N•Revolution Mag Bites the Dust

[darksnowman]

Imagine confirms N•Revolution closure

Ben Parfitt Today, 9:43am

 

UK magazine publisher suspends its Nintendo title following shifts in target demographics

Bournemouth based UK magazine publisher Imagine has confirmed to MCV that it has suspended its Nintendo-focused title N•Revolution, as was rumoured last week.

 

“The decision to suspend N•Revolution has been taken because it has become increasingly obvious that Nintendo’s strategy for Wii and DS is no longer in line with Imagine Publishing's target readership, and has moved increasingly away from the hardcore gaming community that is our specialty,†managing director Damian Butt explained.

 

“With many new launches and especially acquisitions coming to fruition, we believe the resources and manpower are better spent in other markets where advertising revenue and PR support are stronger and sustained.

 

“Imagine will continue to drive purchases of Nintendo software with gamesâ„¢, Retro Gamer and our new multiformat videogames website, NowGamer.com, and we hope to work closely with Nintendo in the future on those magazines.â€

 

Source

 

So its been "suspended," but is there much likely hood that it will return?

 

I thought it would be the Internet that would be killing off magazines, I didn't think it would be due to Nintendo appealing to the mass market. I've only ever bought a couple of N•Revolution mags but I'm glad to see that Retro Gamer is still going strong as I do like to pick it up from time to time!

[Hellfire]

That's just an excuse from bitter unprofessional people when their mag doesn't sell.

[tapedeck]

If Nintendo's base has expanded vastly into new territories they could have made a lifestyle Wii magazine encompassing all areas of gaming. People buy magazines in general but yeah, the internet is pretty much to blame for the "core" gamer not really getting mags anymore. If magazines showed video/audio and updated daily well...But then again, the "casual" or "new" gamer doesn't really want that, so it's pretty obvious that this is just a grudge.

 

It's just the way it's going I guess, but 'blaming' Nintendo's recent ventures is poor PR imo.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I don't think I've ever heard of nor seen this magazine anywhere. But, I don't go looking for it.

 

I don't really see why anyone would choose to pay the fiver for a games magazine these days anyway. By the time the mag has gone to press, the news is a week old. You can find a dozen other reviews and screenshots much quicker on the internet.

 

To be honest, in this day and age, I'm surprised we're still seeing so many gaming magazines.

[RossK]

back in the late 90's early noughties Magazines used to be ...so magic!!

they were are only source , sigh i did love em.

im surprised there are as many as there are still nowadays too .

[ThePigMarcher]

Source

 

“The decision to suspend N•Revolution has been taken because it has become increasingly obvious that Nintendo’s strategy for Wii and DS is no longer in line with Imagine Publishing's target readership, and has moved increasingly away from the hardcore gaming community that is our specialty

 

That is quite obviously bullshit.

 

Yes , when the magazine started they were aiming for that 'target readership' and it was actually a very formative and more adult orientated read.

 

However it started going downhill fairly quickly , but the final straw for the majority of it's subscribers was the Issue 23 makeover , when the magazine dumbed itself down even further , whilst becoming an unreadable cluttered mess. They also started chucking in 'kiddie' free gifts , well not really free , as the price was jacked up from £2.99 to £4.99* a couple of months before that.

 

Their forums indicated that the majority of their readership was not happy with the changes , yet the ideas/requests went completely ignored.

 

There was quite clearly still a market for a more adult Nintendo magazine , but they chose to abandon that , and they had actually started dumbing it down before Nintendos drift away from the hardcore market (their words).

 

Definitely sounds like Imagine are trying to pass the buck , and if they had attempted to maintain the quality the magazine had when it first launched then this may not have happened.

 

* It was about this time I picked ONM for the first time in a while and I was shocked to find that was actually the better read , and I never thought I would say that.

[Tellyn]

I don't think I've ever heard of nor seen this magazine anywhere. But, I don't go looking for it.

 

I don't really see why anyone would choose to pay the fiver for a games magazine these days anyway. By the time the mag has gone to press, the news is a week old. You can find a dozen other reviews and screenshots much quicker on the internet.

 

To be honest, in this day and age, I'm surprised we're still seeing so many gaming magazines.

 

I think it used to be CUBE.

 

And NGamer is still a very good magazine, the best Nintendo magazine out there at the moment. It's good to have something physical in your hands to read, and it's still worth re-reading old news just for their humour in my opinion!

[The fish]

I think it used to be CUBE.

 

I miss CUBE, it was by far the best written magazine out there!

 

For content (and as I also own a 360 and have an interest in PC gaming) EDGE or Games TM are probably the best. However, my heart belongs to CUBE.

[Helmsly]

That is quite obviously bullshit.

 

Yes , when the magazine started they were aiming for that 'target readership' and it was actually a very formative and more adult orientated read.

 

However it started going downhill fairly quickly , but the final straw for the majority of it's subscribers was the Issue 23 makeover , when the magazine dumbed itself down even further , whilst becoming an unreadable cluttered mess. They also started chucking in 'kiddie' free gifts , well not really free , as the price was jacked up from £2.99 to £4.99* a couple of months before that.

 

Their forums indicated that the majority of their readership was not happy with the changes , yet the ideas/requests went completely ignored.

 

There was quite clearly still a market for a more adult Nintendo magazine , but they chose to abandon that , and they had actually started dumbing it down before Nintendos drift away from the hardcore market (their words).

 

Definitely sounds like Imagine are trying to pass the buck , and if they had attempted to maintain the quality the magazine had when it first launched then this may not have happened.

 

* It was about this time I picked ONM for the first time in a while and I was shocked to find that was actually the better read , and I never thought I would say that.

 

Thats a shame they changed it into that, I used to buy N•Revolution because it was probably the best out of the three Nintendo mags out at the time, but when they hiked the price up I just didnt think it was worth it anymore.

[Cube]

nRev was good until it's first editor left. I don't think it ever got a permanent editor since then.

[darkjak]

I personally think that magazines are still great, they have more interresting articles I think. But I ended all my suscriptions before going to the army nearly three years ago, and I haven't suscribed since.

 

But casuals aren't interrested in buying games mags, just like let's say my mum isn't interrested in buying a car mag or electronics mags. That makes it quite hard to sell Wii mags.

[K-project]

Blimey. This is the first time I've even heard of the mag! Is that bad?

 

What a lame excuse though.

 

I do agree that mags still have a lot to offer. Hell, I prefer them over the net really, just don't expect any "scoops". But they have to improve a great deal. Edge is good, as is RetroGamer and GamesTM, but so many mags are a waste of good money, with nothing to offer to anyone over the age of chav.

 

Movie mags still do well, in spite of the net. Why shouldn't games mags?

[McPhee]

To be fair, the magazine publisher actually has the statistics about all this stuff (how much they were selling of this magazine, of other magazines and of competitors magazines). There's quite a good chance that they actually do know what they are talking about, if there's a general slump among Nintendo magazines that isn't mirrored in magazines based on other platforms then maybe it is due to the demographic shift.

 

To say that their reason is rubbish is plain dumb, there's nobody on here that actually has any way of knowing either way.

[K-project]

It doesn't help that Nintendo still don't have a way of getting the magazines some demos on their covers. I don't know what's responsible for that, but I think it would be good if demo discs were easily available on magazines for the Wii.