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PC Gamer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| PC Gamer (UK) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Editor | Ross Atherton |
| Categories | Games magazine |
| Frequency | Every four weeks |
| Circulation | 41,599 (Jan - Jun 2007) [1] |
| First issue | December 1993 [2] |
| Company | Future Publishing |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.pcgamer.co.uk |
| PC Gamer (US) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Editor in Chief | Kristen Salvatore |
| Categories | Games magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Circulation | ? |
| First issue | December 1994 [2] |
| Company | Future US |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.pcgamer.com |
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling video games magazines in their respective countries.[2][3] The magazine features news on developments in the video game industry, previews of new games, and reviews of the latest popular PC games, along with other features relating to hardware, mods, "classic" games and various other topics.
Contents |
PC Gamer reviews are written by the magazine's editors and freelance writers, and rate games on a percent scale. In the US edition, no game has yet received a rating higher than 98% (Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Half-Life 2, and Crysis), while the UK edition has never awarded more than 96% (Civilization II, Half-Life, Half-Life 2 and Quake II).
In the UK edition, the lowest numerical score was 2%, awarded to Big Brother 1. The sequel, Big Brother 2, was given an even lower score of N/A%, the review explaining they "put as much effort into reviewing it as they did in making the game". In the US edition, the lowest score awarded was 4%, given to Mad Dog McCree, unseating the previously lowest-rated game, Skydive!, given 5%.
There are two main editions of PC Gamer: a British version and an American version, both are published by Future Publishing. Founded in the United Kingdom in November 1993, the American sister version was launched a year later in December 1994.[2]
There are also numerous local editions that mainly use the materials of one of the two editions, typically the British one, including a Malaysian and Russian edition. The Swedish edition, though rooted in its UK counterpart, has grown to be more independent, largely due to the immense popularity of PC games compared to console games in Sweden, and now produces most of its own material. An Australian edition was published monthly by Perth-based Conspiracy Publishing since August 1998, but it appears to have been discontinued in mid-late 2004.
Both American and British magazines are published thirteen times per year (twice in December),[2] although there are sometimes variations.
| Editors[4][5] | |
|---|---|
| Matt Bielby | 1993-1994 |
| Gary Whitta | 1994-1995 |
| Jonathan Davies | 1995-1996 |
| Jim Flynn | 1996-1999 |
| James Ashton | 1999-2000 |
| Matt Pierce | 2000-2003 |
| Mark Donald | 2003-2006 |
| Ross Atherton | 2006-present |
The British edition of PC Gamer has been in constant monthly publication since 1993. Subscribers get a special edition of the magazine with no cover lines[clarify] (only the masthead, BBFC rating and barcode).
Almost exclusively devoted to PC games, the magazine has a reputation for giving in-depth reviews.[6]
The magazine originally shipped with an accompanying 3.5 inch floppy disk. A CD demo disc (labelled CD Gamer) was released alongside the floppy disk edition from issue 11 onwards with the first CD Gamer containing all the content from the previous 10 issues' floppy disks. The single CD was later expanded to two CDs.
An edition with a 9 GB DVD known as DVD Gamer ran alongside the 2CD edition for a couple of years, until production of the CD Gamer edition ceased as of issue 162. The UK Edition now only comes with a single double-sided DVD.
The UK edition also contains a small section in Extra Life about the latest mods and free-ware games in the community.
The PC Gamer blog was started to coincide with the transfer of the PC Gamer UK site to become part of the Computer And Video Games network which incorporates all of Future Publishing's gaming magazines. The move brought some controversy, with many long standing members of the forum leaving for other forums due to the forum's cramped spacing and lack of user avatars. The introduction of a blog was seen as one of the redeeming features of the switch. The blog has since been regularly updated with contributions from many of the magazine's staff. The topics discussed range from the controversy over violent video games, to the benefits of buying a PC over a console.
The PC Gamer UK podcast was started on the 4 May 2007. It is hosted by Ross Atherton with regulars Tim Edwards and Tom Francis contributing. There is a fourth spot filled by one of John Walker, Kieron Gillen, Craig Pearson, Quentin Smith, Jon Hicks or Jim Rossignol. It is normally released a week before the release of the magazine each month, and can usually be found on the magazine's DVD in the "resources" section. The podcast starts with the PC game charts and goes on to discuss features in the current issue and gaming news. There is a running joke revolving around word play of the The Sims 2: Seasons, which was consistently in the charts, with questions being posed such as: "What is your favourite season?", or "What is your favourite seasoning?". However, as the Sims 2: Seasons has now moved out of the charts, the joke has stopped, but Tim asked (as a joke) 'What's your favourite Bon-bon?' to coincide with the The Sims 2: Bon Voyage being released and taking the number one spot in the Charts for two months running. To create a new running joke, he has now asked similar style questions to the Sims 2 Season questions, like 'What's your favourite Star Trek: Voyager character?'
| Editors in Chief[7] | |
|---|---|
| Matt Firme | 1994-1996 |
| Dan Bennett | 1996 |
| Gary Whitta | 1996-2000 |
| Rob Smith | 2000-2004 |
| Dan Morris | 2004-2005 |
| Greg Vederman | 2005-2007 |
| Kristen Salvatore | 2007-present |
The American edition of PC Gamer launched in 1994.
