How EGM Compendium Celebrates Gaming’s Most Impactful Publications

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How EGM Compendium Celebrates Gaming's Most Impactful Publications

As someone who grew up during the golden age of gaming, I can confidently say that Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) was a guiding light for me and many others. Its quirky humor, offbeat personalities, and unfiltered takes on games made it stand out from the crowd. The magazine felt like a group of friends sitting around discussing their latest gaming exploits, which is something I miss dearly in today’s more polished and corporate-driven landscape.

For around three and a half decades, Electronic Gaming Monthly (often abbreviated as EGM), was a significant gaming periodical, available both in print form and online for gaming enthusiasts. From its debut in 1988 to its final issue in 2014, EGM functioned as a trailblazer, setting the tone for other gaming publications to follow. Instead of being seen as an authoritative source that merely reported on games and the gaming industry, it embraced an offbeat humor and fostered unique staff personalities, making it more than just a faceless institution. In many aspects, EGM’s influence can be traced in the style and rapport of modern content creators on YouTube, demonstrating that even though it is no longer being published, its impact continues to resonate and inspire.

The enduring admiration and respect for EGM paved the way for plans to publish a book chronicling its history, yet it was hard to foresee the enthusiastic reaction this book would elicit. Following years of preparation and planning to compile an exhaustive account of the magazine and its articles, The EGM Compendium was unveiled alongside a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. In an astonishingly short time of 2.5 hours, fans managed to fully finance this project. The swift success of the Kickstarter campaign mirrors the book’s spirit, with co-author Josh Harmon recently expressing thoughts on EGM‘s influence on readers and beyond.

The EGM Compendium Celebrates the Magazine’s Legacy and Continued Impact

If you were a video game enthusiast in the late 1980s and 1990s, it’s highly probable that you recall “Electronic Gaming Monthly” (often abbreviated as EGM) as a prominent publication from that time. Although other gaming magazines were available, EGM stood out as the most influential and recognizable due to its unique Review Crew, known for their candid opinions and in-depth analysis of the latest games. Essentially, it was the wit and humor of EGM’s writers that connected with readers, and “The EGM Compendium” aims to capture that same essence through its carefully selected content.

As a devoted fan, I recently had the pleasure of discussing the lasting impact of the esteemed magazine with my esteemed co-author Josh Harmon. When asked about the reaction to the announcement of a collection compiling EGM‘s most memorable moments across its 25-year tenure, Harmon swiftly emphasized that throughout its journey, our cherished publication served as a reliable beacon for a distinct type of games journalism.

The magazine underwent significant changes throughout its history, yet it consistently provided the freshest gaming updates, never shying away from frankness, and teeming with the editors’ wit and character. One aspect that stood out to me as particularly unique in EGM was the multi-reviewer system. Each issue would feature a photo and eventually a brief biography of the reviewers. These individuals didn’t represent the entire magazine as a single entity.

Interestingly enough, Harmon conceded that the kind of games featured in the pages of EGM weren’t too dissimilar from the content players find today on YouTube channels run by individual creators. He pointed out that “…it seems like an early precursor to what’s now widespread online during the internet era – influencers. People tend to follow streamers and content creators for their unique personalities.

The EGM Compendium’s Contents Aim to Recapture What Fans Loved About the Magazine

The idea for “The EGM Compendium” originated because the EGM brand decided to start publishing books about games. They recognized that their inaugural book should be a compilation focused on the magazine itself. When it came to gathering content, Harmon mentioned that they aimed to incorporate “significant reviews” along with other significant excerpts from the magazine. The book showcases key events throughout the publication’s history and discusses the evolution and transformation of the magazine. Furthermore, it includes contributions from various EGM alumni and influential figures within the gaming industry.

At present, the EGM Compendium is being funded through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, with the anticipated delivery of the hardcopy books slated for February 2025.

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2024-10-27 14:31