Gamer magazine proves redundant and dispensable

The decision by Ziff Davis in the U.S. to wind up its Electronic Gaming magazine is logical on several levels. Not that it is any comfort to the 30-odd people who lose their jobs at EGM.

First, Ziff Davis is struggling to emerge from bankruptcy protection and in its search for cash had sold its online video games site 1UP Digital Network to Hearst (to be merged with its Ugo Entertainment. So there goes one reason to publish EG. Then, ZD had moved entirely online, ending its print edition of PC Magazine. Again, some of the synergies are gone.

But more telling, perhaps, is that the kinds of people who play online games a) don't read magazine about gaming, they game (this seems so obvious that it hardly seems worth saying and b) they have lots of online ways to learn about new gaming opportunities. Plus the maket is more or less saturated, at least among the largely young, male gamers.

A recent report from the Pew Internet Project [says an item in mediabuyerplanner.com] shows that nearly all American teens (97%), and more than half of adults age 18+ (53%) say they play video games, and about one in five adults (21%) plays video games every day or almost every day, reports Marketing Charts.