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!]

The popular PC file download service was closed late last month after its owners, Ziff Davis Media (who were trying to offload the site), failed to find a buyer. Yet no sooner did the site close than, with its value crashing through the floor, it seems somebody stepped in to save it. A message on FileFront's website reads:

FileFront has been acquired by the original founders of the site and will NOT be suspended as previously announced. This is NOT an April Fool's Joke.

Several more paragraphs of that make it rather clear that, yes, this is not a joke. As of writing, all "previously suspended" services are up and running, and the new/old owners "look forward to improving FileFront and serving the gaming community for years to come."

Visitors to FileFront today are being directed to a farewell message, explaining that the current economic environment has forced the website to close its doors indefinitely. Members of the site are cautioned to save any blog posts or stored files before Monday, March 30th, or risk losing them forever.

We would like to give a warm thank you to all of you who have been part of the FileFront communities we have built together. Your support has had a meaningful impact for all of us here at FileFront. Again, we want to give you a sincere "thank you" for your support over the years and wish you all the very best.

FileFront owner Ziff Davis held on to the PC games site during the sale of the 1UP Network to UGO early this year, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Farewell, FileFront! You had a great run, and your 90 terabytes of storage space shall be sorely missed.

Farewell from FileFront [FileFront - Thanks everyone]

Hearst - who more importantly own many of the nation's biggest newspapers along with ownership stakes in ESPN and the History Channel - will however only be taking ownership of the network's online presence.

Which means long-running print magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly won't be along for the ride. This will be the last month the magazine is published, bringing to an end nearly two decades of independent, influential games editorial.

RIP, games magazines. Below is an email sent to Ziff employees by company CEO Jason Young earlier today, courtesy of Gamasutra:

Team:

We are announcing today the sale of our 1UP digital business to UGO Entertainment, a dvision of Hearst Corporation.

Over the course of the last 4 years we have built the 1UP sites into a top tier gaming digital destination. While our growth has been sharp, it has become apparent that more scale is necessary to effectively compete in this market segment.

We made the decision that the best path to putting our award winning 1UP brand and content in a more competitive position was to combine it with the operations of another publisher. We received much interest from other parties.

After a comprehensive process, this morning we completed a deal with Hearst Interactive, the owner and operator of UGO Entertainment. 1UP.com, MyCheats.com, Gamevideos.com, and Gametab.com will now all be part of the UGO Entertainment business. Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team.

With this transaction happening, we have also made the decision to discontinue publication of EGM. The January 2009 issue will be the final issue of the publication. With demand for print continuing to decline amongst both advertisers and readers and the content being produced by 1UP no longer available for use in the publication, it simply did not make sense for us to move forward with this business any longer.

We will continue to operate the Filefront business as a part of the PCMag Digital Network. In the coming months we will determine the best ways to leverage the scale and functionality of this digital property to expand our business position.

The Ziff Davis position in the gaming market has been significant and important to our company and the market itself. While many of our assets in the PCMag Digital Network (including Filefront now) will continue to cover this market, it's important that we celebrate all that we have achieved over the last 25 years.

Our leadership in print for decades with titles like Computer Gaming World and EGM which in turn translated into the build out of one of the leading digital gaming media assets in 1UP are prime examples of the skill, passion, and expertise of our teams.and what they achieved.

It's incredible to compare the 1UP.com of today versus that of 12 months ago. I want to thank everybody in our Game Group for their important contributions over the years.

For Ziff Davis Media, our attention and focus now shifts squarely to the PC Mag Digital Network. The proceeds from this transaction will be used to pay down debt. One of the primary objectives of our business plan is ensuring that we have plenty of room to service our debt obligations into the future, and manage for growth in what will be a challenging year in the advertising market.

While the market will be tough, we are confident our position is well aligned to where the demand is most active. We move forward as a 100% digital business with tenured brand position, and powerful capabilities to drive results for our customers. I look forward to sharing more updates in the coming weeks.

JY.

Interesting how he says "many" of their employees, not "all" of them.

Breaking: Ziff Davis Sells 1UP To UGO/Hearst, Closes EGM [Gamasutra]

UPDATE - This isn't a simple transition. It's a day of long knives. Around 30 of 1UP's staff have been fired today, including the majority of its most well-known and respected writers. Full story here.

Looks like when Ziff CEO said "Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team", he actually meant "we're taking the interns and tea lady and that's about it".

