In one of the more striking testaments to the changing times, Nintendo Power, the first print gaming magazine to ever appear has officially been abandoned by Nintendo. It was sold off last year to a 3rd party, and now president, Satoru Iwata has given their rationale for making the sale in a recent interview. Apparently, print is no longer considered the optimal medium for reaching gamers and as such, they're switching most of their focus to their website.
This isn't the first instance of a prominent print gaming mag' going through hard times. EGM, another survivor from the early '90s era of magazines, has also shut down its print division in favor of its online counterpart, 1up.com. In an era of instant information and cost-free news, it's getting harder and harder for magazines to get gamers to shell out the $6 per issue that it takes to help keep advertisers interested. A big scoop can end up scanned on the internet the second the issue comes out, and games you try to introduce to readers can be well established in the gaming psyche by the time it goes to print.
Times are tough for a lot of print publications, but especially so for games and technology magazines with their tech-savvy reader-base and a larger focus on straight news and reviews that are easily provided by bloggers and their ilk, whereas fashion magazines and more general interest publications tend to feature more editorials.
Source: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/02/09/nintendo-nintendo-power-no-longer-the-best-way-to-reach-nintendo-fans/
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