Electronic Gaming Monthly shutting down

Electronic Gaming Monthly should be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but instead the Ziff Davis-owned publication is shutting down just shy of the milestone. A source within Ziff Davis has confirmed for GameSpot that the January 2009 edition of the magazine (issue no. 236) will be the...

Electronic Gaming Monthly should be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but instead the Ziff Davis-owned publication is shutting down just shy of the milestone. A source within Ziff Davis has confirmed for GameSpot that the January 2009 edition of the magazine (issue no. 236) will be the final installment of EGM.

The closure comes as a result of a corporate deck shuffling at Ziff Davis. The publishing company announced today the sale of its 1UP network of sites to the Hearst Corporation's UGO Entertainment. 1UP staff overlapped heavily with that of EGM, which was not part of the sale.

UGO touted the acquisition of "tenured editorial personalities" in a 1UP story announcing the deal. Despite that, it appears that many of the site's editorial personalities will not be making the trip to UGO. A second source within Ziff Davis said that roughly 40 people have been laid off, with a total of about two dozen remaining on staff.

Launched in March of 1989, EGM was originally published by Sendai and covered the Sega Master System, Nintendo Entertainment System, and even had reviewers dedicated to Amiga, Atari, and Commodore platforms. When it debuted, the Mega Drive and PC Engine were overseas products of the future, and not the Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 as they came to be known as stateside.

EGM is merely the latest in a succession of Ziff Davis gaming-enthusiast magazines to cease publication in recent years. Last year, the company terminated Games for Windows Magazine, a publication with a 27-year history, most of which was spent under the name Computer Gaming World. In late 2006, Ziff Davis also canned its Official US PlayStation Magazine after a nearly decade-long run marked by its PlayStation and PlayStation 2 demo discs. Two more Ziff publications, the Xbox-focused XBN and Electronics Boutique in-store mag GMR, ended their runs late in 2004.

445 Comments

  • Stiffy_Rogers

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 12:00 am PT

    I started reading from the first issue and bought from the third. I was wondering what happened as I haven't been able to find it in the book shop for ages. Sigh. It was THE BEST gaming mag along with Mean Machines from England. A part of my youth died today finding this news. From Steve and Ed through to Sushi X and Shoe, I will dearly miss their mag...HANG ON! I just read online now that the mag might be coming back on Dec. 1st!

  • JuggerGrimrod

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 3:35 pm PT

    Since no one has posted a comment about this in over a month, if you were a subscriber to EGM, call (386) 597-4371 and they will look up your subscription by your zip code, and last name. They will have you verify your account. Dealing with a friendly customer service rep while I type this. She mentioned some people were sent "Maxim" as a courtesy to fill the remainder of the subscriptions, but mentioned I was not, which was fine. I was told back in January 2009 a check out be sent out for the balance but never was. Maxim is the only substitute magazine available, so if you have a balance remaining, you can get that or ask for a refund.

  • spartan117chief

    Posted Jul 16, 2009 5:40 pm PT

    I might cry. :.c

  • spartan117chief

    Posted Jul 16, 2009 5:35 pm PT

    Freeakin bull, dude! Best magazine ever created. I agree everything hankmurphy00 said. EGM had personality and was always funny. I hope it will be brought back. :c

  • IceClanL

    Posted Jun 20, 2009 7:07 pm PT

    How do I cancel and get a refund?

  • hankmurphy00

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 4:01 pm PT

    EGM was the best source for unbiased reviews. in their previews and features they were as quick to point out a games flaws as well as its strengths. will i ever laugh at seanbabys writing again? if i read another game magazine it just wont be the same. (maybe if i tape an egm logo over the cover...) NNNOO!!! it just wont ever be the same again. they were everything i wanted in a game magazine and i cant believe somebody killed them.

  • MareInfinitus

    Posted Jun 2, 2009 5:02 am PT

    Damn it! I have a subscription to EGM and I find out it shut down now, 5 months after they announced it.