According to twitter posts, GAF posts and phonecalls to MTV, around 30 staffers were let go today, including Skip Pfister, Ryan O'Donnell, Philip Kollar, Jay Fresh, Cesar Quintero, Nick Suttner, Anthony Gallegos, Matt Chandronait, Shane Bettenhausen and former EIC James Mielke.

Also cut were most of the Gamevideos.com team, as well as production of the 1UP Show.

Leaving, what, Sam Kennedy and Garnett Lee? That's a day of long knives if ever we've seen one.

EGM Shuts Down, More Than 30 Ziff Davis Employees Laid Off [MTV]

These talks are in a "very advanced" stage.

The report claims that UGO plans to allow 1UP's websites (ie 1UP.com, Gamevideos) to operate independently, maintaining their own "separate entities with their own branding". Sadly for EGM fans, it's also claimed that UGO have no interest in Electronic Gaming Monthly, meaning that if this deal does take place, the end is nigh for the long-running magazine.

Exclusive: UGO in high-level talks to buy 1UP; EGM not part of deal [Joystiq]

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 poor economic conditions have created a very different and difficult dynamic for us this year, and we weren't confident that we could present a show experience that was consistent with the successes of prior years.

He goes on to say they're optimistic the show can return in 2009, but we're not doing anything drastic like holding our breath.

Bad economy kills this year's DigitalLife Expo [Cnet]

“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.

"Once we re-emerge from the other side of this, fully intact (as we assuredly will be), we will have reduced that debt significantly, and the payments that go with it," Simon says. "Our earnings will once again be our own, and we will have spare cash to invest in building bigger, better, faster, stronger and better-looking websites and magazines."

As soon as ZD gets that debt monkey of its back, the 1UP network and its print brethren are due for some internal investment, which is super duper positive.

So, chin up, subscribers and podcast listeners. It's not the end of EGM as we know it.

That Chapter 11 thing... [1UP]

The company has tried to negotiate its substantial debt out of the courts before, following a missed interest payment last summer. Over the past four years, the company had shuttered some of its publications, including the Official PlayStation Magazine and GMR, but continues to publish print properties like eWeek and PC Magazine as well as nearly twenty technology and entertainment web sites.

While we don't know much about the financial health of its video gaming properties, we have heard that the 1UP Yours podcast will be scaled back to a lean three hours in an effort to cut costs. A temporary setback, we hope.

Ziff Davis Media Files for Bankruptcy to Cut Debt [Bloomberg]

Sounds like EGM and 1UP were quite justified in their legal "picking on" of Pereira and Blogeek. He's an EGM Brazil freelancer and has now admitted to swiping the pics from Ziff-Davis' own media servers. EGM editor-in-chief Dan Hsu, who says ZD has the IP logs of the transgression to back it up, explains.

Guys, maybe a little journalistic investigating before you blast us? How about talking to Ziff Davis to get the "full story"? This guy did not get the information from an "anonymous source." He's a freelancer for EGM Brazil who finally admitted to them that he did not have a source, but rather, stole the information from our servers (we have IP logs for this). He used his working relationship with EGM Brazil, stole a password, and took information from our story and posted it up before we could.

If one of Kotaku's freelancers stole a password to steal a scoop, would that be cool? I'd be OK with it if, indeed, he had a source that leaked the information (I stood up for Kotaku for that very act in last year's Sony debacle). But that's not what's happened. What he did was just outright illegal, irresponsible, and is not what journalists are supposed to do.

Please, next time, before blasting us...maybe get the other side of the story?

Thanks to Hsu for clearing up the matter. I'm off to wince!

When contacted over the weekend Pereira denied the allegations and said that he never admitted to anything.

They don't know what they're saying!!! That's right, I in fact write some things for the brazilian mag. Though, I'm a freelancer, and therefore I don't have access to their FTP. I never wrote a story that used the FTP. And I NEVER admitted that I stole the pictures from their FTP, because I didn't. I know it sounds suspicious, but you must believe me, I don't have their FTP login and did not stole any pics form there. They were given to me, and I published them.

"The content you posted in the site blogeek is property of Ziff Davis, given from Capcom only to Ziff Davis and EGM issues, with embargo for the publications. Your publication of this subject is theft of intellectual property and should have immediate legal consequences. Ziff Davis and Futuro want you to cut off the content form your site immediately."

