I love you CGW, but...

[Slainte Mhath]

...you may want to consider having a talk with the robo-drones in your marketing department. Thought I'd share this with you all since it made me chuckle.

So I get my latest Computer Gaming World in the mail yesterday. Attached is a little letter explaining how my subscription will expire in 3 months, and it would be just horrible if that happened, so here is the handy renewal form. Now because we love you so much we're even including a 39 cent stamp so you can mail back your renwal form at no cost to you!!!

I can feel the love. I wondered if Jeff Green personally thought about how awful it would be to lose me as a subscriber and ordered them to insure I renew at all costs! I think I actually started to feel a tear form in my eye. That is until I flipped over the reply envelope and saw BUSINESS REPLY MAIL, NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE US.

So thanks CGW for the $0.39 rebate on my $29.97 subscription renewal. I'll be sure to use the handy free stamp to pay my mortgage or some other bill to some heartless and evil company that doesn't thoughtfully provide pre-paid envelopes.

Oh, and while we're at it, what's with the reduction in newstand price and the doing away with the CD, and yet my subscription renewal is STILL $29.97? Shouldn't it be like $19.99 now?

[ElGuapo]

I think it's funny how CGW's new editorial policy is to not have scores in their reviews, yet in about 75% of the reviews, they mention something along the lines of "1up.com gave it a 8.0". They then go on to list what other gaming sites gave it right at the end of the review.

Even Jeff Green did it.

Comeon, either review a game without giving a score or go ahead and do it. Mentioning what other sites and other reviewers gave the game on a score basis in the text of the review sends mixed messages.

[Coca Cola Zero]

They still have magazines?

[Slainte Mhath]

They still have magazines?

Ha! Not for long at $30 a pop for annual renewals...

[Warren]

They still have magazines?

One still must have something to read in the ... littlest room in the house.

[scharmers]

One still must have something to read in the ... littlest room in the house.

What, you don't have a stack of "JUGGS: THE WORLD'S FILTHIEST TIT MAG" handy?

[ralphtrickey]

One still must have something to read in the ... littlest room in the house.
The bedroom closet??? The room under the stairs???

[ElGuapo]

What, you don't have a stack of "JUGGS: THE WORLD'S FILTHIEST TIT MAG" handy?

What, the dead blonde in the tub covered by rose petals and bubbles doesn't do it for ya?

[scharmers]

What, the dead blonde in the tub covered by rose petals and bubbles doesn't do it for ya?

had to get rid of that...freaked the wife out. I've just now got her to stop calling 911 all the time

[FIDGAF]

Oh, and while we're at it, what's with the reduction in newstand price and the doing away with the CD, and yet my subscription renewal is STILL $29.97? Shouldn't it be like $19.99 now?

I've been thinking about that...
So, you folks over at CGW considering changing the sub price yet?

Imagine my surprise when I got the gift card because my Wife bought me a subscription.
Imagine my surprise when suddenly 3 months into the subscription, there was no Disc anymore?
Imagine how pissed off my Wife is because she paid for a subscription that was supposed to include a Disc.

Some of us liked the Disc...
I guess Tom and Bruce asked for a raise.
;)

[Troy S Goodfellow]

I guess Tom and Bruce asked for a raise.

No more money for Bruce until he wins a RTS.

Troy

[Moore]

One still must have something to read in the ... littlest room in the house.

That's what the psp is for.

[Kunikos]

No more money for Bruce until he wins a RTS.

Troy

TA sequel is coming out, anything could happen, even ice skating in hell...

[Old Man Gravy]

So was there actually a postage stamp in what you got, as well as the bulk rate business envelope?

Actually, come to think of it, that's something I could see Jeff Green doing on purpose and then sniggering about.

[Robert Sharp]

I'm not clear on the problem. So now you have a bonus stamp, and that means less to you than if you had to put the stamp on the enclosed envelope? This is GOOD news. The stamp is 39c just for looking at their offer.

Also, why didn't you get the free sub like the rest of us?

Also, did those who paid extra for the CDs get the money back in some way?

[hanji]

That's what the psp is for.

I've tried using my GBA while on the can but it doesn't feel right to me. I much prefer a magazine or book.

[RickH]

What, the dead blonde in the tub covered by rose petals and bubbles doesn't do it for ya?

Hate those ads.

[Taranis]

I've been thinking about that...
So, you folks over at CGW considering changing the sub price yet?

Imagine my surprise when I got the gift card because my Wife bought me a subscription.
Imagine my surprise when suddenly 3 months into the subscription, there was no Disc anymore?
Imagine how pissed off my Wife is because she paid for a subscription that was supposed to include a Disc.

