I’m not usually one who likes to report on reporting, but we have something of an ongoing discussion here recently. The state of print media has been called into question more seriously over the past several years, as the internet continues to expand and things like iPhones and Blackberrys allow people to be directly connected to a constant stream of information. Whether it’s monthly comic books, newspapers, or magazines, no corner of print seems entirely safe.
After recent rumors, and several months of closeout sales by Ziff Davis Media following their Chapter 11 filing last summer, What They Play had a story today saying 1UP.com, the online source for video game news tied to long standing magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (and until recently several other magazines) has been sold. The buyer is Hearst Corp, who already owns and operates UGO.com, itself reputed to have had financial difficulties in the past several months, including layoffs and long time contracted employees being reduced to freelancer status. Hearst’s plan, according to the report, is to fold 1UP into UGO, re-expanding the gaming section of the site. EGM comes along as part of the sale, and Hearst plans to make the issue currently in production the final issue of the magazine.
Now, 1UP.com has confirmed the sale of the site and its related properties, but has yet to comment on the future of EGM. As the sources got the first part of the story right, odds are the rest is, as well. The magazine was started in 1989. It leaves in its wake Gamepro and Game Informer as the last two major multiplatform gaming magazines published in the U.S.
UPDATED: January 7:
Joystiq has a list of employees laid off as a result of the merger. Included in the list are Shane Bettenhausen and James Mielke, two high profile EGM employees, including the now former Editor-in-Chief of EGM. This is noted as confirmation that EGM is, in fact, done. The full list can be seen here.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Most of the staff was laid off, including my good friend Ryan Scott. Ugo can eat a dick.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I’m sorry to hear that, Ryan, that really sucks. Seems the games industry is being hit pretty hard by the recession after all (I have two friends at two different companies so far that have lost their jobs, too).