15 Feb 2002 | Liz Jaques

ABC Jul – Dec 2001 Computer, Gaming And Internet Magazines

The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as at Thursday 14 February 2002. Late submissions and changes may be made after this date, and will thereafter be amended in MediaTel’s Press database. For full notes on how NewsLine’s reports are compiled please see Important Notes: ABC Jul-Dec 2001.

The increasingly overcrowded computer magazines sector fell by 9.3% overall, with all of the major titles seeing circulation decline. VNU’s market leading title Computeractive and Dennis Publishing’s PC Pro bore the brunt of the downturn, the former fell 15.1% to 278,570 and the latter saw circulation slip 13.7% to 134,101.

Among the smaller circulating titles Paragon’s PC Home and VNU’s What PC saw the most significant decreases in circulation, both dropping 23.8%. Future Publishing’s PC Answers was one of only three titles to increase its circulation, adding 10.4% to 41,111.

The sector saw a number of new additions, with VNU’s Computeractive Web Guide reporting an initial circulation of 26,033 and Paragon Publishing’s PC First Aid entering with an ABC of 14,557.

Computer Magazines Jul 01 – Dec 01 ABC YoY Comparisons
Title	Publisher	Jul 00 – Dec 00	Jul 00 – Dec 01	Actual Change	% Ch
3D World*	Future Publishing	16,543	n/a	n/a	n/a
Computer Arts	Future Publishing	34,075	31,675	-2,400	-7.0
Computer Arts Special	Future Publishing	26,048	25,373	-675	-2.6
Computer Buyer	Dennis Publishing	52,834	47,016	-5,818	-11.0
Computer Music	Future Publishing	24,658	26,032	1,374	5.6
Computer Shopper	Dennis Publishing	155,709	127,535	-28,174	-18.1
Computeractive	VNU	327,962	278,570	-49,392	-15.1
Computeractive Web Guide (N)	VNU	n/a	26,033	n/a	n/a
Cre@te Online	Future Publishing	16,067	13,092	-2,975	-18.5
MacUser	Dennis Publishing	29,193	27,164	-2,029	-7.0
PC Answers	Future Publishing	37,230	41,111	3,881	10.4
PC Basics	Paragon Publishing	14,799	15,451	652	4.4
PC Essentials (R)	Paragon Publishing	n/a	11,849	n/a	n/a
PC First Aid (N)	Paragon Publishing	n/a	14,557	n/a	n/a
PC Format	Future Publishing	80,121	76,337	-3,784	-4.7
PC Guide	Future Publishing	12,641	12,460	-181	-1.4
PC Home	Paragon Publishing	25,452	19,395	-6,057	-23.8
PC Plus	Future Publishing	95,606	85,111	-10,495	-11.0
PC Pro	Dennis Publishing	155,447	134,101	-21,346	-13.7
Personal Computer World	VNU	128,118	110,453	-17,665	-13.8
What Laptop And Handheld PC	Crimson Publishing	25,796	25,019	-777	-3.0
What PC?	VNU	42,067	32,054	-10,013	-23.8
Windows Made Easy	Paragon Publishing	15,407	12,693	-2,714	-17.6
Total		1,315,773	1,193,081	-122,692	-9.3
*Had not reported by the time of 14 February release

Despite only managing a modest 2% increase in overall circulation the gaming sector saw a significant amount of movement, with titles attached to newer consoles benefiting at the expense of those relating to older ones. This was made clear in the case of Future Publishing’s Official Playstation 2, which saw a 53.7% increase in circulation to 125,895, while Official Playstation magazine slipped 52.5% to 102,332.

Further growth in the sector is expected over the next year with new launches, including one from Future Publishing (see Future Promotes Xbox Launch), being planned to tie in with the release of Microsoft’s Xbox console.

Gaming Magazines Jul 01 – Dec 01 ABC YoY Comparisons
Title	Publisher	Jul 00 – Dec 00	Jul 00 – Dec 01	Actual Change	% Ch
Computer and Video Games	Dennis Publishing	45,606	37,028	-8,578	-18.8
Edge	Future Publishing	28,376	30,118	1,742	6.1
Games Master	Future Publishing	44,848	52,708	7,860	17.5
NGC Magazine	Future Publishing	43,285	25,305	-17,980	-41.5
Nintendo Official Magazine	Emap Active	67,615	55,028	-12,587	-18.6
Official Dreamcast Magazine(C)	Dennis Publishing	46,294	n/a	n/a	n/a
Official Playstation 2	Future Publishing	81,883	125,895	44,012	53.7
Official Playstation Magazine	Future Publishing	215,508	102,332	-113,176	-52.5
P2 (R)	Paragon Publishing	n/a	22,412	n/a	n/a
PC Gameplay Inc. PC Gaming World	Computec Media	n/a*	31,140	n/a	n/a
PC Gamer	Future Publishing	73,549	78,553	5,004	6.8
PC Zone	Dennis Publishing	64,103	61,204	-2,899	-4.5
Planet	Paragon Publishing	25,845	20,319	-5,526	-21.4
Play	Paragon Publishing	66,174	71,426	5,252	7.9
Playnation (N)	Dennis Publishing	n/a	30,098	n/a	n/a
Playstation 2 Special Edition (N)	Future Publishing	n/a	40,246	n/a	n/a
Playstation Max	Future Publishing	37,545	33,107	-4,438	-11.8
Playstation World	Computec Media	62,946	87,474	24,528	39.0
Powerstation	Paragon Publishing	41,854	38,615	-3,239	-7.7
PSM2	Future Publishing	52,439	74,643	22,204	42.3
Total		997,870	1,017,651	19,781	2.0

The internet magazine sector saw circulation rise by 5.5% overall, with the increase in the level of internet connectivity prompting the launch of IPC’s Web User, which reported an initial circulation of 70,508 and VNU’s Web Active, which debuted at 40,145. However, the appeal of the niche market appears to be limited with all but one of the existing titles seeing circulation fall.

The sector’s worst casualties were Emap’s Internet, which saw a 46.3% decline in circulation to 25,072 and Paragon’s Internet Made Easy, which fell 32.8% to 17,361.

Internet Magazines Jul 01 – Dec 01 ABC YoY Comparisons
Title	Publisher	Jul 00 – Dec 00	Jul 00 – Dec 01	Actual Change	% Ch
.Net The Internet Magazine	Future Publishing	50,588	36,754	-13,834	-27.3
Internet	Emap Active	46,681	25,072	-21,609	-46.3
Internet Made Easy	Paragon Publishing	25,831	17,361	-8,470	-32.8
Practical Internet	Paragon Publishing	14,312	15,035	723	5.1
The Net (M)*	Haymarket Magazines	52,600	n/a	n/a	n/a
Web Active (N)	VNU	n/a	40,145	n/a	n/a
Web Pages Made Easy	Paragon Publishing	14,744	11,050	-3,694	-25.1
Web User (N)	IPC Media	n/a	70,508	n/a	n/a
Total		204,756	215,925	11,169	5.5
*Merged with .Net (Future Publishing) November 2001