  • Darkfur

    Posted May 29, 2009 1:46 pm PT

    Very sad indeed. EGM was always a welcomed sight in my mailbox amongst the annoying junk mail I constantly receive. O.K. so I got tired of waiting to hear what's happening with a refund so I contacted Ziff Davis Media Subscriptions at: (386)597-4371 after providing my information to the representative I've learned refunds are being processed. For myself a check will be mailed 6/15/09. I suggest you call them to see if the date is the same. Goodbye EGM we'll miss you =(

  • JohnnyDrama8

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 3:45 am PT

    Weakkkkkkkkkkkk

  • chesss87

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 2:25 pm PT

    wow... only went to the U.S. twice, once in 1997 and the second time in december/january 2009. Both times I got an EGM, we have our egm also in Brazil but I always wanted to read more of the original. It's amazing that I bought the last one without knowing. This is sad for the whole gaming comunity

  • michaelrjohnson

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 1:51 pm PT

    This really sucks. I have already let my Official Xbox magazine subscription expire and was planning to do the same with my Official Playstation magazine and keep EGM going. Main reason being that while decent publications, both have that ridiculous fan boy slant that we have all come to know and love with all the really smart commentary on anything PS3 or XBOX360 related here at gamespot. EGM on the otherhand celebrated all games and systems with very little fanboy fanfare and that was quite refreshing. I haven't read GamePro in years, always thought EGM was much more mature and relavent, maybe will have to look again. RIP EGM!

  • frazzle00

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 8:54 pm PT

    R.I.P. EGM

  • ltolman

    Posted Apr 14, 2009 12:11 pm PT

    Just called them again today.

    They still do not know what magazine people can transfer their remaining subscriptions over to.

    Geez!!!! (thats all I have to say)

  • dufzor

    Posted Apr 3, 2009 9:52 pm PT

    Anyone had any success with customer service? I paid for 12 issues and only got 2 before it folded.

  • ltolman

    Posted Mar 17, 2009 10:17 am PT

    OMG I just called Electronic Gaming Monthly about my subscription that was paid til the year 2015 and they said they are handling refunds thru separate agencies. So for instance if some stranger came by your doorstep and asked if you wanted to buy a subscription that company they worked for is the company you need to get your refund thru.

    If Allakazaam gave you a gift subscription to EGM thats the company you have to go thru.

    Unfortunately heres my thing; if you havent read my former post:

    I had a person come by my house and I ordered a 3 year subscription to Games for Windows Magazine only to have the magazine cease publication 3 months after I got a 3 year deal, somehow on the last month the company tried to put 3 years into it, messed up and now I have 6 years. Well after Games for Windows shut down I had a choice of either Electronic Gaming Monthly or PC World; I chose EGM but it took 4 months before I got any magazine because I had to go thru a huge hoopla after the magazine shut down.

    EGMs last issue was mailed in December; January 6th 2009 sometime around 10am I noticed online that EGM is shutting down; I had received only 5 magazines from EGM and again I am paid til the year 2015 and here we are again fighting the same battle

    I gave my information and supposedly they are gonna call me within a week. (yeah right) I'll call them in 2 weeks.

  • zikakuto

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 5:24 pm PT

    NOOOOO, I noticed there were no new EGM issues at the newstand, I had a really bad feeling, damn I really enjoyed reading this magazine, used to get it every month.When I used to live in Dubai, because EGM doesn't have subscription for Dubai, I had to drive or when I was a kid get someone to drive me to the only place they sold EGM which was a 40 minute drive away. Each issue cost double what it did in America, it cost $13 but I spent it without a thought. I trusted their reviews greatly and was never let down. I took chances with unknown or unfamiliar games because of their reviews and was never ever let down. It was part of my monthly ritual to lie down and read it. I remember taking it to school every month and passing it around the entire class as my classmates would secretly read it without the teacher knowing.Then at lunch time me and all my friends would start discussing heatedly which games showed the most promise. I wish I could go back to those old days but it seems that slowly but surely parts of what made my school years special are starting to vanish and disappear and EGM is just another casualty. I wish all the editors, reviewers and EGM staffers good luck in the future guys like Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Crispin Boyer, James "Milkman" Mielke, Jennifer Tsao, Shane Bettenhausen, Micheal Donahoe to name a few. Reading what you guys were up to and what games you were playing each month was fun as well. Thanks a lot EGM for great memories I only wish that one day you guys could return.

  • MindsEye13

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:46 pm PT

    I find it kind of pathetic that I had to find out about all this from a rival magazine (GamePro) and get it confirmed here on the 'net.
    A notice in your final issue or a letter in the mail would have been nice.
    Nice organizational skills.
    Well, I'm off to read some more issues of my failing paper medium.

