Announced last year, the new Electronic Gaming Monthly will be lead by publisher Steve Harris, one of the original mag's founders. Joining Harris will be former EGM and 1UP regulars, Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Demian Linn, Seanbaby, Ryan O'Donnell and Matt Chandronait.

The April issue—yes, still due in March—will feature a special code for a copy of the electronic version of Electronic Gaming Monthly, known as EGM[i]: The Digital Magazine.

EGM MEDIA, LLC ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT WITH TIME/WARNER RETAIL SALES & MARKETING FOR NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY MAGAZINE [EGM Now via Joystiq]

"Plans put in motion today for EGM to return on December 1...", he posted on his Twitter account earlier today. Now, these are plans. Not a concrete, definitive announcement.

Also, we still don't know what guise the mag will be back in! Surely there'll still be a tangible, proper magazine forming the cornerstone of EGM's output, but Harris' previous comments on "fully transportable" content have us more interested in that than some bound pieces of paper.

[Steve Harris @ Twitter]

Twelve-year-old Jake O'Donnell of Boston got an eyeful of side- and underbooby when Maxim showed up this past month, and mom Kathleen is - I gotta go with her on this - understandably a bit peeved.

Not that Maxim's out-and-out porn, but it's definitely for a readership a bit older - note I didn't say "more mature" - than a 12-year-old. It's not just the boiyoiyoinggg photos, either, stuff about drinking, bad hookups and stupid stunts with painful endings, seriously. That's not age appropriate.

Boston's WBZ-TV smelled the big stinker and filed an investigative report on it. Basically, the news is - while subscribers could opt out and get a refund for the remainder of their EGM subs, that notice was accompanied by the first replacement issue of Maxim, meaning there was no way for a mom to head off her junior high-schooler's encounter with his new subscription and a roll of Charmin. On top of that, although Mrs. O'Donnell wrote in to cancel the sub, the August 2009 copy - with Joanna Krupa vamping topless on the front - arrived right on time.

12-Year-Old Gets Maxim Mag, Mom not Happy [The Escapist via Joystiq]

On Baran's own 1Up page, he wrote this about himself:

I was an editor for EGM and the host of Sendai/Ziff-Davis magazines, enjoying a tenure that lasted from the days of the NES and continued all the way through to the Xbox. (1991-2001) I started out counseling players on a variety of videogame tip lines and ended my extensive career as Senior Editor...

On the magazines, I was once known as Cyber Boy. Historically speaking, I had one of the longest runs on the Review Crew-where I even held the top slot for a time. Sadly, this was mostly incognito as I wrote under Ed Semrad's name over the years. If you have your old issues, you can find plenty of hidden references in "his" reviews that would hint at the truth. Eventually I got to use my real name and had enjoyed the top slot of the Crew with my own identity.

A ZD buyout spun me into the fringes of EGM2 where I produced over 125 strategy guides. When the company was sold to an investment firm, I found myself cast out of the gaming media's light, but into the warm embrace of gaming retail instead.

Former EGM Editor In Chief Dan Hsu has a tribute to Baran over at BitMob. That in the embedded link below.

Rest in peace, Andy, rest in peace.

RIP: EGM's Andy Baran [BitMob]

Owner Steve Harris says:

First and foremost, we're planning to incorporate digital content within the magazine. This includes professionally-produced video, audio and other types of content. We're also going to make this content fully transportable. ... There's now a heightened consumer interest in the transportability of information and using applications to do things like read content on an iPhone. We benefit not only from the technology but from the consumer's willingness to use it. The new Electronic Gaming Monthly will let you take your magazine and its content from print to computer to wireless devices — even to your television — as well as enable subscribers and single-copy purchasers to enhance that experience every step of the way. We are embracing that reality [and] will enable it and encourage it.

So you pay for the "mag", and in return receive content that can be read (or watched, or listened to) across multiple formats. Interesting. Very interesting.

Big Hints at EGM's Future [Bitmob]

While EGM folded as a print publication earlier this year, interest in the magazine and 12 to 24-month long subscriptions didn't. Rather than issue a refund, subscribers appear to be getting a replacement in Maxim. The 14-year-old men's mag does cover video games in addition to breasts, so readers won't be at a total loss. But given Maxim's preference of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand to Killzone 2, we're not sure how well-served in reviews they'll be.

I have yet to receive my replacement copy of Maxim, but reader Jordan has. His first replacement issue comes with a note that subscribers can instead opt for a pro-rated refund for the balance of their EGM subscription.

It's doubtful that balance can be transferred to the attempt at reviving Electronic Gaming Monthly by magazine founder Steve Harris. But, hey, boobs.

According to an announcement, Harris has acquired publishing rights and trademarks to EGM, with plans to restart the print publication in the second half of this year.

