The original Left 4 Dead sold like gangbusters, thanks largely to word-of-mouth, positive reviews, and the $10 million that valve sunk into making sure everybody knew what the game was. The company now reaches even further, adding another $15 million worth of advertising for a game that is already one of its bestselling titles.

"We'll be supporting Left 4 Dead 2's launch with a $25 million campaign," said Doug Lombardi, Valve's vice-president of Marketing. "Left 4 Dead 2 has already set the record for greatest number of pre-orders in our company's history, and we're still over a month out from shipping."

In the U.S., that money translates into billboards, banner ads on gaming sites, and televised advertisements to run during UFC events and Monday Night Football. Europe will also see a ramp up in outdoor advertisements, along with print, television, and website ads.

It sounds like Left 4 Dead 2 will be everywhere you want to be over the coming month. Those of us already aware of the game will just have to wait patiently for release, practicing our "Yes, yes - we know" expressions."

Publisher Future has teamed up with WoW developer Blizzard Entertainment for quarterly title World of Warcraft: The Magazine.

Available in English, French, German and Spanish, the publication is sold via subscription only through World of Warcraft Account Management or from the mag's official site.

The magazine is available as a one or two-year subscription, pricing for one year is US$39.95, 34.95 EUR or 29.95 GBP depending on your region — two year subscription packages cost $69.95 in the US, 61.25 EUR or 52.50 GBP.

"Future produces some of the most respected gaming magazines in the industry, and we're pleased to be working closely with them to make World of Warcraft: The Magazine a true standout product," says Blizzard COO Paul Sams. "Together, we look forward to offering World of Warcraft players a great mix of entertaining and insightful content in every issue."

The 148-page first issue will cover the fifth anniversary of World of Warcraft.

Other Future publications include T3, Total Film, Digital Camera, Fast Car, Classic Rock, Guitar World, Official Xbox Magazine, Official Playstation Magazine, Nintendo Power, Maximum PC and MacLife.

With the demise of Ziff Davis' print empire in the US, Future are now top dog in the world of video game magazine publishing, so a look at Future's fortunes is as good a look as any if you're looking at determining the overall health of the business.

And going by the company's latest circulation figures, business isn't looking too great. Despite an increase in readership for some of the stable's PlayStation magazines, and a maintenance of Nintendo mag figures, all other mags - most notable among them Edge - are down.

* Edge - 31,304 to 28,898
* GamesMaster - 51,389 to 40,940
* OPM - 46,018 to 53,644
* PSW - 21,826 to 24,118
* ONM - 58,754 to 58,795
* OXM - 66,894 to 63,908
* Xbox World 360 - 31,698 to 31,030
* PSM3 - 26,885 to 26,202
* PC Gamer - 38,654 to 32,619
* PC Zone - 22,297 to 19,023

Most Future mags saw circulation drops last year [VG247]

That's according to publisher Imagine's managing director Damian Butt. He tells MCV "The decision to suspend N•Revolution has been taken because it has become increasingly obvious that Nintendo’s strategy for Wii and DS is no longer in line with Imagine Publishing's target readership."

We know some people are taking Wii Music pretty hard, but killing off your print publication? That's sending a message.

Imagine confirms N•Revolution closure [MCV]

With decreasing revenues and circulation rates—PC Gamer is down some 90,000 copies over the past four years—the only way to survive is to adapt. Conscious focus on more in-depth content in magazines and pushing the symbiotic relationship of online and offline media might just keep EGM and other Ziff Davis properties from death's door.

As a longtime fan of print publications, I still subscribe to EGM. I've also recently signed on for the Official Xbox Magazine, Games For Windows and the Official PlayStation Magazine. Despite the flood of online content, there are still worthwhile publications worth reading on a monthly basis, even if the news content they provide is often outdated.

Anyone else out there with a healthy daily intake of print and electronic video game news?

