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Cosmo isn't down with the Wii
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Cosmopolitan_magazine_doesn_t_like_the_Wii'; We mentioned this yesterday, and now look! There's a helpful scan to illustrate our point. While some female-oriented publications are all about Nintendo's new console, it looks like the good folks at Cosmopolitan aren't quite convinced.Cosmo's take on the Wii craze? Guys assume girls might want one, because the guy really loves the Wii. That's some deep psychologizin' they've got going on there. And in referring to the Wii as the "wrong gift," Cosmo is insinuating that the modern woman just isn't interested. Are they wrong? With all the stories and videos of nongamers embracing the hands-on experience that Wii provides, we're not sure that Cosmo's on the right side of the fence with this one. Can't the modern woman want to decode weird male behavior, agonize over not-so-harmless habits,* and then play a game of tennis after work?The Wii is perfectly poised to help gamers break down some of these walls that we've created to keep the interests of men and women separate. The DS broke some of that ground, but the Wii brings the fun and ease of gaming into the open, making it a social experience that anyone can get into, even if you have to kick off your stylish shoes first.*Actual stories in the same issue.
Joyswag: Free 1-year subscription to Games for Windows magazine
[Update: "Thank you for your interest in Games for Windows. Unfortunately, this promotion has ended." And with that, our Games for Windows: The Official Magazine promotion has run its course; exhausted from a non-stop barrage of subscription requests, it finally toppled over and died. See what you've done? Enjoy!]Sure, they've got a new corporately-sanctioned identity, but beneath the glitz and glamour of the Games for Windows branding, it's the same old Computer Gaming World magazine, one of the longest-running gaming mags around. To maintain their street cred, the editorial team introduced some risky features, like a new scoring system that ranks a 5 out of 10 as "average," and sounded off on their trepidation about upgrading to Vista, Microsoft's latest and greatest and, ostensibly, the very reason behind their magazine's name change. So what is this all about? We've teamed up with Ziff-Davis, the publishers behind Games for Windows: TOM, to give away 25,000 free 1-year subscriptions (to US readers only ... sorry!). How free? You won't need to provide your credit card information; your subscription won't be automatically renewed at the end of the year; and you will need to "opt-in" to renew your subscription before receiving any bill for the magazine. Free.Thanks, Joystiq readers!
Teen Vogue encourages girls to get their Wii on
While these aren't the best quality we've ever seen for scanned pages, it's still exciting to see the Wii getting mainstream press coverage, particularly in a nontraditional market. Magazines targeted at women and teen girls are often down on video games. Even the Wii gets this treatment, alas, in the March issue of Cosmopolitan, wherein it is referred to as an example of a poorly-chosen gift. Of course, we tend to think that anyone who can find a Wii must be a gift-giving superhero, but we are admittedly biased. No matter. We just find it refreshing that Teen Vogue is taking a pro-Wii stance and indicating that it's the bee's knees for girls.And we definitely wanted to point out the shirt the girl on the left is wearing. It reads "Oui Wii" and we here at the 'Fanboy feel a burning need to get our hands on one of those right now. We're probably not going to read Teen Vogue to get one, though. We'll do a lot of things for Wii gear, but that's a line we're so not crossing.Go Nintendo has larger (blurry) scans if you'd like to see the rest.
GoPlay magazine goes online-only
There are tons of fan-published PSP magazines out on the Internet, and now they're going to get some serious competition. GoPlay, "the UK's best-selling independent PlayStation Portable magazine," will soon switch from its traditional newsstand distribution to a strictly online-only one. According to GI.biz, the format change will "make it easier for readers to access content on their PSPs".The current issue of the magazine features Star Wars: Lethal Alliance and costs £3.99 on newsstands. It's not clear how much the digital version will cost, if anything at all.
