Nintendo Power magazine, the house organ of Nintendo (please make your own joke here) will now be published by FUTURE out of SF. Future Publishing, not exactly the Conde Nast of publishing when it comes to budgets, is not likely to offer many relocation benefits to the current staff … and not to be rude but Nintendo Power could be written by some monkeys with a head cold and a couple dozens Macs. Though its writing style is reflective of Nintendo – for a company deeply involved with fun, frivolity and wacky games involving monkey balls and a fat plumber – Nintendo is surprisingly humorless and seems to think they operate charter flights for the CIA & Blackwater Security. They would rather punch your spleen several dozen times and leave you to die a slow death than reveal that the next Mario game might feature a level where he wears a yellow carnation … and Nintendo Power reflects that – dribbling out bits of info that most real journalists have uncovered 6 months ago … however, it is a colorful mag, nice stock and the only place where Nintendo info and its Wii system isn’t dismissed as child’s play … though as we point out, #1 in the hearts and #1 in sales …

FUTURE already publishes the Official Xbox Mag which is equally as dull with its “corporate-approved” editorial content and with shabbier stock and low res screenshots … so, Nintendo must’ve been impressed by their … well, something … something … though the video game mag industry is not what it once was so it hardly matters (psss, the answer is ‘the internet’ in case you’re wondering why the video game mag industry is in its doldrums) but you could also argue that the American video game industry mags have not advanced very far in the past 15 years … and its most intelligent take on the industry folded (NEXT GEN) while its literate and smart cousin, EDGE MAGAZINE continues on in the UK … that we have never had a ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY or WIRED for video games in the US – that is another debate that seems pointless to start because no one will take up that mantle, gauntlet or some other weaponry like methaphor … instead of writing to the real average of gamers as a 33-40 year-old … most of the screenshots and writing is aimed at 14-year olds … and not even smart 14-year olds.

And of course, with covers like these … why wouldn’t a literate 32 year old think the content might be juvenile and jejune …

Pinched from this GAMES.NET feature.

Here’s the letter from NINTENDO that perfectly encapsulates Nintendo the company …

“Dear Nintendo Power subscriber,