Edge (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing
in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity.
, a long-time video games journalist who has launched several other magazines for Future.
The artwork for the cover of the magazine's 100th issue was specially provided by Shigeru Miyamoto
. The 200th issue was released in March 2009 with 200 different covers
, each commemorating a single game; 199 variants were in general circulation, and one was exclusive to subscribers. Only 200 magazines were printed with each cover, sufficient to more than satisfy Edges circulation of 28,898.
In October 2003 the then-editor of Edge, João Diniz-Sanches, left the magazine along with deputy editor David McCarthy and other staff writers. After the walkout the editorship of Edge passed back to Tony Mott, who had been editor prior to Diniz-Sanches. The only team member to remain was Margaret Robertson, who in 2006 replaced Mott as editor. In May 2007 Robertson stepped down as editor and was replaced by Tony Mott, taking over as editor for the third time.
Between 1995 and 2002, some of the content from the UK edition of Edge was published in the United States as Next Generation
. In 2007, Future's U.S. subsidiary, Future US
began re-publishing selected recent Edge features on the Next Generation website; the Edge website and blog
were subsequently incorporated into the Next-Gen site. In July 2008 the whole site was rebranded under the Edge title, as that was the senior of the two brands.
Edge has been redesigned three times since the magazine launched. The first redesign occurred in 1999; the second in 2004; and the third and most recent in 2011. The first redesign altered the magazine's dimensions to be wider than the original shape. The latest design changes the magazine's physical dimensions for the second time, and introduces a higher quality of paper stock than was previously used.
" article on a particular game, usually including an interview with one of the original developers. Issue 143 introduced the "Time Extend" series of retrospective articles. Like the "making-of" series, each focuses on a single game and, with the benefit of hindsight, gives an in-depth examination of its most interesting or innovative attributes.
"Codeshop" examines more technical subjects such as 3D modelling
programs or physics middleware
, while "Studio Profile" and "University Profile" are single-page summaries ("like Top Trumps
, but for game dev") of particular developers or publishers, and game-related courses at higher education
institutions.
Although an overall list of contributors is printed in each issue's indicia
, the magazine usually does not use byline
s to credit individual writers to specific reviews and articles, instead only referring to the anonymous Edge as a whole. The magazine's regular columnist
s are exceptions to this practice. The four current columnists are N'Gai Croal
, Randy Smith
, Clint Hocking and Trigger Happy
author Steven Poole
. In addition, several Japanese writers contribute to the regular "Something About Japan" feature.
Previous columnists have included Paul Rose
("Mr Biffo", the founder of Digitiser
), Toshihiro Nagoshi
of Sega
's Amusement Vision, author Tim Guest
(whose column on MMOs
preceded the publication of his book Second Lives), and game developer Jeff Minter
. In addition, numerous columns were published anonymously
under the pseudonym
"RedEye".
James Hutchinson's comic strip
Crashlander was featured in Edge between issues 143 and 193.
reference to people who read too much into review scores.
The magazine has awarded a 10/10 score to fourteen games:
In contrast, only one title has received a one-out-of-ten rating, Kabuki Warriors
.
Edge also awarded a 10/10 score in one of the regular retrospective reviews in the magazine's normal run:
In Edges 10th anniversary issue in 2003, GoldenEye 007 (1997) was included as one of the magazine's top ten shooters, along with a note that it was "the only other game" that should have received a ten out of ten rating. The game had originally been awarded a nine out of ten, with the magazine later stating that "a ten was considered, but eventually rejected".
Resident Evil 4, which came second in Edge Presents The 100 Best Videogames, originally obtained a nine, but according to the 100 Best Videogames issue, it came "as near as dammit to the sixth (at the time) Edge ten".
"1996 essential hardware guide" (1996):Special edition issue focussing on PS1, Saturn, Ultra 64, PC CD-ROM, 3DO, M2, Atari Jaguar, Amiga, Virtual Boy, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo. This was the first special edition produced, the front and spine displaying Premiere Issue.
"Essential hardware guide 2000" (2000): Special edition featuring the top ten formats ever, Sir Clive revists the ZX Spectrum and sections on Xbox, PSOne, PS2, Dreamcast, Gamecube, GScube
, Game Boy Color, PC, Game Boy Advance, Wonderswan Color, Ericsson R380s, Palm IIIc and GP32.
"The 100 most significant reviews from the first 100 issues" (2001):A collection of reprints of notable reviews from the magazine's history, along with retrospective commentary on each game. In addition to reviews of popular titles (including the three "ten out of ten" scores that had been awarded during that period), it also included Edge' s comments on notable hyped
disappointments such as Rise of the Robots
and Daikatana
. The issue also included an index of the content of those 100 issues of the magazine.