Some of us liked the Disc...
I guess Tom and Bruce asked for a raise.
;)
I am mad about about the no CD in the issues too, I am on dial-up I ordered the mag. with the CD so I could try out the newest Demo's. Ever tried to download a Demo nowadays on a 56k modem? I don't recommend it! I don't think I will renew my subscription after they pulled this, the only thing I will miss (and maybe just maybe keep me as a customer) is the Tom vs. Bruce column. If they lower the subscription price to something like $19.99 then I would consider renewing, but to still pay the same amount with no CD.... I don't think so!

[Jeff Green]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the story is on the subscription price. I agree, though--it should be lower. Or they should give you more issues. One of the two.

I fuggin' *hate* that Hitman ad. Makes me ill. Been forwarding the reader complaints about it to the Sales/Marketing folks, who hopefully will get the message.

I didn't know about the extra stamp thing, but if you don't want them, please send them to me as I can never find any around my house.

[Slainte Mhath]

I'm not clear on the problem. So now you have a bonus stamp, and that means less to you than if you had to put the stamp on the enclosed envelope? This is GOOD news. The stamp is 39c just for looking at their offer.

Also, why didn't you get the free sub like the rest of us?

Also, did those who paid extra for the CDs get the money back in some way?

I just found it humerous that the whole jist of the marketing campaign was making a big deal out of the stamp to pay my postage, when they'd already paid for the business reply envelope with pre-paid postage. I'll gladly accept the free stamp and stick it on my next mortgage payment, or maybe a complaint letter about subscription rates! =)

No, I missed out on the free sub thread, was on vacation. I would have used it to extend my current sub.

Current subscribers got diddly when the CD was canned. We got a card in the mail offering a free membership to FileFront.com so we could spend hours downloading what we used to get on the CD.

I'm not really all that ticked about the CD, I rarely used the demos and mods that came on them, though ages ago they used to have free games on them as well, and those I DID use. What I'm a little angry about is that, back in the day, you could get a "with CD" sub for $29.97 and a "w/o CD" sub for $20. Now ALL subs are w/o CD, and yet they still cost $29.97. Um...why?

[Lizard_King]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the story is on the subscription price. I agree, though--it should be lower. Or they should give you more issues. One of the two.

I fuggin' *hate* that Hitman ad. Makes me ill. Been forwarding the reader complaints about it to the Sales/Marketing folks, who hopefully will get the message.
I'd say it's a pretty successful campaign. The ad makes me a little queasy, as does Hitman. Success!

[Not One Of Us]

I have no problem with those ads whatsoever. Yay desensitization?

[Chris Woods]

I didn't know about the extra stamp thing, but if you don't want them, please send them to me as I can never find any around my house.

Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I'll mail it back. I don't want to pay postage on it.

Chris Woods

[Old Man Gravy]

I saw one of those Hitman ads a bit back when I accidentally leafed through one of my copies of Game Informer thinking it was the new CGM that also came that day (yeah, I know, the guy at Gamestop MADE me take the GI sub or he wasn't going to let me have a 10% off card). It wasn't the bathtub one, but a woman on a bed. I thought it was kind of offensive.

But effective - obviously I haven't forgotten it since.

[SwampIrish]

I have no problem with those ads whatsoever. Yay desensitization?

Yea game ads have nothing on CSI. Dude with half his face blown away and being eaten by maggots just as my 3-year-old pops into the room really gets the whole house hoppin. Some dead chick in a bathtub is nothing.

[Jeff Green]

Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I'll mail it back. I don't want to pay postage on it.

Chris Woods


Can you lend me a stamp first?

[Igor Muravyev]

Why didn't CGW just move on to DVDs like PC Gamer? There's plenty of opportunity to have some exclusive demo content/trailers that has been untapped so far!

[Jeff Green]

Why didn't CGW just move on to DVDs like PC Gamer? There's plenty of opportunity to have some exclusive demo content/trailers that has been untapped so far!

We did do a few DVDs actually. (And got a lot of hate mail from CD subscribers for doing that.)

But to move to a monthly DVD would have raised the price of the magazine (again), which we really didn't want to do. The other option was to lower the price of the mag and give people a fastpass to FileFront, which was deemed the better solution. I hear you guys on the sub price, though---gonna find out what the deal is there.

[RichVR]

Can you lend me a stamp first?

Hey Jeff, I just got a CGW sub for free. So if cash is tight, I could lend you a few bucks.

To make things easy just post your bank acct. number and I'll do a direct deposit.

