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ABC Jul-Dec 2002: Gaming Titles Boosted By PlayStation 2

ABC Jul-Dec 2002: Gaming Titles Boosted By PlayStation 2

The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as at Thursday 13 February 2002. Late submissions and changes may be made after this date, and will thereafter be amended in MediaTel’s Press database. For full notes on how NewsLine’s reports are compiled please see Important Notes: ABC July – December 2002

ABC results for the six months ending December 2002 reveal the changing face of computer, gaming and internet magazine sector, which is evolving with the technological landscape.

Overall, computing magazines suffered from a broad-based decline in circulation, with the majority of titles seeing circulation fall year on year between July and December 2002. However, one bright-spot was provided by Paragon Publishing’s PC Basics, which increased its circulation by 7.3% year on year to 16,585. Crimson Publishing’s What Laptop And Handheld PC also saw its circualtion rise by 2.1% year on year to 25,549.

Computing Magazines Jul 02-Dec 02 ABC YoY Comparisons
Title Publisher Jul 01 – Dec 01 Jul 02 – Dec 02 Actual Change % Ch
Computer Buyer Dennis Publishing 47,016 41,234 -5,782 -12.3
Computer Shopper Dennis Publishing 127,535 110,035 -17,500 -13.7
MacUser Dennis Publishing 27,164 25,315 -1,849 -6.8
PC Basics Paragon Publishing 15,451 16,585 1,134 7.3
PC First Aid* Paragon Publishing 14,557 n/a n/a n/a
PC Home Paragon Publishing 19,395 14,224 -5,171 -26.7
PC Pro Dennis Publishing 134,101 121,189 -12,912 -9.6
What Laptop And Handheld PC Crimson Publishing 25,019 25,549 530 2.1
Windows Made Easy Paragon Publishing 12,693 10,247 -2,446 -19.3
Total   422,931 364,378 -58,553 -13.8

In the computer gaming sector, Future Publishing’s Official PlayStation 2 magazine recorded the largest increase in circulation, up 56.8% year on year to 197,348. However, this was at the expense of Official PlayStation Magazine, which saw its circulation decline by 51% during the same period to 50,185.

Elsewhere, Emap Active’s Nintendo Official Magazine continued to suffer from increasing competition in the market. The title’s circulation declined by 7.1% year on year to 51,096. More general gaming titles also a significant amount of movement, with Future Publishing’s PC Gamer dropping by 3.2% year on year to 76,059 and Dennis Publishing’s Computer and Video Games magazine declining by 10.8% to 33,033.

Gaming Magazines Jul 02 – Dec 02 ABC YoY Comparisons
Title Publisher Jul 01 – Dec 01 Jul 02 – Dec 02 Actual Change % Ch
Computer and Video Games Dennis Publishing 37,028 33,033 -3,995 -10.8
Edge Future Publishing 30,118 28,126 -1,992 -6.6
Games Master Future Publishing 52,708 65231 12,523 23.8
NGC Magazine Future Publishing 25,305 38,539 13,234 52.3
Nintendo Official Magazine Emap Active 55,028 51,096 -3,932 -7.1
Official Playstation 2 Future Publishing 125,895 197,348 71,453 56.8
Official Playstation Magazine Future Publishing 102,332 50,185 -52,147 -51.0
Official UK Xbox Magazine (N) FXM International n/a 57,809 n/a n/a
P2 Paragon Publishing 22,412 21,083 -1,329 -5.9
PC Gameplay Inc. PC Gaming World** Computec Media 31,140 n/a n/a n/a
PC Gamer Future Publishing 78,553 76,059 -2,494 -3.2
PC Zone Dennis Publishing 61,204 51,088 -10,116 -16.5
Play Paragon Publishing 71,426 58,553 -12,873 -18.0
Playnation 2* Dennis Publishing 30,098 n/a n/a n/a
Playstation 2 Special Edition (N) Future Publishing n/a 41,804 n/a n/a
Playstation 2 Tips (N) Future Publishing n/a 22,020 n/a n/a
Playstation 2 Gaming (was Paystation 2 Max) Future Publishing 33,107 20,249 -12,858 -38.8
Playstation World Computec Media 87,474 76,293 -11,181 -12.8
PSM2 Future Publishing 74,643 70,049 -4,594 -6.2
X Box Gamer (N) FXM International n/a 23,033 n/a n/a
Total   918,471 981,598 63,127 6.9
*resigned ABC membership          
**had not reported by time of Feb 14 release          

ABC results also brought less than impressive news for Paragon Publishing’s internet magazines, which caused the sector to decline by 19.5% year on year.

Internet Magazines Jul -Dec 02 ABC YoY Comparisons
Title Publisher Jul 01- Dec 01 Jul 02 – Dec 02 Actual Change % Ch
Internet Made Easy Paragon Publishing 17,361 12,801 -4,560 -26.3
Practical Internet Paragon Publishing 15,035 13,265 -1,770 -11.8
Total   32,396 26,066 -6,330 -19.5

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