Future making hard choices about US publications

A note to investors from publishing giant Future portends dark happenings for the company's US arm. The UK-based publisher has found continued operations in the US "significantly more challenging," due to a smaller scale operation and the business model for magazines in the States. In July, Future announced it was moving its Future US into a primarily digital business (i.e. non tree-based magazines), but things have apparently escalated.

"With trading conditions in the U.S. reflecting ongoing weakness and decreasing visibility at newsstand, and an acceleration in the year-on-year growth rate in digital revenues, the Board is now considering a wider range of strategic options in respect of its U.S. operations," the note reads.

Future US's magazine business currently includes all three official console magazines, along with PC Gamer and Best Buy's @Gamer. The question now revolves around whether the "wider range of strategic options" includes the publisher cutting its losses in the magazine space or moving to sell off the division. Future plans to share more details at the end of its fiscal year November 24.

Reader Comments (27)

I just hope Nintendo Power stays put. I've been liking it more lately.

@Master Marik

Nintendo Power is the best gaming mag there is, hands down. And I barely even play my Wii or DS.

@Master Marik

Is Chris Slate still the editor of NP? I unsubscribed as soon as he took over the pulse section EVERY WEEK. and he was the least-funny and interesting member of the staff.

@Breakdown
See I unsubbed after NP switched to Future. It felt like a massive loss in quality when they took over.

@Master Marik

The only Nintendo game systems I own are the GCN and GBA SP, and I still love NP.

@Yuglyoshi

Chris Slate was the only good thing Future ever had going for it. I loved the old PSM... that said, everything Future touches (including their sites) that I might be interested in is absolute garbage (not much of a Ninty guy, so I can't comment on Nintendo Power).

@Master Marik: Yep, NP is quality stuff. I actually look forward to receiving it every month. They had some pretty dark days there during the N64 and Gamecube era, but the mag has been excellent both pre- and post-Future transition.

DON DO ANYTHING TO PC GAMER!!!!

But doesn't everyone say PC Gamer is dying?!

There's way too much PC Gamer piracy for them to continue supporting PC Gamer. Everyone's supporting Nintendo Power, Official Xbox Magazine, and PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

@Epoque
Xbox had a magazine?

Well considering most Future US publications are barely there now I'm not surprised. Every year each magazine becomes lighter on content and heavier on advertising.

Compare US magazines and UK magazines and the difference is huge. Due to the different way they generate revenue UK magazines are larger size, have less advertising and more features. They usually come in at 120 pages or more while US magazines can barely scrape together 90.

No surprise that people don't want to spend $6 on them.

Kind of a bummer being forced into digital magazines, but then again, digital magazines have some potential advantages over the print versions-- animation, video, sound etc. It was bound to happen sooner or later, I guess it's just sooner rather than later.

I've been with OXM and PC Gamer for YEARS, plus I've got my subscriptions into 2013...so I'm not sure WTF is going on here Future, but this kinda talk is making me VERY nervous. I remember years ago, when I had a subcription to another gaming mag, and they cancel the mag, and my sub went poof!

@weiwwww

For Christ sake you ad-wolves have been on crack this past week. No article is safe from you striking your bs links.

Begone I say

Two words: Super Play

You nostalgia, you lose.

I miss the Official Playstation Mag....

Anyways, what they need to do is convert their magazines to a (optional?) digital format and be made available on ALL POSSIBLE platforms i.e. Playstation, Xbox, maybe Wii, Android, iOS and Blackberry.

Wonder if I could get a refund if it goes digital? Only mag I subscribe to is OPM and I used to sub to Nintendo Power but let that magazine go.

Well this is another piece of the puzzle in regards to WoW Magazine's cancellation. Also PCG going digital, and getting an app with DLC on Steam. (I thought THAT came out of no where.) If they would make they content available on Zinio like they do PCG-UK, that would be good.

It's sad... I check out Nintendo Power, and other Future mags, like Guitar World.... Just kinda sad.

Future Publishing is notorious. There was awesome coffee table-style mag called "Snowboarder's Journal" - one of the few mags that didn't target junior high shredheads trying to perfect that goggle-sag. Future pulled it.

Then there was "Future Snowboarding" - a bit more expected and mainstream, but they came out swinging with a DVD with each issue. Future pulled it.

Future sucks.

Guitar World isn't as bad as it could be. But I've been begging them to switch to a Digital only model for a couple of years.

I'd be happy with just a PDF that I can store and read on any device.
Premier Guitar has it figured out in that sense.

I saw that bright white arch against the deep red background, and now all I can think is Redbox.

Just hope they continue ImagineFX. Is RetroGamer under them too? I can't recall.

I subscribe to to Nintendo Power, Official Xbox Magazine and @Gamer Magazine, all owned by Future US. I'm not worried about losing @Gamer because the coupons they give out in each issue can be emailed to us. But I better not lose OXM because I want those demo discs they give out, and I've subscribed to Nintendo Power since 1999 and still have every issue since then. I will break faces if they make Nintendo Power an online magazine.

Though losing any magazine would be stupid on Future US's part. They'd have to give their online magazines away for free, whereas mailing them to us will earn them money. Who would be stupid enough to intentionally lose money?

I noticed that the current issue of OXM does NOT have a disc with it, but the issue is still like $7. This explains that a little better now.

Magazine publishing? It seems Future... *puts on shades* are stuck in the past. Yeeeeeeeeeah!

I remember the good old days when magazines like PC gamer, Computer gaming, OXM, Dreamcast magazine, were so exciting to get in the mail. Now, except for the few exclusives magazines get from time to time (Like gameinformer and skyrim), mags arent that big a deal. I haven't had a sub to a games magazine for 4 years or more now, though i read some from time to time digitally.
OXM stopped being relevant when the demos were placed out on XBL.
PC gamer and gameinformer are the only ones i read from time to time now.

Future making hard choices about US publications

Reader Comments (27)

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 9:38PM Master Marik said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 9:47PM Breakdown said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:19PM Yuglyoshi said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:29PM The Aquacharger said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 12:38AM Captaindrek1 said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 2:47AM Haizeus said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 10:31AM Sarge said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 9:53PM Fox318 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:00PM Epoque said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 11:59PM pluupy said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:22PM arkweld said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:44PM Starcade said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:46PM hiruuamon said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 10:50PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 11:15PM milespieri said

Posted: Sep 29th 2011 11:51PM King Johngie the Fourth said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 12:10AM Art84 said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 12:22AM DustoMan said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 12:40AM HandheldAddictblogspotcom said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 1:42AM 66jzmstr said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 1:44AM Al Ferreira said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 2:26AM Mouthsmasher said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 2:44AM OrangeGamer said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 3:24AM Maxx the Slasher said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 7:08AM jaymax said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 10:44AM Dale P said

Posted: Sep 30th 2011 12:22PM Fearmonkey said

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