Harris calls the relaunch of Electronic Gaming Monthly a "welcome opportunity to continue delivering quality content to gaming enthusiasts," saying the new EGM team has "exciting plans for the evolution of what will once again be a leading independent voice for the gaming community."

The mag has the enthusiastic, but not necessarily financial backing of Ziff Davis.

"We are pleased that EGM is now in the hands of its original creator, Steve Harris, and wish him and the publication the best of success in the future," says Ziff CEO Jason Young.

The press release states that we'll hear more about the new EGM at next week's E3 expo. For now, a placeholder site featuring the announcement, with links to the resuscitated mag's Twitter and Facebook accounts resides at EGMnow.com.

"ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY" FOUNDER EXECUTES CONTRACT TO ACQUIRE PRINT AND ONLINE PUBLISHING RIGHTS TO EGM MAGAZINE [EGM - thanks, Anthony!]

1UP editor Jeremy "Toastyfrog" Parish announced that the former online-only magazine—annual print collection notwithstanding—will be changing formats, with new issues due every three months. Expect less of a focus on video game news and something more along the lines of the quarterly literary journal McSweeney's "but without as much ironic post-hipsterism."

Parish, who contributed to print publications like EGM and GMR, and continues to contribute to the Retronauts podcast and blog, writes on the GameSpite blog how the magazine came to be.

When I was first hired at 1UP, I was excited to have steady work, sure... but I was even more enthusiastic about the fact that I'd be working at the company responsible for the last few American game magazines worth reading. I'd always wanted to be a published author, and working with GMR, EGM, OPM et al. gave me that opportunity. Needless to say, I watched the magazines die one by one with grim disappointment, and when they finally pulled the plug on EGM I was crushed.

On the seemingly backwards evolution of online to print, Parish explains.

I miss the substance of physical media, and I miss single looming deadlines, and I miss pages of content without animated roadblock-style Flash ads bordering them. No one's going to make a profit publishing a game magazine, but I realized we can do it here without a loss, and that's good enough. I mean, I already make a living doing online game writing for a company that has no interest in taking us into print, and this site already has lots of great content that will eventually be bundled into collected print volumes. So we've decided to reverse the process a little and do print first: thus, GameSpite Quarterly, Issue 1.

Parish says that GameSpite Quarterly will be, in part, based on the format of the Japanese enthusiast mag Continue. Expect issues to be about 150 pages in length and run $10 (or a little more).

GameSpite Issue 14 has been cancelled [GameSpite]

Former EIC James Mielke has posted the cover of the ill-fated February 2009 issue of the magazine, an issue that should have been a celebration, but instead won't ever rattle a subscriber's mailbox, won't ever be seen on a store shelf.

It will at least be seen, however. Mielke writes that the magazine's final "issue" will be made available on 1UP.com, print ads and all, for everyone to read. Won't fill that void of "what can I read on the can?", but can at least give you some closure.

The Last Day of EGM, The Secret Lost Final Issue of EGM [1UP]

Carbajal writes that concerns about the ability of Ziff Davis' gaming mag to continue beyond 2008 led the Mexican licensor of the EGM brand to shutter the mag. That means EGM fans south of the border will have to settle for the December 2008 issue, the one with Watchmen gracing the cover, as the mag's "adios" issue.

While we know the English language version will continue at least through its January issue, Ziff's CEO Jason Young sounds less confident in its ability to continue through the rest of the year.

It was reported last night that UGO was interested in buying the 1UP network of sites, but not the print version of EGM, another potential sign of weakness for the two-decade old mag.

Thanks to Josué Hernandez for the heads up.

EGM en Español (2002-2008) [Press-Start]

1UP says we're looking at Wolverine's in-game model, illustrating just how expertly someone at Raven can render a bulging vein. Do make sure to check out the Hugh-mungous hi-res version to see the little details.

What scant details 1UP provides — Sentinel boss fights, ultra-violence, "a new approach to seamless cinematic in-game cut-scenes" — certainly have us interested. Hopefully our upcoming issue of EGM is already well on its way to Kotaku Towers West. Until then, we'll just ogle that single screen.

First Screenshot and Info For X-Men Origins: Wolverine [1UP]

Next year will be EGM's 20th year in print, should it last until summer of 2009 for its two decade anniversary. Young tells the New York Times that Ziff Davis is "considering" moving EGM to an online-only format on 1UP.com, but would not make the decision before end of year.

Young blamed rising costs associated with print and decreased advertising as reasons for the closing of PC Magazine.

Ziff Davis filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and is working on eliminating its debt. The publisher has shut down a number of print pubs over the past few years, including the Official PlayStation Magazine, GMR and most recently Games For Windows: The Magazine.

