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[sonycowboy]

[9/2/2004 12:48:04 PM ET]
Citing a numbers from the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), Game Informer magazine now claims that it is the 48th largest publication in the U.S.
The periodical had an average paid circulation of over 1.6 million for the first half of 2004, enough to rank it just ahead of Teen People and right behind Men’s Health in total circulation.
Publisher Cathy Preston added, “Not only is Game Informer now the leading publication among games advertisers but more and more big-brand non-industry advertisers, such as Honda and Panasonic are choosing Game Informer as their exclusive games publication, because they see us as a supremely effective and efficient means of connecting with the hard-to-reach and elusive youth and adult male.”

 

[Joe]

before the haters come..

more power to you GI!

 

[DarienA]

They've had some good exclusives from time to time more power to them.

 

[The Faceless Master]

wow, being right behind men's health is pretty impressive...

 

[IJoel]

GI's exclusives r0x.

Their reviews are really awful.

As for paid subscriptions, I imagine they include the Gamestop subscriptions, which would certainly give a huge boost to it.

 

[sprsk]

those numbers are such bs. the only reason its subscribed by so many people is because gamestop(gamestop,babbages,softwareetc,funcoland) is the biggest games retailer and we are forced to sell those things.

 

[AbeFroman]

those numbers are such bs. the only reason its subscribed by so many people is because gamestop(gamestop,babbages,softwareetc,funcoland) is the biggest games retailer and we are forced to sell those things.

FIArEd !

Go work @ KFC

 

[Ninja Scooter]

those numbers are such bs. the only reason its subscribed by so many people is because gamestop(gamestop,babbages,softwareetc,funcoland) is the biggest games retailer and we are forced to sell those things.

how does that make the numbers "BS"? i doubt GI or its advertisers give a shit how/why people are subsrcibing, as long as they ARE subscribing.

 

[sonycowboy]

those numbers are such bs. the only reason its subscribed by so many people is because gamestop(gamestop,babbages,softwareetc,funcoland) is the biggest games retailer and we are forced to sell those things.

1) People still paid for it (at $1 / issue), which matches well against any other magazines subscription rates.

2) They aren't close to being the #1 games retailer.

#1) Wal-Mart 21%
#2) Best Buy 16%
#3) Toys R US 12%
#4) Electronics Boutique 11%
#5) Gamestop 10%
#6) Target 8%

 

[bishoptl]

hostile number percentages hail

 

[sprsk]

how does that make the numbers "BS"? i doubt GI or its advertisers give a shit how/why people are subsrcibing, as long as they ARE subscribing.

Cause we sell them a discount card, we dont sell them the magazine (although corporate says to do it in reverse)

Youve gotta factor in more than just gamestop.

 

[FitzOfRage]

Yeah, advertisers might care whether people actually open the magazine. I subscribed to GI for the discount and just threw it away with the rest of the junk mail when it came.

 

[AbeFroman]

Cause we sell them a discount card, we dont sell them the magazine (although corporate says to do it in reverse)

Youve gotta factor in more than just gamestop.

So it is BS because you don't follow the directives of your corporate office and sell it incorrectly?

What is better?

Selling a video game magazine subscription to a person face to face at a video game store.

Renting a list from say Maxim and sending thousands of subscription related direct mail pieces to garner 2.8% response rate.

 

[Mooreberg]

I think circulation rates for ad revenue count for a lot more these days than what people are paying for a magazine. If not, than why are so many magazines offering free subscriptions on the internet?

I've tried to cancel my rolling stone subscription three times and they keep sending me the damn thing. They were even advertising lifetime subscriptions for $99 at one point. I think they are all getting desperate for ad revenue.

 

[IJoel]

So it is BS because you don't follow the directives of your corporate office and sell it incorrectly?

What is better?

Selling a video game magazine subscription to a person face to face at a video game store.

Renting a list from say Maxim and sending thousands of subscription related direct mail pieces to garner 2.8% response rate.

