Future Publishing ABCs

14/08/08– In today’s ABC circulation figures, Future – the world’s leading games media company, continues to increase the audience of its print, event and website portfolios – and now reaches more gaming enthusiasts than ever before.

For the six months to June 31st 2008, Future audited nine titles within its games magazine portfolio. All three of its Official titles continued to report ABC increases, with its Nintendo and PlayStation magazines - both Official and unofficial, recording significant double-digit growth.

Official Nintendo Magazine posted a rise of 27.6% year-on-year to sell 61,159– the highest figure for any Nintendo title since 2001. Official PlayStation Magazine continued the momentum from its debut ABC, reporting an increase of 12% period-on-period to 51,533 copies. Xbox 360: The Official Magazine maintains its position as the UK’s bestselling games magazine, up 2.2% - now selling 67,097 copies a month.

Future’s unofficial PlayStation titles saw large percentage rises in circulation, fuelled in part by increased investment in the portfolio, and coverage of major releases like Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4. PSM3 and PSW were up 29.5% and 33.7% year-on-year, respectively making PSM3 the UK’s best-selling independent PlayStation magazine by ABC.

As Nintendo’s DS and Wii consoles continue to sell-out across the UK, Future’s unofficial Nintendo magazine, N-Gamer continued its growth, with a 19% period-on-period rise from its debut ABC. Now selling 20,290 copies a month, the title is the UK’s bestselling independent Nintendo Magazine With Nintendo’s consoles appealing to new audiences, Future partnered with Panini for Girl Gamer – a title for 10-16 year old girls inserted in its titles, Bliss and Mizz on a quarterly basis – reaching more than 350,000 girls with each issue.

Future’s GamesRadar Network of websites (including GamesRadar.com) continues to grow in reach and scale, with HBX audits reporting 7.3m unique users for the company’s games websites, with its largest site, GamesRadar.com posting an increase of 35% year-on-year. The Network reaches more adult males per month than fhm.com, nme.com, nuts.co.uk, loaded.co.uk, topgear.com, monkeymag.co.uk and zoo.co.uk combined. Future recently launched a new website for its respected Edge brand, Edge-Online ( www.edge-online.com) a games industry site which complements the existing consumer-focused GamesRadar Network.

Alongside Future’s games progress in print and online, the company’s brand extensions are developing apace, with strong ticket sales and industry support for live events like the gaming tournament PC Gamer Showdown – in association with LG. This year’s Golden Joystick Awards count Virgin Media as headline partner, with the event also supported by the BBC, Channel 4, IPC, News International, Panini and Titan. Last year, the Joysticks attracted almost 750,000 online votes from UK gamers.

James Binns is Publishing Director of Future’s games portfolio:

“Future’s console business is in a fanastic place, with brilliant partnerships, growing audiences and fresh media offerings from our UK and US offices. There’s increased recognition and growing respect at large for video gaming and a desire to communication with our loyal readership. In a media landscape obsessed with the collapse of lads mags – the growth of our games portfolio is predominently fuelled by the same enthusiastic male audience .”

ENDS

About Future

Future plc is an international special-interest media group with offices in the UK and US. Founded in 1985 with one magazine, today it creates over 180 special-interest publications, websites and events, with strong portfolios in the games, technology, music, film and active sectors including sports, automotive and crafts. Future exports, syndicates or licenses its publications to 90 countries internationally. The Company employs more than 1,200 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).

For more information

Will Guyatt, Future UK Media Relations Manager, 01225 822517.