"Retro: The Guide to Classic Videogame Playing and Collection" (2002):This retrogaming
-themed special issue applied the format of the standard edition of Edge to classic video games. This was the most fully formed of the Edge specials, being an edition that only featured new material.
"Retro: The Making Of... Special" (2002): The second edition in the Retro series was a collection of "Making of" features, most of which had run previously in the main magazine. These features usually contained interviews with the makers of classic video games talking about the process involved in their title's creation.
"Equip: PlayStation 2
"
"Equip: GameCube
"
"Equip: PC
"
"Equip: Xbox
":Each Equip issue discussed the state of a particular games platform, looking back on significant releases with the benefit of hindsight and outlining future developments. For example, the GameCube issue featured lengthy retrospectives on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Animal Crossing, plus a feature on upcoming titles which would use the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable.
Specials issue ten: "Retro: The Collector's Series": This final edition in the Retro series reprinted all of the "Collector's Series" of articles from the main magazine. Each feature focused on a specific video game console of yesteryear and examined its history and the collectors market surrounding its rare or collectable games. Unusually for Edge, the majority of these articles were written by one video games journalist, Simon Parkin—a long-time freelance contributor to the magazine.
"FILE Volume 1" (2006)
"FILE Volume 2" (2007)
"FILE Volume 3" (2007):Three "File" editions reprinted selected content originally published between 1993 and 1996 in Edge issues 1–36. Each volume of "File" covered 12 issues.
"Edge Presents The Art Of Videogames" (2007):This went on sale April 26, 2007 showcasing the visual aspect of gaming.
"Edge Presents The 100 Best Videogames" (2007):On sale from July 3, 2007. The list was compiled through a combination of suggestions from Edge readers, Edge staff and additional "industry experts". Each game in the list had a retrospective article, a full-page illustration, and a sidebar
listing readers' comments. In addition, the volume contained reprints of the magazine's previous "Top 100" lists from 2000 (issue 80) and 2003 (issue 128). The top 10 of Edge Presents The 100 Best Videogames were:
on May 2009. It includes articles translated from the UK magazine alongside original local content. The magazine was canceled in November 2010, with 18 editions.
story which was omitted from the corresponding Spanish edition.
At the end of May, 2009, a post in the Official Edge Spanish forums made by the main administrator, stated that Globus was about to close it's videogame division, which meant the closure of Edge magazine Spain and NGamer Spain. Consequently, issue Nº 36 (march 2009) is to date the last Edge magazine published in Spain. Globus still holds the rights on Edge's Spanish localization, and will eventually retake its publishing if the magazine seems profitable enough.
Future Publishing
Future plc is a media company; in 2006, it was the sixth-largest in the United Kingdom. It publishes more than 150 magazines in fields such as video games, technology, automotive, cycling, films and photography. Future is the official magazine company of all three major games console manufacturers...
in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity.
History
The magazine was launched in August 1993 by Steve JarrattSteve Jarratt
Steve Jarratt is a long-time videogames journalist and magazine editor. He has launched a large number of magazines for Future Publishing, many of which are still published. Magazines he has worked for include:...
, a long-time video games journalist who has launched several other magazines for Future.
The artwork for the cover of the magazine's 100th issue was specially provided by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
. The 200th issue was released in March 2009 with 200 different covers
Variant cover
In comic books, a variant cover refers to an issue of a comic book printed with multiple covers with each unique cover art...
, each commemorating a single game; 199 variants were in general circulation, and one was exclusive to subscribers. Only 200 magazines were printed with each cover, sufficient to more than satisfy Edges circulation of 28,898.
In October 2003 the then-editor of Edge, João Diniz-Sanches, left the magazine along with deputy editor David McCarthy and other staff writers. After the walkout the editorship of Edge passed back to Tony Mott, who had been editor prior to Diniz-Sanches. The only team member to remain was Margaret Robertson, who in 2006 replaced Mott as editor. In May 2007 Robertson stepped down as editor and was replaced by Tony Mott, taking over as editor for the third time.
Between 1995 and 2002, some of the content from the UK edition of Edge was published in the United States as Next Generation
Next Generation Magazine
Next Generation Magazine was a video game magazine that was made by Imagine Media publishing company . It was affiliated to and shared editorial with the UK's Edge magazine. Next Generation ran from January 1995 until January 2002. It was published by Jonathan Simpson-Bint and edited by Neil West...
