Playing to win readers

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, April 15, 1996 by Jennifer Sucov

If you've ever talked to a computer gamer, you know gaming is serious business. The software industry knows the same thing: Games are the hottest-selling products, and experts predict that the market will keep booming.

Growth in both the playing market and the personal computer market has led to a surge in new enthusiasts. To embrace these fresh legions of users, the folks at Computer Gaming World decided it was time to revamp both the look and substance of the 15-year-old title. The new issue was unveiled in February.

"We thought of ourselves as an elite fraternity," says editor Johnny Wilson about the old CGW mindset. "Our audience read every word, but they had to work to get to the information. [In the redesign,] we wanted to continue to serve the readers that have been with us for 15 years, but not alienate the new ones. That was the challenge."

"Before, the book was really `A to Z,"' observes Eddie Malstrom, art director and chief engineer of the redesign. "It read like a manual. It wasn't reader-friendly."

To lead the overhaul of the 175,000-circulation monthly, Wilson and publisher Jonathan Lane lured Malstrom to CGW in February 1995 from his position of art director for competitor PC Gamer.

After testing several logo treatments, the team chose a format that reinforces Computer Gaming as a brand. "The old logo was just type," says Malstrom. The new logo emphasizes the "C" and "G" in the title, creating the moniker "CG." "CG" is now used throughout the magazine--as "CG Rated" in the ratings boxes, "CG Choice" for editor's picks, and as an end bullet at the close of each article--on the Web site and on CD-ROMs packaged with the publication.

Malstrom's biggest task, however, was to retain the book's substantial editorial content to please core readers, while creating a more open look that would appeal to less-obsessed new gamers. "Other books aren't as deep as CGW," he says. "I wanted to maintain the word count."

To gain more white space, Malstrom changed fonts from Baskerville 9/12, which he says "took up a lot of real estate," to Leectra 8.5/11. Sacrificing half a point size, tightening up the leading and using a condensed typeface were the first steps toward accessibility.

CGW added a difficulty-rating icon for each review so players can quickly judge how much time a game requires. This new feature will also help first-time readers find games appropriate to their skill levels.

"Readers want to be able to find the games and get the information and expertise to win," says Lane. Adds Wilson: "They want tips. There's no ego here."

The ratings box at the end of each review was also streamlined to make the information more accessible. A classic, five-star rating system takes the place of space-age blast icons, and in addition to "Pros" and "Cons," each ratings box includes an "Appeal" category to further direct the reader to the skills-appropriate game. These new elements, says Wilson, embody the "results-oriented theme" of the revamp. "We trust we are giving readers more to do and use, not just show and tell," he says.

Columnists' photos are another new feature aimed at personalizing the title and increasing the readership. Malstrom says overall response--mostly in the form of e-mail--has been positive. He reports, however, that one controversial columnist hasn't gained any fans with the addition of his photo. "Now that they see him, they really don't like him."

Editorially, CGW has added a "FAQ" (frequently asked questions) section to help orient new readers to the magazine. A technology section was also introduced. Publisher Lane explains that as games have become more sophisticated, with high-end graphics and sound, the user's focus has become more hardware-oriented. Products now require top-of-the-line monitors, graphics accelerator cards and sound boards, so contemporary gamers have to become more computer-savvy. This trend, says Lane, could mean more hardware ads by year's end.

Since Ziff-Davis bought CGW in 1993, circulation has grown from 75,000 to 175,000 and ad pages have increased more than 300 percent, says Lane, who hopes the surge in the industry will translate into a reader surge. If it does, he adds, CGW will be right there to welcome a game new audience.