Existing gaming magazine and publishing companies research

2. Introduction
After class discussion and introduction to main production task I have decided to
focus on developing and creating a magazine that features video games.
After viewing coursework examples from last year and internet media studies blogs
I have a clear idea of tasks that needs to be carried out in order to fill my
coursework criteria and at the same time fulfill my own desires regarding designing
and making of gaming magazine. To successfully create a magazine that would
appeal to a specific target audience I have decide to carry out secondary research
into well established magazines and publishing companies which are at the
foreground of this industry.
In this PowerPoint I have provided evidence of the following research :
• Front cover analysis of Gamer and GamePro magazines
• Content page analysis of Gamer Nation and Gamex magazines
• Double spread articles analysis of Nintendo and Mac gaming magazines
• Research into existing gaming magazines and publishing companies

3. Color- The color scheme for
the text here is yellow and
white. They are used to
contrast this dark image , as
they are bright colors that
stand out and are easy to read.
Yellow is very energetic and it
combines very nicely with the
neutral white to capture the
intended audience.
Mise-en-scene-The dark colors and
extreme close up of the characters eye
and profile photo suggest that this is a
game intended for the more mature
audiences. The knife is the photo
shows that this is a hostile character
and the fact that is says declassified on
the envelope shows that this is a
mysterious and dangerous character.
The fact that the picture is so dark
shows that this magazine analyzes
games for a more mature audience who
prefer to play games with adult content
such as blood and gore. The file could
also be a prison file and the mug shot
could show how many years he has
served. The lines on the knife could
either represent the amount of people
he killed or missions completed, either
way targeting audiences who take
pleasure in brutal and violent games.
The tone is dark and serious which
attracts gamers who like that type of
gaming genre.
Layout- the layout here is
focuses around the
background image so it is in
the main focus of the
audience. There is only one
cover line on the left that is
purposely made different and
given its own background as it
represents the main focus of
the magazine, the picture
behind it. The other articles
are put in a banner style at the
bottom and top of the top of
the magazine. The masthead
is huge and easily noticeable
by everyone , it clearly states
the type of the magazine it is.
Typography and Language- The
language is very modern and
contemporary as it is targeting the
gaming audience, an audience that is
new compared to sports and fashion so
its audience is more modernized. The
masthead has a unique joint font that
show the company is entertaining and
modern as this is a very fun font that
intrigues the target audience

4. Color- The color scheme consists
of bright colors that attract the
audience; white, red and yellow.
Red is used for the masthead as it
a very powerful and noticeable
color that attracts the eye of the
audience. Yellow is also used for
its brightness which makes it easy
to read. Bothe of these colors
need to be able to stand out with
the dark black and blue
background picture. White is very
easy read on and contrasts darker
backgrounds such as this one. Its
neutrality and simplicity also
compliment the red as its outline
and the yellow cover lines.
Layout- The layout is centered around
the background image as the are cover
lines , anchorage text and the shape are
all around the image. The main
characters head is even placed in front
of the masthead to show his
significance. There is a star wars clip art
with text related to it on the right side
and a huge cover line that address what
the background image is about. There is
a banner on top that shows us there is a
prize pool which may encourage non-
regular customers to buy this issue to
win. There is also a photo in the left
corner with its own cover line showing it
that it is also important I this issue and
that it might attract consumers that are
not into the star wars type games genre.
Mise –en-scene –the issue is centered around
the main character , who is shown in a
powerful costume and obviously powerful as
he has a sword in his hand and a subordinate
bowing to him. He is also shown at a low
angle to increase his significance in this
issue. Behind him we get to see a glimpse of
stars , this gives the hint that the game will
contain many different locations and maps
and will interest the gamers who like
adventuring around different worlds and
regions. The lighting is also behind him to
increase his figure and presence in the front
cover.
Typography and Language- the language used is very modern
and contemporary as it uses modern phrases and addresses
gamers, specifically younger gamers ages 16-25. the
typography uses caps lock often to show the significance of
the cover lines. There are also full stops, exclamation marks
used to make the language more exiting and impactful. The
masthead is a sans-serif with atilt on the right side to balance
seriousness an playfulness. There is also a white outline
around the masthead to make it stand out more and to
accentuate its importance. The main cover line is written in a
large yellow font so it would immediately grab the readers
attention and inform them about the main story of this issue.

