Future close Official Xbox Magazine with immediate effect; final issue on sale April 3

Eurogamer wrote:The Official Xbox Magazine has closed down, Eurogamer has learnt.

OXM folded last week, with the magazine's last few remaining staff let go. Eurogamer understands OXM is one of six magazines closed at Bath-based media company Future, although it is the only gaming magazine among them.



The closure of OXM comes in the same year Microsoft plans to release its next console, the Xbox Series X. Just one day ago the OXM Twitter account advertised an OXM subscription.

In a statement, Bath-based Future said the decline in video game retail had impacted the sales figures of its magazines, and insisted its executives had taken pay cuts to keep the numbers of lay-offs "to an absolute minimum".

"Like many organisations right now, we find ourselves being forced into making difficult decisions," reads the statement. "We have a duty of care to all our staff during this time and our focus is on protecting the business for them and for our customers. We have introduced a raft of measures to keep the numbers of lay-offs to an absolute minimum, including significant pay cuts for our Executive Team and Board. Whilst the decline in retail footfall impacts our magazine business, we are well placed with significant digital audiences and diversified revenues to continue delivering on our customers' changing needs at this time."

OXM began life in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox, with Future paying a licence fee to Microsoft to publish the official magazine of the console. There was once an OXM website, but content from the magazine, and Future's OPM and Edge, has made its way onto GamesRadar for some time now. PC Gamer retains its own website.

It seems Future is making significant changes to its video game publications. Last week editors sent emails to freelancers warning of budget cuts, with some budgets completely wiped out. All this comes at a worrying time for the video game industry and the self-employed, with the coronavirus wreaking havoc on normality.

Eurogamer has asked Microsoft for comment.

jawa4 wrote:

DarkRula wrote:It was going to happen eventually. It seems the market just cannot support single platform gaming magazines anymore. I have a feeling even OPM might kick the bucket soon, although considering the heavy Playstation bias of the UK, I think that one might be safe.

Looking at the circulation figures (OPM sold c18k per issue in 2019, OXM c15k) I'd be surprised if OPM continued for much longer. The official mags are licensed by the manufacturers and, as with Nintendo a few years back, they may decide that the low audience numbers aren't worth it.

It's a real shame as I loved gaming mags but the combination of high pricing (£6 to £7, now), decreased page count and - of course - free news on the internet and social media channels means that they can't really continue in a mainstream commercial sense. The light at the end of the tunnel is that hobbyist / fan editions could rise up; there are a number around already for people who are happy to pay a fiver for a small but fun paper mag.

DarkRula wrote:Yeah, with those numbers, it does look likely that OPM is soon to go. I guess being licenced means they haven't been able to break out of the usual routine to suit a magazine for a new market (focus more on features rather than reviews and news), so that downfall was sure to happen. In a way, this isn't as bad as with CVG and ONM, since all the websites have been folded into GamesRadar, meaning those communities still have somewhere to be.

DarkRula wrote:...It can't have been as bad as ONM, though, right? I'd subbed to ONM for a year after picking it up nearly every month the year prior, and even at the start of the year, you could tell the magazine was on its last legs. Still great quality, but when they promise a feature for three magazines in a row for it to never see the light of day, you know something's up.

Balladeer wrote:Yes, Future does that sort of thing.

KK wrote:...Wow, I sure did enjoy that subscription, Future! Literally seconds of enjoyable reading.

jawa4 wrote:

DarkRula wrote:...It can't have been as bad as ONM, though, right? I'd subbed to ONM for a year after picking it up nearly every month the year prior, and even at the start of the year, you could tell the magazine was on its last legs. Still great quality, but when they promise a feature for three magazines in a row for it to never see the light of day, you know something's up.

I loved ONM and was there right to the end. Yeah, I thought the quality was pretty good right up to the closure. I can't quite recall that feature that didn't arrive though, Rula?

KK wrote:

Balladeer wrote:Yes, Future does that sort of thing.

This has always annoyed me. Some magazines over the years have been given the dignity of having some forwarning that they're closing (the original OPM knew over a month in advance in 2004 and let readers know; NGamer had a big send-off issue, though even they were forced to rush it mid-issue) but recently that hasn't been the case at all. GamesMaster, GamesTM and now OXM have been scrapped like it's nothing. This one is even worse as staff have lost their jobs (they're usually moved to other positions) and they've been selling subscriptions to PEOPLE LIKE ME despite knowing internally that the magazine was to be closed for weeks.

There is zero romanticism for their magazines whatsoever. From a pure business perspective the last issue would probably do extremely well if given an appropriate send off.

KK wrote:How much does Microsoft charge Future for the license? Because you look at circulation figures alone and if Future were so desperate to close a gaming magazine I don't understand why you'd shut OXM on the eve of a new console generation over PC Gamer. ...

KK wrote:How much does Microsoft charge Future for the license? Because you look at circulation figures alone and if Future were so desperate to close a gaming magazine I don't understand why you'd shut OXM on the eve of a new console generation over PC Gamer. I can only surmise that because PC Gamer still has a stand-alone website they can have staff pull double duty and content is re-used over two platforms (such as previews and reviews).

OXM had an average circulation of 15,022 (7,596 of those subscribers) at a retail price of £5.99 (or very occasionally £6.99) an issue.
PC Gamer has an average circulation of 10,942 (7,043 of those subscribers) also at a retail price of £5.99.

We don't know what EDGE sells because it hasn't been publicly audited since 2014, but back then it had 18,082, so let's be optimistic and say around 12,000 or under at £6 an issue. I'm sure it must also cost considerably more to produce.

I really don't understand Future's logic here. I may be atypical, but I know I (attempted) to come back into the fold because I'll be spending more time at home in the coming months so wanted more things to read and there's also a new Xbox on the horizon. The 50% off rate was also very enticing and they've only been running it a few weeks across all their gaming mags (albeit very poorly advertised - there's no mention of it on the website, though there's a series of voucher codes). With the Xbox brand potentially kicking back into gear this just feels like they've jumped the gun. That's not to say they can't bring it back later in the year but I doubt it.

Delusibeta wrote:Yeah, looking purely at circulation numbers, this doesn't make sense. Judging by how suddenly this news came, I doubt Microsoft refused to re-license...