[Kunikos]

Yea game ads have nothing on CSI. Dude with half his face blown away and being eaten by maggots just as my 3-year-old pops into the room really gets the whole house hoppin. Some dead chick in a bathtub is nothing.

What is your 3 year old doing up that late? O.o

[Taranis]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the story is on the subscription price. I agree, though--it should be lower. Or they should give you more issues. One of the two.

I love CGW and I think you guys have really been rockin since you changed the format, the last issue with the exclusive on Spore was terrific! But with no CD $29.97 is to high, lower the price a little or add more issues and I will definitely renew.

[Sidd_Budd]

I'm not sure why folks are stuck on this $29.97 CGW price, because you can find lower yearly subscription rates with little effort. In order of increasing costs:

1) If you are already a subscriber, or bought the July issue, there's an insert for $19.99 for a 2-year subscription in the magazine.

2) On page 12 of the July issue, in the bottom of the Ziff Davis print so small it's unreadable except with a dog's nose, it lists $19.97 as the 1 year no-CD subscription price. It still lists $34.97 for the (non-existent) CD-ROM yearly price; Jeff might want to get on that, or maybe he's just pocketing the difference & sending them old 1999 extras. Just send them a letter quoting that price along with a check -- it worked fine for me all the years they did have a CD-ROM. They never advertised the no-CD rate, but it was always there.

3) On CGW's front page of the fairly-difficult-to-get-around 1UP Network, theres a $24.97 (http://cgw.1up.com/) 1-year rate listed.

Geez, you young people need to learn to do better research. Back in the days when they didn't have mouse-over tooltips, you had to read manuals to figure out what attack bonus your adamantium halflings got against flyers. Now, we can use those skills to dig around for good deals on magazines.

[jpinard]

I have 3 subscriptions to game mags... and I haven't popped in a CD/DVD from any of them in at least 3 years. CD/DVD just goes in the trash. I might keep some if they have all the review scores from the year (does PC Gamer still do that?) Then I'd keep one CD/DVD per year.

[olaf]

Even if you dont get them free, amazon.com sells pretty dirt cheap subs to lots of magazines. I think PC Gamer, CGW and Strategy Plus are all worth $12-20 a year.

olaf

[Marcus]

Dude that Hit Man ad isnt even that bad you pussies. Seriously I thought it was actually a pretty good ad.

[Taranis]

If you are already a subscriber, or bought the July issue, there's an insert for $19.99 for a 2-year subscription in the magazine.

I haven't received my July issue yet, but if there is a renewal for a 2 year subscription for $19.99 thats a great deal and I would subscribe. But what about those of us who paid for issues with the CD already, and now wont be receiving one? Thats what needs to be addressed for their current customers, if they want to keep them.

I don't believe that the fastpass to file planet is going to do me any good over a telephone line, unless its really really fast?!?!?!?!? ;)

[Lizard_King]

Dude that Hit Man ad isnt even that bad you pussies. Seriously I thought it was actually a pretty good ad.

I'm not even a person that is all that squeamish about actual dead bodies IRL, but there is something about those ads. It's like when CG gets to the point where it's so realistic its eery rather than familiar ( I forget the industry term for it). Anyhow, I was just surprised at how widely distributed they were regardless of the average age of the reader. I would have expected more self censorship (not desired, just expected) from magazines. Especially that dead broad on the bed....very Munich.

[Charlatan]

Lizard King: you talking about the so called 'uncanny valley'?

And I agree those Hitman ads are pretty memorable. The lady in the tub, the cellist in the empty concert hall.... makes you look to see how they died (took me a couple minutes to see the toaster in the tub with the lady).

[FIDGAF]

Hey! I just figured out what to do with all those business replies with the wrong price on them!
Everyone get all your used, ripped & torn socks and underwear, wrap it up in a nice bundle, tape the Business reply to the bundle and send it to CGW until they lower the price or go the DVD route.

Send it C\O Jeff Green...


Jeff Green: CGW's Whipping Boy for centuries...

We wouldn't do that to Tom or Bruce, it might effect the outcome of their game... We are rooting for Bruce to win just once at, well, mostly anything RTS... Even the underdog's gotta have his day.
;)

[Lizard_King]

Lizard King: you talking about the so called 'uncanny valley'?
Yeah, I think that's what it's called. Thanks.

[Chris Nahr]

Hitman is one of the rare games I'm boycotting (yeah, my powerful one-man boycott!) because of those disgusting ads. Way to not tell me anything about the actual game, too.

[olaf]

The ads were tasteless and I am surprised they made it into the mags.

olaf

[Not One Of Us]

Way to not tell me anything about the actual game, too.
You, uh, kill people? In ways that a Hitman would?

