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*gamesTM*
	Cover of the final issue (206), featuring Rage 2
Editor	Jon Gordon
Staff writers	Josh West
Categories	Computer and video games
Frequency	Monthly
Circulation	20,013 (9 Jan – 9 Dec 2010); 21,677 (8 Jan – 8 Dec 2009); 22,284 (7 Jan – 7 Dec 2008); 20,376 (6 Jan – 6 Dec 2007)
Publisher	Highbury Entertainment (2002–2006) ; Imagine Publishing (2006–2016) ; Future Publishing (2016–2018)
First issue	December 2002
Final issue; Number	November 2018; 206
Company	Future Publishing
Country	United Kingdom
Based in	Richmond House; 33 Richmond Hill; Bournemouth
Language	English (defunct); Dutch (defunct) ; German (defunct)
ISSN	1478-5889

GamesTM (styled as games^TM) was a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering console, handheld, PC and Arcade games. The first issue was released in December 2002 and the magazine was still being published monthly in English and German up until the last edition was published on 1 November 2018.

Format

Besides covering all current and recent happenings in the video game world, the magazine included a retro section at the rear, with reviews of past games and "battles" between older consoles.

As a standard, it was around 112 pages long. News articles, developer interviews and the like were located at the front, with the preview section following. After the previews there was usually a large feature focused on a particular game or games company. This feature normally lasted 4 to 5 pages. The section for readers' letters followed, at the end of the magazine.

Since it was a multi-format magazine, a large number of games on all formats were reviewed. However, the majority of released games were not reviewed because of space and deadline restrictions.

Reviews

Reviewed games were given an overall score marked out of 10. While several games have received 9/10, only sixteen games in the magazine's history achieved the ultimate score of 10:

In addition, the online modes of Project Gotham Racing 2, Halo 3, LittleBigPlanet, Monster Hunter Tri and Halo: Reach all scored a 10, although the single-player of each title only received an 8 or 9.

The magazine had also started to review game related hardware on occasion as well as aspects of Xbox Live. These typically included games available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace and various retail games with Live functionality.

History

In January 2006, the future of the magazine became uncertain after its publisher, Highbury Entertainment, went into administration with debts of GBP £27 million. No subscribers received issue #40 and the next issue (#41) did not appear in the shops, though it should have been out on 26 January 2006. At that time, the magazine's staff could not be contacted and calls to the subscription helpline led to an automated message that said all magazines had been sold. The magazine's website went offline but was available again a few days later.

On 20 January 2006, Imagine Publishing announced that it had acquired GamesTM along with 23 other Highbury titles.^[7]^[8]

Imagine Publishing has since announced that it will continue to publish GamesTM, resuming with issue #41 which was published in February 2006.

Issue #42 was released on 23 March 2006, with an explanation from its new editor in the introduction, stating that the magazine will undergo an evolution.^[9] The magazine has been published according to its usual monthly schedule since.

Issue #43 stated that the magazine would undergo an evolution. The magazine has been published according to its usual monthly schedule since.

In Issue #62, the "evolution" of the magazine proposed back in Issue #42 finally occurred, when it received its first major overhaul since its inception. Although the content of the magazine was largely unchanged, it received a complete visual makeover as well as the addition of two new regular segments: "Illustrated" pages that highlighted influential games from the past, and "Reader's View", which gave readers the chance to have their own articles featured in the pages of the magazine.

In 2006, GamesTM celebrated its 50th issue.

From 3 March 2008 to 2 December 2009, a German version of GamesTM was released on a (bi)monthly schedule in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

On 1 April 2008, the Dutch version of GamesTM was first released in the Netherlands and Belgium, with a scheduled 11 issues per year.

As of issue #68, GamesTM introduced "Industry"; a recruitment focused mini magazine built into the magazine that allows game developers, universities and colleges to advertise their job positions and related courses amongst industry focused news editorial and features.

In September 2010, GamesTM celebrated its 100th issue by releasing 100 different covers - limited to 400 prints of each - representing one of the magazine's 100 greatest games of all time.^[10]

GamesTM was acquired by Future Publishing alongside the entire Imagine Publishing portfolio in 2016.^[11] The last issue was published in November 2018, with Future explaining that the magazine was "no longer profitable".^[11]

References

^ "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 11 February 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
^ "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 12 February 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
^ "Standard Certificate of Circulation - Games TM" (PDF). ABC. 15 August 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
^ "ABC circulation figures (January - December 2006)". GamesTM (56): 171. April 2007.
^ "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain review". GamesTM. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
^ ""Contact Us" page". GamesTM. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
^ "Imagine acquires 24 Highbury titles" (PDF). Imagine Publishing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2006.
^ Daniel Farey-Jones (24 January 2006). "Highbury magazines picked off after company's collapse". Media Bulletin. Haymarket. Archived from the original on 4 March 2006.
^ Morgan, Paul. Introduction. Imagine Publishing. p. 5.
^ "GamesTM Issue 100 celebrates with 100 different covers". Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
^ ^a ^b Dring, Christopher (19 October 2018). "UK magazines GamesTM and GamesMaster to close". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 24 September 2019.