Gamers of the 8- and 16-bit generation will fondly remember GamePro, one of the leading publications covering and reviewing the growing games market during the console salad days of the 90s. But like so many publications before it, and surely many to come, the modern age was too much for it. Even after shifting to quarterly publication and focusing on an online presence, the venerable magazine is finally being shelved for good.
Owner IDG has confirmed that ad revenue wasn’t enough and the whole operation is being rolled up, complete with layoffs. The brand will remain, both as a games-focused subsite at PCWorld and as a custom content publisher for events and such, known as GamePro Custom Solutions. So they may yet have a modest future as a trade show and private print producer.
They put up a valiant fight and tried to change with the times, which is more than can be said of some “legacy” publications, but times are tough and that’s that. As a former GamePro reader and colleague in the business, I wish the company and employees all the best.