5. Front Cover ComparisonColor scheme- The color
scheme is similar for
both of the front covers,
as they both use a black
background and then
bright and easily visible
colors to show that their
target audience is more
mature and that they
also write about games
containing violent
content and dark
themes. The first front
cover uses red and white
colors for the cover lines
as they both provide a
good contrast to black
and are visually
appealing. The front
cover on the right uses a
yellow color as it is
standing out more and is
more eye-catching
Masthead- The masthead
in the first front cover is
in a huge font making it
easily visible and
capturing the attention of
the reader right away. Its
white color contrasting
with the black
background. It is right
above the image to
promote the gaming
magazine. The number is
above the letters and in a
different font to make it
more different and
exciting. It is left aligned
with the console it is
named after next to it, to
clearly express about what
type of console games
will be written inside of it.
The second front cover is
also left aligned, however
it is not so much in the
focus as in the first one.
The font is consistent,
showing that they are
serious and have class. It
is split into two parts
which make it stand out
more as well as prevent it
from being overlooked.
Images- The Images of both front covers are fairly similar as
they both the main focus of them. Both of them are
dangerous men with guns to show that the magazine is
intended for a more mature audience. Both images try to
have the main character of the game franchise in a badass
look to attract consumer that enjoy the action and shooting
genre, and more violent and mature content the differences
are that in the second front cover, the PC Gamer, the guy
gets more space around him however the guy I the first one
is surrounded by more cover lines. The guy on the left is a
professional hit man as he is wearing a full suit, the guy on
the right seems to be more free as if he works for a gang as
he is dressed in an informal manner and is smoking.
Layout- The layout of the magazines is
similar in the fashion that both of the
mastheads are on top of the page, with
banners above then and additional
information on their right side. However
the position of the cover lines are
different, in the first one they are wrapped
around the man, but in the second front
cover the are on the leftmost side to give
him more freedom and importance.

6. Front Cover Design Tips
• An attractive and intriguing front cover page should make potential consumer purchase the magazine. A
good front cover is the main sales figure driver for the magazine.
• In order for the potential consumers to be engaged with the front cover and buy it, the front cover model
should look straight into the camera as eye contact is very important.
• Exaggeration and experimentation is allowed however its important to stick to a certain style and concept.
• Headline needs to be eye-catching so the consumer would be drawn in at first sight. The headline needs to
pop out in size as choosing a larger font makes it more visible and easier to read, color, as a strong and striking
color such as red makes it noticeable and attitude, where a recognizable font ad design must be chosen but
kept readable.
• The cover page needs to have a main focus point to captivate the potential consumers, which is usually the
model in the image but it could also be the headline.
• It is preferable to divide the cover into three section, one big with main cover line, a smaller one with several
smaller cover lines and another small one with even more cover lines.
• You can use any color as long as it looks good but people tend to avoid certain colors such as green and orange
as they are difficult to blend and mix. The most popular color used are red, black and white as they are easy to
put into most backgrounds and are eye-catching as they can easily work with most colors.
• In order to prevent confusion a different main color should be used than the previous issue so the consumer
wouldn’t think they had already bought it.
• The bigger cover line should use colors to attract the audience. Smaller color lines should usually go with
black text or white text if the background is black.
• Photography is preferred over illustrations on the front cover as it tends to sell better.
• The masthead can be moved around the cover if it achieves a greater effect. It can be moved to a lower
position to include a cover line over it.
• It also depends on how the country sells its magazines in order to choose location of the masthead to make it
visible according to the placement location.

7. Cover Line Design Tips
•Simple wordplay that the reader can immediately understand is encouraged, you should not use
hard wordplay that will confuse them.
•Question cover lines must contain answers, unless they were rhetorical questions.
•The biggest cover line does not necessarily have too be the biggest feature in the magazine issue.
•The biggest cover line should target your largest audience and what they like the most. Examples
are for women it can be about dating, love and shopping and for men it can be about cars, weapons
and sex.
•Sex should not be overused as it can have the opposite effect and deter customer from buying the
magazine.
•Using numbers and contemporary language also attracts many readers. Numbers are often a great
selling point.
•You can repeat your old cover lines from time to time.
•Readers love lists so you can sometimes replace a cover line with one.
•Use descriptive words to spark the readers curiosity about the article.
•You should avoid the same color and font for every cover line to prevent monotony.
•They should disrupt the main image but should be visible around it.
•There must be a main cover line that should stand out from the rest by using a different font or font
size.

