“For quality games media, I continue to believe that the best form of stability is dedicated reader bases to remove reliance on funds, and a hybrid of direct reader funding and advertisements. If people want to keep reading quality content from full time professionals, they need to support it or lose it. That’s never been more critical than now.”
The games media outlets that have survived, except for Gamespot and IGN, have just about all switched to this model. It seems to be the only way it survives.
Nobody is stopping them from buying their own copy, and reviewing at release with an honest review.
Tradition, their egos, money and entitlement seems to be doing a fine job. (but yeah the access journalism model has to go)