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Another one bites the dust: Nintendo Power ready to die? photo

Word on the street is, there have been quite a few layoffs at the offices of everyone's favorite '80s mag, Nintendo Power. Employees there are being told to "look for new work by September of this year," which could mean any number of things, from a simple restructuring of the publication to certain and inescapable death. Given the recent history of print journalism's success in this industry, we're betting on death.

It was awesome back in the day, and entertained me on many a boring bus ride before I got my first Walkman, but is anybody really reading it anymore? Does anybody care? Does it hurt when I poke you right here? Hit the comments and tell us what you think.

[Via IGN


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39 comments | showing # 1 to 39

xBBx's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 21:46
xBBx
Sons of bitches! I actually just subscribed to them for 3 years last month! Bitches better gimme my money!
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 21:55
TheStripe
I remember reading NP all the time, back in the day. Shite, almost twenty years ago. The target age hasn't really changed, and kids don't read magazines. It wouldn't surprise me if they decided it was time for a more mass appeal mag, something on the fifth grade reading level without any fart jokes (Wariowear reviews excluded) intended to be informative and enjoyable to all of Nintendo's intended audience.
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 21:57
TheStripe
Though that's more of a symptom of a kid focused franchise. Did they review the third party mature titles for the GC?
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 21:57
Mxyzptlk
The mag has gotten pretty good in the last year or so, it'd be a shame if it went the way of the dodo.
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:00
Magesx
I remember them always reviewing Nintendo made games and giving them straight 5s, and then give almost every other 3rd party game 2s and stuff.

That magazine sucked.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:00
tazarthayoot
I read that as before you got your first Workman.

Nothing's the same after your first Workman, I'm sure.
Topher Cantler's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:08
Topher Cantler
My Workman is much cooler. He has Dolby.
Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:10
Oni
I got three free issues for registering 3 different games on my My Nintendo account. They reminded me of why I stopped subscribing.

Beyond the fact that the print magazine is dying, the whole outfit is a miserable, self-stroking ego attempt. They just pat themselves on the back for how awesome they're doing, with little to no regard to the titles and various other products they have released that have failed miserably both in sales and in reviews from other, less biased sources.

Let them die.
boltox's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:12
boltox
Nester's gonna be pissed.
Crunshii's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:13
Crunshii
in 4rth grade people used to call me "nintendo power" as a nick name... cuz half of my bookbag was always filled with nin mags. I grew up with that mag, kinda sad.

I still have some NP mags in an old old memento box.... ninja gaiden 1 walkthrough, Final fantasy 1, earthworm jim, sword & serpernts exclusive, lol, ill keep them till i die!

but I guess that shows nintendo, they better get with the program, or the disease might hit their console manufacturer next.
(/em summons summa)
Topher Cantler's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:14
Topher Cantler
I remember being offered three free issues when I registered my Wii, and I was like "Umm... eh... nah."

If they had offered me three issues from 1989 I totally would have taken them, though.
CrackerlySeagull's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:26
CrackerlySeagull
NINTENDO POWER NEEDS FOOD BADLY!

savagesaladin's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:27
savagesaladin
There magazine was... fun to read.
Monte's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 22:28
Monte
I remember my nintendo power phase... i started just when the n64 was coming out and i'm not sure when i ended... subscribed for a good number of years, i always did look forward to the next issue. some good times... y'know, i think i still have all of my old mags in a bunch of shoe boxes somewhere in my room, or possibly the attic (my parents have be redecorating since i was away)
SpencersGifts's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 23:09
SpencersGifts
God that would blow if they do end it. I remember way back in the NES days, best Mag Every
SpencersGifts's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 23:09
SpencersGifts
God that would blow if they do end it. I remember way back in the NES days, best Mag Ever
van's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 23:36
van
i was in the nintendo fun club and got the NFC newsletter for a while. then they discontinued it, probably because it was free to join and they were losing money on the postage. so, they replaced it with nintendo power and started charging for it. they did send out the first issue for free to all Nintendo Fun Club members. that was the last issue that i actually read.
donkeykong's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/15/2007 23:38
donkeykong
I had a subscription for a good many years... and about two weeks ago gave all of what I had left to my ladyfriend's little brother. I don't know why he wanted them, but... dangit now those are collector's items! He's gonna be rich
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 00:23
AngelsDontBurn
Aww... R.I.P. Nintendo Power...

Of course I probably should of said this about 10 years ago.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 00:35
Necros
I'm still getting it, even though my primary gaming magazine is the superb EGM. It's really gotten a lot better since the redesign about 2 years ago, removing a lot of bias and finally acknowledging the existence of other systems. Of course, it's still straight from NIntendo, but it's kinda respectable these days, on some level.
bradleyrose's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 00:47
bradleyrose
Subscriber for 17 years. Which is weird. 'cause that'd mean I was subscribing since I was two. And that was when I played my first game: Super Mario Bros. Maybe my parents are also fanpeople and just passed down the magazine to me. I just keep subscribing because I love Nintendo.

Nowadays, I really don't read it much after the first look-through when I get it. Good thing it comes with posters. That's really the only thing that I get excited about when a new magazine comes in.