Well, I think you missed the point. It just seems to be the case that the magazine is doing very well, not because of quality or true customer support, but because it's a byproduct of another offer.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

GI's exclusives r0x.

Their reviews are really awful.

I agree. But considering that most mags tend to have similar review styles, the crummy reviews arent a big problem.

 

[Apharmd Battler]

BNut I thought Gamepro was #1 in terms of readers and subscription base.....seriously. I remeber when I saw this information posted someplace last year, I almost fell outta my chair. Can anyone confirm?

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

BNut I thought Gamepro was #1 in terms of readers and subscription base.....seriously. I remeber when I saw this information posted someplace last year, I almost fell outta my chair. Can anyone confirm?

This news is for magazines in general. Gameinformer has been no.1 in terms of readers and subscription base among gaming magazines for some times(I believe).

 

[P90]

What's a Game Informer? Not a publication I seek out. What are its redeeming features?

 

[AbeFroman]

Well, I think you missed the point. It just seems to be the case that the magazine is doing very well, not because of quality or true customer support, but because it's a byproduct of another offer.

The bottom line of circulation is the cost effective acquisition and retention of a set of eyes.

Thus...

"Selling a video game magazine subscription to a person face to face at a video game store." = cost effective

"Renting a list from say Maxim and sending thousands of subscription related direct mail pieces to garner 2.8% response rate." = not cost effective

I see some fairly positive remarks regarding quality from other posters here. That seems like customer support.

The only thing unsupportive is a disgruntled GameStop employee (or what appears to be) who who is shirking the duties of the job.

 

[adrockthekid]

All the people who bitch about reviews in publications baffle me. Nobody here (apparently) likes anyone's reviews, claiming either bias, ignorance, or stupidity on the part of the reviewers. Well, what the hell? You don't trust anyone's opinion other than your own, and that's fine, but it doesn't mean that you have to resort to personal attacks on the reviewers who I can *guarantee* work hard regardless of who their employer is. Besides, review content is how much of any magazine/website's overall editorial?

 

[Subitai]

those numbers are such bs. the only reason its subscribed by so many people is because gamestop(gamestop,babbages,softwareetc,funcoland) is the biggest games retailer and we are forced to sell those things.

I totally agree.

Half of the owners wouldn't get it if it weren't for the discount card for used games.

GI becoming far and away the #1 game mag a while ago is the reason Ziff Davis started GMR with EB.

 

[mosaic]

Game Informer has sucked ever since they stopped printing the Funcoland price sheet for used games...

Why did they stop doing that anyway?*







(Kidding...)

Edit: I thought Ziff started GMR so that Skip and Exxy could earn money to fund their afro sheen and forty ounce habits...

 

[Subitai]

Game Informer has sucked ever since they stopped printing the Funcoland price sheet for used games...

Why did they stop doing that anyway?*







(Kidding...)

Edit: I thought Ziff started GMR so that Skip and Exxy could earn money to fund their afro sheen and forty ounce habits...

Eh, probably, but I'm sure the GI model helped things along a lot too.

 

[IJoel]

The bottom line of circulation is the cost effective acquisition and retention of a set of eyes.

Thus...

"Selling a video game magazine subscription to a person face to face at a video game store." = cost effective

"Renting a list from say Maxim and sending thousands of subscription related direct mail pieces to garner 2.8% response rate." = not cost effective

I see some fairly positive remarks regarding quality from other posters here. That seems like customer support.

The only thing unsupportive is a disgruntled GameStop employee (or what appears to be) who who is shirking the duties of the job.

Again, you completely missed the point. IF those numbers are highly influenced by Gamestop's 'membership' card then it's not a true measure of customer sponsorship. Sure it gets more people to receive the magazine, I'm not disputing that.

As for the disgruntled employee comment, I'm not sure about Sp0rsks, but the Gamestop I go to offers me the card for the discounts on games and, well many times, make for a good argument when buying some games, since sometimes with your purchase, the value of the membership is really minimal. And then at the very end of the pitch, they mention the magazine.

