Official Xbox Magazine Delivers Largest Paid Circulation of Any Officially Licensed US Games Magazine
(August 22, 2005)
Publication announces rate base increase to 425,000 beginning with January 2006 issue. Future’s PSM and PC Gamer magazines continue to deliver rate base guarantees
Brisbane, CA – Future Network USA’s Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) has more subscribers and newsstand circulation than any other officially licensed games publication in the US, according to the newly released June 2005 Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) FAS-FAX report
Prompted by the magazine’s momentum, Future announces a 6% rate base increase to 425,000 paid circulation beginning with January 2006 issues.
Official Xbox Magazine averaged 125,000 more subscription and newsstand copies sold per issue than Ziff Davis’ Official PlayStation Magazine despite an Xbox installed customer base that is currently much smaller than that of PlayStation 2.
In this edition of the ABC FAS-FAX report (January 2005 – June 2005), Future’s Official Xbox Magazine again achieved its rate base of 400,000, leading the single-platform category with a total paid circulation of 409,206. OXM delivers the largest concentration of Xbox game players of any Xbox magazine published worldwide.
“For the fourth consecutive audit period, OXM maintains its status as the world's best-selling, officially licensed games magazine on any platform,” stated publishing director Simon Whitcombe. “We’re also extremely pleased that OXM once again outperformed Ziff Davis’ Official PlayStation Magazine in both number of subscriptions and newsstand sales.”
Publisher Andy Swanson added: “With the launch of Xbox 360 right around the corner, the June 2005 Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) FAS-FAX figures further solidify OXM’s position and importance in a growing Xbox marketplace.”
Additionally, the ABC FAS-FAX report reveals that Official Xbox Magazine (OXM), PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation 2 Magazine and PC Gamer Magazine hit their rate base guarantees and again delivered the largest targeted audience in the magazine industry among single-platform games magazines.
The ABC FAS-FAX confirms that PSM's average circulation was 353,740, once again hitting its guaranteed rate base of 350,000. PSM continues to outsell its category rival, Official US PlayStation Magazine, which does not offer a rate base guarantee and posted a circulation of 282,702 – 20 percent lower than that of PSM.
PC Gamer continued to meet its rate base of 300,000, maintaining its category leadership in circulation. As per the FAS-FAX report, the magazine’s circulation is more than 45% larger than its rival Computer Gaming World (CGW) and outsells CGW on newsstand by nearly a 3 to 1 ratio. The FAS-FAX report also demonstrates that CGW’s circulation decreased by 15% since the prior period (December 2004 ABC FAS-FAX report), while PC Gamer maintained its rate base guarantee.
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About Future plc
About Future
Future plc was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 150 special-interest consumer magazines worldwide with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, automotive, sports, crafts and leisure sectors. It is the fifth largest magazine publisher in the UK. Future employs 1,450 people in offices in the UK, US, France and Italy. Over 100 international editions of Future’s magazines are also published under license in 30 other countries across the world. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).
About Future
Future is the leading U.S. publisher of cutting-edge games, computing, action-sports, and musician magazines, which sell in excess of 2.2 million copies per month. Future’s publications reach a young, active, affluent male audience and rank 12th among audited newsstand publishers in gross newsstand revenue. Its market-leading titles include Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation 2 Magazine, Mobile, Maximum PC, MacAddict, Snowboarding Trade News, Skateboard Trade News, Guitar World, Guitar One, Future Music, Guitar World Acoustic, Guitar World Bass and Guitar World Legends. Future is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
www.futurenetworkusa.com
About Official Xbox Magazine
Future is the official licensor of Official Xbox Magazine for Microsoft, making it the only monthly magazine 100% dedicated to everything Xbox®. As a global publication with an exclusive playable game disc, it aims to inspire and sustain the passion its readers feel about the Xbox and become an essential part of their Xbox experience. Launched in fall 2001, Official Xbox Magazine is the first source readers turn to for official game demos, independent reviews, and the latest Xbox news.
www.oxmonline.com
About PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation 2 Magazine
Launched in September 1997, PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation 2 Magazine is the market-leading magazine for PS2 news, games, hardware, and culture; it reaches the largest PS2 audience in the world with its unique and irreverent content. PSM’s status as the proudly independent and unofficial source for PlayStation 2 game players makes it a true advocacy magazine for PS2 lovers. With its recent redesign and its magazine/website interactivity, PSM is the most engaging and entertaining PS2 games magazine on newsstands today.
www.psmonline.com
About PC Gamer
Launched in May 1994, PC Gamer is the world’s best-selling PC games magazine. PC Gamer has earned this coveted position by hiring hardcore gamers who know what other gamers need to satisfy their enthusiasm. The magazine delivers hard-hitting reviews, winning game strategies, explanations for complex games technology, and news about what’s next in this rapidly changing arena. Smart, irreverent, and well-connected, PC Gamer not only keeps readers “in the know,” but also invites new computer users into the rich and entertaining world of PC games.
www.pcgamer.com
