Who are the NAG readers?

[Miktar]

Every day, we here at the NAG office wonder about who the people are we're actually writing for. Now before you say "me!", I'm specifically referring to the *larger* part of the NAG audience, the 98% of our base that does not email us, chat on the forums or log on to the IRC channel.

Even the reader survey we do every year, gives us only a snapshot of about 10% of or readers, which makes making choices regarding the magazine very tough sometimes.

I was thinking, perhaps the regular NAG forumites could help us in this, by posting their impressions of the various NAG readers they know, either from school, or work, or just that they spotted buying the magazine in stores.

We know that NAG is a very "communal" magazine - one copy tends to be read by 10 people or more, especially when it comes to households that contain many people. Before I started working for NAG fulltime, my own issues would be read by around 20 people or more, since I worked at a cyber cafe and left the issues lying around.

So, if you don't mind doing a little NAG assigned homework (I need a better name for that :P ), write up your impressions of who you think the NAG readers are, on the larger scale, and let's see if we can't learn something more.

[Antharias]

The only other person who reads my NAG is my dad.

I know he enjoys reading the hardware reviews in particular and finds them rather informative. I don't think that he actually reads the opinion columns or any of the game reviews because he is not really into software and heaven alone knows why he does not read the opinion columns.

My friend reads it mainly for a specific article afaik. Will have to check what he buys them for in particular.

Is that what you were wanting to know Miktar?

[Miktar]

That's the general gist of it, yeah. Basically, keep an eye out when you spot someone reading a NAG, perhaps ask them what they think of it.

[Antharias]

Okay, cool. will speak to them at home tonight.

[Gambit]

What I have found (this includes me a couple of years back) is that one of the most critical things that made me and my friends buy the mag was the "demo disc", I therefore do believe that many of the younger readers might buy the mag based on what is on the disc, with the mag coming second, for me it is the other way around currently.

[josywales]

I'm an indian Muslim guy thats been a great fan of NAG and I've been buying the mag for about 2 years now, and i have LOTS of friends, but i'm still the only indian/indian muslim guy I know that reads NAG. I'm the the only one my house that reads the magazine, other than my wife who only stares at every page intensly looking for the Heroes symbol.

Theres a cafe round the corner from me that sells NAG, at the end of every mont when I go to the cafe day after day to see if the new edition is out yet. It's quite sad (yet some part of feels happy) that very NAG that was there at the beginning of the month is still not yet sold at the end of the month.

I'm studying multimedia design at a Design in Greenside where I know one other chinese guy that buys the magazine once awhile.

Hope this helps your endevour.

[josywales]

Oh, and another thing, I only buy NAG because of the PC stuff, not a big fan of consoles, so PLEASE dont one day decide you gonna scrap the Hardware PC game reviews.

[Miktar]

Don't worry - we're always aware of keeping the 50-50 balance between the two. However, if suddenly people stop making PC games, we're just gonna have to move to console only. :P

[kHayne]

They way I see it, from people I know and having been there myself, the type of people who buy NAG are simply the type of people who buy a lot of various games, the type that hype themselves to death and devour news and opinion on every new title that comes out. In my experience that usually means kids. Once you start approaching middle-age, you usually find yourself a little more laid back and resistant to change, so being on the bleeding edge of gaming loses some of it's appeal. I for eg don't buy NAG, but that's purely because I don't buy any gaming mags.
I suspect those that are more comfortable within very specific confines of gaming - eg the type who play a certain, single MMO and nothing else, or the ultra hardcore lan/online gamer who lives and breathes CS/DoTA/etc, generally don't purchase the magazine since, well, it doesn't really directly address their very specific needs. NAG is 'generalist', and it serves the purpose of the 'generalist' gamer. In my one, worthless opinion anyway.

[Miktar]

Oddly enough, kHayne, your view there is a 100% the opposite of what every single person in the office thinks, or even what the reader stats are showing.

NAG is a "specialist" gaming magazine, we are even classified as "specialist press".

We also don't write for kids, we write for the 20s and up. Our average reader is apparently more around the 20 to 30 mark and even includes 40s and up, if I'm not mistaken. We don't appeal to kids, they all go by G.E.A.R. and PC Format, it seems.

We don't write for people who hype things up, we actually hate hype.

Every time we've shown the magazine to the industry people internationally, they all comment on how mature the magazine is compared to the others on the market, who all aim at capturing the young disposable-income market.

It's funny how people can form such different opinions on the same thing.

