PC Gamer [with CD] (1-year)

Product Description

Product Description

PC GAMER the #1 PC games magazine. The lastest game reviews, gaming news, tips, tricks and strategies to get the most out of your computer gaming experience.

Product Description

PC GAMER the #1 PC games magazine. The lastest game reviews, gaming news, tips, tricks and strategies to get the most out of your computer gaming experience.

Product Details

• Format: Magazine
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Publisher: Future US, Inc.
• ASIN: B000NDESM0
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
This magazine subscription is provided by Future US, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Magazine for Gamers, August 16, 2007

By 

Joseph Boone (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PC Gamer [with CD] (1-year) (Magazine)

Once upon a time, PC Gamer was in a real dogfight with Computer Gaming World for the title of best gaming magazine. This battle ended when CGW basically self-destructed thanks to some massively poor decision-making by their editorial staff. CGW has since re-launched as Games for Windows: The Official Magazine but has not reclaimed their old glory.

PC Gamer provides both reviews and previews of games. They also have a small section covering hardware. One regular feature that is nice is that they give sample builds for three PCs each month, entry level, mid level, and high end. Most magazines just focus on the most expensive parts for their sex appeal but most gamers can't afford that gear. It's nice to see this magazine buck that trend.

Most computer magazines employ humor to keep things from getting too dry and this one is no exception. They do a very professional job of providing coverage but throw in just enough sarcasm to give you a grin or two in every article. They also do a good job of calling out games that have real issues and even in their previews I've seen them point out shortcomings. Overall, this is a very good magazine and well worth the subscription price.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Caters directly to the PC gamers out there, November 10, 2007

By 

Andrew C. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC Gamer [with CD] (1-year) (Magazine)

I really like this magazine and have subscribed for the past 3 years. PC GAMER caters directly to PC gamers, each month reviewing several games and previewing several others. Although you can get demos and such online, this magazine also bundles a dvd that contains demos and other things to preview. The articles are generally well written, and most of the ratings are reasonable, with one big exception (see below).

My only problem with PC GAMER is its "world exclusive reviews," where a company will allow the editors to be the first to review some highly anticipated game. The problem is whatever game is reviewed in this matter invariably gets a high score (85%+), almost regardless of quality. In its latest world exclusive, Hellgate: London received a score of 89%--a full 15 percentage points higher than the game's average review rating at Gamerankings[dot]com. I know that this arrangement is supposed to please everyone: PC GAMER gets the early scoop, readers buy the mazagine to read the early scoop, and the game developer sells more copies of the game thanks to PC GAMER's early endorsement. But in my opinion, this scheme compromises the integrity of an otherwise very good magazine.

Anyhow, I recommend PC GAMER to anyone who has at least a casual interest in PC gaming.

45 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Used to be so much better, June 23, 2009

By 

D. Rose - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PC Gamer [with CD] (1-year) (Magazine)

I've read PC Gamer for years and years, subscribing on and off and buying them on the newsstand. I remember when they used to be almost half an inch thick, especially around the holidays, full of information on upcoming games, multi-page reviews, a large hardware section, demos and previews and custom programs on the discs, etc. These days they are very thin with very little content. The reviews are short and the previews read like a press release from the developer full of hyperbole and gushing enthusiasm even when the product may be a year away from launching. The hardware section has gotten smaller and smaller and these days you're lucky to see a couple of reviews of a mouse or new $5,000 gaming rig without anything else.

I still pick up a copy every now and then but am disappointed every time compared to what this magazine used to be. They should be writing longer articles, more in-depth with more grown-up writing. The blogs have them beat with any up-to-date info, they need to set themselves apart with quality. See EDGE magazine in the UK for a great example of a gaming magazine (though it is mostly focused on consoles).

*Update Jan 10 2010*
I recently re-subscribed to this magazine thanks to a great deal during the holiday where I got a 12 month subscription for less than the price of a hamburger. Apparently they just got a new editor in chief and so far the quality is even worse than it was before. The magazine is still super thin and lacks real substance and now there are multiple simple typos throughout. They really need to work on their proof-reading, as I noticed at least a dozen spelling mistakes or missing words or sentences that don't make any sense. I'm not normally a stickler for grammar and I'm sure my reviews and the things I write contain some, but you would think that a professional magazine would do a little better job of proof-reading their content before publishing.

This month's magazine did at least have a little more content in the hardware section, but I just wish they would cover more of it since it is a PC gaming magazine after all.

*Update 13 August 2010*
Even the printing quality is cheap on this magazine now. I have resorted to holding the magazine with pieces of copy paper between my fingers and the magazine, because if I don't then the ink smears all over the place and my fingers turn black with ink. This happens on the interior and exterior pages both. Again I have to turn to EDGE magazine for an example of great printing quality that just doesn't seem to be a priority for magazines in the US anymore. Wired magazine in the US at least has a cover that doesn't smear everywhere though. With each new issue of PC Gamer I actually read less and less and skim more and more just so I can put it down before the magazine is stuck to my fingers.