Almost every gaming magazine is/was garbage. EGM had articles that were actually worth reading, though. They became less in number as the internet started telling people the news a month before the magazines hit the stands. Throw in the fact that 3-man reviews were slowly getting phased out, plus the resignation of Shoe, and the magazine just wasn't what it used to be.
Actually, everyone knew EGM was probably going to be sold since Ziff Davis filed for bankrupcy. But ending the magazine, podcasts (!), and 1up Show (!!!) while simultaneously firing 30 people is really harsh, man.
The people running 1up were a big part of the network's appeal, because they had a lot of personality. Sure, people disagreed with them a lot, but they were also cool about it. They never talked down to their audience because they actually liked this hobby. 1up was a crappy website, but EGM didn't deserve to go down like this.
EDIT: Interview with UGO and 1UP:
http://www.destructoid.com/destructo...7790.phtml#ext