In 1999, Future publishing, then known as Imagine media, purchased rival magazine PC Games and merged its staff into the magazine.[8]
According to a 2005 study, subscribers to the magazine are overwhelmingly male (97%), and make up over two thirds of the magazine's readership.[3]
Similarly to the British edition, the magazine ships with a demo disk, though diskless versions are available. The CDs are replaced by DVDs in the American edition on a month-to-month basis.
When PC games with full motion video (FMV) sequences were popular in the mid-to-late 1990s, PC Gamer's CD-ROM included elaborate FMV sequences featuring one of their editors. To access the features of the CD, including the demos, patches and reviews, the user had to navigate a 'basement', which played very much like classic PC games such as Myst. It was in this game sequence that the magazine's mascot, Coconut Monkey, was introduced just as the editor was leaving the magazine, marking the transition from the FMV demo CDs to the more contemporary menu driven demo CDs that they use today.
Coconut Monkey is the mascot for the US edition. He was created by founding editor Matt Firme, and modeled after a Bermudan tourist trinket. Coconut Monkey appears in the pages of the magazine, and has occasionally provided commentary on demo discs included with the magazine. The Coconut Monkey appears in a number of game mods.
The Coconut Monkey is often used to parody vaporware by advertising the unreleased game Gravy Trader, which has been given a 101% score on some of the review disks.
Beginning in February 2006, after Greg Vederman was named editor-in-chief, the US edition of the magazine has taken a stance against gold farming; specifically, advertisement in the magazine from any such company became prohibited. Vederman and other members of the PC Gamer staff, as well as a major proportion of readers, consider such practices unethical, and have lauded the move.[9] This received mild attention in the world of gaming journalism, and other publications followed in their footsteps. For example, Sony Online Entertainment, publisher of many popular MMORPGs, took out a full page advertisement in PC Gamer, containing a letter thanking Vederman.
The PC Gamer US podcast was started in August 2005, and is hosted variously by attendance, and produced by Jeremy Williams. Regular contributors include Chuck Osborn, Logan Decker, Norman Chan, Dan "DJ" Stapleton, Gary Whitta, and Kristen Salvatore. Dan Morris and Greg Vederman used to both be frequent members of the podcast, however both have left PC Gamer and no longer appear. It is generally released weekly on Thursdays, but is subject to change when the group is too busy or forgets. The podcast celebrated its 100th episode on September 20, 2007, and was hosted by Dan Morris, who had not appeared since he left the position of EIC of PC Gamer in 2006.
A video podcast is also produced and features game developers discussing their newly or soon to be released games, as well as other notable figures in the gaming world. It is produced on a semi regular basis.
Notable guests that have appeared on the podcasts are: Richard Garriot, the Frag Dolls, Chris Sigaty, Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, and Chris Taylor.
To date, two episodes have included a gaming-themed quiz show. Introduced in episode 81 by Logan Decker, the segment is named Catfantastic after the book series of the same name.
- ^ http://www.future-advertising.co.uk/ads/audiencefigures/figures.jsp?ref=3&brand=28
- ^ a b c d e PC Gamer. Future Publishing. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
- ^ a b PC Gamer Press Kit (PDF). Future Publishing (12 February 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
- ^ Donald, Mark (December 2003), "A Word from the Ed", PC Gamer UK: 7
- ^ Donald, Mark & Atherton, Ross (October 2006), "All Change", PC Gamer UK: 5
- ^ Armstrong, Rebecca (2005-07-11). Fingers on the buttons. The Independent. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
- ^ Dan Morris. PCGP Episode 100: ‘Nuff Said PC Gamer Podcast Podcast accessed on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Fost, Dan (1999-05-20). Gaming Magazines Dig In for Showdown in S.F.. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-10-18. “Three months ago, Imagine bought IDG's PC Games and folded it into PC Gamer”
- ^ Vederman, Greg. "Why PC Gamer Kicked Out Gold Farmers", Next Generation.
- PC Gamer United States website
- PC Gamer United States Forums
- PC Gamer United States Video Podcast
- PC Gamer United States Podcast
- PC Gamer Future US website
Categories: Articles needing additional references from September 2007 | Articles lacking reliable references from November 2007 | All articles lacking sources | Wikipedia articles needing clarification | Publications established in 1993 | Home computer magazines | Video game magazines | Monthly magazines | British computer magazines | American computer magazines