Australian GamePro Media Kit CONTENTS 2 Introduction 5 Editorial 8 Specials 9 Marketing 12 Contacts I ntroduction Video gaming is the biggest entertainment medium on the planet. Not only does it bring in more cash than contemporaries such as Film and Music, but it is also the fastest growing, moving exponentially forward with the growth of technology and the continuing movement of consoles towards complete multimedia centres. With the release of the next-generation of Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 console, the industry will be booming for the next 18 months. In 2006, the Australian video game market will consume well over $1billion from the game hungry public. This hungry public gets all the information it needs from the country’s premier multi- format publication, Australian GamePro Magazine. Average distribution 30,000 copies Cover Price $8.95 Average Pagination 100 Pages 02 SO, HOW IS GAMEPRO DIFFERENT? AsThe the launch facts above of Australian clearly indicate, GamePro the current was gamingsupported climate by isan as much aboutaggressive the mainstream, marketing casual and user advertising as it is about campaign the dedicated that hardcorewill enthusiastcontinue to— driveAustralian circulation. GamePro refl ects this. We recently underwent a huge redesign to bring our aesthetic style into line with the next- generation of console and gamer, giving it a broader, more appealing feel thatTARGET remains READERSHIP entirely game orientated while capturing the atmosphere of leadingEditorially, mainstream the publication titles. We havetargets also gamersadded new of sections, all ages ProSetUp and ProUpdate,(predominantly which providemales easy14 to access 30) and points will to run newcomers extensive to the coverage industry asof wellgaming as invaluable in all its information forms – Playstation®2, for veterans. Xbox, Nintendo Game Cube, PC games, Game Boy Advance, Game Cube, Nokia N- Gage, arcade games, retro games and, of course, online gaming as INTERESTINGwell. FACTS (Derived from the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia’s (IEAA) GameProindependent readers study into the typically Australian ownGames at Industry, least called one Gameplay games 2005 console, — http:// withwww.ieaa.com.au/doc/_3.pdf) many owning two or more. The majority are heavy Internet users and by nature tend to be very active games buyers. ➔ The average age of the Aussie gamer is 24. Australian➔ 76% of Australian GamePro households also addresses have a device the needsfor playing of thegames casual and social➔ 70% gamers of gamers through play at aleast number once a ofweek mainstream entertainment columns.➔ 55% expect to be gaming in ten years ➔ 62% of gamers shop for leisure and 47% play sports ➔ 66% of parents play video games with their children ➔ 38% of gamers are female ➔ 85% of gamers have an online connection ➔ 35% of gamers play games online ➔ 66% of gamers intend to buy a new machine or upgrade their PC in the next year. 03 Australian GamePro is multi-format in every sense of the word. We run detailed features, previews, reviews and interviews across the entire gambit of gaming consoles — Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, DS, PSP and Mobile — ensuring that those with a single machine or multiple are well catered for. Throw in cheats, news, competitions, cover-mounts and more and you have everything you could ever want to know about gaming, conveniently packaged in one attractive magazine. READERSHIP STATS (In issue 15 of Australian GamePro we conducted a survey: here are the results) ➔ The average age of our reader is 22, ranging from 12-50 yrs. ➔ 98% loved the redesign, giving it an average 9 out of 10. ➔ Over 70% intend to buy a next-gen console. ➔ 52% buy peripherals for their PC and consoles. ➔ Our readers spend $500 a year on PC upgrades. ➔ 66% intend to upgrade their home entertainment by mid 2007. ➔ 92% of readers say a GamePro review infl uences their purchases. ➔ 41% of readers purchases are infl uenced by mag advertisements. ➔ 81% of readers share their copy and 70% have kept every issue. ➔ Over 70% have kept every issue they have bought. ➔ 40% intend to upgrade to broadband and 51% currently play online. ➔ 60% buy fi ve games a year and play for more than 10hrs a week. 04 E EDITORIAL ditorial Australian GamePro is the best served magazine in the country with some of the country’s most respected journalists on board. Not only do we have strong relationships and product access with all the local video game distributors, but also the PC hardware, home entertainment, mobile and peripheral companies. In addition, IDG Communication’s global presence means we have free access to all the text generated by our sister publication, including the hugely successful