. In 2007, Future's U.S. subsidiary, Future US
Future US
Future US is a United States media corporation specializing in targeted magazines and websites in the video games, music, and technology markets. Future US is headquartered in the South San Francisco with offices in New York City and Los Angeles...
began re-publishing selected recent Edge features on the Next Generation website; the Edge website and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
were subsequently incorporated into the Next-Gen site. In July 2008 the whole site was rebranded under the Edge title, as that was the senior of the two brands.
Edge has been redesigned three times since the magazine launched. The first redesign occurred in 1999; the second in 2004; and the third and most recent in 2011. The first redesign altered the magazine's dimensions to be wider than the original shape. The latest design changes the magazine's physical dimensions for the second time, and introduces a higher quality of paper stock than was previously used.
Features
Each issue includes a "Making-ofMaking-of
In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...
" article on a particular game, usually including an interview with one of the original developers. Issue 143 introduced the "Time Extend" series of retrospective articles. Like the "making-of" series, each focuses on a single game and, with the benefit of hindsight, gives an in-depth examination of its most interesting or innovative attributes.
"Codeshop" examines more technical subjects such as 3D modelling
3D modeling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
programs or physics middleware
Middleware
Middleware is computer software that connects software components or people and their applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact...
, while "Studio Profile" and "University Profile" are single-page summaries ("like Top Trumps
Top Trumps
Top Trumps is a card game. Each card contains a list of numerical data, and the aim of the game is to compare these values in order to try to trump and win an opponent's card...
, but for game dev") of particular developers or publishers, and game-related courses at higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
institutions.
Although an overall list of contributors is printed in each issue's indicia
Indicia (publishing)
Indicia is the plural of the Latin word indicium, meaning distinguishing marks.In magazine publishing, indicia refers to a piece of text traditionally appearing on the first recto page after the cover, which usually contains the official name of the publication, its publication date, information...
, the magazine usually does not use byline
Byline
The byline on a newspaper or magazine article gives the name, and often the position, of the writer of the article. Bylines are traditionally placed between the headline and the text of the article, although some magazines place bylines at the bottom of the page, to leave more room for graphical...
s to credit individual writers to specific reviews and articles, instead only referring to the anonymous Edge as a whole. The magazine's regular columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
s are exceptions to this practice. The four current columnists are N'Gai Croal
N'Gai Croal
N'Gai Croal is a video game critic and consultant, previously employed by Newsweek, currently involved in his own consultancy company.Croal started out as consumer technology writer at Newsweek, but became best known to the gaming world for the Newsweek-associated Level Up blog.Croal's criticism of...
, Randy Smith
Randy Smith (game designer)
Randy Smith is a game designer who has worked extensively on the Thief series with both Looking Glass Studios and Ion Storm Austin. In addition, Smith has participated in the Indie Game Jam....
, Clint Hocking and Trigger Happy
Trigger Happy (book)
Trigger Happy is a book by Steven Poole, examining videogames in terms of their aesthetic appeal - what makes certain games more fun to play than others...
author Steven Poole
Steven Poole
-Biography:Poole studied English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and has subsequently written for publications including The Independent, The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement, The Sunday Times, and the New Statesman...
. In addition, several Japanese writers contribute to the regular "Something About Japan" feature.
Previous columnists have included Paul Rose
Paul Rose (writer)
Mr. Biffo, real name Paul Rose, was the editor of the Teletext-based video games magazine Digitiser, which ran between 1993 and 2003. He has written for numerous magazines, including Empire, Total Film, .net, Official PlayStation Magazine and Deathray, Retro Gamer, and from 2003 to 2008 wrote a...
("Mr Biffo", the founder of Digitiser
Digitiser
Digitiser was a video games magazine that was broadcast on the Teletext service on Channel 4 in the UK from 1993 to 2003, and was updated from Monday to Saturday...
), Toshihiro Nagoshi
Toshihiro Nagoshi
is a Japanese video game producer and designer for Sega. Nagoshi headed Sega AM4/Amusement Vision. He is best known as the producer and director of the Super Monkey Ball series, excluding Super Monkey Ball Adventure. His credits also include Virtua Striker, Daytona USA, and Spikeout...
of Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's Amusement Vision, author Tim Guest
Tim Guest
Tim Guest was an English author and journalist.-Early childhood:...
(whose column on MMOs
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
preceded the publication of his book Second Lives), and game developer Jeff Minter
Jeff Minter
Jeff 'Yak' Minter is a British computer/video game designer and programmer. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and his recent works include Neon , a non-game music visualization program that has been built into the Xbox 360 console, and the video games Space Giraffe , and Space Invaders...
