GamesTM

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gamesTM

Issue 94 (March 2010) of GamesTM - The coverart features Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption
Editor Samuel Roberts
Categories Computer and video games
Frequency Monthly
Circulation 20,013 (Jan 09 - Dec 09)[1]
21,677 (Jan 08 - Dec 08)[2]
22,284 (Jan 07 - Dec 07)[3]
20,376 (Jan 06 - Dec 06)[4]
First issue December 2002
Company Imagine Publishing
Language English, German, Dutch (defunct)
Website http://www.gamestm.co.uk/
ISSN 1478-5889

GamesTM (styled as gamesTM) is a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering many video game platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC games, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Arcade machines. The first issue was released in December 2002.

Format

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

As a standard, it is 164 pages long. News articles, developer interviews and the like are located at the front, with the preview section following. After the previews there is usually a large feature focused on a particular game or games company. This feature normally lasts 4 to 5 pages. The section for readers' letters follows, at the end of the magazine.

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

Features

The magazine includes multiple feature articles in each issue, covering a wide range of content focussed on the games industry. Generally each issue contains at least one feature devoted to an in-depth preview of an up-and-coming game, including developer interviews and game mechanic exploration, as well as a number of other features of various scale, from interviews to examinations of particular topics.

In addition, each issue features a number of columns by industry figures. From the magazine's inception, every issue contained 'Letter from America' - detailing journalist Gray 'The Shape' Nicholson's his life in America - and 'Kongetsu' - originally written by Japanese correspondent Tim Rogers, but now written by former Electronic Gaming Monthly editor and current Q Entertainment producer James Mielke. Recent issues have also featured a column from former game developer Howard Scott Warshaw. In a recent design overhaul, each column now appears on rotation, once every three months, alongside regular contributor Ryan King. A column written by readers first appeared in issue 62 (November 2007), but was soon dropped due to a lack of submissions.

Reviews

Reviewed games are given an overall score marked out of 10. While several games have received 9/10, only fourteen games in the magazine's history have 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 has also started to review game related hardware on occasion as well as aspects of Xbox Live. These typically include 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.[5][6]

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. The magazine has been published according to its usual monthly schedule since.

Issue #43 Stating that the magazine will 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.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 2010-02-11. Archived from the original on 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
  2. ↑ "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 2009-02-12. Archived from the original on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-02-21. 
  3. ↑ "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 2008-08-15. Archived from the original on 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2008-06-12. 
  4. ↑ "ABC circulation figures (January - December 2006)". Games TM (56): 171. April 2007. 
  5. ↑ "Imagine acquires 24 Highbury titles" (PDF). Imagine Publishing. Retrieved 2006-05-24. 
  6. ↑ Daniel Farey-Jones (2006-01-24). "Highbury magazines picked off after company's collapse". Media Bulletin (Haymarket). 
  7. ↑ "GamesTM Issue 100 celebrates with 100 different covers". Retrieved 28 August 2010. 

External links

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