Play (UK) and PSU3 to Merge

[fitbabits]

I used to buy Play (UK) all the time back in the days of the PS1, so it saddens me somewhat that the mediocre performance of the PlayStation 3 has forced it to merge with Imagine's other PS3 offering, PSU3.

Official press release after the jump...

[fitbabits]

Imagine Publishing today announced the merger of PSU3 with Play, effective immediately.

The move comes after careful deliberation into the state of both the PlayStation and the related magazine market which has not seen the significant growth shown by Xbox 360 titles. With the PlayStation magazine market unlikely to improve in the short to medium term, the decision was taken to merge the two titles in order to focus resources on what is Imagine’s market-leading PlayStation title.

The merger will see key staff from PSU3 move over to Play to bolster its already talented team, and will see some of PSU3’s innovative features incorporated into Imagine’s bestselling independent title and improve Play’s editorial package in time for what is hoped to be a stronger 2008.

Nick Jones, Editor in Chief of Imagine’s PlayStation titles commented, “The fact is that the PlayStation market is at an all-time low and this has been reflected in the sales of PlayStation magazines. With a lower than expected PlayStation 3 installed user base, no price reduction of the hardware, and few triple-A games until much later next year, we have taken the decision to merge PSU3 with Play and focus on our most long-standing games brands and also our new launches.”
“By concentrating on Play, our premium PlayStation multiformat magazine, and of course PowerStation the market-leading tips and cheats title, we will be able to ensure that Imagine stays ahead of its competitors and remains an attractive opportunity for games publishers and advertisers alike.”

Issue 159 of Play will be the first issue to incorporate PSU3 and will be on sale on 19 October. Existing subscribers of PSU3 will be offered Play as a substitute.

Imagine Publishing is one of the UK’s fastest growing consumer specialist publishers. Formed in May 2005, it now publishes 20 magazines and 20 websites in the videogames, computing, entertainment and photography markets. An Imagine magazine is purchased every ten seconds.
See post one for my comment on this...

[BlackPete]

Is this the same Play that gave Sonic 360/PS3 a 9.5?

[ECM]

No, that affront to sanity was perpetrated by the US version of Play (no relation to the UK mag.)

[KidNicarus]

Isn't this a problem effecting all gaming mags? I think this has to do more with the print gaming mag being a dinosaur than the lackluster performance of the PS3.

[Cool AN]

Is Play a magazine? When I saw the headline I thought it was about the online shop (http://www.play.com/).

[bKangy]

It is also an online shop but the magazine is completely seperate.

As long as the whole magazine downturn thing doesn't kill Edge I don't really care - games journalism kinda sucks anyway.

[SeriousStu]

I thought this was the online store too. Good job, coz at first I thought Play.com was about to get all Sony-fied or something. I regularly buy from there, whether it's games or whatever.

[darkwarrior]

This is nothing to do with the PS3 its to do with sites like this. Magazines are a month out of date at best compared to what websites can offer. I get them for free and look at the nice screenshots but thats it. Everything I read I've read earlier. So blaming it on a consoles performance is bull since they still cover the PS2 and PSP games and PS2 is still booming.

[Kamalot]

Play scores stopped meaning anything to me a while ago. Their scores have been gushing and outside the norm. Instead of reviewing games, it sounds like it is their job to sell games to unsuspecting saps.

This was very interesting...With a lower than expected PlayStation 3 installed user base, no price reduction of the hardware, and few triple-A games until much later next year, we have taken the decision to merge PSU3 with Play...Sounds like we are starting to see the fallout from Sony's folly.