Gaming Titles Suffer Further Decline
Gaming magazines continue to suffer declining sales according to the latest audit from the ABC, with all but one title in the sector falling in a year on year analysis. Official Dreamcast Magazine from Dennis Publishing was the only title to increase its circulation over the period, adding 3% to its circulation base.
The worst performing title was Planet Playstation, down 48%, a decline which marks the general trend of Playstation magazines, which suffered badly during the period. However, Future’s newly launched Official Playstation 2 Magazine showed a positive start with a high first time audit figure of 81,883, despite the distribution problems of the console itself.
Other new gaming titles auditing for the first time were not so impressive. Dreamcast Solutions, started with a circulation base of 11,422, and Gameboy Power at took 10,043 sales. Other new titles, PSM2 with a circulation of 52,439 and Games Domain Offline at 78,950*, on the other hand have produced some of the overall highest figures in this field.
*Audit Period from Oct-Dec 00
| Gaming Magazines Jul-Dec 2000 ABC YoY Comparisons | |||||
| Title | Publisher | Jul 99-Dec 99 | Jul 00-Dec 00 | Actual change | % Change |
| 64 Magazine | Paragon | 25,045 | 14,945 | -10,100 | -40.3 |
| Computer & Video Games | Emap Active | 60,104 | 45,606 | -14,498 | -24.1 |
| DC-UK | Future Publishing | 28,857 | 17,162 | -11,695 | -40.5 |
| Dreamcast Magazine | Paragon | 41,498 | 22,970 | -18,528 | -44.6 |
| Dreamcast Solutions | Paragon | n/a | 11,422 | n/a | n/a |
| Gameboy Power | Quay Magazine Publishing | n/a | 10,043 | n/a | n/a |
| Games Domain Offline* | Kaleidoscope | n/a | 78,950 | n/a | n/a |
| Gamesmaster | Future Publishing | 61,106 | 44,848 | -16,258 | -26.6 |
| N64 | Future Publishing | 67,016 | 43,285 | -23,731 | -35.4 |
| Nintendo Official Magazine | Emap Active | 78,698 | 67,615 | 11,083 | -14.1 |
| Official Dreamcast Magazine | Dennis | 50,653 | 52,157 | 1,504 | 3.0 |
| Official Playstation 2 Magazine | Future Publishing | n/a | 81,883 | n/a | n/a |
| Official Playstation Magazine | Future Publishing | 351,775 | 215,508 | -136,267 | -38.7 |
| PC Gamer | Future Publishing | 83,669 | 73,549 | -10,120 | -12.1 |
| Planet Playstation | Paragon | 49,499 | 25,845 | -23,654 | -47.8 |
| Play | Paragon | 89,614 | 66,174 | -23,440 | -26.2 |
| Playstation Max | Future Publishing | 50,425 | 37,545 | -12,880 | -25.5 |
| Playstation Power | Future Publishing | 81,079 | 50,963 | -30,116 | -37.1 |
| Playstation World | Computec Media UK | n/a | 62,946 | n/a | n/a |
| PowerStation | Paragon | 46,810 | 41,854 | -4,956 | -10.6 |
| PSM2 | Future Publishing | n/a | 52,439 | n/a | n/a |
| Total | 1,165,848 | 1,117,709 | -48,139 | -4.13 | |
| *Audit Period Oct 00 – Dec 00 | |||||
On the publishing front, Future Publishing retains its strong hold on the market; its titles make up 55.2% of total circulations for this sector. Trailing behind in second place is Paragon, with a 16.4% share.
| Gaming Magazines Market Share By Publishing Company | ||
| Publishing Company | Jul 00-Dec 00 | |
| Computec Media | 62,946 | 5.6 |
| Dennis Publishing | 52,157 | 4.7 |
| Emap | 113,221 | 10.1 |
| Kaleidoscope | 78,950 | 7.1 |
| Paragon Publishing | 183,210 | 16.4 |
| Quay Magazine Publishing | 10,043 | 0.9 |
| Future Publishing | 617,182 | 55.2 |
| Total | 1,117,709 | 100.00 |
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