8. Color Scheme- the color
scheme consists of a light grey
background and black graphical
features with bright colored
outlines. The gray color is cool
and balanced, well fit for a more
mature audience of gamers the
grey is made light so everything
else is easily visible and it
because it creates a nice
composition of colors with
black and blue. black is used as
it is a strong color and it is
visible without being too
invading. It is outlines with
orange read and blue too make
it more eye-catching and too
compliment the sci-fi style
graphical features.
Mise-en-scene and Layout – the
content page is organized so that the
most important games featured this
month have their own unique game
titles with different colors and fonts as
well as a small image that show the
setting and main characters of the
game, a preview to raise audience
expectation. The images are not
symmetrically arranged so they
wouldn’t seem bland. the contents title
is right aligned so it is visible but not in
focus. The graphical elements with the
outlines give the contents a modern
and sci-fi feel of the magazine which
may attract many types of gamers there
are two paragraph style content tables
arranged for less important games and
features which may not be recognized
or approved by broader audiences.
There is a banner with the release date
and magazine name however there is
no graphical feature on the date so it
wouldn’t distract the audience from the
main focus of the content page, the
centre games and images. The
graphical designs are also used on the
heading for the other articles but not
for the less important articles
themselves.
Typography and language-for the masthead and other subheadings a serif
font that matches the graphical designs is used as it is eye-catching and
modern. The language that addresses the audience is very contemporary
and appealing as it consists of a rhetorical question, a list, and a match-up.
The font for the main games is unique as one the very product to increase
the effect of the images, however the font for the other sub articles is flashy
and appealing.

9. Color scheme- the color scheme
is amateurish as it relies to
heavily on one dominant color,
red, to signify the importance of
the subheadings and the page
numbers. There are too many
neutral colors used, the white
and gray, which seem to make
the content page feel more
empty as there is are no exiting
and eye-catching colors that
attract the readers. However
the black and red outline for the
masthead make it more
appealing . There is an overall
lack of contrasts and color
composition so the content page
seems to focus on information
over attraction.
Mise-en-scene and Layout- the mise-
en-scene for this content page seems to
be the heading design and the content
table. The heading design consists of a
the masthead which is large and eye-
catching. There is also the icon of
sonic, an iconic old school video game
character which may seem to appeal to
children because of his cartoon style
looks or to old-school gamers who
played sonic during their childhood.
There is also the contact information,
how they can be found on their website
and popular social media to keep a
good public relations. The subheadings
attract attention and are appealing,
and there are images to follow the
subheadings to get the readers
expectation higher. The images are not
in main focus they just relate to the
more important articles of the month.
The preview are too long, which makes
them have a smaller font and makes
them harder to read. There is a grey
background to make the some of the
other articles stand out more because
of the white background.
Typography and Language- the language and mode of address is directed
towards the teenage audience. The masthead serif font is used to show that
they are casual, with its graphical additions and the bright red outline. The
subheading fonts are done in the same way. The contact info is done in
another sans-serif font, however in trying to be appealing and different the
font is not easily readable to the audience because of its small font and
design. The descriptions are informative and formal so the magazine might
be directed towards a more suitable audience. The font used for the other
titles is a serif without an graphical additions so it is clear and easy to read.

