We’ve occasionally documented times and places when game magazines showcase arcade titles as it is a fairly rare occurance but with recent developments in the arcade sector, some publications have suddenly taken some notice to what is going on with the arcade sector. The problem is how selective they are being about it and Kevin Williams of The Stinger Report makes the point by taking a look at two UK gaming magazines and their recent arcade coverage.
Before I put up the article I’d just like to take the opportunity to ‘blow my own horn’ as they say and point out that HardCore Gamer Magazine has been the most friendly magazine I have seen in ages when it comes to arcades as they let me publish a review per issue, which is far more arcade coverage than the occasional obligatory look at something super-popular like Street Fighter IV as they have been doing that for more than two years now.
For Kevin’s full article, hit the jump below and feel free to discuss it on our forums.
Consumer Game Magazines Schizophrenia over Arcade!
The intransigence of consumer game magazines to cover the amusement sector has always been blamed on many factors. However in recent months the video amusement market has received a growing amount of interest, to the point that some consumer magazines are suffering a split personality.
Look on the cover’s of two of the most popular multi-platform consumer game publications in the UK and suddenly the tag-lines returns promoting ‘arcade’ and ‘coin-op’ coverage inside their issues.
However turn to the inside features and the reverse is true. The EDGE magazine included a reasonable report on ‘The Book of Arcade Games’ which however mentions more than once that “…arcade is dead…”!
Turn to the GAMEStm publication, and likewise in a feature that covered the casual game development scene – on one hand they admitted that casual games are fundamentally the same as arcade games – but then in the same breath stated that “..now that arcade is dead!”
One would be forgiven in questioning the schizophrenia of these and other journals to in one issue lavish praise on the arcade version of ‘Street Fighter IV’ rating it 9/10 – while stating coin-op coverage as a element on their cover But on the other hand actively avoid new developments in the sector and even ‘spin’ the reality of the international amusement trades existence.
Some sources close to these and other consumer publications stated that editorial teams have to write-off amusement as it is a direct competitor to their core advertising audience (only encouraged to report on SFIV by the Capcom marketing team wanting to promote the console release) and a anathema to their young writers. But a sudden return to prominence for arcade in some publications can now be blamed on a ground swell of interest for coin-op online!
Fearing increased erosion of readership for the online competition – previous resistance to cover amusement has been replaced by a wavering posture. Especially, as the economic conditions impact the staff of these magazines, a need to change their clothes to match the readers’ interest has been forced on them.
2009 could see a major sea-change in reportage – announcements from the amusement scene (including ‘Guitar Heroes’, ‘Game Gate’, ‘KOF’ and ‘Nintendo Wii AC’) will force the remaining consumer editorial teams to treat public-space gaming with a new respect.
Just as the impacts of staff and development reductions (and advertising) hit the consumer game sector, and AAA titles slow in release over the coming months – wait to read that the magazines have always been video amusements best’est friend!
END
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Molloy
Half the arcade game pubishers have been saying arcades in the west are dead every year for the last 10 years. I think it’s largely their fault for not reaching out to magazines and promoting things properly. There’s a base of really, really enthusiastic arcade fans out there too but Sega, Capcom and Konami make a pitiful effort to connect with them.
That said, magazines are doing very badly at the moment, and have completely failed to capture the attention of the casual consumer. There’s only one Nintendo magazine left in the UK and it’s doing pitiful numbers. The DS and Wii are the most popular platforms in years! It’s pathetic.