Game News in a Duel of Print and Online [New York Times]

Late last month, the PS3 launched in India. Well, we hear it launched, but didn't really see any photos of the people lining up and buying the console. Most India news sites were running stories that read like a press release. Reader Dave provides this update:

I didn't see any television coverage (which is not unusual for a country so interested in politics and self-actuation), nor have I seen any major advertising like billboards or other such standard western fare. It (the premium system) is currently retailing for 39990 Rs, or roughly $1200 AUD, which is $200 above what an Australian would pay, and THAT is obviously over what buyers in the NTSC market pay even after exchange rates. I've only seen the PS3 in specific gaming stores (themselves a rarity) and the local music and pop-culture chain of stores, Planet-M.

Not as big a presence as Microsoft with their ubiquitous Yuvraj Singh cricket demos. Though, I do like that PS3 ad. Simple, to the point and won't piss anyone off. Brian Ashcraft

The box lists Manhunt, Carmageddon and Canis Canem Edit . Gameblogs Keith Stuart explains why none should be listed:

The connection between Manhunt and the murder of Stefan Pakeerah has been widely discredited and officially denied by police investigating the case.

The tormenting of the homeless man in Canis Canem Edit, an accusation first put forward by The National Youth Council of Ireland, has been discredited. As this article points out the player befriends the homeless character and learns combat moves from him. Also, it's possible to earn a bonus item by giving money to the homeless.

True, Carmageddon was originally refused a certification, but publisher SCi made a successful appeal to the Video Appeals Committee under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Stuart mentions that he was reluctant to take issue with a fact box because the main story does a fine job of pointing to the dangers of having distractions in a vehicle. I think he's well within his right and frankly in some way it is his duty to point out just how sloppy and misleading that fact box was. Brian Crecente

Times reports on Gran Turismo crash - names other 'killer games' [Guardian Unlimited]

ZD, owner of the likes of 1Up and EGM, was once purchased for $2 billion, but now the company, which is being split into the gaming group and the enterprise division, might not clear the $780 million mark it was purchased for in 1999.

The Post's Keith Kelly reaffirms what I pointed out last week, that the company is insisting that the gaming group include both print and online publications, but goes on to flout my opinion that MTV isn't going to go for the company.

Bidders still looking at parts of the company include Apprise Media and Viacom's MTV publishing unit. Quadrangle is said to have dropped out.

Bids for the company are due at the end of the week. Brian Crecente

See you in Boca [NY Post]

1up has collected some of the most appallingly bad print ads for video games and related properties and crammed them all into a single article for your delectation.

My personal favorite was this thing on the right, which at first glance spoke to me of seedy dealings with fishnet stocking-wearing persons in harsh incandescent light. Possibly the second go-round of a RealDoll at a frathouse kegger.

You see it, don't you? The lower left corner looks like nothing more than a thigh clad in "fencenet" gauge fishnet stockings (yes, they come in different gauges), and the vaguely simian silhouette and cropped hair in the background is reminiscent of the corn-fed American youth that is the soul of the Greek system.

Which brings us to the completely unidentifiable body part in the foreground. I choose to believe that after enough heat and absorbed beer vomit, even the smoothest silicon meats begin to buckle and bulge. It's also possible that this particular unit was marked "irregular", and seeing as it was probably purchased with student loans, it was all they could afford.

Contemplate this twisted flesh, the stink and squeak of well-used rubber, the tangling of synthetic wig fibers on beige carpet, and think of great advertising decisions of the 1990's. Eliza Gauger

The Bestest Worser Ads [1up]

Wishful thinking or print game journalism's shortcomings? The June issue of Game Informer still refers to the Nintendo Wii as the "Revolution." This is from a monthly glossy that claims to be "The World's #1 Computer & Video Game Magazine." Ehem. Surely, the mag's nimble publishing wheels move fast enough to change stuff like this. The Wii has been named for what, over a month? That's like a year in blog dating. Brian Ashcraft

I Do Love Print [Game Informer] Thanks, Evan!