Ziff Davis Media’s 1UP Network is getting gobbled up like its little green mushroomy Super Mario namesake at a convention of Italian plumbers.
Hearst-owned competitor UGO will add 1UP.com and its related sites to its own stable of gaming media. Kotaku and Gamasutra also report that Electronic Gaming Monthly, the long-running magazine and companion to the Ziff Davis-owned 1UP site, will be shut down immediately — another victim of the decline of print media.
Read the UGO press release on the jump.
UGO Entertainment to acquire 1UP.com
Online Publisher Adds Best in Class Games Site to Stable of Properties
NEW YORK, January 6, 2008 – UGO Entertainment, a unit of Hearst Corporation, announced today that it will acquire 1UP.com, a premium brand and trusted site among hardcore gamers, and its associated properties including GameVideos.com, MyCheats.com and GameTab.com. The deal is structured as an asset purchase between UGO Entertainment and the Ziff Davis Games Group.
Since we started UGO 11 years ago, we have served the gamer community and built a world-class online publishing platform,” said J Moses, CEO of UGO Entertainment. “The acquisition of 1UP, with its authentic voice, tenured editorial personalities and bustling user community, allows us to expand our base of quality content and represents a major step forward in UGO’s mission to become the leader in the games space.”
“We are extremely excited to join the UGO team,” said Sam Kennedy, editorial director and creator of 1UP. “Relying on UGO’s publishing platform will allow us to focus on what we do best-creating great content and ‘owning the conversation’ among gamers through our unique, authentic and definitive voice and community.”
1UP.com will stand beside UGO.com as a flagship brand within UGO Entertainment’s robust portfolio of sites targeting 18-34 year old gamers. The combined entity will reach an audience of more than 40 million monthly unique visitors.
An all-star cast of 1UP editors will carry on the site’s tradition of engaging hardcore gamers with insightful commentary, comprehensive information and breaking news from the games industry.
“In this difficult marketplace and at a time, when many companies are scaling back their businesses, UGO Entertainment continues to grow and expand its position in the games space,” said Ken Bronfin, president of Hearst Interactive Media. “We remain dedicated to supporting UGO’s growth in this key category.”
Advertisers will be able to purchase integrated media campaigns across both properties effective immediately. For advertising information contact Nick Flynn, SVP of sales at nick@ugo.com.
ABOUT UGO ENTERTAINMENT:
UGO Entertainment (www.ugo.com) -a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation’s largest diversified media companies-has been exclusively online for over 10 years, creating quality lifestyle content for Gamers. The company’s flagship website, UGO.com, and its owned and operated properties engage a massive audience of more than 40 million monthly unique visitors with a distinctive editorial voice and a passion for all things central to the Gamer lifestyle: Movies, TV shows, Music, Comics, Technology, Gadgets, Gear, Girls, Sports, and, of course, Games.
UGO Entertainment has earned a strong reputation as a trusted publisher, delivering customized, high impact and high touch online advertising programs for its world-class client base and is a leader in attracting the coveted 18-34 male demographic. The company operates from its headquarters in New York City.