US and German GamePros. This ensures that we not only have the fi nest content from Australia, but also the latest and greatest from the USA, Asia and Europe SECTIONS ProNews NEWS PRO X360 + HD-DVD Cheaper Than PS3? QUICKIES Microsoft announced their plans to release the Xbox 360’s HD-DVD drive add-on during their press conference at this year’s Electronic Wii Less Than $300? Entertainment Expo. The exact details are yet to be Scott Steinberg, vice president of announced but there is speculation that Microsoft marketing for Sega, has claimed that Keeping you up-to-date may be planning to undercut Sony’s PlayStation Nintendo’s Wii will retail for less than 3 console (which itself will retail for AU$999) US$200 (~ AU$260). Though it sounds by releasing the HD-DVD drive at a price that far-fetched, with the Wii having less would make buying it together with the Xbox 360 expensive technology inside the box, a console cheaper than buying a single PS3. price this low is entirely possible. This Prior to this rumour surfacing it was expected won’t just be good for gamers however, that the HD-DVD drive would be quite expensive, but also for game publishers who will possibly costing even as much as the Xbox 360 benefit from the larger user base a itself. A cheaper pricing strategy would certainly cheaper price-tag would create. work in Microsoft’s favour, and would be a shrewd with all the latest gossip, business move, but whether or not it eventuates is yet to be seen. Kojima Denies X360 The release date too remains a mystery, with Bad news for Xbox 360 owning Metal Microsoft only confirming that it will be ready by Gear fans, it seems that series creator the holiday season 2006. Hideo Kojima has no plans to bring Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots to the X360. Kojima has been quoted as saying that he feels the Metal Gear series Assassin’s Creed Not PS3 Exclusive? is “made for the PlayStation platform.” While his development studio, Kojima The PlayStation 3 exclusivity of one of the highlights of this year’s E3, Assassins Creed, is in doubt after rumours have Productions, may still develop Xbox 360 facts and PR propaganda. emerged that the game may also be set to appear on other platforms. Ubisoft has declined to either confirm or deny the titles, these will be all-new games and rumours that their innovative stealth action title will only appear on Sony’s PS3, as it has previously been announced. not a new Metal Gear. Four Big Name In the past Ubisoft have always made their most popular franchises for multiple platforms, including Tom Clancy’s Spinter 15 Games For PS3 Launch No Shows Cell and the Rainbow Six games, and their Sony Computer Entertainment of unwillingness to respond to the rumours America head Kaz Hirai has claimed could be seen as a sign that the company that the PlayStation 3 will launch with s you can see from our comprehensive saw from the Tokyo Game Show trailer. We do know unearthed. The trailer ends with the words “Finish is at least considering bringing Assassin’s 15 titles this November. This compares coverage, this year’s Electronic that several old characters including Raiden, Meryl the Fight — 2007”. Creed to Xbox 360 or PC. well with Sony’s competition. The Xbox Entertainment Expo had its share of and Otacon will return to the game, and a surprising Grand Theft Auto IV, the biggest game of From the playtest that we had at this 360 had 18 titles on its American launch This includes interviews A blockbuster games on show, but there twist at the end of the trailer suggested that this may them all did get a mention, thanks to Peter Moore, year’s E3, Assassin’s Creed looks like the day, and had only 15 for its Australian were a few notable omissions. Four of the industry’s be Snake’s last mission, still no gameplay footage or Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Interactive next logical evolution of the stealth/action launch while Nintendo has tentatively biggest titles, which we know are currently in release information, however. Entertainment, who had the game’s logo tattooed on genre (it was among our top five games of announced that they hope to have development, were either shown very briefly or not Halo 3 was another game that was shown only his right bicep especially for the show. With his sleeve this year’s E3). We’d hate to see any gamer twenty titles ready for the Wii’s launch shown at all. in a teaser, although its appearance was even briefer. rolled up he announced that the game will be coming miss out on it, so we’re hoping that there’s later in the year. Resident Evil 5 for example, which was shown at From the looks of the trailer, in Halo 3 the Earth has to both Xbox 360 and PS3 on the same day, October at least a little truth to the speculation.