The Word: Some Thoughts on EGM

Electronic Gaming Monthly is the latest casualty in an industry that is learning how to reposition itself to be more valuable in an environment where ad revenues are shifting online (television is facing a similar challenge in that arena) and the rate of information is exchanged at faster than light speeds. The days of wide eyed gamers getting their information on the latest events like the Tokyo Game Show and E3 from print magazines have been killed by sites like Kotaku, Joystiq, and yes — even Crispy Gamer and 1up.com.

While these challenges seem impossible to overcome, print magazines can and will survive. Better management, a more refined focus on content that cannot be found on the internet, interesting personalities and credibility are all important keys to future success. So yeah, it’s a real downer to see EGM go away, just like it was when TheGlobe.com put the knife in the back of Computer Games Magazine and Ziff Davis killed the excellent Computer Gaming World.

I could lament about this to infinity, but a better way to celebrate the magazine and to analyze the state of the print magazine business would be to ask some people that have actually written for print magazines. For such sage advice we turn to former EGM veteran Dan Hsu, freelancer Troy S. Goodfellow (a regular in the pages of Computer Games Magazine), Dave Long (also a CGM contributor) and Crispy Gamer’s Scott Jones (a contributor to countless magazines and newspapers prior to joining CG).

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EGM No More

So long EGM. After the January 2009 issue of the long running print magazine, it’s game over.  This news is another sad reminder that the magazine we all love are on the path to extinction. According to a Gamasutra report, the magazine has become a casialty of UGO Networks purchase of Ziff Davis’ 1Up Network. With the purchase of 1Up.com comes Mycheats.com, Gametab.com, and GameVideos.com. No word on how much this acquisition cost UGO. The report, which also contains a letter from CEO Jason Young, says that 30 people from the 1Up staff have been cut including web staff and podcast producers.

“With this transaction happening, we have also made the decision to discontinue publication of EGM,” told 1Up staff in an email. “The January 2009 issue will be the final issue of the publication. With demand for print continuing to decline amongst both advertisers and readers and the content being produced by 1UP no longer available for use in the publication, it simply did not make sense for us to move forward with this business any longer.”

FileFront, a popular destination for downloads such as demos, patches, mods and utilities, will remain a part of the Ziff Davis family under its PCMag Digital Network. the company is putting a lot of faith going forward in this sector.

“We will continue to operate the Filefront business as a part of the PCMag Digital Network,” continued Young in the email. “In the coming months we will determine the best ways to leverage the scale and functionality of this digital property to expand our business position.”

Official statement from 1Up right here.

Rumor: UGO to Buy 1UP

According to a report from Kyle Orland on Joystiq citing several anonymous but reliable sources inside Ziff Davis, the UGO Network is making a play for the popular 1UP site. Employees were told earlier this week in a staff meeting that they should prepare for the possibility that the popular ad and affiliate network might purchase them.

1UP Network is comprised of 1UP.com, GameVideos.com and MyCheats.com. The site was designed to be an online destination to promote Games For Windows Magazine and Electronic Gaming Monthly. Games For Windows Magazine was shut down last year, and this deal could see the end of EGM because UGO apparently has no interest in owning that part of the business. FileFront.com, a popular destination for downloading all kinds of PC software and media, may also prove to be a victim in the deal, as UGO has no interest in the site. The report goes on to say that UGO would let 1UP.com continue to independently operate.

Besides giving UGO direct and instant access to all of the network’s access, it also gives the company the ability to sell and service ads to that market without having to pay the percentage it pays its third-part affiliates. The deal, if it is real, is in the advanced stages at this point and could be finalized soon, according to Orland’s report. Stay tuned for more on this as it develops.

Source: Joystiq via Kyle Orland