. In addition, numerous columns were published anonymously
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"RedEye".
James Hutchinson's comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Crashlander was featured in Edge between issues 143 and 193.
Scoring
It was almost three years before Edge gave a game a rating of ten out of ten. This score was previously defined as "revolutionary", with the other ratings having similar labels. However, with issue 143 the scoring system was changed to a simple list of "10 = ten, 9 = nine..." and so on, a tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
reference to people who read too much into review scores.
The magazine has awarded a 10/10 score to fourteen games:
- Super Mario 64Super Mario 64is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
(Nintendo 64Nintendo 64The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
) - E35 (1996) - Gran TurismoGran Turismo (video game)is a racing simulator designed by Kazunori Yamauchi. Gran Turismo was developed by Polyphony Digital and first published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console...
(SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
) - E55 (1997) - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
(Nintendo 64Nintendo 64The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
) - E66 (1998) - Halo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat Evolved, frequently referred to as Halo: CE, or Halo 1, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The first game of the Halo franchise, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox gaming system, and is...
(XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
) - E105 (2001) - Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
(WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
) - E143 (2004) - Halo 3Halo 3Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2...
(Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - E181 (2007) - The Orange BoxThe Orange BoxThe Orange Box is a video game compilation for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and PlayStation 3. The Windows and Xbox 360 versions were produced and published by Valve Corporation and released on October 10, 2007 as a boxed retail copy...
(WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - E182 (2007) - Super Mario GalaxySuper Mario Galaxyis a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
(WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) - E183 (2007) - Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
(PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - E189 (2008) - LittleBigPlanetLittleBigPlanetLittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...
(PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - E195 (2008) - BayonettaBayonettais a hack and slash action game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 developed by Platinum Games in cooperation with publisher Sega. Set in a fictional city in Europe, the game centers on its title character, Bayonetta, who uses pistols and magical attacks to defeat enemies...
(PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - E209 (2009) - Super Mario Galaxy 2Super Mario Galaxy 2is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
(WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) - E215 (2010) - Rock Band 3Rock Band 3Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
(PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - E222 (2010) - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward SwordThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordis an action-adventure game for the Wii console and the sixteenth entry in the Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, it was released in Europe on November 18, 2011 in North America on November 20, 2011, in Japan on November 23, 2011, and on November...
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) - E234 (2011)
In contrast, only one title has received a one-out-of-ten rating, Kabuki Warriors
Kabuki Warriors
Kabuki Warriors is a 2001 video game released for the Microsoft Xbox, shortly after the release of the console. It was published by Crave Entertainment, and co-developed by Genki and Lightweight.-Reception:...
.
Retrospective awards
In a December 2002 retro gaming special, Edge retrospectively awarded ten-out-of-ten ratings to two titles released before the magazine's launch:- Elite (originally released in 1984)
- Exile (originally released in 1988)
Edge also awarded a 10/10 score in one of the regular retrospective reviews in the magazine's normal run:
- Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
(originally released in 1985)
In Edges 10th anniversary issue in 2003, GoldenEye 007 (1997) was included as one of the magazine's top ten shooters, along with a note that it was "the only other game" that should have received a ten out of ten rating. The game had originally been awarded a nine out of ten, with the magazine later stating that "a ten was considered, but eventually rejected".
Resident Evil 4, which came second in Edge Presents The 100 Best Videogames, originally obtained a nine, but according to the 100 Best Videogames issue, it came "as near as dammit to the sixth (at the time) Edge ten".
Special issues
A number of Edge special editions were published in the UK. These included:"1996 essential hardware guide" (1996):Special edition issue focussing on PS1, Saturn, Ultra 64, PC CD-ROM, 3DO, M2, Atari Jaguar, Amiga, Virtual Boy, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo. This was the first special edition produced, the front and spine displaying Premiere Issue.
"Essential hardware guide 2000" (2000): Special edition featuring the top ten formats ever, Sir Clive revists the ZX Spectrum and sections on Xbox, PSOne, PS2, Dreamcast, Gamecube, GScube
GScube
The GScube was a hardware tool released by Sony intended for use in CGI production houses consisting of a custom variant of sixteen PlayStation 2 motherboards running in parallel. It was unveiled in 2000 at SIGGRAPH; the name "GSCube" is short for Graphics Synthesizer Cube...
, Game Boy Color, PC, Game Boy Advance, Wonderswan Color, Ericsson R380s, Palm IIIc and GP32.