Cheers,

Bradley
amalgamut00's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 01:33
amalgamut00
I stopped reading NP when I realized all Nintendo made games got perfects and everything else was bad.
Dyson's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 03:04
Dyson
That is the best Pho-to-shop EVAR!

I <3 you HushGush
Ambulance-Y's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 07:26
Ambulance-Y
i too only read it when i got my 3 free issues for registering 3 games online. i almost subscribed just for the wii mote keychain that came free with it, but its just not worth it. alot of paper magazines are dying nowadays, especially with fine up to the minute sites like destructoid avaliable 24/7 updated daily and free spending money on a magazine, or even a subscription seems pointless to most. unless it comes with awesome extras like the opm or what ever that came with a killzone demo umd in october or november but i didn't even buy that, i just picked up ze umd. i still didn't see that issue sell to much anyway
aborto thefetus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 07:47
aborto thefetus
I fucking hated that magazine. There is no dubt in my head that it was good at one time but most recently the magazine has sucked major balls. Mainly because they seem to be aiming towards little kids then a broader spectrum of people. I quit reading it because it was so damn insulting to my intelligence. That and they were biased as hell as you guys have been saying. I don't think I've seen a game scored below a 6/10 in that magazine. Even red steel got a somewhat good rating in that magazine!
Virtualgirl's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 09:04
Virtualgirl
I have a subscription to Game Informer, EGM, and Nintendo Power, but that is the one I read the least...I dont know, if i am going to take the time to read something, I want it to cover the broadest range of topics...
topgeargorilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 09:23
topgeargorilla
I always hated how i felt like a dope reading them. than a few years ago they tried to reinvent themselves and say the word crap. It's the Highlights for children of videogames
Rockvillian's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 10:15
Rockvillian
I usually pick one up if I see it in the grocery store or 7-11, which is rarely. Then when I finally find one, I read through it in like a half hour and realize A: Half the reviews are for Disney games, B: All the cool free posters are actually horrible, and C: I get my shit from Dtoid. Screw magazines.
itemforty's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 11:42
itemforty
Nintendo Power didn't pick me to win the phone booth from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, so I hate them.
ekoala2002's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 11:56
ekoala2002
I use to read NP, but now I just use the internet to get previews and hints and anything game related.
bloodylip's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 13:30
bloodylip
I don't take my laptop in the bathroom (very often), so I'm subscribed. Surprisingly, they do have some scoops before major websites, occasionally. And their writing is superior to other shitty magazines I've gotten free subscriptions to.

As for them reviewing Nintendo games positively always... yeah, they used to do that. But they also gave Geist (along with other first party games I can't think of) a positively shitty rating.

It's a shame. In the past year or two, they really started becoming a grown-up magazine. It'd be great if they kept a few writers for an online mag, but I doubt that'll happen if they told them to start searching for new jobs.
Adamska's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 13:32
Adamska
The age of the magazine is dead. NP really has to start offering something new if it wants to stand out in the market where other magazines do the same thing they do, but in a larger variety (not restricted to Nintendo) and not afraid to use curse words like "hell" and such. It seems like NP can't find its audience either. The games they review are for four-year-olds, but the reviews are decent.

I'm not going to cry when they shoot that puppy.
JTHomeslice's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 18:29
JTHomeslice
Just got a subscription with my renewal of my Gamecrazy benefit card. The redesign made the mag much better. Before it was all strategies and shit like that but now they actually cover news and the reviews aren't half bad. They gave Geist what it deserved and they gave Zelda TP a 9.5 while every other publication under the sun gave it a 10. The mag a'int half bad and I hope it doesn't die. But, they gave Puzzle Quest a 4, which is unforgivable.
emo zema's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 20:57
emo zema
it's got some good nintendo based information sometimes & the fact that i like nintendo over sony or micro$oft makes it a plus but i just don't like magazines that r for only one consol .
michiyoyoshiku's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/16/2007 23:22
michiyoyoshiku
I'll try to Nab the Final issue

then I can say I have the first issue AND THE LAST
bloodylip's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/17/2007 07:56
bloodylip
It seems the people who criticize it the most haven't read it in years. Since their redesign, NP hasn't been afraid to use the lower spectrum of words of curse, such as hell and damn. Get with the times if you plan to criticize, people.
elric93's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2007 20:59
elric93
Let me start by saying that I'm 14 and I subscribe to Nintendo Power. I completely agree with bloodylip, don't disrestpect NP unless you've read it in the last few years. I subscribed to it almost two years ago so I don't really know what it was like back in the day. And to you people who say it made you feel stupid, it defeats the purpose when you demonstrate to everyone you you don't know how to spell second grade words like doubt (aborto thefetus said dubt) and then (topgeargorilla said than, which is used when you're comparing something)
I'm a die hard nintendo fan and my computer kind of sucks so I like being able to read a magazine, especially at school where I can't look at Nintendo information online and if I did, half the stuff would be written by ignorant people who can't spell.
I also find it hard to believe that NP is laying people off since they just added a new writer, and they seem to be doing pretty well.
And to all of you people who I mentioned, you were just intellectually owned by a 14 year old.
elric93's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2007 21:00
elric93
disrespect*
elric93's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2007 21:01
elric93
* -you
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