GamesTM

Last updated
gamesTM
GamesTM logo.png
GamesTM - Issue 75.jpg
Issue 94 (March 2010) of GamesTM featuring Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption
EditorJon Gordon
Staff writersJosh West
Categories Computer and video games
FrequencyMonthly
Circulation 20,013 (9 Jan – 9 Dec 2010) [1]
21,677 (8 Jan – 8 Dec 2009) [2]
22,284 (7 Jan – 7 Dec 2008) [3]
20,376 (6 Jan – 6 Dec 2007) [4] [5]
PublisherHighbury Entertainment - 2002 - 2006

Imagine Publishing 2006 - 2016

Future Publishing 2016 - 2018
First issueDecember 2002
Final issue
Number
November 2018
213
Company Future Publishing
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inRichmond House
33 Richmond Hill
Bournemouth [6]
LanguageEnglish (defunct)
Dutch (defunct)
German (defunct)
ISSN 1478-5889

GamesTM (styled as gamesTM) was a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering console, handheld, PC and Arcade games. The first issue was released in December 2002 and the magazine was still being published monthly in English and German up until the last edition was published on 1 November 2018.

Contents

Format

Besides covering all current and recent happenings in the video game world, the magazine included a retro section at the rear, with reviews of past games and "battles" between older consoles.

As a standard, it was around 112 pages long. News articles, developer interviews and the like were located at the front, with the preview section following. After the previews there was usually a large feature focused on a particular game or games company. This feature normally lasted 4 to 5 pages. The section for readers' letters followed, at the end of the magazine.

Since it was a multi-format magazine, a large number of games on all formats were reviewed, although the majority of released games were not reviewed because of space and deadline restrictions.

Reviews

Reviewed games were given an overall score marked out of 10. While several games have received 9/10, only sixteen games in the magazine's history achieved the ultimate score of 10:

In addition, the online modes of Project Gotham Racing 2 , Halo 3 , LittleBigPlanet , Monster Hunter Tri and Halo: Reach all scored a 10, although the single-player of each title only received an 8 or 9.

The magazine had also started to review game related hardware on occasion as well as aspects of Xbox Live. These typically included games available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace and various retail games with Live functionality.

History

In January 2006, the future of the magazine became uncertain after its publisher, Highbury Entertainment, went into administration with debts of GBP £27 million. No subscribers received issue #40 and the next issue (#41) did not appear in the shops, though it should have been out on 26 January 2006. At that time, the magazine's staff could not be contacted and calls to the subscription helpline led to an automated message that said all magazines had been sold. The magazine's website went offline but was available again a few days later.

On 20 January 2006, Imagine Publishing announced that it had acquired GamesTM along with 23 other Highbury titles. [7] [8]

Imagine Publishing has since announced that it will continue to publish GamesTM, resuming with issue #41 which was published in February 2006.

Issue #42 was released on 23 March 2006, with an explanation from its new editor in the introduction, stating that the magazine will undergo an evolution. [9] The magazine has been published according to its usual monthly schedule since.

Issue #43 stated that the magazine would undergo an evolution. The magazine has been published according to its usual monthly schedule since.

In Issue #62, the "evolution" of the magazine proposed back in Issue #42 finally occurred, when it received its first major overhaul since its inception. Although the content of the magazine was largely unchanged, it received a complete visual makeover as well as the addition of two new regular segments: "Illustrated" pages that highlighted influential games from the past, and "Reader's View", which gave readers the chance to have their own articles featured in the pages of the magazine.

In 2006, GamesTM celebrated its 50th issue.

From 3 March 2008 to 2 December 2009, a German version of GamesTM was released on a (bi)monthly schedule in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

On 1 April 2008, the Dutch version of GamesTM was first released in the Netherlands and Belgium, with a scheduled 11 issues per year.

As of issue #68, GamesTM introduced "Industry"; a recruitment focused mini magazine built into the magazine that allows game developers, universities and colleges to advertise their job positions and related courses amongst industry focused news editorial and features.

