Is This the End of Game Magazines?

In an article by www.gameindustry.biz, James Ashton of Future Publishing said he "blamed the publisher's falling magazine sales on the next-gen console transition and the rise in the amount of video game coverage in the mainstream media."

Ashton described the rise of Internet gaming news sites and it's affect on magazines.

"The fact is that the Internet is a booming new medium and obviously everyone publishing on the Internet is showing growth," Ashton said. "The Internet can deliver information for games and has significant advantages over print for delivering that information. It also has significant disadvantages in some areas, so Future's position has always been that we'll be committed to both."

Does this signify the fall in magazines? Maybe it's another step to the grave.

Ask any newspaper, magazine, journalist or publisher of what influence the Internet has on them and watch how long it takes for them to answer. It's instantaneous.

The Internet is an ever-growing, vast space of information that at anytime can be molded in the blink of an eye.

This means that breaking news, no matter if it happened less than a minute ago, has the chance to beat any newspapers or magazine.

But think of the magazine, which is usually distributed monthly and has to report "old news" or try to find a spin on it just to get readers. It's has to be a hard business.

What can magazines do to stay alive? Don't know.

Lots of news organizations have tried to merge with the times by creating websites, but the difficulties in trying to sell a magazine when users can get free information online is the true test.

This issue can't be answered in one blog and won't be answered because instead of dying out, magazines have chosen to adapt.

We probably won't see the end of the magazine. There are still people out there who enjoy holding a tangible piece of paper in their hands instead of typing away.

So there's still hope, for now ...

As you might have noticed, I did not mention anything on what Mr. Ashton said about next-gen console transition affecting media. Why you ask?

It's incompetent.

But instead of me saying it, I'll let an (anonymous) member of gaming news site, Maxconsole.net, answer it.

He said: "What an idiot. Print publications are at an all time low. It has nothing to do with console transitions - if anything they will push MORE copies because of new exciting news on new stuff."

-R

*http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22849
*http://www.futurenet.co.uk/futureonline/
*image courtesy of www.ghosttoghost.com/ and a little creativity