"The 100 most significant reviews from the first 100 issues" (2001):A collection of reprints of notable reviews from the magazine's history, along with retrospective commentary on each game. In addition to reviews of popular titles (including the three "ten out of ten" scores that had been awarded during that period), it also included Edge
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally....
disappointments such as Rise of the Robots
Rise of the Robots
Rise of the Robots is a 1994 fighting style video game developed by Mirage Studios and published by Time Warner Interactive. It was ported to numerous home console and computer formats, and was also released as an arcade game cabinet....
and Daikatana
Daikatana
John Romero's Daikatana, or simply Daikatana, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive. Released on May 23, 2000 for Windows, it was led by John Romero. The game is known as one of the major commercial failures of the computer game industry....
. The issue also included an index of the content of those 100 issues of the magazine.
"Retro
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
-themed special issue applied the format of the standard edition of Edge to classic video games. This was the most fully formed of the Edge specials, being an edition that only featured new material.
"Retro
"Equip
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
"
"Equip
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
"
"Equip
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
"
"Equip
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
":Each Equip issue discussed the state of a particular games platform, looking back on significant releases with the benefit of hindsight and outlining future developments. For example, the GameCube issue featured lengthy retrospectives on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Animal Crossing, plus a feature on upcoming titles which would use the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable.
Specials issue ten
"FILE Volume 1" (2006)
"FILE Volume 2" (2007)
"FILE Volume 3" (2007):Three "File" editions reprinted selected content originally published between 1993 and 1996 in Edge issues 1–36. Each volume of "File" covered 12 issues.
"Edge Presents The Art Of Videogames" (2007):This went on sale April 26, 2007 showcasing the visual aspect of gaming.
"Edge Presents The 100 Best Videogames" (2007):On sale from July 3, 2007. The list was compiled through a combination of suggestions from Edge readers, Edge staff and additional "industry experts". Each game in the list had a retrospective article, a full-page illustration, and a sidebar
Sidebar (publishing)
In publishing, sidebar is a term for information placed adjacent to an article in a printed or Web publication, graphically separate but with contextual connection.The term has long been used in newspaper and magazine layout...
listing readers' comments. In addition, the volume contained reprints of the magazine's previous "Top 100" lists from 2000 (issue 80) and 2003 (issue 128). The top 10 of Edge Presents The 100 Best Videogames were:
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
- Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
- Super Mario 64Super Mario 64is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
- Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
- Super Mario WorldSuper Mario World, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
- Halo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat Evolved, frequently referred to as Halo: CE, or Halo 1, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The first game of the Halo franchise, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox gaming system, and is...
- Final Fantasy XIIFinal Fantasy XIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
- TetrisTetrisTetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
- Super MetroidSuper Metroid, also known as Metroid 3, is an action-adventure video game and the third game in the Metroid series. It was designed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, programmed by Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
Australian
An Australian edition was briefly published in early 2004, for less than six months. The Australian edition consisted mostly of content from the UK edition, along with news on the local games industry.Brazilian
The Brazilian edition was launched in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
on May 2009. It includes articles translated from the UK magazine alongside original local content. The magazine was canceled in November 2010, with 18 editions.
German
In November 2005, a German translation was launched by the publishing house Computec Media AG. The German edition was thinner than the English original, the covers were slightly changed and the ratings raised. In January 2007 it was changed to a bi-monthly schedule and in July 2007 it was finally shut down.Italian
In October 2004, an Italian localized edition was launched under the name Videogiochi and published by Future Italy. In December 2006, Future Italy was sold to Sprea Editori which renamed it GAME PRO in May 2007.Spanish
A localised edition of Edge was launched in Spain on April 15, 2006 by publisher Globus, which shares some staff from the On/Off editorial, a Globus magazine about DVD video and consumer technology, not in any way related to video games. It lacks some articles contained in the UK edition, such as the Virtua Fighter 5Virtua Fighter 5
is the latest game in Sega's Virtua Fighter series and direct sequel to Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned. The original version was released on July 12, 2006 into Japanese arcades and in February 2007 in European arcades...
story which was omitted from the corresponding Spanish edition.
At the end of May, 2009, a post in the Official Edge Spanish forums made by the main administrator, stated that Globus was about to close it's videogame division, which meant the closure of Edge magazine Spain and NGamer Spain. Consequently, issue Nº 36 (march 2009) is to date the last Edge magazine published in Spain. Globus still holds the rights on Edge's Spanish localization, and will eventually retake its publishing if the magazine seems profitable enough.
External links
- next-gen.biz Official Edge site
- Steven Poole's web site Includes archive of the Trigger Happy columns he wrote for Edge
- Crashlander The comic strip printed monthly in Edge