[Chris Nahr]

Yeah, but you know, killing people is not exactly an original subject matter for a game. Especially a shooter...

[Sparky]

You, uh, kill people? In ways that a Hitman would?
Can you really kill hot chicks in the game by throwing a toaster into their bathtub? Wow. I didn't think current 3D cards could handle all those bubbles. How good are the toaster-targeting controls?

[Unicorn McGriddle]

Actually, yeah, half of Hitman is dropping things in places where they'll kill people. And the graphics ARE pretty impressive, although they fall somewhat short of rendering every individual bubble in a bubble bath. Also, my frame rate goes to shit in parts of You Better Watch Out. The game can put hundreds of people on the streets of (surreally enough) New Orleans with a glassy smooth render rate, but it can't handle a little fucking snow.

The other half of Hitman is playing dress-up. No, really. I've never played a Hitman game before and I didn't realize the primacy of this aspect. Hitman: Blood Money? More like Hitman: Costume Party. You know what would have been a really cool Hitman ad? There's this scene in Noir where Chloe, an assassin, wakes up in the morning and goes to her closet to get something to wear. Up until this point, the audience has only seen her in a heavy black cloak, but her closet is full of pastel sundresses. Something similar could be done with Agent 47 -- perhaps a two-page spread showing him standing before his closet in his blue boxers embroidered with white baseballs that say "Hit My Balls... Please!" and pondering what to wear... perhaps the garbage man uniform? One of the six different varieties of black suit? One of his four distinct chicken costumes?

[Slainte Mhath]

1) If you are already a subscriber, or bought the July issue, there's an insert for $19.99 for a 2-year subscription in the magazine.

2) On page 12 of the July issue, in the bottom of the Ziff Davis print so small it's unreadable except with a dog's nose, it lists $19.97 as the 1 year no-CD subscription price.

1) It clearly states that deal is for NEW subscribers only.

2) I saw that, but it doesn't match the renewal statements they are sending me. I could try using a work around, but that could result in an interruption of service (missing a month or two) while I wait for them to process my "new" subscription, or it could result in me paying for the same month or two twice as they double up the subscription.

[Slainte Mhath]

.
.
Jeff Green or anyone else at CGW :

Can you please point out to someone on the Ziff-Davis end of things that the renewal process for CGW is all messed up? For months I've been getting renewal notices at the rate of $29.97 while the magazine happily touts the new subscription rate as $19.97 and the offer cards for new subscribers are emblazoned with "Two years for the price of one!" at a rate of $19.97.

Somone in the subscriptions department needs to make sure the mailouts for subscriber renwals are changed to reflect the new rates. They might also want to review their records and issue a letter of apology and $10 refund to anyone who renewed at the $29.97 rate since January, as they should really be getting their subscription at the discounted rate as well.

If the problem isn't corrected soon, you may need all the new subscribers you can get on that two-for-one offer to replace the lost current subscribers that feel like they're being ripped off. I've been a subscriber for more than a dozen years, so worst case for me is that I'll let me current subscription lapse and then re-up with a "new" one for the $19.97 rate, but I'd hate to miss an issue or two in the process.

[Sidd_Budd]

1) It clearly states that deal [Ed:$19.97 for 2-yrs] is for NEW subscribers only.

2) I saw that, but it doesn't match the renewal statements they are sending me. I could try using a work around, but that could result in an interruption of service (missing a month or two) while I wait for them to process my "new" subscription, or it could result in me paying for the same month or two twice as they double up the subscription.
1) Include that insert in an envelope with a check, along with a statement that you are renewing your current subscription at the rate listed on the insert. I'm confident you'll get the $19.97 2-year rate.

2) I've never renewed PC Gamer or CGW with the actual renewal statements they send me; I find better deals and send them in along with my current subscription information. I've always gotten the lower rate with no problems or missing issues. Kudos to Steve & CGM for including good deals in their printed renewal statements so I don't have to hunt around.

3) I don't understand what you mean by "paying for the same month or two twice." I've always gotten another year added to the end of my current subscription when I mail in my renewal, regardless of when I send the renewal. If your last month is July, and you send your subscription in May, your renewal will go through the following July, not May.

I've been a subscriber to all three of the major computer magazines for many years; for every one of them, it's normal for three or four different subscription rates to be offered in different places, and I've never had to worry about timing my renewal to the proper week. Just treat those MUST ACT NOW TO RENEW AT $35.44 notices the same way you do the letters that claim YOU HAVE A CRUISE RESERVED FOR YOU IF YOU ACT NOW!. Ignore them.