Wii Sports wins Game of the Year award in Time Magazine
Once again, Wii Sports is the media darling of the mainstream press. Time is as big as they come. But Game of the Year? Many of us may disagree. As hardened, totally awesome gamers, we've come to expect grand adventures, interesting characters, nail-biting action sequences, and wonderfully infuriating logic puzzles. (And if you were wondering, dear readers, our own game of the year award goes to Twilight Princess, naturally.) But totally awesome gamers do not run Time, and thus, we don't think they really care about such nonsense.Still, stepping off our pedestal for a moment, Wii Sports has brought more new and lapsed gamers to the screen than any game since Super Mario Bros. Having fun with friends and family; is this not the point of gaming in general? It's an interesting question, and one akin to comparing Old School with American Beauty. One may have been an inspiring, cinematic masterpiece, but which did you have more fun watching? Which do you guys think deserves the award?[via Joystiq]
GamePro Family attempts ESRB v2.0
GamePro Family birthed on the interwebs recently and is GamePro's second attempt at getting parents informed about the types of games their kids play or want them to buy. GamePro launched a magazine in the early '90s for parents called PlayRight -- it failed. A PlayRight column survived in GamePro magazine until 2004. GamePro Family seems to be another incarnation of PlayRight, with GamePro management, once again, trying to do the right thing and teach parents about gaming.The problem is that the ESRB is already there to do "the right thing." Would the GamePro management please wake-up and put some money and effort into their flagship publication? Maybe management thinks this is some kind of PR/marketing effort and if parents go to GamePro Family, instead of the ESRB's website which has a full blown ad campaign backing it, that parents will want to subscribe to GamePro for their children? That idea sounds utterly convoluted, but why else do this PR based website in the era of the ESRB? [Via GameSetWatch]
Halo 3 info leaked: new weapons, vehicles, features & Collector's Edition detailed [update 1]
Xbox Portugal has posted scans from an upcoming Halo 3 feature to be published in Swedish mag Level. Some serious translation work is needed before the full story comes into focus, but we have gathered that the images are from an alpha build of Halo 3, suggesting that many of the details won't reflect the final version. Check out the one-manned mini-Warthog Mongoose!UPDATE: Xbox 360 Fanboy has a summary of the new details:Weapons Spiker - a new Brute weapon Spartan Laser - a laser that tears vehicles apart Nail Grenade - sticks into walls, sends nails everywhere Vehicles Mongoose - the ATV that was cut from Halo 2; seats two, but no weapons; designed for recon New Feature "Man Cannon" - what it sounds like; launches you into the air (think: jump pads from Unreal, Quake Arena) Controls Bumpers are used to reload the right and left weapons independently X-button has a "secret" function Misc. Secondary weapon is now visible when not in use (slung over shoulder) Collector's Edition "Legendary Edition" - box is a replica of Master Chief's helmet, includes 4-disc set: Disc one: game Disc two: documentaries and developer commentary Disc three: spin-off material (Red vs. Blue, Spark of Life, etc.) Disc four: all cut scenes from Halo 1-3 in HD Bonus: sneak peek of Halo movie will be included on one of the discs (maybe) [Thanks to Galls & everyone else that sent this in!]
CGW archive launched, download first 100 issues free
Computer Gaming World has opened a digital archive that includes its first 100 issues, dating back to November 1981. Each issue is available for download in PDF format via FileFront -- for free. Go getcha hoard on!Keep in mind, the archive might not be online for long since Computer Gaming World will be transformed into Games for Windows: The Official Magazine starting with the December issue (released in mid-November).
Zinio offers fix for QuickTime + Flash quirk in their magazines
Zinio, if you aren't familiar, offers magazines in digital format (yes, with DRM), many of them with rich media like embedded movies right in the pages, for Mac and PC. They have quite a selection and they've been around for a few years now, but apparently their latest version (released around the dawn of time) is suffering a quirk due to Apple changing the way QuickTime renders Flash with the latest QuickTime 7.1.3 update, causing embedded rich media to misbehave.Fortunately, they've issued a fix via email, and it goes a little something like this: Close the Zinio Reader, if open Go to the QuickTime pane in System Preferences In the Advanced tab, check 'Enable Flash' After that simple process you should be able to return to your regularly scheduled, though in my opinion ridiculously overpriced, reading.This fix, by the way, is also how you enable iTunes 7 to play interactive booklets from the iTunes Store according to this Apple KB article.