Pereia informed me that a follow up email informed him that Ziff Davis and Capcom lawyers were working to see what they could do to him, and that sales of the Street Fighter IV issue of EGM would suffer from the leak and he was responsible. Pressure is being put on Pereia to reveal his source as well, though Douglas refuses to do so.

He has, however, removed the post from Blogeek and taken the site down, posting a message on the front page apologizing for the leaked information.

IT WAS NOT OUR INTENTION TO MESS WITH ANYONE. LIKE EVERY NEWS SITE AND BLOG, WE JUST WANTED TO PASS INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE INTEREST FOR ANY SUBJECT.

JUST TO CLARIFY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NDA, AND FAR LESS WE WOULD HACK ANYTHING FROM ZIFF DAVIS. A SOURCE CAME TO US AND PASSED SOME INFOS AND THE TWO PICTURES, AND WE PUBLISHED THEM.

ALTHOUGH WE STILL DON'T THINK WE SHOULD, WE REALLY WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO ANYONE WHO GOT HURT WITH THE INCIDENT.

ZIFF DAVIS WAS THREATENING US, AND WE ARE REALLY AFRAID, OF COURSE.

Why pick on Douglas Pereia and Blogeek? Because they know they can. A small site without a very large fan base is much easier to fool with threats than a large website with untold numbers of regular readers. The main gist of this is they want to know his source, and they're trying to strong-arm him into giving it. Just sad.

As of this writing, Kotaku has received no similar threats, despite the pictures and information being available for all to view, right here.

UPDATE: Please see this post for comment from Ziff-Davis via EGM editor in chief Dan Hsu.

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]

Ziff-Davis has been trying to reduce some of its debt by selling off properties, attempting to court buyers for other pubs, and has cut down the number of magazines under its umbrella, shutting down the Official PlayStation Magazine earlier this year.

No, it doesn't sound good, but Young says that "Operationally, we're in very good shape." I'll tell you who's in good shape; GameVideos' Mark MacDonald! Guy must've run track in high school or something.

ZIFF SKIPS PAYMENT [NY Post]

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]

Ziff Davis announced today that the long running Official PlayStation Magazine (aka OPM) will see its last issue hit in January of 2007.

Why end it now, when the PlayStation 3 is on the cusp of launch and over 100 million PlayStation 2's and... um... some PSP's are in gamer's hands? Why, the PlayStation 3, of course. And that new fangled internet.

Let's face it, we certainly weren't buying OPM for the articles. It was for the demos. With the PlayStation 3 featuring an integrated networking platform with an embedded digital distribution center (the Store, natch) to offer up PS3 and PSP downloadables, that pesky printed material just seems like dead weight.

And, with the rise of 1UP and the huge investment in GameVideos.com, what do we need an antiquated paper magazine for? That's right. Nothin'.

Press release fetishists, make the jump for your jollies. Michael McWhertor

Ziff Davis Game Group to Discontinue Publication of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14 — Ziff Davis Game Group, the leading integrated media company focused on the video game sector, today announced that it will discontinue publication of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine after the January 2007 issue. The Game Group is laser-focused on continuing to expand its rapidly growing digital media presence and on further strengthening its multiplatform properties and powerful integrated network. As such, the Game Group has determined that Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, a property licensed from Sony Computer Entertainment America and limited to print, no longer fits its strategic vision.

"Ziff Davis has had a great run with Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine for the past nine years," said Scott McCarthy, President of Ziff Davis Game Group. "We are very proud of the magazine and its outstanding editorial team, and we're obviously sad to see it go. Unfortunately, given where we are taking the Game Group, it doesn't easily fit into our integrated media network or afford us digital media opportunities."

Mr. McCarthy continued, "In addition, it's a new world. The powerful online capabilities of the exciting PlayStation 3, coupled with ever- increasing broadband penetration in the U.S., allow for much more efficient distribution of game demos, videos, and trailers. With this next generation of game consoles, the days of having to bundle a disc with a magazine to distribute games-related content are over. And the disc has clearly been a major driver for consumer interest in premium-priced, platform-specific magazines in the past, when the magazine disc was the only way gamers could get such content."

Sony Computer Entertainment America will remain a key content and marketing partner for Ziff Davis Game Group, which will cover SCEA's PlayStation 3 and first-party games extensively across all of its media outlets, including EGM, 1UP.com, and GameVideos.com. The Game Group editorial team will also work closely with SCEA in the development of digital content for the PlayStation Network, accessible only through the PS3.

