A Requiem For Game Informer | Sacred Symbols+, Episode 397

After an incredible 33 year run spanning a full 367 print issues, legendary games magazine Game Informer has shut its doors. While it's obviously sad for all who have lost their jobs, it's likewise a blow to the generations of enthusiasts who once leafed through its pages to learn about what was next. Peaking at around 8 million subscribers at its height -- and ostensibly a backdoor marketing arm of brick-and-mortar retailer GameStop (and FuncoLand before it) -- the failure of Game Informer further brings into focus the ever-changing landscape of media. To discuss this topic at length (and to chat about a bunch of other stuff, too), I (Colin) asked The Washington Post's Gene Park onto Sacred+ for a one-on-one we both think you'll really enjoy.

[@Matt_Man_94]

Losing Game Informer is one thing, it’s very sad that this site and publication I’ve been reading since I was a child will no longer be around. What really makes me mad and angry is that they’ve totally nuked the site. Any and all links to previous articles just lead back to the kill screen, and that’s extremely sad.

[@nicolasray1571]

I'm an introvert too and I love Gene's confidence. It feels authentic without being overbearing. Same for Colin. Great duo!

[@GenePark]

thanks! maybe i’ll do a stelly on introversion soon

[@Tmacswag1994]

2 hours with Gene and Colin? The boys boutta cook

[@veritas4230]

I’d love some kind of crossover with Minnmax someday. Ex GI staff are more knowledgeable than most when it comes to discussing games imo

[@SzatanistaDzezowy]

I don't think that most of them would agree to do that. Most of the MinnMax staff boycotted Hogwart's Legacy, so you can guess what kind of people they are.

[@owengray3785]

@@SzatanistaDzezowythe game informer show and subsequent minnmax podcast used to be my go to gaming podcast that got me through countless hours of work. Ben Hanson is an excellent host and it was super kind of him to give his laid-off colleagues a source of income after the first wave of lay-offs. However, while they might not be as bad as Kotaku or Kinda Funny many of the people on the show have started injecting politics into all their takes and it pushed me away years ago. Anyone on the show who leaned moderate to conservative would never dare push back against any progressive takes. I talked to Ben years ago and told him he should connect with Colin and he said he would try but it never ended up happening. I could see some people on the show coming on but definitely not an official collab.

[@user-vr1sk5fv4v]

Minnmax too pg

[@InGameProductionz]

Happy Birthday Gene!!

[@liammarshall5047]

I wanna know what Gene is working on!

[@GenePark]

i can’t wait to finally publish it!

[@creese16]

I am playing Ace Combat 7 right now because of Gene Park (and Top Gun)

[@alexlyster3459]

Highly under rated game

[@DanishingAct]

GI’s legacy deserved a lot better than wiping the site.

[@kadabur]

Use to love Game Informer, had it with game stop membership and the cover the stories were so cool. It was b4 i had discovered ign or gamespot. Rip old friend

[@liam1socool]

This combo needs to be more regular, perhaps even have the political discussions with just you two.

[@TheNightMammoth]

Gene speaking with some amorphous cat tail in front of him resonates with me to a fundamental level 😊

[@Gr8saiyaman88]

Take a shot every time Gene says “you know?”

[@anthonydevetis7221]

I’d be blackout 2 min in

[@Youngblaise2]

Fuck. I can't unhear it now. Holy shit lol Curse you! 🤣

[@shadowsly2219]

"Who wants to hang out with Brian Setlzer for a day?" Ahahaha That would be a great game show.

[@Solid_Duff]

Not gonna lie, I hit that like button as soon as I saw Gene.

[@NELLYB]

Colin not understanding how co-ops work is just Great fun

[@Mr.SodaJerk]

I know you guys looooove Gene but for Christ sake please you HAVE to tell him to STOP GOING “UH HUH” UH HUH” UH HUH” every 2 fucking seconds. It makes everything he’s in un-watchable

[@Joe_159]

Really enjoyed this conversation and Constellation this week, keep it up gents!

[@andrewcoehoorn6505]

This has me written all over it. The memory that pops up most for me when it comes to Gameinformer is an article they did on a Highlander video game. Being a huge Highlander fan I was excited. It was written by the guy that did the show, they had screenshots, I went to Walmart at midnight on the release day. Nothing was put out and I found out later it was quietly canceled.

[@christinhell]

Damn, that's rough

[@andrewcoehoorn6505]

@christinhell thanks. Even years later I wonder what the story was there.

[@christinhell]

@@andrewcoehoorn6505 Do you remember the studio that was working on it?

[@andrewcoehoorn6505]

@@christinhell unfortunately no

[@HooktonFonnix]

Gene is wrong about DEI being driven by capitalism. DEI is a product of ESG, which is a socialistic construction. "Stakeholder capitalism" is just socialism under a different name

[@MisterMarsona]

Thank you for these free "previews" of Sacred+ . It keeps reminding me to resub to the Patreon

[@Mr.SodaJerk]

You guys need to release these when they’re more relevant. The Game Informer closure happened like a month ago.

[@gondotheslayer]

About the MSNBC hosts breaking out - Mehdi Hasan did break out. Pretty sure he got a big debate with a spokesperson for the CCP recently. He's on piers a lot, and seems to be doing pretty well. By far one of the best left wing journalists out there IMO. He apparently is writing for the Guardian, but he appears all over the place.

[@foxpatch.]

Fantastic conversation. Really interesting to get an insight into the underbelly of games journalism. Would like to see this team up more.

[@dkjphills79]

Haha babbages.... wow. Always looked like such a hole in the wall store. This conversation has me thinking who came up with that name?

[@MisterMarsona]

I always wondered that too. I grew up with Software Etc., but when I visited some of the other malls around the area I would see a Babbages here and there.

[@midgetsparkle]

Gene just exposed himself to this whole audience!! I'm disgusted and offended... Maybe Slightly aroused.

[@DaRkLoRd-rc5yu]

Been watching all of your content this week because i've been playing the persona 3 dlc. It feels like the perfect second screen game as it just a very good turnbased grindy dungeon crawler and these podcasts are the perfect companion. Makes both content better. So cheers for the good times made for a very enjoyable 30 hour playthrough of episode aigis.

[@Mitun13]

The IGN channel was IGN Start

[@KyleBorchert]

Press Start is what it was originally called

[@viratsingh6926]

YOU KNOW YOU KNOW YOU KNOW

[@Marmondos420]

$500 switch 2 with oled screen, calling it now

[@christinhell]

No way Nintendo prices it that high. I'd say 4, no higher than 450.

[@KyleBorchert]

1:00:24 - Press Start

[@salmark9080]

Sick

[@derekgatzxx]

Good riddance. What they turned into is truly pathetic.

[@TheMaestro116]

11:07 Pretty sure IGN stands for IGNorant, at least according to the current online gaming circles.

[@X82BIGBLUE82X]

There’s nothing crazy about saying trans women are gross, that’s just facts.

[@spacechannelfiver]

No that's an opinion

[@linkinparkblink182ro]

If that's a Trap, well damn, consider me caught

[@archangelarielle262]

Colin, see how toxic a large portion of gamers, and your commenters are? There is no stance-independent, non-circular, objective "prescription" for any entity to have any value, or do any duty...

[@HooktonFonnix]

1:53:10 Colin nailed it