links and so on is part of the deal.
PC games are good...but are they playable?
In a long-term perspective, I don't think PC gaming is doomed (at the very least, sites like PTT! show just how healthy and creative the PC indie scene is right now). One of the problems, though, is that the big developers tries to compensate for shrinking market shares by making games that are technologically vastly superior to most console titles - but which then ends up being virtually unplayable on the vast majority of computers owned by PC gamers. For example, the last few months I've been playing BioShock, Mass Effect and Halo 3 on my Xbox 360, and although I have had a lot of fun I would probably have preferred to spend my time with games like Crysis, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and The Witcher - if only I had and/or could afford to buy a computer that could run any of those games at an acceptable frame rate, that is. If PC game developers want to sell millions of copies of their games they're just going to have to ensure that their games are playable on millions of home computers...
(Stardock developer Draginol is arguing along the same lines in this article about game developing and piracy: http://forums.galciv2.com/303512)
exactly my point!
I fully agree with Demiath. PC gaming went down with 3-4 year development cycles and Hollywood-sized studios trying to "think ahead", optimizing games for supposed future hardware that never arrived on time.
I don't even need Crysis to proof that. Half-Life 2 already had unnaturally high system requirements for its time, something that wouldn't have been done a few years before. It was just good enough to compensate.
Simultaneously, the hardware industry is running out of options. To not stay behind, they sell graphics card for ridiculous prices nobody wants to afford. I won't even go into Microsoft's horrible Vista/DX10 policy that hurt "games for Windows" more than they will ever realize.
If I was a journalist, I'd research this and eventually draw a graph with hardware rices/requirements over the past 10 years. It should be illuminating.
The PC hardware (and software) market has to realize that processor speeds don't quite rise the way they used to in the past. Make a PC game for the actual hardware a typical PC user has, and you can create a hit-PC title.
If money is all that counts consoles might be the easier platform, but if there's some love and intelligence from the developer's side a well-selling PC game is possible. Look at Valve. They're using an engine that can be handled easily by 2004 hardware. And they sell. On PC. Of course they have Steam on their side as well... Valve's still my favourite mainstream developer. :)
it is sad indeed, but you know, whatever
I'm a PC Gamer. The number of times I've bought a gaming magazine: 0. Reasons being:
a) The content is most likely outdated the moment it becomes ink
b) Most of them look like their target demographic is a 12 year old boy
c) They're low on content that interests me, and high on ads. (And I already have specific likes and dislikes regarding gaming, so I dont blame the editors for lack of what I consider to be compelling content, its just the way it is)
All the same, I agree that it is indeed sad. Progress, I guess.