  • CasinoOutlaw247

    Posted Feb 17, 2009 11:15 am PT

    I am depressed. I have been reading Electronic Gaming Monthly since issue 13 and from then on I read no other Video Game magazine. I've been wondering the fate of the magazine when the new issue didn't come out. This is a HUGE loss and I can't understand why they would shut down such a wonderful publication. As for you people wanting refunds your anger is understandable but, can we at least mourn the loss and worry about the $$$ later?! to be honest I never thought this would happen and I am left in shock. Goodbye Electronic Gaming Monthly and thank you for many years of great previews, reviews, rumors, codes, and what to expect in the next issue. I can only hope you return sometime in the future.

  • ltolman

    Posted Feb 11, 2009 3:49 pm PT

    Decided to call them today (Feb 10th) and they said they still havent heard from whomever as far as which Magazines that people can transfer their subscription over to.

    So again I told them that I will call them back in a month if I havent heard anything (receiving a postcard)

  • ltolman

    Posted Feb 7, 2009 3:43 pm PT

    Yes I am so not happy right now.

    First off I had a paid subscription to "Games for Windows"; their publication went belly up and I got to choose from 2 different magazine subscriptions "PC World" or Electronic Gaming Monthly". From the time it went out, I struggled and struggled and struggled to get my subscription transferred over; afterall I was paid til the year 2015. In 2008 that was 7 years paid up (long story on the 7 years lol)

    So after a good 4-6 months I finally got my Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazines, less than 1 year and now they went belly up. (I only had gotten 5 issues total: Jan/Dec/Nov/Oct/Sept)

    Guess what? I'm still paid up til the year 2015. When I read this I immediately called them saying I just received my PC Gamer for January and I should be receiving my EGM for January but of course according to this the last issue....well was January, what I mean is that I should be receiving Februarys issue in January.

    I never received it of course and again they didnt know anything so I called them back around January 15th and they said people should start receiving notifications in the mail to select which magazine company to go with. I told them well if I dont receive anything by February 15th or so I'm calling you back.

    Here it is February 7th mail already came today and guess what?? I still havent received anything.

    One more week they got; in fact I think I'm off work on the 16th and 17th, so I will call them on the 17th.

    I'm not playing any games this time around. I want concrete answers. Last time I played with Games for Windows some dude was like "Oh we can change your preference over the phone"

    I could care less if I had like 3 issues left or almost even 11 issues left but I'm paid up til the year 2015, another 6 years left. They are gonna resolve my issue in one more month otherwise I will be talking to a manager in March and every week I will be calling them until something is done.

  • DoubleJason

    Posted Feb 5, 2009 8:40 am PT

    Anybody here anything about refunds?

  • CaptQuebon

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 5:38 pm PT

    Now what am i suppose to read in the crapper?

  • magusat999

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 10:00 am PT

    I hope you all realize that this is a threat to all Game Media enterprises. The game industry has flexed it's big burly muscles and said "See what we did to EGM? If you write the truth about us - or anything we don't approve we will collectively boycott you and shut off all of your funding TOO".

    Watch in the coming year as game media becomes more timid in criticizing foul products from big publishers. What the media groups need to do in response is show that they can push back, as a group, and cause some pain for the publishers - otherwise we will se a whole lot of watering down going on.

    I do have criticism of EGM, besides the fact that they were enemy #1 of the game industry publishers marketing teams - they began to exclude certain parts of their audience in the last few years. They had a girl-gamer, online gamer, niche gamer, white gamer, console game specific spin which turned off a lot of gamers and alienated people who they used to market to. They made the mistake of trying to shape the gaming word instead of just informing and reporting. I think they lost a lot of subscribers with their off-target, hard-sell approach. It's okay to include the niche market - but you don't throw away the CORE market in the meantime. (That's why their rag was 1/3rd the size it used to be as well).

    Look at the categories at the top of Gamespot's website. Gamespot is one of, if not THE biggest game site on the internet. One of the major reason is because it doesn't matter what genre your in, you will find loads of relevant information just for you. They are savvy and customer conscious to know that they have to make every gamer feel welcome, not just the ones their staff likes to hang at Starbucks with.

    And you don't see Gamespot staff insulting people when they make comments or suggestions, or making goofball answers.

    EGM had a great magazine at one time - but what was just shut down wasn't really worth papering the doghouse with.

