360 Gamer

360 Gamer was a British video game magazine devoted to Microsoft's Xbox 360 console. It was established by Uncooked Media on 27 October 2005, during the early period of the Xbox 360's commercial life, and became part of a specialist publishing portfolio that also included Play Gamer, a PlayStation 3-focused sister title, as well as FSM and Neo. The magazine was launched and edited during its first two years by Stu Taylor. The publication positioned itself around editorial content rather than the packaged extras common in British games magazines at the time. While rival publishers often sold magazines sealed with inexpensive DVDs, tips books, or other giveaways—a format frequently described as "mags in bags"—360 Gamer emphasized what it described as strong or fierce editorial as its principal selling point. Avoiding those extras helped it maintain a comparatively low cover price. The magazine was reported to retail for £2.99 before its price increased to £3.99 in July 2012. A distinguishing feature of 360 Gamer was its publication frequency. In its original format, the 132-page title was issued every three weeks, making it an early example of a regularly published Xbox 360 magazine operating on a schedule more frequent than the traditional monthly cycle. In 2009, the magazine changed to a three-weekly format, following the publishing pattern used by its competitors. Its editorial staff included experienced British games journalists such as James Artaius, identified with XBM and as the founding editor of FSM; Ian Collen, previously associated with Play Gamer and XBM; and Will Johnston, formerly a news editor at Play and a contributor to Play Gamer. The brand also developed an online component. Its official website was relaunched in August 2011, giving readers additional ways to buy the magazine and providing material not ordinarily included in the print edition. Online coverage included breaking news, complete interview transcriptions, competitions, community features, and reviews of Xbox Live Arcade games and downloadable content. This extended the magazine's role beyond print coverage of boxed Xbox 360 releases into the console's digital ecosystem and its reader community. 360 Gamer is no longer published. Issue 145, dated 2013, was the final edition. The brand therefore represents a discontinued specialist magazine rather than an active games-media business. Publicly available reference material identifies its publisher, editorial focus, publication practices, staff, website relaunch, and final issue, but does not establish a current owner separate from Uncooked Media, a precise headquarters address, circulation figures, or financial results.

360 Gamer was created by UK publisher Uncooked Media as a specialist magazine for Microsoft's Xbox 360. It began publication on 27 October 2005, shortly after the console's launch period, and was designed for readers seeking dedicated coverage of the platform rather than broad multi-console games coverage. The title formed part of Uncooked Media's portfolio alongside Play Gamer, which covered the PlayStation 3, and the company's other magazine properties FSM and Neo. Stu Taylor launched the magazine and edited it for its first two years. Its editorial proposition centered on content quality and a relatively affordable cover price. At a time when competing British video game magazines commonly used the "mags in bags" model—selling a magazine with a bundled DVD, tips book, or similar low-cost extra—360 Gamer deliberately avoided that approach. The publication instead presented editorial material as its main attraction, helping it sell at a lower price than many rivals. Its reported price was £2.99 before rising to £3.99 in July 2012. The magazine was notable for its publishing rhythm and substantial format. It was a 132-page title and was issued on a three-week cycle rather than following the monthly schedule traditionally associated with magazines. The available reference material describes a change to a three-weekly format in 2009, when this frequency was adopted more explicitly in line with the competitive magazine market. Its later editorial staff included James Artaius, associated with XBM and the founding of FSM; Ian Collen, formerly connected with Play Gamer and XBM; and Will Johnston, a former news editor at Play and contributor to Play Gamer. 360 Gamer eventually expanded its presence online. The official website was relaunched in August 2011 and combined ways to purchase the print magazine with content that was not normally available in the physical publication. The online service included breaking news, full interview transcripts, competitions, community-oriented features, and reviews of Xbox Live Arcade games and downloadable content. These features reflected the increasing importance of digital distribution and online communities to Xbox 360 users. The brand was discontinued after issue 145, dated 2013. No later publication is identified in the reference material. The magazine's documented history is therefore that of a defunct UK specialist games publication whose main differentiators were Xbox 360 specialization, a high editorial page count, frequent publication, avoidance of bundled extras, and an accompanying website.

• 2013

  Final issue published

  [1]360 Gameren.wikipedia.org

  Issue 145, dated 2013, was the final edition and the magazine subsequently ceased publication.

• 2012

  Cover price increased

  [1]360 Gameren.wikipedia.org

  The reported cover price rose from £2.99 to £3.99 in July 2012.

• 2011

  Official website relaunched

  [1]360 Gameren.wikipedia.org

  The official website returned with magazine purchase options and additional news, interview, competition, community, and digital-game coverage.

• 2009

  Three-weekly publishing format

  [1]360 Gameren.wikipedia.org

  The magazine adopted or formalized a three-weekly publication schedule, a faster cycle than the conventional monthly schedule.

• 2007

  Initial editorship concluded

  [1]360 Gameren.wikipedia.org

  Stu Taylor's first two years as launch editor came to an end, after which the magazine's staff included other established British games journalists.

• 2005

  360 Gamer established

  [1]360 Gameren.wikipedia.org

  Uncooked Media established 360 Gamer as a UK magazine dedicated to the Xbox 360 on 27 October 2005.

A low-priced, editorially led specialist magazine for Xbox 360 players, differentiated from rival games magazines by avoiding bundled discs and other packaged extras.

• Video game magazine · 2005

  360 Gamer magazine

  The core product was a 132-page UK print magazine focused exclusively on the Xbox 360 platform. Its coverage included games news, previews, reviews, interviews, and other editorial features. The title emphasized editorial content instead of bundled DVDs, books, or similar extras, and was issued on a three-week cycle for much of its documented run. The final published issue was number 145 in 2013.

• Digital publishing · 2011

  360 Gamer website

  The official website was relaunched in August 2011 as a companion to the print title. It provided ways to purchase the magazine and carried material beyond the normal print contents, including breaking news, complete interview transcriptions, competitions, community features, and reviews of Xbox Live Arcade games and downloadable content.

• 2012

  Cover price increasePrice change

  Background

  The magazine had previously been described as a low-priced alternative to competitors.

  Action taken

  Its reported cover price increased from £2.99 to £3.99 in July 2012.

  Aftermath

  No circulation, revenue, or reader-response data is identified in the available reference.

  Cover price. £2.99 → £3.99 (July 2012)

  Source

• 2011

  Website relaunchProduct launch

  Background

  The print magazine required a broader digital presence for reader engagement and additional Xbox 360 coverage.

  Action taken

  The official website was relaunched with commerce, news, interview, competition, community, and Xbox Live Arcade content.

  Aftermath

  The website extended the brand beyond its print edition, but the available material does not document its later operating status.

  Source

• 2009

  Move to a three-weekly scheduleStrategy

  Background

  The title originally differentiated itself through a publication frequency more frequent than the traditional monthly magazine cycle.

  Action taken

  360 Gamer followed the market's three-weekly publishing pattern from 2009.

  Aftermath

  The magazine continued as a frequent specialist publication until its final issue in 2013.

  Source

• 2005

  Editorial-first launch modelStrategy

  Background

  British video game magazines commonly competed through bundled DVDs, tips books, and other packaged extras, while 360 Gamer was introduced as a title focused on editorial content.

  Action taken

  The magazine avoided the packaged "mags in bags" format and used editorial coverage as its principal selling proposition.

  Aftermath

  The approach supported a comparatively low cover price relative to competitors, although the available source material does not provide circulation or profitability results.

  Source

1. 1360 Gameren.wikipedia.org