10 Video Game Traditions That Are Dead And Buried

9. Gaming Magazines For MAJOR Reveals

Playstation Magazine Demos
Future Publishing

During the era, it was a sure-fire sign that you were serious about video games if, when you weren’t playing them, you were reading about them. Monthly magazines were, for the most part, our only access to news, previews and reviews. This was the place you came to find out whether Spyro the Dragon was getting a sequel or how the Sega Dreamcast was going to change the industry forever.

For the people that worked on these many magazines, be they officially licensed publications or third-party, they were pioneers and lived in a totally different world to the press of today. Given a month to create a magazine and make it the best it could be, rather than be able to react to breaking news like today.

Content, placement, real estate on the page and visual design were everything. These weren’t the daily papers, these were, at the best of times, their own source of entertainment. In fact, that was one reason to buy and keep games mags: the wealth of brilliant and memorable covers and advertising that only occurred in these places.

Gaming magazines aren’t completely gone, with respected brands like Edge and PC Gamer continuing to carry the flag. However, these quite rightfully now gear more towards collectors and nostalgia rather than try to compete with the information supergiant that is the world wide web.

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Coming from a content creation background that now spans over two decades, Psy cut her teeth on personal video production and community radio. Originally joining the team as a writer and presenter, she added video editing duties to her responsibilities over time and became the longest-standing editor of the irreverent gaming show Tues Your Own Adventure. Psy has worked on many previews and reviews, long-form editorials (either her own, or supporting as an editor), as a frequent quizmaster and more. Praised for the two-pronged attack of her hard work ethic and light-hearted editing style, Psy is otherwise known as a font of retro video game knowledge which has caused her to rack up many quiz wins. Outside of WhatCulture, Psy runs First Aid Spray Podcast - a long-running channel that focuses on Resident Evil in all of it's forms. You can follow her on BlueSky at http://psywhite.bsky.social and Instagram at http://instagram.com/therealpsywhite