  • furor6

    Posted Jan 18, 2009 7:54 pm PT

    I will greatly miss this mag. I have every issue since july 1992. I really loved getting this magazine every month. i enjoy reading reviews and stuff online but its just not the same as getting something you can hold and enjoy in hand. Alot of the online reviews are crap. Its just like someone here posted earlier, its like everyone wants to be a reviewer. EGM at one time had some trustworthy guys to review our games. They should have canceled the pc gamer mag and left this one going. Those guys like playing pc games they should like reading reviews online as well!! THIS SUCKS

  • SamuriChamploo

    Posted Jan 15, 2009 2:49 pm PT

    I used to love reading my Official Playstation Mag. I miss it pretty badly still to this day. Although GameSpot is all good and well, I miss those mags that made my childhood grand. I remember gripping the mag with glee just to see what was goin on during the month and reading the colums with such vigor. Ziff Davis was always my favorite too. I will miss all of them. I really will. Thanks for all your fun times, laughs, cries, and games Ziff Davis. Your memories won't be forgotten

  • djb70

    Posted Jan 14, 2009 7:21 am PT

    For those of you who subscribed to EGM and are hoping for a refund. I just called EGM customer service at 800-779-1174. They said as of right now, they have not been told about the cancellation of the magazine by the company directly. So they have no information about refunds at this time.

    HOWEVER, they have always had a cancellation policy which will give you a prorated refund at the time of cancellation. I promptly cancelled and will be receiving $21 back to my credit card. I suggest you do the same and cancel your subscriptions now rather than wait to see what happens once the take-over and magazine cancellation are complete!

  • personmann

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 12:34 pm PT

    I remember getting EGM back during the early days of the PS1 and N64. my subscription did not last for some reason or another, but I do remember the ads in there for videogames.com,

  • dashizy666

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 5:24 am PT

    It's amazing I keep reading the article over and over again because I am still in shock. My question is why of all the gaming mags, why take away what many consider the best game mag ever published. I've read EGM for 20 some odd years and this is robbery at its finest. I'll say it one and I'll say it again UGO you f'ing suck. The only way that you can possibly get on my good graces is if you publish a new mag that is as good as EGM. And that will never happen. Hell, I'm 30 years old so that mean that I've been reading this mag since I was ten. My god I feel old.

  • dashizy666

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 2:52 am PT

    This has got to be the single biggest crock of you know what. I've subscribed to this mag since its first issue and the only thing that I can tell you is that the game industry lost a very vital game publisher. Not only that, it lost the best magazine period. I literally read every EGM magazine and not only did it inform gamers with every aspect of this industry that I love, EGM set the bar for cross platform magazines. There will never be a magazine quite like it and in a way I'm kind of heartbroken because this magazine was the best bar none. And I hope that this UGO does the right thing and publishes a quality magazine in its place. We will never know if Resident evil 5, Killzone 2, STF4 get gold or platinum awards. And to be honest with you we will never know their award winners for 2008. This is BS at its finest. RIP EGM, 1989-2009. Oh yeah UGO YOU f***ing suck!

  • GRAW2596

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 8:00 pm PT

    Are we going to be getting our money back if we just subscribed? I've only gotten it for half a year and I don't want to be just throwing my money away because some a$$hole is coming in and shutting the place down.

  • Maverick82102

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 6:11 pm PT

    @Sonicplys

    What if you get fired? How would that feel? Think about that next time you wanna say "good riddance" about some people losing jobs! Damn. Gamestop need an application to weed out the 'special' members.................

  • Sonicplys posted Jan 10, 2009 3:08 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Sonicplys

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 3:08 pm PT (hide)

    Good riddance. That will shut those M$ and $ony lovers up for good. Now all thats left is Game Informer, G4, Kotaku, IGN, 1up, GAMESPOT (you guys can still turn it around), Gametrailers, Youtube......

  • Cody13_2012

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 6:15 am PT

    What! this is BS. I've subscribed to them for two and a half years and now they're stopping publication. I've never visited the 1up site because usually EGM told me everything I needed to know (I also get my news from Gamespot). I liked having the MAGAZINE and not having to browse through a website. Looks like I will need to get me a new video game mag now.

  • KingOfOldSkool

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 9:59 pm PT

    I don't know.. it seems the modern gamer is more interested in instant info than dependable reviewers. I honestly think both magazines and sites have their place.. where sites should be more for gamers to interact with each other and magazines are for more professional opinions which is a nice change of pace from the seemingly growing number of wannabe professional reviewers that plague so many game sites.