10. Content Page Comparison
Color Scheme- The colors
used in Nintendo power are
strong so that are easily
visible and to contrast the
neutral white background. A
variation of colors are used
such as red, blue and green
to clearly separate the
sections. For the lower part
of the magazine a mixture of
blue and black is used as the
colors work well together to
keep the text readable and
interesting. In the second
content page the color
scheme is mostly yellow as it
is an eye-catching color so all
the attention would be
directed towards the images.
The black texts contrasts
nicely with its yellow
background and makes the
text visible.
Masthead- The masthead in
the first content page is made
to be exiting and flashy as it is
in a bright yellow color and
blue background and
surrounded by graphical
features on both sides and
within the name itself and
placed in the center of the top.
In the second content page the
masthead is not meant to be
he center of the readers
attention so it placed in the
right corner .It is white with a
black outline around the
letters and background. This
contrast doesn’t attract too
much attention and is visually
pleasant.
Layout- The layout in the first content page is very conventional as it is
divided into three parts. The first being the masthead alone at the top
of the page. The second is the featured contents which are made to be
very visible with different colors and large font, and pictures on the left
side to make it more exciting. The third is the less important articles
are in a within borders, with a small font a picture of a gamer boy to
still attract some attention. For the second content page the layout is
the images being the main focus and dominating on the left side. The
images are lined in a neat order on top of each other, with the center
containing many to show variety in games they publish. The right side
contains the content and the essential articles within the magazine, to
keep people from neglecting them they have a 3D model of an iconic
gaming character.
Images-The images in the first content page are not the
main focus but are rather complementary to the content.
They are small pictures containing the game play to attract
consumer as it shows of the in game design for what it is.
The second content page stresses the images importance
much more as they are covering the majority of the page.
There are game play as well as a game model image, they
also show the images of the new consoles at the top to get
the consumer interested.

11. Content Page Design Tips
• Content is regards to design needs to correspond to magazine front cover and included
articles.
• The design of the content page need to be eye-catching and functional.
• Table of contents must be arranged in such a way so its easy to navigate and understand.
Therefore text, image and page number need to be uniformed to fulfill design criteria.
• Essential element in content page design is use of color. For text or background which will
make page interesting and engaging.
• Carefully selected images add interest to the page and they can be used as a quick content
preview.
• Choice of fonts and size is essential to highlight brief summary of the article included in the
magazine.
• In order to break monotony and to achieve layout balance of the content page a combination
of font, color and images must be mixed in a complimentary scheme.
• Graphics and text are not supposed to compete for attention but should work together to
create a visually appealing and easy to read layout.
• Images used can be defined into a box and can be in different sizes in order to create a pleasing
collage effect.
• Primary objective in content page design is to communicate information clearly and effectively
to the reader.
• The easiest way to ensure the content page has balance is to use a grid system.
• Grid system gives sense of order and provides a clear structural reference to the content page.
• It is essential to use a headline or quotes from the article.
• Use of hierarchy will give sense or order and structure.

12. Text- The text in this double spread article is
minimal and separated so enough
information is given to the audience since it
is a review without taking away too much
focus from the images. The language used
is modern ,contemporary and light and
addresses the gaming audience as it talks
about the games features and controls. The
text itself is informative about the game and
refrains from personal opinions but keep to
the features of the game.
Images- The main focus of this article is the main images as well as
the side images. The main image is that of the main characters
exploring tombs which already give the audience an impression that
this is and adventure type game. It also shows the familiar faces of
many of Disney's characters that the older and younger generation of
gamers can identify with. Behind them we can see a dark figure
which is presumably the antagonist of this game our the players main
opponent. On top of that it seems the game is focused towards the
younger audience instead of the mature audience. The side images
give the readers a preview of what the game play and levels look like,
which excites and incites the reader to buy the game. The other
image that is right aligned and part of the background makes the
game also seem more interesting due the fantasy elements such as
dragons.
Layout- the layout is images focused here as
the articles have been moved out of the
centre to the left and right. They have also
been split so that they don’t take u to much
of a certain space and to prevent the
grouping of all the images together which
would make it seem like a boring album
rather than a review. One part of the text
has its own background color and letter
color to stand out as the text may be
important to the reader. The color scheme is
a orange color which resembles cartoon-like
caves and a blue to make certain areas stand
out. There is no large masthead to take away
focus but two smaller banner on the top of
each pages. The main image is in the center
as it is the focus of this article, the side
images are sorted around it to relate to it
and make it stand out more compared to
them.