Oblivion: first magazine scan found
The November issue of OPM has exclusive details of the upcoming PSP version of Oblivion. The scans of the game look not too shabby... it looks a heck of a lot better than the N-Gage Elder Scroll's game. According to the article, the PSP version of Oblivion will be "a very different game with a different story line... it has the experience of the dungeon romp. It doesn't have wide-open, wander-the-landscape kind of stuff."Even though the game's functionality seems a little stripped down, Obivion for PSP will still feature a character creation system, and 18 of the original game's 21 skills. The controls are going to be simplified, of course, and the designers cite Metroid Prime as a source of inspiration, which is only a good thing.Check out the full magazine scan, if you like, or buy the issue when it hits newsstands.[Via E-mpire Forum]
Bratz, Barbies ... and Wii?
So much for Wii being too pricey to snag the mainstream consumer, eh? First Toys "R" Us, then CNET ... now Toy Wishes magazine lists the Wii as one of their "Hot Dozen." Nintendo's next-gen console is one of the most expensive on the list, but isn't the priciest. That honor goes to Hasbro's "Butterscotch," a life-size interactive pony that weighs in at $300. Wouldn't we have loved that back in the first grade! The list has a little something for every kid, from Barbies and Bratz dolls to a Lego robotics set. The Wii, with its innovative approach and wide range of launch titles, fits right in.
A Mac on the cover of Playboy
These days you can't turn on a TV, open a magazine or walk down the street without spotting an Apple product or at least an ad for one, and now it seems Apple's expanding popularity has even landed the company on the cover of October's Playboy (Zinio link, semi-safe for work). In the quest to leave their photoshopped mark on everything that adorns the magazine, Playboy (or Apple?) felt the need (or jumped at the chance) to add a personalized touch to what looks like a 12-inch PowerBook, and swapped out the Apple logo for Playboy's (let's see PowerBook laser etching pull this off).TUAW reader Travis Smith tipped us off to the appearance, and from the cover (no, we don't have a subscription) it doesn't look like this is some 'Bunnies love Macs' special issue or anything. Still, it's nice to see Apple getting some love from the Hugh and crew.
ACAMM: the freshest anime mag for the PSP
ACAMM, the anime PSP magazine has been doing some interesting stuff for the handheld. The latest issue features Samurai Champloo, the hip-hop infused story about two samurai on a journey. The magazine goes over the basics of the show, and anime in general. It also goes one step further: it provides stills that can be rapidly viewed through, similar to how one would play with a picturebook. It's pretty interesting, and shows the great effort that ACAMM is placing into each issue. Each image is wallpaper-worthy, and the .zip file for this month's issue even includes a video. Kudos to the ACAMM team: keep up the good work.See also:ACAMM Issue 6: Ergo ProxyGo past the cut to see more pictures from the magazine.
ONM falls flat on "secret exclusive"
Supposedly, ONM (Official Nintendo Magazine UK) was holding out on a pretty big exclusive set to grace the cover of their next issue, set to release in September. They hyped up that this was something we'd yet to see, so the fact that it turned out their "secret exclusive" was none other than Battalion Wars 2, a game revealed at Leipzig, is equal parts laughable and pathetic. We haven't been following the coverage of this rumor as it snowballed on various message boards and blogs because it isn't in our nature to be a gossip rag. We respect our readers and even though ONM hyped this "secret exclusive" up for some time, we felt it did not need to be commented on. We'd let the guys at ONM handle their business. And handle it, they have.