[Aesir]

When I worked at CMC in PTA we always had a copy of NAG on the counter(along with a CAR and a pc format). Most of the kids that came in with their parents always sat and read the nag checking out new reviews and some hardware stuff(then asking us about it). Most of the people I know buy it for the game reviews, my father reads mine for hardware(he works at SAP). I even knew and army Colonel that was a regular at our shop that bought the nag and then nagging us for some hardware.

From everyone that came into the shop only the younger people(as in 10) read the consoles the older folks liked the pc reviews more. Can't think of more...

[Azimuth]

I can't imagine why anyone would buy the magazine exclusively for the DVD. Do people not enjoy reading on the bog anymore?

What I've always loved about NAG, above and beyond the (p)reviews and news and everything, is the tone and sense of humour - and the occasionally entirely unorthodox approach to things. The Titan Quest (vanilla) and recent God of War 2 reviews come to mind. You just don't see that sort of thing on IGN or Eurogamer.

*** Off-topic: kHayne, you always write "e.g." as "for eg". As "e.g." stands for "exempli gratia" ("for the sake of an example") that reads more or less literally as "for for example". Please stop doing it - I suffer. ;_; ***

[kHayne]

I think our definitions of generalist vs specialist, vary.
Truthfully, however, I cannot really comment due to location and lack of product availability here. Most of my opinion is based on the situation a few years back when NAG was available here. But if I can offer any kind of insight, yes, personally,choosing between all of the gaming publications available in South Africa, I would go with NAG.

*edit* Azimuth. I suggest producing more tears.

[Miktar]

You still in Namibia? Is NAG not sold there anymore?

[Chevron]

When I was still in school most of my friends bought PCF and only bought NAG when there was some specific piece of hardware being reviewed or if there was something special on the cover disc that they wanted.

I just buy both.

Sigh

I miss CPCSA.

[kHayne]

Yeah, Miktar. Still here. And regarding availability, apparently not. Our CNA's do not appear to carry stock. Although perhaps I do not frequent them enough. Friend of mine had enquired with yourselves earlier this year and was told distribution to here is unfeasible (although I suppose CNA's distribution channels are not NAG's concern), and that subscrpitions are undeliverable. So, /shrug. A pity, but understandable given the circumstances.

[Miktar]

Odd. We send issues to people all over the world - no area is unshippable. It's a matter of people paying the shipping costs.

I don't see how shipping single-issues to Namibia could be more expensive than Australia or England, where plenty of subscribers live.

[cYn]

I buy and read NAG. Mostly because it's nice to have something tangible and I can't surf IGN and other gaming sites while relaxing in a bubble bath. The truth is that most people who are a little more on the fanatic side of gaming with have "up to the minute" updates on what is going on in gaming. So the hard copies lose out there. The most interesting part of the magazine is probably the hardware section. Not that I don't spend enough time looking that stuff up online either. The bits I look at the least are the movies etc write ups. I think the lack of bandwidth here also means that people(including myself) are quite happy to pay R40 for a bunch of demos and movies and have some. 4Gbs cost about R250 or so to download via ADSL.

After I've read it, I take it to work and it gets passed around. I find that it is generally the more casual gamer that gets quite excited about getting their hands on it. Well, in my office anyway. Even a few non gamers, married guys who cant game for reasons pertaining to being whipped or having other spending priorities, constantly ask me to lend it to them. People who wouldn't be looking this stuff up on their own. I don't read NAG or any magazines at work. It is far easier to look busy while reading a web page than while reading a magazine.

The one thing that NAG can offer that would really appeal to me, would be detailed walk throughs of slightly older games. Obviously there are a lot of them online, but having it in print format would be nice and something I'd definitely look forward to every month. Walk throughs have a way of breathing new life into old games and rekindling interest.

[Azimuth]

The one thing that NAG can offer that would really appeal to me, would be detailed walk throughs of slightly older games. Obviously there are a lot of them online, but having it in print format would be nice and something I'd definitely look forward to every month. Walk throughs have a way of breathing new life into old games and rekindling interest.

That's actually an interesting idea, although I'd lean more towards a guide than a walkthrough. The sorts of tips 'n' tricks that don't appear in the manual.

[Miktar]

We all approve of walkthroughs and would love to do them, but we are currently understaffed and just don't have the resources to dedicate to it. It's something we have on the todo list for next year, once we grab a staff writer to help loadbalance this monster.

172 pages is a lot of writing, after all.