13. Headline and Text- The headline in this double article is in a large sans-
serif font. It is large to capture the readers attention and informal to relate
more to the audience, the gamers. It is also slanted to the right to be
exciting to the reader and to fit in better with the background. The colors
chosen are silver and white as they are eye-catching with this orange
background as the text in that color is supposed to represent a new era and
change in the gaming industry. Under it in a smaller font in green is the
subheading. It is in green as it represents the life of a new way of gaming,
Mac gaming which this magazine predicts will have an impact on the
current PC and console dominated industry. The text seems to have a very
plain sans-serif font that is intentionally not eye-catching as the main focus
is the background image. It is small so it would not take up much space and
its simplicity makes it easy to read.
Layout and Background- The layout is
in this article seems to be stressing the
focus on images rather than the text.
The whole left page is covered in an
image and so is part of the right with the
man, a gamer as we can see the joystick
in his hand is looking at the new age of
gaming on the left. The text is put in
between them however other than the
headline it does not seem to draw
attention, it is also not meant to take up
much space so the image would fit that’s
why its compact in two columns rather
than one. The gaming utopia on the left
has classic gaming icons such as sonic
the hedgehog, super Mario, and donkey
Kong as well as many gaming references
however they seem to be modernized as
they look different from there original
models. This could represent how they
new gaming era of Mac would change
the iconic characters and the gaming
industry as a whole. The rapid progress
can also be interpreted through the
skyscrapers and funky buildings which
give it a very futuristic feel. The gamer
on the left seems ready to enter this
“brave new world” of gaming , which
encourages many other gamers to take
the leap as well.

14. Double Spread Article Comparison
Color scheme- The color scheme
for the first double spread article is
very lively and vibrant as it uses
different shades of purple giving it
and old style retro gaming fell
which does appeal to people who
have been gaming on the older
consoles and prefer that style. The
second double spread has a much
more serious color scheme
containing different shades of grey
as the background and a red
masthead, which give it a very dark
and mature theme, making it
appeal to those who prefer mature
games making them the intended
audience for this article.
Images-There is no main image in
both of these double spread articles,
both contain a series of smaller images
that contain insight into what the
game offers. In the top one there is a
picture of a ship model to excite the
players, other than that there are
smaller images containing the gaming
content , powers and moves on the
left. On the right there is a collection
of images that show the bosses and
game play. The bottom double spread
also has a similar style, with images
containing game content, with an
additional picture of the review which
is included so the readers feel more
personal with the article and
magazine.
Masthead- The masthead in the first
double spread has an unusual font and
is filled with a yellow, red and black
mixture of colors making it really cool
and appealing to the reader, however
because of the background color it
isn't very easy to read. The second
masthead is in a large visible font. It is
eye-catching because of the red color
is very striking against the grey and
white background. It contains aim
marks in between the Os to make a
reference to the game and the shooter
genre.
Layout- The layout in the first one is
a simple collage style one as there is
a mixture of the blocks of text and
the images. On the left side the
whole bottom part is images again
making it very image heavy article,
the bottom shows how the level
look. On the other hand in the
second double spread the images are
mostly right aligned with two being
incorporated within the text to not
make it very hard to read in one go,
the masthead in in the top left
corner and it has columns of text.

15. Double Spread Article Design Tips
• Magazine double spread consist of two pages next to each other.
• In regards to design these two pages are considered as one unit.
• As magazines are smaller to other print publications therefore magazine double spreads can
be viewed at normal viewing distance.
• The most visible area is the outer part of the right page as it is more exposed to readers eye.
• The best content of the article needs to be placed on the outside parts of the spread in this
area most provocative images and words are placed. Most valuable areas of double page
spread are top left and top right parts.
• Bottom part of the spread in the corner and near the gutter are less important. Designers
usually place footnotes and some credits in those parts of the spread.
• Most readers focus on the top part of the spread article as the readers eye will stop when they
skim though pages. Therefore this is most natural design and convention starting point.
• Image and the headline are most important eye stoppers. The layout of the text must follow
natural way of reading the story. In regards to the story everything need to flow from
meaningful top left and then continue to the bottom to create a perfect harmony.
• Order of design should be followed by headline, intro copy, then the main copy.
• Big blocks of text should not be broken up as the flow of the text columns needs to be tidy
and even.
• The design should be simplified by aligning the columns at the top and placing images above
them, the point is to make the layout engaging and easily read.
• Left pages are usually used for editorial content however this is not a strict rule.