In September 2010, GamesTM celebrated its 100th issue by releasing 100 different covers - limited to 400 prints of each - representing one of the magazine's 100 greatest games of all time. [10]

GamesTM was acquired by Future Publishing alongside the entire Imagine Publishing portfolio in 2016. [11] The last issue was published in November 2018, with Future explaining that the magazine was "no longer profitable". [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dungeon</i> (magazine) Magazine related to the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game

Dungeon was one of the two official magazines targeting consumers of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products; Dragon was the other.

PC Gamer is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries. The magazine features news on developments in the video game industry, previews of new games, and reviews of the latest popular PC games, along with other features relating to hardware, mods, "classic" games and various other topics. PC Gamer and parent Future began digital PC Gaming Show at E3 2015.

<i>Electronic Gaming Monthly</i> American video game magazine

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.

<i>PC Zone</i> British video game magazine

PC Zone, founded in 1993, was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as PC Leisure, PC Format and PC Plus had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. The precursor to PC Zone was the award-winning multiformat title Zero.

<i>Crash</i> (magazine) Computer magazine

Crash, stylized as CRASH, is a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer, primarily focused on games. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress. It was relaunched as a quarterly A5 magazine in December 2020 with the backing of the original founders.

<i>PC Format</i> Former UK computer magazine (1991–2015)

PC Format was a computer magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future plc, and licensed to other publishers in countries around the world. In publication between 1991 and 2015, it was part of Future plc's Format series of magazines that include articles about games, entertainment and how to get the most out of the platform. Despite the occasional mention of alternatives, PC Format takes the term 'PC' to mean a Microsoft Windows-based computer.

<i>GamePro</i> American video game magazine

GamePro was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video game consoles, personal computers and mobile devices. GamePro Media properties included GamePro magazine and their website. The company was also a part subsidiary of the privately held International Data Group (IDG), a media, events and research technology group. The magazine and its parent publication printing the magazine went defunct in 2011, but is outlasted by Gamepro.com.

<i>Famitsu</i> Line of Japanese video game magazines

Famitsu, formerly Famicom Tsūshin, is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage, a subsidiary of Kadokawa. Famitsu is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the form of special topical issues devoted to only one console, video game company, or other theme. Shūkan Famitsū, the original Famitsu publication, is considered the most widely read and respected video game news magazine in Japan. From October 28, 2011, the company began releasing the digital version of the magazine exclusively on BookWalker weekly.

<i>Edge</i> (magazine) UK video game magazine

Edge is a multi-format video game magazine published by Future plc. It is a UK-based magazine and publishes 13 issues annually. The magazine was launched by Steve Jarratt. It has also released foreign editions in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

<i>Computer and Video Games</i> UK magazine and website

Computer and Video Games was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website was launched in 1999 and closed in February 2015. CVG was the longest-running video game media brand in the world. Several CVG writers led the creation of Video Games Chronicle in 2019.

Hotdog Magazine was a film magazine first published in the United Kingdom in 2000. Its publisher, Highbury Entertainment, claimed an average circulation of 17,132 between July and December 2003. By December 2005 sales were down to 13,659, and by its last edition they were thought to have fallen to just 7,000.

<i>Snake Rattle n Roll</i> 1990 video game

Snake Rattle 'n' Roll is a platform video game developed by Rare. It was published by Nintendo and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in July 1990 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. The game features two snakes, Rattle and Roll, as they make their way through eleven 3D isometric levels. A Mega Drive version was released by Sega in June 1993 with an extra level. Snake Rattle 'n' Roll was developed by Rare members Tim Stamper and Mark Betteridge. The music was composed by David Wise and was inspired by "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and other 1950s-era songs.

