GameGO!

GameGO! was an ambitious, but short-lived, video game magazine. Conceived by Eric C. Mylonas and Thomas Keller, and staffed by former GameFan editors, it not only intended to follow in the footsteps of the then-defunct GameFan Magazine, but focus even deeper into the hardcore gaming market. The magazine's coverage tended to eschew more well-known, mainstream games in favor of providing better exposure to obscure, niche, and import games.

Only one issue was ever published. It was distributed in June 2001, available at EB Games and various specialty stores across the United States, and was mailed to paid subscribers. A second issue was completed, but there was not enough funding available to go ahead with printing. The fate of the magazine was up in the air for an extended period, but during that time, a strongly dedicated online community thrived. However, operations were ultimately shut down in 2002 after failing to find a way to bring the print magazine back to life.

The second issue was distributed in PDF format to anyone who asked for it. It can still be found on the Internet.

Naming
The name "GameGO!" was chosen specifically to mimic the naming conventions of Japanese magazines. The "GO!" portion of the name was originally chosen out of fun and had no real meaning behind it, but during creation of the magazine's logo the kanji for "language", pronounced "go", was adopted. Therefore, the name, more or less, came to mean "the language of gaming".

Staff
Much like the original  GameFan Magazine, GameGO! had their staff write under nicknames with a cartoon avatar representing them. Also like GameFan, GameGO! had their own mascots: Congo the Juggling Monkey and Posty (based on GameFan's The Postmeister).

Articles
In addition to previews, interviews, and reviews, GameGO! also had a host of features and editorials that catered to their hardcore gaming audience. * Shmups: A column solely dedicated to reviewing sidescrolling shooters (i.e.: Guwange and Raiden DX). * The J-Files: A section that includes interviews with Japanese game developers, import gaming news, and a gallery showcasing concept artwork from Japanese games. * Games 101: A "how-to" column teaching players how to play a specific genre of games (i.e.: Mahjong and Shmups). * Tech Support: A "how-to" column teaching readers about tech-related subjects (i.e.: Console modding). * RetroVIEW: Articles on retro gaming history (i.e.: Unreleased Sega 32X games). * RetroFIT: Overviews of retro games (i.e.:Ys Book I & II and Phantasy Star). * AnimEtc.: A non-gaming section dedicated to anime, manga, J-Pop, Asian cinema, and otaku culture. * Letter Head: The section where the GameGO! staff (under the name "Posty") answer questions sent in by readers.

Criticisms
While GameFan itself was viewed as the last print bastion of the hardcore gaming community, GameGO! sought to further crystallize that niche. The side-effect of this was that it brought-along all the pomposity of its predecessor, and concentrated it even further. This was severely evident in the magazine's slogan, "The Guide To What You SHOULD Be Playing". The slogan was later changed to the less contentious "The Guide To What You COULD Be Playing".

The first issue also generated criticism in using the obscure, and tepidly reviewed, PlayStation 2 game Stretch Panic as its cover feature. The writers had scored an exclusive preview of the game, and the developer, Treasure, was held on a high throne by the hardcore gaming community for a string of high-quality, arcade style games (i.e.: Gunstar Heroes & Radiant Silvergun), so the cover was chosen in order to differentiate the magazine from its competitors and attract the niche market segment. Since the general gaming community had never heard of the game, nor had any interest in finding out about it, the magazine attracted very few casual readers when displayed on store shelves. This was one of the main problems that led to the magazine's demise.