16. Codes And Conventions Used To Make A
Magazine(Terminology)
Masthead- It is the title of the magazine, usually presented in a very unique and recognizable font and a large font
size. It is supposed to attract the readers and be eye-catching.
Headline- Is the title of the article it represents. It is large and easy to read so the readers know what they are
looking at and what the article contains.
Selling line/strapline-Is the introduction headline placed below the masthead to promote the magazine.
Contents- A page that describes what articles can be found within the magazine and on what page.
Pugs- Are the price, logo and freebies of the magazine that are positioned at the top so they can be easily seen.
Splash/Lead Story- Main article of the front cover that is usually accompanied by an image and headline.
Secondary Lead/Sub-Stories- Are short previews of other important and intriguing articles within the
magazine.
Side-bar- A box next to the main feature of the magazine.
Strand first- Is a sentence under the headline that attracts the consumers by giving them insight into the article.
Tag/Lure- Engaging words that bring out the readers curiosity and attract them to buy the magazine.
Pull quote- A quote from the article that gives some insight to the readers.
Box-out- A colored box behind the masthead to make it stand out more or become more visually pleasing.
By-line/Credits- Name of the reporter of photographer that contributed to the article.
Caption- Text that explains the image next to it.
Crosshead- A sub-heading that foreshadows what the next paragraph is going to talk about.
Typography- The type of fonts used, serif or sans-serif.
Main Image-A photograph or picture that is the main focus of the issue.
Barcode/Issue Number/Dateline and Price- Are information that need to be on the front cover however they
are usually in presented in a small font as they are not a selling point of a magazine.
Top and Bottom Strip- are strips above and below the masthead that give additional information about what can
be found in the magazine.

17. Research Summary
After completing my research into existing gaming magazines, critically analyzing the front covers, content
pages and double spread articles, I have learned the importance and value of them and the codes and
conventions they use to the sales of the magazine.
The front cover carries a huge role of the magazine sales as it must be eye-catching and visually appealing to
the consumers in order to be seen and bought by them. A good front cover can attract a huge consumer base
as it excites the readers to see what the rest of the magazine contains.
The content pages are vital as well, although they are not as visually impressive as front cover they give the
audience insight and guidance into what can be found within the magazine.
The double spread article is what captivates the consumer s to keep buying the magazine issues, as good
articles can be more appealing than a good front cover.
The masthead is supposed to attract the consumer as it is usually at the top of the front cover with a large
font size and unique and recognizable font. They are supposed to be eye-catching and easy to read.
The main image of the front cover is usually the main selling point of the magazine, as it is relevant to the
contents of the magazine and is always seen before the text itself thus it must be carefully selected and
attractive.
Fonts and font sizes are chosen specifically to have a certain effect on the consumers as they emphasize the
most important selling point of the magazine.
Barcodes, price tags and datelines are placed in less important parts of the magazine as they are not the
selling points but rather only informative parts of it.
Cover lines are positioned around the main image or other images in order to sell them and the magazine.
The color scheme is very important as it must represent the attitude and style of the magazine. The colors
must coordinate and contrast to make the magazine desirable to the consumers.

18. Research Into Existing Gaming
Magazines And Publishing Companies

19. Introduction
My Media Studies Foundation Portfolio main task will be researching the existing gaming magazines and
publishing companies . Main purpose of this task is to become familiar with publishing industry
acceptable norms and design conventions. In order to produce publication that is aimed at specific target
audience the main purpose of this research is to find out relevant information that covers business side of
print and publishing industry. Looking closely into publishing companies structure and what publications
they are producing I will critically analyze their publishing strategies in regards to demographics and what
other publication or mediums they are producing in order to achieve cross-media convergence.
Through this research I will be able to have a clear understanding of how corporate publishing industry
functions and who are leading publisher of video game industry. With close critical analysis of the
products as well as promotional strategies they are using I will be in a position to design and make a print
product which follows design norms and conventions and complies with publishing rules and restrictions.
The reason I have chosen to research gaming magazines is due to the fact that video games have become
ingrained in our culture. Driven by some of the most innovative minds in the tech sector, the industry’s
unprecedented leaps in software and hardware engages and inspires the diverse global audience. The
artists and creators continue to push the entertainment industry, to ensure that the gaming industry will
maintain its upward trajectory for years to come.