[dawid22]

Walkthrough's would be good for those without internet... but who are those in these days and ages? Why not just go to www.gamefaqs.com (or advertise the site in the mag). It would really help as walkthroughs are extremely time consuming.

A cheat section (which is quick and easy) would be a nice thing to ad I'd say. Not that I use them, but there are some people that can't play games without it.

One more thing, for PSP (and in the future DS) please could it be stated if the game has "game sharing" or not. One could have in in the section where the ammount of players that can play are announced. I find that all magazines and most web sites forget about that and reckon that it is actually a critical part of portable gaming in SA. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[Miktar]

Walkthrough's would be good for those without internet... but who are those in these days and ages? Why not just go to www.gamefaqs.com (or advertise the site in the mag). It would really help as walkthroughs are extremely time consuming.

A cheat section (which is quick and easy) would be a nice thing to ad I'd say. Not that I use them, but there are some people that can't play games without it.

One more thing, for PSP (and in the future DS) please could it be stated if the game has "game sharing" or not. One could have in in the section where the ammount of players that can play are announced. I find that all magazines and most web sites forget about that and reckon that it is actually a critical part of portable gaming in SA. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Most of our readers don't have internet, we believe - or if they do, it's limited 56k modem capacity.

I like the idea of cheats, but we just need to put the Cheatbook Database on the DVD more. I'll make a point of it.

As for the PSP and DS gamesharing thing - we always try to make a point of it in the review when a PSP supports gameshare or when the DS game supports Download play.

[dawid22]

As for the PSP and DS gamesharing thing - we always try to make a point of it in the review when a PSP supports gameshare or when the DS game supports Download play.

Is it not possible just to have "Sharing" or "Non-Sharing" at the bottom where the multiplayer is mentioned? When I want to buy a game then I look at the overall review score and the ammount of multi players as I do often not buy new games but those that have been out for 6 months or so, then I quickly browse through a magazine. I don't read the whole review and no magazine ever has a spot just for the sharing side of things. To be quite frank, I do not buy commercial games on the DS that does not have game sharing as my mates can't play with me then, so I skip it. Hotel Dusk and co is different.

[Miktar]

Well, we'd prefer if you read the entire review. :P But I'll see what I can do.

[R4mzy]

NAG is what I collect, I read it all the way through and try to check out everything on the DVD.

Most people I know (eg. friends) don't buy NAG though, they normally just read mine. As far as I know, a few people (eg. people I walk past and try to ignore) at my school buy NAG every now and then, but mostly for specific articles\reviews\etc. and for the pictures, which they use to cover their books.

[wir]

Recently at school I saw a group of kids sitting around, one pulls out the latest NAG, they all say "Kwai man! Dsui't die nuwe NÊG!"

[blitz]

My dad's reads it no idea why. Although you don't write for kids I know a lot of us read the NAG it tends to get passed around a lot. Great way to pass a boring history lesson :)

[wisp]

I am the only one in my house who read NAG , have been buying regularly for 4 years now.I but it for the PC reviews, the regular columns and i used to enjoy the back page , till it was unfortunatly cancelled.

I take what the reviews to heart and i am guided very much by them in my purchasing choices as i rely on the reviewers better judgement and experiance.

Would like to see a "teach the basics" as in how to create and work in certain programs i.e Photoshop etc if possible maybe a different programme every 6 months :)is this viable?

[Azimuth]

But...Photoshop doesn't really...have...anything to do with...gaming...does it? o.O

[dawid22]

Well, we'd prefer if you read the entire review. :P But I'll see what I can do.

Miktar, I think you missed a part of that paragraph or i did not make it clear. I read the reviews, but after a month or two when wanting to buy a game you scroll through the mag quickly to see the final score, ammount of multi players (the smaller important details) but "sharing" is not there and I think it's something that all magazines miss out on and that will ad to your magazine. You guys might not have had the request, but, there are most probably people that don't have the time or effort to ask :)

Portable gaming is picking up in SA, and game sharing is important as most friends don't all buy the same games as they like to swop it between themselves and that is where the sharing comes in. I have myself and about 8 other friends that play DS games al the time and the only game we all have is Mario Kart DS. I know that PSP does not have much but once the DS is back here in SA it would be great just to ad it at the bottom in brackets next to the ammount of players :)

[Azimuth]

I don't know about the others, but when I write a PSP review for a game with sharing, I always mention it. If it's not mentioned, it isn't there.

