After 22 years of publication during which the once-monthly magazine dominated the industry in the early 1990s, IDG's GamePro Magazine and Website will close December 5, 2011, an IDG industry spokesman said.
The news is troublesome for gamers and industry followers, as the publication has made drastic changes over the last two years with various new editors working to transition, streamline, and modernize the publication.
However, it isn't altogether surprising from a business standpoint. Other game publications and companies -- namely EGM and magazines at Future Publishing -- have seen ad dollars shrink, due to increased ad revenue forwarded to online publications. Additionally, the cost of paper and retail placement, along with the ongoing recession have been especialy hard on print publications. The shuttering of GamePro follows its transition from a monthly publication to a quarterly publication late this summer, even as the Website has doubled its traffic over the last year.
During the 1990s, GamePro Magazine had a long run as a leading dedicated game publication focused on the dominant video game age group, ages 10-18. As the game industry and its players grew up and the age group mirrored that transition, GamePro's dominance slowly withered away, with magazines such as EGM, Next Generation, and Game Informer, and online publications such as IGN and GameSpot, blossoming.
GamePro has also sent a message to its fans and followers. It reads: "Thank you for your loyalty, support, and participation in the GamePro.com community. At noon on December 5, 2011, the U.S. version of GamePro online will shut down as an independent site. GamePro will become part of PCWorld.com offering gaming news, reviews, and how-tos from the PCWorld team. Thank you to the entire GamePro staff for their hard work and dedication."
There is an abundance of history and skilled people involved with GamePro, and many great stories behind the publication, all of which we can't possibly print here. But in honor of the publication's passing, we're re-posting one of the first GamePro TV show episodes, a video that reflects the language, fashion, and focus of games at the time and the publication at the top of its game.