20. PC Gamer Research
• Pc gamer was founded in 1993 in Britain and had expanded
into the US market in 1994. The UK and the US editions are
the most sold and globally recognized ones, however they
do sell in many other regions as well.
• The publisher is PC Gamer UK however the company who
owns the magazine is Future plc.
• The magazine seems to aim at a more mature audience. It
writes previews and reviews about all the new games that
come out as well as articles about older popular games.
There are also articles about gaming hardware and features
such as mods.
• It comes out once a month with the exception of December
where two issues are released.
• The publishing company has also created a blog and
podcasts about gaming.
• It is a magazine that targets gamers, the teenagers and
young adults ages 16-25.
• First issue was released on the 11th November 1993.

21. Future plc.
 Future plc. Publishes PC gamer alongside other gaming magazines such as Gamer Master
and PlayStation gaming magazine.
 They also sell music and film based magazines that are well known, examples are Total
Film, Guitarist and Music Radar.
 It was founded 30 years ago I 1985 by Chris Anderson.
 It publishes more than 30 magazines in fields such as video games, technology, films,
photography, and sport.
 It was ranked as the sixth-largest media corporation in the United Kingdom in 2006.
 Owns gaming websites GamesRadar and MaximumPC.
 Had economic problems and a huge decline in profits in 2009 by 61%, they had blamed it
on the sales of their US editions.
 The current executive chair officer is Zillah Byng-Maddick and the Chairman is Peter
Allen.

22. Future plc. Publications Magazines

23. Targeting The Audience
 Pc Gamers target audience is the teenage and young adult gamers as they
review modern games that contain violence. They do not target a specific
type of teenager/young adults as they review all sorts of gaming genres.
 They also appeal to the gamers who play online games on top of the newer
ones by adding interesting articles about them.
 There is also a hardware section for those who are interested in improving
their PC or are interesting in hardware as well as software, this gets more
people to buy their magazine instead of another hardware magazine.
 They target this generation of gamers as they have adapted to the current
times by creating their own gaming blog to inform potential consumers
about what their issue will contain.
 PC gamer is also interactive with its audience through social media such a
Facebook, twitter and steam.

24. PC Gamer Readers
Age This front cover is meant to attract readers
from the ages of 18-25.
Gender The Cover is not specifically gender aimed as
it targets both gamers and star wars fans,
however it is more appealing to male
gamers.
Main Image The woman and beast are a part of the star wars
universe, which appeals to millions of star wars
enthusiasts, as the universe is already globally
popular due its movie franchise. They are shown
armed and in action which will interest the
audience into what the game contains.
Interest The target market for this would be people who
regularly play video games and want to read
reviews about current releases as well as
previews on games that will come out. There are
also sections for people who want to read about
the latest gaming hardware and innovations.
Color Scheme The color scheme is white, red, blue. These
colors coordinate well to create and eye-
catching and attractive front cover.
Language The language is contemporary within the
gaming community, showing it has
interesting and modern articles.

25. Cross-Media Convergence
•Photography week(mobile device
application)
•Photography Show(event)
•TechRadar.com
•T3.com
•Gizmodo.co.uk
•Lifehacker.co.uk
•Musicradar.com
Music and Film Magazines:
•Total film
•Guitarist
•Total Guitar
•Rhythm
•Edge
•Sfx

26. GamePro Research
•GamerPro was an American gaming magazine
multiplatform video game magazine media company that
published both online and print content, covering the
gaming industry, hardware and software. It was sold in the
US as well as worldwide
•The first magazine issue was released April 1989 and the
last in Winter 2011.
•The first website issue was released in 1998 and the last in
2011.
•Published by GamePro owner is International Data Group.
•The magazine is aimed at the entire gaming community as
it covers articles about software, hardware and the gaming
industry itself.
•They write articles about games on other consoles such as
Nintendo, Sony Play station, Xbox 360.
•The issues are released monthly.
•The vice president is Julian Rignall.
•They owned a website that contains reviews, forums and
blogs.