[steve]

Can you please point out to someone on the Ziff-Davis end of things that the renewal process for CGW is all messed up?
This is standard for every magazine in existence. They all run dozens of different deals and promotions simultaneously in the hopes that someone will sign up for one of them. Hopefully the most expensive one.

[Jab]

Yeah, it seems to happen to me with every magazine I get except for Nintendo Power and PSM. I get card/letter telling me to resubscribe for around 29$. Yet in the magazine there is subscription for 10 or so dollars less. And it doesn't say to new subscribers only. So that's the one I always take. It gets on my nerves when they do that.

[DennyA]

Here's the trick: Find the phone number for subscription services.

Call them with the magazine in-hand and the offer for $19.95 for two years. Most magazine subscription houses will ask you for a code off the sub card, or perhaps just the amount of the offer, and give you the renewal for that rate. I've renewed a number of magazines for the "sub card" rate when the "renewal rate" was listed as being significantly higher.

I suppose a rep could tell you "that rate is for new subscribers only," but I've never seen that happen.

[Backov]

Now where can us Canucks get cheapo mag subscriptions? The deals on Amazon and such are great, but totally closed to us.

[steve]

Now where can us Canucks get cheapo mag subscriptions? The deals on Amazon and such are great, but totally closed to us.
You can't, at least to American magazines. The postage is killer.

[Backov]

You can't, at least to American magazines. The postage is killer.

Alright, so what's the best I can do then? Apparently it's not as simple as opening the mag and getting one of the tons of sub cards - so what's the good price?

[Moore]

I've tried using my GBA while on the can but it doesn't feel right to me. I much prefer a magazine or book.

Use the psp browser to look at mag scans online! DUUUUUUH!

seriously, I cant play on the shitter either, but I do use the browser to read fark or poe news or boing boing.

[Not One Of Us]

You know what would have been a really cool Hitman ad? There's this scene in Noir where Chloe, an assassin, wakes up in the morning and goes to her closet to get something to wear. Up until this point, the audience has only seen her in a heavy black cloak, but her closet is full of pastel sundresses. Something similar could be done with Agent 47 -- perhaps a two-page spread showing him standing before his closet in his blue boxers embroidered with white baseballs that say "Hit My Balls... Please!" and pondering what to wear... perhaps the garbage man uniform? One of the six different varieties of black suit? One of his four distinct chicken costumes?
Please, please send this in to their marketing department.

[steve]

Alright, so what's the best I can do then? Apparently it's not as simple as opening the mag and getting one of the tons of sub cards - so what's the good price?
The best deal for international orders is to buy digital versions from Zinio.com. Otherwise you're looking at $40-$50, whatever the rate is.

No one promotes international rates on the blow-in cards, since they're already expensive with low returns. So you'd probably have to go the websites to get the international deal, and no one runs deals on those.

[Slainte Mhath]

This is standard for every magazine in existence. They all run dozens of different deals and promotions simultaneously in the hopes that someone will sign up for one of them. Hopefully the most expensive one.

Sure, I'm used to seeing the blow in cards advertise a slightly discounted rate or an extra 6-12 issues for the same price as an annual resubscription. This is different.

This is CGW still using the old resubscription materials in their mailouts to expiring subscription holders. The rate on the resubscriptions in the past (I've been a subscriber for over a dozen years) has always been the current annual subscription rate. Since CGW dumped their bundled CDs a few months back, they lowered the stated annual rate to $19.97, but nobody bothered to consider reprinting the materials sent out to subscribers who need to renew, so those materials state the OLD subscription rate instead of the new one. You can even tell they are the "pre-change" materials because they tout the $29.97 rate as "80% off the cover price) which it isn't even close to being anymore since they reduced the cover price when they dropped the CDs.

I'm doing an end around by simply sending in the "2 years for $19.97" card with "Bill Me" checked. I'll see what happens.

[Slainte Mhath]

3) I don't understand what you mean by "paying for the same month or two twice."

I have resubscribed to gaming magazines in the past using the methods you described and had them blithly set up a whole separate subscription, resulting in a couple months of duplicate issues, the last two from my original subscription and the first two from my "new" subscription. A phone call always solved the issue, but it was a hassle.

I will be sending in the "2 for $19.97" card, as it's the cheapest and easiest way to sort this out.

[RickH]

What is your 3 year old doing up that late? O.o

Combine the central time zone with daylight lasting until 8:45pm, and CSI will certainly fall within the awake zone of a 3 year old. It's not like they sleep 12-14 hours a day.