PC Magazine, a Flagship for Ziff Davis, Will Cease Printing a Paper Version [New York Times via Gamasutra]

The LBP universe will also continue to evolve next year with the release of the PSP version: Q-Mann hears it’s fantastically ambitious and will further flesh out the PS3 LBP experience.

There are no actual facts about the game, but it would be difficult to imagine using the PSP to do any serious level editing. Interestingly, Media Molecule are apparently not involved in the port and are said to be considering new project - including a possible online RPG.

Silicon Knights was reported to be working on a "third-person action/psychological thriller" and enjoying a long term relationship with Sega. It is also not ruling out revisiting Eternal Darkness.

We were told by Sega reps back in June to expect the unveiling of the Silicon Knights project "in the coming months" after a video, incorrectly identified to be that project, was leaked from market research firm Intellisponse.

We've contacted Sega reps to get confirmation on the rumored change in plans.

If so, you'd do well to check out the newest issue of EGM, which features a cover story on Watchmen: The End Is Nigh including first screens, interviews with all involved and probably a heavy dose of disappointment for some of you.

EGM Watches the Watchmen in Our December Issue [1UP]

That's the extent of the details Q-man is willing to give, only noting that the title is "multi-platform" — which we'll interpret to mean Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and (maybe) PC, not Nintendo DS and PSP. We'll hold tight for the EGM cover story on the matter or hope that Cliff just spills the beans in the comments.

Quartermann: Cliff Bleszinski's Next Game a Survival Horror Title? [1UP]

Really though, is this true, and if so, is it a good idea? Part of LBP's appeal is that it managed to create iconic characters that have no other presence outside this particular world. To have Mickey, Minnie and or Goofy tromping all over creation seems more than a little inconsistent with that look. It sounds like Kingdom Hearts meets LBP.

EGM November 2008 Reviews and Rumors [NeoGAF via Joystiq]

Said title will also stay true to its 2D roots, says EGM, which knows what's coming but won't name names, except to exclude Bucky O'Hare or Biker Mice from Mars Wiifanboy runs with the ball of speculation, offering some possibilities Konami could be working.

I guess my question is, why wouldn't it be Contra? Unless they're thinking after Mega Man 9 and Bionic Commando: Rearmed, people will have exhausted their supply of nostalgia for platform action games. If it's Rush'n Attack I'm gonna choke.

Rumor: Konami Trying Its Hand at Retro Revival

“The Court’s confirmation of our Plan is a major milestone for Ziff Davis as we look to emerge from Chapter 11 restructuring,” said Jason Young, Chief Executive Officer of Ziff Davis Media. “We are very proud of the progress we have made during our short time in Chapter 11 to become a healthier company. We remain grateful for the unwavering support of our customers, vendors and employees throughout this process and we look forward to continuing our work with all of our stakeholders after our emergence. After concluding our restructuring, we will be better positioned, with the financial strength to grow and capitalize on our strengths.”

The plan, in a nutshell, splits the $428 million in debt between new stock and a $57.5 million debt.

I'm happy to see that both 1Up and EGM survived the turmoil. Let's hope that they both recover as stronger entities than when ZD first filed.

Court Confirms Ziff Davis Media’s Plan Of Reorganization

Company Expects to Emerge From Chapter 11 on July 1, 2008

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Ziff Davis Media Inc. (“Ziff Davis” or the “Company”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ziff Davis Holdings Inc., today announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Court") confirmed Ziff Davis’s “Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan Of Reorganization,” dated May 6, 2008 (the “Plan”). Ziff Davis currently expects to emerge from Chapter 11 on July 1, 2008.

“The Court’s confirmation of our Plan is a major milestone for Ziff Davis as we look to emerge from Chapter 11 restructuring,” said Jason Young, Chief Executive Officer of Ziff Davis Media. “We are very proud of the progress we have made during our short time in Chapter 11 to become a healthier company. We remain grateful for the unwavering support of our customers, vendors and employees throughout this process and we look forward to continuing our work with all of our stakeholders after our emergence. After concluding our restructuring, we will be better positioned, with the financial strength to grow and capitalize on our strengths.”

As previously announced, the Plan substantially de-leverages Ziff Davis’s balance sheet by converting over $428 million in funded indebtedness to (a) new common stock of reorganized Ziff Davis Media and (b) a new note of $57.5 million. The acceptance of the Plan by voting creditors was overwhelming. The Plan provides Ziff Davis with sufficient cash to fund its exit from Chapter 11 as well as its ongoing business plan. This funding will enable the Company to finance its Chapter 11 exit obligations as well as ongoing operations for the foreseeable future.

More information about Ziff Davis's reorganization, including the Plan and Disclosure Statement, are available at www.bmcgroup.com.

EGM July 2008 [via GameSetWatch]