Game Informer

Infobox Magazine
title = Game Informer


image_size = 250px
image_caption = The October 2008 issue cover
editor = Andrew Reiner
editor_title = Executive Editor
frequency = Monthly (12 per year)
circulation = 3,000,000
category = video game
publisher = GameStop Corporation
firstdate = August 1991
country = USA
language = English
website = [http://www.gameinformer.com www.gameinformer.com]
issn = 1067-6392|

"Game Informer" (often abbreviated to "GI") is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. Formed in August 1991,"10 Years of "Game Informer" (August 2001). "Game Informer", p. 42. "In August of 1991, Funcoland began publishing a six-page circular to be handed out free in all of its retail locations."] the magazine has nearly 3 million subscribers according to Andrew Reiner, making it the highest circulated video game magazine,cite web | url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070409005526&newsLang=en | title=Game Informer Announces Rate Base Increase] and as of the first quarter of 2007, it is listed as the 23rd largest overall magazine. Game Informer is now ranked among the top four magazines for reaching males 18 to 34.cite web | url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070409005526&newsLang=en | title=Game Informer is one of the top 25 magazines by subscriptions]

It is owned and published by GameStop Corp., the parent company of the video game retailer of the same name. Due to this, a large amount of promotion is done in-store, which has contributed heavily to its large subscription base,cite web | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61800-2005Apr17.html | title = A Magazine Whose Lineup Is Always in Play | accessmonthday = March 22| accessyear = 2007| author = Vargas, Jose Antonio | year = 2005| month = April| publisher = Washington Post] especially as a subscription is included with the store's Gamer's Edge discount card.

GI Staff

There have been many different members on the GI team through the years. Handles are in parenthesis, current GI staff members are listed at the top, and members no longer active are below.
* Andy McNamara (The Game Hombre): 1991-present
* Andrew Reiner (The Raging Gamer): 1994-present
* Matt Helgeson (The Original Gamer): 1999-present
* Matthew Kato (The Gaming Katana): 2001-present
* Adam Biessener (The Alpha Gamer): 2003-present
* Joe Juba (The Real American Gamer): 2003-present
* Matt Miller (The Once And Future Gamer): 2004-present
* Matt Bertz (Lord Gamington III): 2006-present
* Bryan Vore (The Gamer's Advocate): 2007-present
* Ben Reeves (Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamer): 2006-present

* Paul Anderson (The Pro Player, Game Professor): 1992-2001
* Elizabeth Olson: 1991-1994
* Rick Petzoldt (The Video Ranger): 1991-1995
* Marianne Morgan (The Game Master): 1991
* Ed Martinez (The Video Wizard): 1991
* Erik Reppen (The PC Jedi): 1996-1997, 1999-2001
* Ross VanDerSchaegen (The Rebel Gamer): 1991-1995
* David "Vinnie" Vinyon (The Video Vigilante): 1994-1996
* Ryan McDonald (The Arcade Alchemist): 1995-1997
* Jon Storm (The Greedy Gamer): 1996-1999
* Robert Stoute (The Game Cassanova): 1997-1999
* Paul Bergren (The Game Burrito): 1997-1999
* Lisa Mason (La Game Nikita): 2002-2006
* Beaux Hawkins (The Arcade Assassin): 1998-1999
* The Vidiot (Minister of Destruction): 2000-2001
* Jay Fitzloff (The Gonzo Gamer): 1999-2002
* Justin Leeper (The Digital Deviant): 2001-2004
* Chet Barber (The Joystick Jockey, The Chronic Gamer): 2002-2003
* Jeremy Zoss (Gamezilla): 2003-2006
* Kristian Brogger (The Game Dawg, The Video Viking): ???-2004

Recurring events

Game Infarcer is an annual spin-off of the normal magazine. Similar to GamePro's LamePro, it's released only in the April issue, as an April Fool's Joke. In of 2008 Gameinfarcer received a new Chief Editor, DarthClark, who replaced Garnadan, and the cover game for the same Game Infarcer issue was a mix of both Assassins Creed and Dawson's Creek (Assassin's Creek.)

In the July 2008 issue, Game Informer had its Second Annual Sacred Cow Barbecue. The occasion is meant to "knock some of gaming's most revered icons off their high and mighty pedestals". [Game Informer Issue 183 inFamous]

Reviews

"Game Informer" reviews games on the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable consoles. The reviews of games for the Game Boy Advance and Gamecube consoles were discontinued during 2007, primarily because the number of games for both systems were dwindling. Older games, three per issue, are given brief reviews in the magazine's Classic GI section (compared with the game's original review score, if one exists). The magazine's staff rate games on a scale of 1 to 10 with quarter point intervals. A score of 1 is considered worse than terrible; 10 is a rare, "outstanding", nearly perfect game; and 7 is "average", a decently playable (but flawed) game. Some games that have received a perfect "10" include "Halo 2, , , Grand Theft Auto IV, , , , , Metroid Fusion, Bioshock, , Resident Evil 4, God of War, , "and" Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2".

Some games received even lower scores, scores below 1: ' received a 0.75,cite web | url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200305/R03.0729.1746.32907.htm?CS_pid=220029 | title=Batman: Rize of Sin Tzu review on GameInformer.com] ' for Game Boy Color got a 0.5,cite web | url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200106/R03.0804.1550.16555.htm | title=Shrek Fairy Tale Freakdown review on GameInformer.com] and the Xbox launch title "Kabuki Warriors" scored a 0.5.cite web | url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200112/R03.0804.1832.31851.htm | title=Kabuki Warriors review on GameInformer.com] In the latter review, editor-in-chief Andy McNamara said, "I literally won a match just by bashing the controller against my ass." This was confirmed by his fellow editors. One game reviewed for Classic GI -- "" for Sega CD -- was given a 0.

Website

GI Online was originally launched in August 1996, and featured daily news updates as well as humorous articles. The magazine editors updated it as a labor of love, with what little spare time they had. Justin Leeper and Matthew Kato were hired on in November 1999 as full-time web editors. As part of the GameStop purchase of the magazine, the site was closed around January 2001."On the Web" (August 2001). "Game Informer", p. 49. "Sadly, this ill-fated site was to last little more that [sic] a year, as gameinformer.com would fall prey to the massive meltdown of the Internet economy in February [of 2001] ."] Both Leeper and Kato were eventually placed on the editorial staff of the magazine.

GI Online was revived in September 2003, with a full redesign and many additional features, such as a review database, frequent news updates, and exclusive "Unlimited" content for subscribers. It was managed by Billy Berghammer, former creator of PlanetGameCube.com (now known as NintendoWorldReport.com).

References

External links

* [http://www.gameinformer.com/ GameInformer.com]