news Nintendo Power magazine shutting down, editor hopes final issues are "memorable"

Yeah, the guides and tips and whatnot are what made the magazine. The majority of gaming mags were just throw-away material, and after Future took over NP, it became more like the other mags.

I say it's another nail in the coffin for gaming mostly for what it's doing to the culture. Nintendo's fanbase in particular has been through hard times. First Nintendo's official forums were shut down, Camp Hyrule canceled, and now Nintendo Power's gonna be gone. Each of those had palpable social value to Nintendo fans and it's sad to see them go like this. And if it's happening to the most successful gaming company, what will happen to their competitors? They certainly have more money to throw at the problem, but unless it's fixed, the problem will continue.

Long story short, if the culture dies, then nobody will be inspired to make games, the industry gets less good ideas (like what's going on with the oversaturation of FPSs), and the market, being flooded with poor ideas, will crumble.

Just like it did in 1983. Except we won't have another Nintendo to pull us out of it.