Paragon Aims For New Console Market

Paragon Publishing has launched an unofficial title for Microsoft’s first contribution to the games console market- the Xbox. The move will once again put the publisher up against it main rival in the gaming magazine market, Future, which holds the licence to publish the official magazine for the system, and is also planning its own unofficial title, to launch in February next year (see Future Promotes Xbox Launch). Paragon hopes that by launching this far ahead of the console’s own launch in this country it will benefit from the $500m marketing campaign Microsoft is said to be putting in place.

The total circulation of magazines for the current leading games console, Sony’s Playstation, is above the half million mark. The market leaders in the sector are published by Future. When the Xbox, described by XBM managing editor Nick Roberts as “a leap forward for videogames, being far superior to the PlayStation 2 both graphically and technically” launches in the UK on 14 March next year it will be the fastest and most powerful console on the market. This has caused some big names in the videogame industry to move exclusively onto the format, and is likely to generate demand for Xbox magazines.

The monthly title, which went on sale on 15 November, has a cover price of £3.20. Its initial print run was 88,000 and it expects to attract early adopters of the system who are likely to be male, aged 18-35 and with a high disposable income. A video showcasing Microsoft’s games for next year was covermounted on the first issue, and Paragon aims to use covermounted gifts and books as a regular promotional device in future.

Paragon: 01202 299900 www.paragon.co.uk

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