PC Zone
Issue 193, May 2008
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| Editor | Steve Hogarty |
|---|---|
| Categories | Video game magazines |
| Frequency | 13 per year |
| Circulation | 11,357 (Jan 09 - Dec 09) 19,023 (Jan 08 - Dec 08) 22,297 (Jan 07 - Dec 07)[1] |
| First issue | April 1993 |
| Final issue | September 2010 |
| Company | Future plc |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 0967-8220 |
PC Zone, founded in 1993, was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as PC Leisure, PC Format and PC Plus had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. The precursor to PC Zone was the award-winning multiformat title Zero.
The magazine was published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. until 2004, when it was acquired by Future plc along with Computer And Video Games for £2.5m.
In July 2010 it was announced by Future plc that PC Zone was to close. The last issue of PC Zone went on sale 2 September 2010.
PC Zone was first published in April 1993 and cost £3.95. Billed as the first UK magazine dedicated exclusively to PC games, it was sold with two accompanying floppy disks carrying game demonstrations. The first editor was Paul Lakin.
The magazine was split into four sections: Reviews, Blueprints, Features and Regulars. Among the first titles to be reviewed were Dune 2, Lemmings 2 and Stunt Island. The Blueprints section involved previews of new games and Features consisted of an article written about a specific area of gaming interest, such as gaming audio.
Regulars included a news bulletin, competitions and a Buyer's Guide which featured recommended games.
In its original incarnation, PC Zone recognised that its audience consisted largely of males in their late twenties and older, and adopted a tone suited to that audience. This was in contrast to contemporary multiformat and console magazines aimed at children and teenagers. During this period, the PC was not yet widely recognised as a games platform in the UK, an attitude PC Zone arguably helped to change by championing a succession of notable games such as Star Control II, Star Wars: X-Wing, Ultima Underworld and Doom.
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