<i>Computer Games Magazine</i> Monthly computer gaming magazine 1988–2007

Computer Games Magazine was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication Games International. During its history, it was known variously as Strategy Plus and Computer Games Strategy Plus, but changed its name to Computer Games Magazine after its purchase by theGlobe.com. When it closed down in April 2007, it held the record for the second-longest-running print magazine dedicated exclusively to computer games with 197 issues, behind only Computer Gaming World. In 1998 and 2000, it was the United States' third-largest magazine in this field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imagine Publishing</span> British magazine publisher

Imagine Publishing was a UK-based magazine publisher, which published a number of video games, computing, creative and lifestyle magazines.

<i>Fast Car</i> (magazine) UK-based car magazine

Fast Car magazine is a UK-based car magazine covering the modified car market and car culture. It was the first UK magazine focusing on this genre. It is owned by Kelsey Media, based in Westerham. The magazine is published 13 times a year. Nearly every month Fast Car includes stickers, posters, CD/DVDs and other car related gadgets.

<i>PlayStation Official Magazine – UK</i> Video game magazine

PlayStation Official Magazine – UK, generally abbreviated as OPM, was a magazine based in the United Kingdom that covered PlayStation news created in 2006. Although the first issue was distributed in three-month intervals, from Issue 2 onward, it became a monthly segment. From Issue 7 to Issue 84, the magazine came with a playable Blu-ray disc; it primarily covered PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation VR and PlayStation 5 games and material. It also covered PlayStation Vita material. The magazine covered PlayStation, as well as all aspects of HD media in lesser detail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paragon Publishing</span> Magazine publisher in the United Kingdom

Paragon Publishing Ltd was a magazine publisher in the UK, which published computer games and other entertainment titles from 1991 to 2003.

<i>360</i> (magazine) Xbox 360 video games magazine published by Imagine Publishing

360 was an Xbox 360 video games magazine published by Imagine Publishing in the UK. Originally published four-weekly, the magazine switched to a three-weekly schedule in 2009.

<i>Shonen Jump</i> (magazine) Defunct North American manga anthology

Shonen Jump, officially stylized SHONEN JUMP and abbreviated SJ, was a shōnen manga anthology published in North America by Viz Media. It debuted in November 2002 with the first issue having a January 2003 cover date. Based on Shueisha's popular Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump, Shonen Jump was retooled for English readers and the American audience, including changing it from a weekly publication to a monthly one. It featured serialized chapters from different manga series and articles on Japanese language and culture, as well as manga, anime, video games, and figurines. The premiere issue of Shonen Jump also introduced the first official English translations of One Piece, Sand Land, Yu-Gi-Oh!, YuYu Hakusho, and Naruto.

<i>Planet PC</i>

Planet PC was a British PC gaming magazine aimed at pre-teens, first published in December 1999. It was issued monthly by Future plc in Bath, Somerset, and was backed by a marketing budget of £50 thousand. Similar magazines published by Future included PC Format, for which Planet PC was hoped to be a feeder. Planet PC cost £2.95 per issue, with its target market being eight-to-twelve-year-old male PC users. During the year 2000, the magazine had a circulation of 20,181. Its editor was David Bradley, its associate editor was Chris James, and its publisher was James Binns. In October 1999, two months before the release of the first issue, Binns explained that Planet PC would fill a gap seen as "too old and ... too expensive for [the] younger market".

References

  1. "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 11 February 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  2. "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 12 February 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  3. "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 15 August 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  4. "ABC circulation figures (January - December 2006)". GamesTM (56): 171. April 2007.
  5. "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain review". GamesTM. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  6. ""Contact Us" page". GamesTM. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  7. "Imagine acquires 24 Highbury titles" (PDF). Imagine Publishing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2006.
  8. Daniel Farey-Jones (24 January 2006). "Highbury magazines picked off after company's collapse". Media Bulletin. Haymarket. Archived from the original on 4 March 2006.
  9. Morgan, Paul. Introduction. Imagine Publishing. p. 5.
  10. "GamesTM Issue 100 celebrates with 100 different covers". Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  11. 1 2 Dring, Christopher (19 October 2018). "UK magazines GamesTM and GamesMaster to close". gamesindustry.biz . Retrieved 24 September 2019.