27. International Data Group
•International Data Group is an American technology, media, research, event management,
and venture capital organization.
•It has evolved from International Data Corporation which was formed in 1964 in
Newtonville, Massachusetts, by Patrick Joseph McGovern, and Fred Kirch.
•IDG is an international parent company located in Boston with several publications such as
Channel world, PC world, PC advisor, Computerworld, Macworld, CIO,CSO, Network world
and GamePro that are produced on a national level.
•Magazines owned and published are modern technology based either on new technology or
entertainment such as gaming.
•The current owner is Patrick Joseph McGovern.
•The official website is www.idg.com
•IDG's subsidiary IDG World Expo produces large-scale events, such as conventions that are
typically for technology businesses.
•IDG owns other websites and ventures, they do not only publish magazines.

28. International Data Group Publications Magazines

29. Targeting The Audience
• GamePro is targeting all the types of gamers, more specifically the teenagers and
young adults as they review mature games alongside family friendly games.
• They target both gaming software and hardware enthusiasts, and contain articles
about the gaming industry as well as for people who are interested in the gaming
community.
• They had also appealed to the gamers who preferred role-playing games as they
had a section called ‘Role-Players Realm’.
• Gamers could have also read online as they had their own Gamepro website that
contained the monthly issues articles, as well as discussion forums where they
could interact with other gamers and readers of the magazine.
• They also had a clear and simple rating system from 1-5 stars that appeals to gamers
because of its simplicity and straightforwardness.
• They also had social media through which their consumer and target audience
could follow them through Facebook, twitter and steam.
• In 2006 they released a series of video game shows that were meant to attract the
more mature audience.

30. GamePro Readers
Age This front cover is meant to attract readers
from the ages of 15-19.
Gender The magazine is aimed towards teen and late
teen males as it shows a strong superhero
that is popular amongst boys.
Main Image The character in the main image is Judge
Dredd, a comic book and film hero that
represents justice. This game adaptation
appeals to the comic book and movie fans as
well as teen males who like strong heroes.
Interest The magazine readers are able to read about
a variety of gaming reviews and previews
that were modern when it was released.
There are also articles about old school
gaming consoles that used to be popular.
There is also an article for people who are
interested in gaming conventions.
Color scheme The color scheme is red, yellow, black, white
and blue. Using a wide variety of different
colors the front cover is made to be eye-
catching and visually pleasing.
Language The language used is striking and engaging
to capture the potential consumers
attention.

31. Cross-Media Convergence
• TechWorld.com
• Itworld.com
• JavaWorld.com
• InfoWorld.com
• IDC
• IDG ventures
• DEMO conference
• Macworld/iWorld
• OpenSource World
Other magazine they publish:
• PC World
• Network World
• Macworld
• PC Advisor
• CIO
• CSO
• Computerworld

32. Research Summary
After I have researched the two publications companies. Future Plc. And International Data
Group(IDG), I have concluded that they have many similarities and differences in the way they
operate their companies. Bothe of them were founded in the US with Future Plc. Being the
younger one as it was founded in 1985 and IDG in 1964. They are both well-known within the
gaming industry and community and also release many popular publications.
However the variety of their publications differs, on one hand we have International Data Group
who only targets a certain consumer audience, the people who love games and technology, as all
of their publications are technology based or related making them very specific however lacking
in diversity. On the other hand we have Future Plc. Which targets a much wider consumer base
as they also produce music, movie and technology publications on top of their gaming ones,
they have a wide diversity in publications which creates a large potential consumer base.
Their gaming Publications also differ in style as Future Plc. magazine ,PC Gamer, is oriented
towards teens as it contains mostly reviews popular and trending games amongst the teen and
late teens. IDGs magazine , GamePro, focuses more on the old style games as it is an older
magazine and it appeals to an older gaming audience. Another difference is that PC Gamer was
only released in print issue however GamePro was released in both print and website issues.
They own similar media as they both focus on websites as their cross media convergence with
some other ventures as well.
Although they may seem similar, the two large corporation differ in the ways such as targeting
the consumer bases and which ones they specifically target.