[Kensei]

Bought the first issue way back in April 1998 and have every issue since then (even stepped up to a subscriber now that saves me more money)

In terms of demographic I am a growing portion, 20 something female gamers - seems more and more female gamers are admitting to playing games -> and not just the Sims.

I enjoy every inch of the magazine, from Priest's intro to Miktar's knowledgable input on various issues to Azimuth's colourful reviews [Always wonderful reading your reviews, Azi ;) ] to dammit's recent warning males not to say to some female gamers to go play the Sims.

I can't recall anything offhand that I would want changed, although change is always necessary

[wisp]

But...Photoshop doesn't really...have...anything to do with...gaming...does it? o.O

You are right , but i was thinking along those lines of what ever programme they use for game developement and used photoshop as a very bad example....my bad :)

[dawid22]

I don't know about the others, but when I write a PSP review for a game with sharing, I always mention it. If it's not mentioned, it isn't there.

I appreciate that :) However, when I get to a review of any game for any format I check which format it is on (on the left) then I look at the distributor/publisher/cost section (where I think it sould be added) and then the final score, then I read the review to see why it got the score it got if the game interests me. When going back to a older mag I don't re-read the whole thing and just look at the format on the left, details at the bottom and final score. That is why I think it would be awesome there.

I'm not dissing the mag in any way whatsoever, just trying to help :)

[Azimuth]

I enjoy every inch of the magazine, from Priest's intro to Miktar's knowledgable input on various issues to Azimuth's colourful reviews [Always wonderful reading your reviews, Azi ;) ] to dammit's recent warning males not to say to some female gamers to go play the Sims.


Thank you, I really appreciate that. :)

[Gldm]

Recently at school I saw a group of kids sitting around, one pulls out the latest NAG, they all say "Kwai man! Dsui't die nuwe N?G!"

Translation please?

[Miktar]

"Sick! It's the new NAG!"

[cYn]

Translation please?

"Kwai man!"
Goodness!

"Dsui't die nuwe N?G!"
You have procured the latest edition of the NAG magazine!

Followed gentlemanly clapping, the lighting of cigars and the adjusting of monocles.

[echo]

Lol @cYn. That translation was awesome. I love my taal!

[ShellShok]

I haven't been reading NAG for long, but I seem to be able to relate to it. I don't have a state of the art computer, so I can't play any of the games on the demo and I don't even have any consoles. I don't see the reason I buy NAG as this renders me a bystander to most of you. Oh well. I still love NAG.:)

[Mic]

well... my friend was on the old forums but isn't interested in the new one... but about the mag... he only buys the mag when I buy it and he looks trough it to make sure its worth it... don't know about the rest of my friends... but yeah.

[Scorp1on]

I know of a friend who buys it -just- for the demo disc and (*gasp*) scraps the magazine! Don't worry, I lectured him about the hard work put into creating such a great publication and then proceeded to wag my finger at him.

The other guy I know of is a very good friend of mine and he buys it, reads it and enjoys it sometimes. He looks at the DVD and then he's over it.

[hell_rising1]

People I know that read NAG are a few guys from school. Even our first team rugby players enjoy an occasional NAG read, so the magazine doesn't just appeal to gamers!

[dangarratt]

No-one else I know buys NAG - but then not many I know are into gaming. NAG is certainly aimed at a more mature age bracket than e.g. PCF. I tend to also go to the hardware reviews first. After that I read the columns, game reviews, then previews.
I didn't read the mag for a number of years because it was cross-platform. PCF was my staple, but recently started to become poor quality (mainly due to the decline to the asinine in PCF UK - that's like listening to a bunch of 16 year olds *trying* to be funny), and I picked up the NAG.
I started to enjoy the console sections as the consoles are becoming more advanced and trying different things - and also many of the games are the same and therefore more relevant for someone like me who only has a PC. It also helps me to decide whether I should buy a console or upgrade my PC. So far the decision has been PC mainly because of the ridiculous price of console games!

[MoX]

When I first brought NAG in September 2003 it was for the cheatbookdatabase and a bit for the games being reviewed in it (Cheats 60%/games 40%). But over the years I started to read it more and more as I became older, and I usaully like it when theres lots of utilitys on the cover DVD and some patchs. But I mainly read the game News section, Hareware reviews, and so of those intersting looking game rewies mainly PC games.

When I first buy the mag at the end of the month I usaully first graze throught it and and have a quick look at it and see what it says and then I usaully check the COVER DVD. Then the next day I start to read the things what are intersting and what I missed but I find when theres a game what I want I go and look for that game review in my archive of NAGs to read about it and see if it's a good game.