  • Maverick82102

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 8:58 pm PT

    This is BS! WTF? I don't get it. 550,000+ monthly subscribers and they couldn't stay in operation? Sounds like a problem with the bosses to me.
    Screw Ziff-Davis. Steve Harris and Ed Semrad we need you!! Dammit!

    EGM
    March 1989 - January 2009

    We will miss you

  • HOMIE_G64

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 4:50 pm PT

    I'm very disappointed. The content in the magazine gave me a lot more than online sites and I've been a big fan and subscriber of the magazine.

  • ibanez_slinger

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 2:28 pm PT

    This is some depressing news. EGM was a great mag. I particularly loved it around the Playstaion - PS2 era.

  • Henninger

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 10:30 am PT

    R.I.P. EGM!

  • wood_jl

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 10:16 am PT

    Why else would Dan Hsu have left, other than smelling this coming? Every time EGM changed format, I lost a little more interest.

    They used to have the reviews in an easy-to-read format, grouped by system. Then they mixed it all up and made it more work to find reviews for a particular system. They kept changing the style and format of the magazine in an attempt to gimmick it up and make it seem fresh, all the while making it less enjoyable for those who subscribed to read, which is why I let my subscription lapse.

    While they should have kept the reviews grouped by system, they should have had a special section for multi-platform games that DEFINITIVELY determined which version you should get for hardcore gamers who own all of the systems. Sometimes they'd just briefly mention something like "the Xbox version has slightly smoother textures."

    The last straw was when they changed their reviews to "letter grades." Well, at least they don't have to sweat the balance of being honest and forthcoming to their readers with pandering to Electronic Arts and their biggest advertisers - in their reviews.

    Hey EGM Staff, say hello to Jeff Gertstmann when you see him in the unemployment line.

  • blueliquidplus

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 9:53 am PT

    Tobad... I remember having this subscription and the subscription to what was EMG2.. good times, sad to see them go.

  • imjustjames

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 8:08 am PT

    Although Shoe was an awesome editor, I always thought Steve Harris was the top in my book. I'll never forget when Acclaim threatened to pull their content from their mag when EGM gave Total Recall for the NES a horrible review back in the early 90's. Steve just basically told them that they were sticking to their review and that Acclaim could do whatever they wanted, his philosophy still influences gaming journalism to this very day. When Steve and alot of his crew left EGM, I felt EGM lose alot of pull and become just another gaming mag. You gotta wonder what he thinks of all this.

  • Zartan3000

    Posted Jan 9, 2009 3:15 am PT

    Damn...Felt an era was over once Hsu Shoe left as Ed. but never expected this! Guess there won't be any refund for outstanding subscriptions? Oh well....

  • PuhJesus

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:21 pm PT

    Wait, so my Computer Gaming World subscription was switched to EGM because it ended.. and now EGM is ending? What in the f*ck is going on?!

  • Jedilink109

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:14 pm PT

    WOW....this better be an early April Fool's joke!!!!!!!

    I've been getting this magazine EVERY SINGLE MONTH FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS!!!!! How is this possible!?!?!?! This is frickin terrible. This is my favorite magazine. :'(

  • NeoNavarro

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 7:37 pm PT

    I was wonder the same thing like Sydwynder said about OXM.

  • beekayjay

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 6:50 pm PT

    Its sad; I grew up with EGM. But I agree with a previous post: print is dead now that there are so many online publications. Its a sad reality regarding the evolution of media and information access.

  • Sydwynder

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 3:03 pm PT

    Wow, that's actually pretty surprising though it shouldn't be.........I wonder how much longer OXM will last..........12 bucks for one issue is rediculous and I still don`t know what we need that demo disc for since every one is on Marketplace. I have enough coasters thanks.......

  • BMWPro77

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 1:03 pm PT

    It's a sad day in the gaming world. I grew up reading this magazine back in the NES and Super Nes Era and it was my guide to all things gaming even covering imports. This mag will be sorely missed. I even still have a lot of my back issues from 16 and 17 years ago. They had great footage of Streetfighter 2 for Super Nes before it went on the market.

  • magnificent7

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 10:18 am PT

    If only G4 would fold instead that would make me happy, not EGM.

  • MadGamer132

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 10:06 am PT

    oh f&&^%in well, at least we have other magazines.

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