As for quality, as I said before (and of course this is all my opinion,) the previews are pretty decent, but the best part about the magazine are the big exclusives it gets. As for the reviews, i find myself cringing everytime I read most of them as they are just way too shallow and rarely go in-depth. Maybe I'm expecting too much, specially considering most reviews are a few paragraphs long. However, if a developer works hard creating a game, I believe it's only fair for the readers to be well informed about them, rather than having a few shallow paragraphs that manages to just simplify the game and reduce it to teenage blabber.

 

[B E N K E]

Good for them. It's nice to see a smart idea perform well, speaking of the business side. I haven't read the magazine (never seen it in Sweden), but the way they gain a large circulation should have nothing to do with the quality of texts in theory.

 

[Joe]

it doesnt matter how you slice, game informer has 1.6 million paid subscribers.

they probably make more money off of advertising and subscriptions renewals then they do with their discount card (repeat customers) anyway.

 

[rod furlong]

the way they gain a large circulation should have nothing to do with the quality of texts in theory.

...

 

[WarPig]

Edit: I thought Ziff started GMR so that Skip and Exxy could earn money to fund their afro sheen and forty ounce habits...

You forgot Mielke's collection of gigantic silver pimp rings, Nutt's gay strip bar tab, and my continuous intake of filthy porn doujinshi.

DFS.

 

[Mofo]

And like most GameStop managers (I'm now an ex, thank God!) each month nine issues arrive at my house - got to love high pressure sales!

 

[Mega Man's Electric Sheep]

I stopped reading Game Informer's reviews when they gave Mario Party 5 a 2 out of 10 and said they warn the interns about having to play a crappy Mario Party. They lied and said the saving message after every turn took longer than playing the game, when you can disable that in the options menu. They talk as if everyone on staff hates it, which I find funny, since no other magazine seems to hate the series. No other publication. Game Informer managed to hire all the haters.

 

[BobbyRobby]

Yeah, their MP hate is a little ridiculous. I wouldn't be surprised if they're all closet fans by now, and only poorly review each installment to stick to their guns.

 

[fennec fox]

I don't have the energy to hate on Game Informer anymore. They're all fine people working there, and if they publish the occasional disagreeable review, ahhhh, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I wish there would be more public competition between GI and GMR, though, because they aren't that far away from each other in terms of circulation figures these days, if what I am told is correct..

 

[Patrick Klepek]

*waxes afro sheen on head*

 

[GamerzXtreme]

I am with Mofo. I was with Gamestop for 11 years. Thank God I am no longer with them, the company has gone in a downward spiral. The worst thing they could have done is gone public....

 

[snapty00]

I can't stand the employees at just about every GameStop. I go out of my way not to go in there unless I just absolutely have to trade in some games.

When I buy something, it's always:

"I see you have a PlayStation 2. Wanna reserve Resident Evil 4?" "No."

"That's too bad. Do you like wrestling?" "No."

"I see. I was going to ask you if you wanted to preorder Day of Reckoning on GameCube." "No."

"Do you have an Xbox?" "No."

"Oh, I was going to ask if you wanted to preorder Halo 2. It's going to be the biggest game of the year!" "No."

"Do you have a GameStop Discount Card?" "Yes."

 

[Screaming_Gremlin]

1) People still paid for it (at $1 / issue), which matches well against any other magazines subscription rates.

2) They aren't close to being the #1 games retailer.

#1) Wal-Mart 21%
#2) Best Buy 16%
#3) Toys R US 12%
#4) Electronics Boutique 11%
#5) Gamestop 10%
#6) Target 8%

Where did you get those numbers Sonycowboy? That leaked Wedbush report had Gamestop at #3 with 12% of the marketplace (this is just videogames, they were lower in computer games) for 2003. Have there been new numbers leaked with results for this year?