Computer Games Magazine To Shut Down

Gamasutra is carrying the sad news that the second-oldest PC gaming magazine is to shut down. TheGlobe.com, owner of Computer Games Magazine and its sister, MMOG-specific magazine Massive, has apparently opted to shutter the outlets as a result of financial troubles. They were saddled with a judgement by a California court in connection to a series of spam messages that went out across the MySpace social site. An SEC filing stated that the company stood to lose at least $40 Million; these shutdowns appear to be the direct result. "Calls to TheGlobe.com's Florida-based publisher Jayson Dubin, also the publisher of CGM and Massive Magazine, were not returned as of press time, with more recent calls to his direct line getting an automated recording indicating that the number had been disconnected. Besides Computer Games Magazine, TheGlobe.com also operates two other wholly-owned subsidiaries: voice over IP solution prover Voiceglo, and online game retail outlet Chips & Bits."

Re:Myspace?

[LotsOfPhil]

I searched for "myspace spam theglobe" [theinternetpatrol.com]

The curse of Slashdeaths.

[Anonymous Coward]

"I'm more than a little saddened to see historical entities like newspapers (anyone keeping up with Knight-Ridder?) and AM stations going down the tubes. But such is the cost of evolution."

Um, I know it is the current fad to predict the death of something (like it's gospel or something). But I suggect you read this [pbs.org] before proclaiming something dead.

BTW here's my contribution to the "3D Mars" story, since Taco has a retarded posting limit. Map the Mars photos to a globe and put a skybox around it. Then with the gravity feature one can walk around Mars. Megatexture should really help here.

History

[SirBruce]

Computer Games Magazine was originally known as Strategy Plus, and then changed its name to Computer Games Strategy Plus, before reinventing itself as the new Computer Games fairly recently. Next to Computer Gaming World, it's certainly been my favorite computer games magazine and it will be missed. I'm also disappointed that yet another MMOG-focused magazine, Massive, will be ceasing publication as well.

It was the best one of the few left

[snuf23]

I found the editorial content and voice of Computer Games magazine to be significantly more mature than either of the two remaining major computer game publications (Games for Windows and PC Gamer). They offered some excellent articles discussing the nature of games as well as a very good reader submitted column.
I wondered how they managed to pay their bills seeing as they had few advertisers. I guess younger readers prefer magazines with less insight and more fart jokes.
I will be very sad to see them go and boy what a colossal fuckup with the spam.