I find that people at my schools don't know about NAG and they go and buy PCFormat and G.E.A.R. and they are convinced that those are the best gaming mags in the world. One of my friends use to buy NAG for the games and the cheats on the cover DVD/CD but now I don't why he still buys the NAG for but I think he still buys it mainly for the games. One thing I don't undersand is why the guys buy the expenseive gaming mags which anin't all that great, when you can pay R40 for the NAG which is much better.

I'm still one of the only people who reads NAG because most people are now in that gangster S&#t and now everyones homes and things and all these people do is swear and listen to RAP MUSIC (I hate it!!). Well I'm now 14 years old and still enjoy reading it becuse it is better quality (then anyorther gameing mag I've read so far) and it is the only MATURE gaming mag around these days and I like that.

So I hope that helped you.

[MrDeVil_909]

Does it strike anyone else as a little weird that, in this connected world we live, in Nag readers are not more connected into the community that has built itself around it?

Maybe something more needs to be done in the mag to bring the readers online. Although I'm also quite fond of the small group that is here and wouldn't like to see a flood of n00bs.

I'm assuming the monthly question bit in the mag is part of an attempt to get people here.

[Miktar]

Does it strike anyone else as a little weird that, in this connected world we live, in Nag readers are not more connected into the community that has built itself around it?

Maybe something more needs to be done in the mag to bring the readers online. Although I'm also quite fond of the small group that is here and wouldn't like to see a flood of n00bs.

I'm assuming the monthly question bit in the mag is part of an attempt to get people here.

Not really. Our polls show that most readers aren't online, or have really terrible connections. Only the well-off go online, which is a tiny part.

[wisp]

Maybe it was posted and i missed it :) but what are NAGs circulation figures ?

[Miktar]

Maybe it was posted and i missed it :) but what are NAGs circulation figures ?

That isn't information we just give out to the public, sorry.

[wisp]

ok no prob :)

[ioiiooio]

Initialy I bought NAG for the DVD, I'm not much of a reader, but I dont think I would have continued buying it if it weren't for the great articles. There is nothing I would take away from the current setup. My mate is an avid collector, I think he is mostly interested in the Hardware section. Another mate of mine usualy checks out the scores on reviews in my nag if he cant decide which game to buy.

[Karuji]

Hmmm from what i know of my friends and some other people i know is that they are aged between 13 and 30 and 90% play on pc's and have very little intrest in consoles expecpt which one is better, and that there rigs beat them any day.

Most of them have a general intrest in hardware but just to the extent to know which part is better.

[MoX]

If I remember right in the fourm last year there was over 1000 people on it and now here is only about 250 people or something. I think that people don't have a strong internet connection or not even a internet connection.

[James Donaldson]

Okay -my family have different reading habits:

Well, I read the NAG, GEAR and sometimes look through the PCF.

My dad reads PCF and SA Computer (is it still going) and has a one-look-through the NAG

My sister doesn't touch PCF, has a look-through G.E.A.R. and reads everything once-through in the NAG and SL magazine

My mother knits

[someoneelse]

I think generally NAG readers are part of one of two crowds:

Kiddies/Adults who like reading about upcoming games

and

People who enjoy reading (usually) humorous articles on gaming

I'm quite sure the majority of NAG readers are PC gamers. Also, most NAG buyers are long-time fans of the magazine and somehow I'm quite sure that most NAG readers are relatively intelligent and have a sense of humour, and probably not really serious people. If they werent intelligent and lacked a sense of humor I'm sure they'd prefer the more serious (and boring) alternative to NAG

Mik, I think you should, after running these forums for a couple of years, get a general idea about what the majority of NAG readers are like

[Tr00jg]

Most of my friends subscribed to NAG, but all of them stopped. I buy it for the DVD (where the trailers are the main coolness) and the fact that it is gaming news catered to South Africans. When I read the NAG, I feel it is catered to us, and I almost feel as if I have a hand in it. I guess I could just read the gaming news online, but I love getting it packaged each month in NAG-y crispness.

My friends... I just think they stopped because they aren't that avid gamers anymore.

[0blivios]

well from what I know in my area I know 2 ppl that read NAG, what a shame.
they all think its gr8. maby it's\cous in my area there never any LAN partys. but they must sell 2 some ppl cous i see them on the shelf every month. @{#-#}@