Get Edge in the U.S. cheap(er)
Among video game magazines, Britain's Edge stands head and shoulders above all competitors. The magazine's intelligent editorial voice, interesting features, and excellent layout/presentation made it well worth tracking down every month at your local bookstore. Subscribing was never really in the cards for us Yanks, though, as the exorbitant international direct subscription price of roughly $118 (62.02 pounds) per year was actually more expensive than the roughly $9/issue they charge on the U.S. newsstands (Amazon is charging an even more ridiculous $153.05 for a year-long subscription).American fans of good game journalism can rest easy, though, as Edge has now set up a new subscription system especially for the U.S., complete with a lower subscription price of $75 per year. That's still a bit steep (especially considering mags like EGM practically give their subscriptions away) but at least now there's a pricing incentive to reserve a year's worth of issues (getting two years for $135 is an even better deal). All this and subscribers get a free T-shirt! Score!Read - Edge Magazine Special Offer
Sonic Wildfire in development for two years?!
Go Nintendo has an interesting snippet taken from issue #6 of the UK Official Nintendo Magazine where Sonic Wildfire is discussed. Apparently in development for two years, the game is based off of Arabian Nights and will follow Sonic as he adventures through a book and looks to go back to the roots of the title by instilling that sense of speed once again. The game also will see the return of Dr. Robotnik Eggman and is to feature even more ways to use the Wiimote than were presented in the E3 demo.Yojiro Ogawa also expressed some interest in bringing another franchise to the Wii in the article. Thinking that it is "fantastic hardware," he would like to bring a new franchise, completely unrelated to Sonic, to the console, utilizing the entire spectrum of capabilities the Wiimote offers.
Honey, get the camera...it's Wii's first ad!
Over in Germany, the magazine "Games Aktuell" has printed what appears to be the first Wii advertisement from Nintendo. It's quite obvious that despite the momentum Nintendo has, they need one hell of a marketing campaign to reach the desired non-gaming crowd. Is this a start?The ad is amazingly simple, to the point of several accusations of "WTF LOL PHOTOSHOP". While many of us may have to ability to make such an ad, its simplicity still has a certain, ah, je ne sais quoi unbegrenzte kraft, no? Today, a German magazine ad. Tomorrow, the world Opera!
'The Fader' magazine issue available free on iTunes
Who says the iTMS is just for music and videos? The Fader is a magazine that is "the definitive voice of emerging music and the lifestyle that surrounds it," and embodying that lifestyle they are: available now, for free, from the iTMS is their July/August 39 page summer spectacular in PDF format covering emerging music and artists. They even provide a non-iTunes RSS feed as well as a direct link to the PDF itself for all y'all who haven't hopped on the iTunes/RSS train yet.How cool is it to see traditional media diving head-first into new distribution outlets like this? I know it isn't quite the first magazine to ever get PDF'd, but it's certainly the first to make it onto the iTMS shelves - and a fitting first, if we may say so.[via MacMinute]
Offer for one free year of EGM ends today
"Free" offers on the internet often come with annoying trials and lengthy cancellation procedures, but this one here's legit -- it's actually running from the subscription web site of the publisher of EGM, Ziff Davis Media.You may have seen this offer for 12 free issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly on Joystiq or other game sites out there. Basically, what's happening is the Ziff Davis Game Group is running a subscription drive for the mag, sponsored by the World Cyber Games. Free subs are only on offer through today, however, so get a move on if you want a piece of the printed action.Of course, EGM may be no OPM, but it's helpful for even the healthiest fanboy to get a balanced diet of multiplatform news and information on a regular basis. Also, please note that you're under no obligation to sign up for the World Cyber Games page which follows the EGM subscription one, so you can absolutely get your free mag without registering with the WCG.[Via Joystiq]
Nintendo Power: Downhill Jam confirmed
In the upcoming June issue of Nintendo Power Magazine, Nintendo Power Managing Editor Scott Pelland, in his preview titled We Love 8-bit, said "other June highlights include Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference, [and] the announcement that Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is coming to Revolution and initial details about the game,"In checking Nintendo Power's website, there's not much beyond the headline of "A Tony Hawk Revolution," the inclusion of a preview for Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and in-depth coverage of New Super Mario Bros.[Via Revolution Report]