"We are as excited about the PlayStation 3 as the rest of the world, and gamers will be sure to see us reporting extensively on the platform — and on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable — across our various media assets," said John Davison, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director of Ziff Davis Game Group. "We enjoy working with SCEA and look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come."

Ziff Davis Game Group's digital media presence has expanded greatly over the past year. The reach of the 1UP Network in the third quarter of 2006 was nearly six times larger than in the same quarter in 2005, and the Game Group has launched several new online properties including GameVideos.com, MyCheats.com, the 1UP Show video podcast, and the ESPN.com Video Games Channel in partnership with ESPN.

The Game Group is also aggressively integrating its print and online media properties wherever possible. For example, its flagship multiplatform magazine EGM, the leader among videogame magazines, is now closely aligned with 1UP.com in terms of visual design, content, and its games rating system.

The collaboration isn't that surprising, especially in the light of last week's news that ZD was looking for buyers for their magazines and website. It also makes a lot of sense for Microsoft, which seems to be really dedicated to launching the new Vista operating system as a true gaming platform.

An interesting bit of swagage connected to the deal popped up on the Quarter to Three forums where Ziff-Davis worker bee Jason Cross says that Msoft will be hooking up the magazine's writers with a free PC gaming rigs.

Another example of how Microsoft is taking things a bit more seriously:

You know how the press get free Xboxes or PS2s or Gamecubes (often dev units) in order to properly play and review games for those platforms? Well, if Vista is supposed to be this big gaming platform, why not do the same thing there? So they are. They're working together with VoodooPC and AMD to build gaming boxes - not crazy high-end but quite nice machines - with the latest build of Vista on 'em so everyone can have a reasonable fixed platform to test out Vista and Vista games. And they're going to send out upgrades to it over time (new vista builds, maybe new graphics cards or something).

In other words, they're treating Vista and the PC like a real platform. In fact, you'll see Vista games getting the same sort of unified box treatment and store presence that console games get.

I'm not sure why this makes me uncomfortable, but it does. Jason's right, it doesn't seem to be that different then Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo providing consoles to reviewers. I guess it's the ephemeral nature of PC specs that is bothersome. Instead of providing a single piece of hardware, Microsoft is going to have to keep a computer updated with the latest hardware. Also having the most up to date PC can really impact your gaming experience, and your reviews. What do you think? Brian Crecente

Update: Cross wrote to correct my misassumption that there would be more than one computer going to each magazine. Here, with his permission, is his explanation:

Long story short:

1) Microsoft is not hooking up "the magazine's writers with free PC
gaming rigs." They're sending out *one* Vista-optimized gaming rig each
to a bunch of gaming publications.

2) It's a very good PC, but we've seen higher specs from Dell, Voodoo,
Falcon, etc. It's not crazy high-end at all.

3) Microsoft will upgrade it, but not to keep it tippy-top spec. Just
major improvements that are Vista-related, like DX10 graphics and new
builds of Vista.

4) It's a Vista PC, so it's there to check out what Vista does for
games, not to review current PC games on. Reviewing games on a beta OS
is maybe not a great idea. Not to mention that 1 per publication isn't
nearly enough to have the "reviewers" at large using these machines.

Ziff-Davis sends word that they're handing out free one-year subscriptions to Electronic Gaming Monthly via a World Cyber Games sponsorship. The offer is limited so hit it like quick. The offer lasts through Friday or while supplies last, which ever comes first. Brian Crecente

Free Subscription

We called it.

GameLife, the sophomoric and oddly addictive homespun video gaming show, is in talks with Viacom about producing content for MTV.

The three guys and one gal produced three shows before they caught the attention of a bunch of gaming sites. Ziff Davis Media was the first to try and snatch up the foursome, arranging a deal to have the group create an E3 Special from the show room floor in exchange for access to the expo. (Our very own Luke did the legwork behind the Ziff deal.)

Viacom bit next, opening talks with the shows producers about "creating segments to be run exclusively on its MTV properties." While I'd like to think that means MTV the television channel, I suspect they will likely be starting out nestled on the channel's gaming webpage.

"I feel like everything is about to explode," says the show's 19-year-old creator and host Andrew Rosenblum. "A few months ago we're hanging out making a show at home, now we're filming at the E3 expo and talking with MTV about doing reviews for them."

Is it your head Andrew, or your pants?

Ziff Davis Sponsors E3 Episode, Viacom in Talks with Show Creators [PR Web]