:Computer Gaming World

In 1979, Russell Sipe left the Southern Baptist Convention ministry. A fan of computer games, he realized in Spring, 1981 that no magazine was dedicated to computer games. Although Sipe had no publishing experience, he formed Golden Empire Publications in June and found investors. He chose the name Computer Gaming World (CGW) instead of alternatives such as Computer Games or Kilobaud Warrior because he hoped that the magazine would both review games and serve as a trade publication for the industry. The first issue appeared in November, about the same as rivals Electronic Games and Softline{{cite magazine|title=The Greatest Story Ever Told |magazine=Computer Gaming World |issue=50 |date=August 1988 |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1988&pub=2&id=50 |access-date=17 April 2016 |last=Sipe |first=Russell |pages=6 }} (Sipe's religious background led to "Psalm 9:1–2" appearing in each issue. His successor as editor, Johnny L. Wilson,{{cite news|last=Schiesel|first=Seth|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/07/business/is-there-real-gold-in-on-line-fantasy-games.html|title=Die, Vile Orc! Never, Puny Human!; Is There Real Gold in On-Line Fantasy Games?|date=July 7, 1997|newspaper=The New York Times|page=Section D; Page 1; Column 2; Business/Financial Desk |url-access=limited}} was an evangelical Christian minister).{{cite magazine|title=Give me that on-line religion! |magazine=Computer Gaming World |issue=37 |date=May 1987 |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1987&pub=2&id=37 |access-date=17 April 2016 |last=Forbes |first=Ray |pages=9 |type=letter }}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=73 |title=For Mature Audiences Only |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=July–August 1990 |access-date=16 November 2013 |author=Wilson, Johnny L. |pages=8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203063559/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=73 |archive-date=3 December 2013 }}

File:Computer Gaming World issue 1.1.pdf

The first issues of Computer Gaming World were published from Anaheim, California, and sold for $2.75 individually or $11 for a year's subscription of six issues. These early bimonthly issues were typically 40–50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings (SSI), Dan Bunten (Ozark Software), and Chris Crawford.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Also, early covers were not always directly related to the magazine's contents, but rather featured work by artist Tim Finkas.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} In January/February 1986 CGW increased its publication cycle to nine times a year.

CGW survived the video game crash of 1983, which badly hurt the market; by summer 1985 it was the only survivor of 18 color magazines covering computer games in 1983. In autumn 1987 CGW introduced a quarterly newsletter called Computer Game Forum (CGF), which was published during the off-months of CGW. The newsletter never became popular; only two issues were published before it was cancelled. Some of CGF's content became part of CGW, which became a monthly.{{r|sipe198808}}

File:Computer Gaming World issue 2.3 (page 22 Russell Sipe and Suzanne Sipe).jpg]]

The magazine went through significant expansion starting in 1991, with page counts reaching 196 pages by its 100th issue, in November 1992. During that same year, Johnny Wilson (who started as a contributor in 1983), became editor-in-chief, although Sipe remained as publisher. In 1993, Sipe sold the magazine to Ziff Davis{{cite news|last=Associated Press|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/18/business/ziff-davis-acquisition.html|title=Ziff-Davis Acquisition|date=August 18, 1993|newspaper=The New York Times|page=Section D; Page 14; Column 6; Financial Desk |url-access=limited}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=111 |title=From The Publisher |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=October 1993 |access-date=26 March 2016 |author=Sipe, Russell |pages=178 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316201111/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=111 |archive-date=16 March 2016 }}—by then the magazine was so thick that a reader reported that the December issue's bulk slowed a thief who had stolen a shopping bag containing it{{Cite magazine |last=Corbin |first=Jim |date=February 1994 |title=Heavy Duty Crimefighter |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=115 |department=Letters from Paradise |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=116, 118}}—but continued on as publisher until 1995. The magazine kept growing through the 1990s, with the December 1997 issue weighing in at 500 pages. In January 1999,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000608205306/http://pc.ign.com/news/6439.html | url=http://pc.ign.com:80/news/6439.html | title=George Jones Replaces Johnny Wilson | date=January 15, 1999 | author=IGN Staff | archive-date=June 8, 2000 | work=IGN | url-status=dead | access-date=July 8, 2019 }} Wilson left the magazine and George Jones became editor-in-chief,{{cite news|last=Herz|first=J. C.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/26/technology/game-theory-in-a-time-warp-with-pac-man-and-pong.html|title=GAME THEORY; In a Time Warp With Pac-Man and Pong|date=August 26, 1999|newspaper=The New York Times|page=Section G; Page 4; Column 1; Circuits |url-access=limited}} at a time when print magazines were struggling with the growing popularity of the Internet. Jones had been the editor-in-chief of CNET Gamecenter, and had before that been a staffer at CGW between 1994 and 1996. He was replaced by Jeff Green in the summer of 2001.{{cite magazine |url=https://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_204.pdf |magazine=Computer Gaming World |title=Greenspeak |date=July 2001 |issue=204 |page=128 |access-date=November 5, 2024}}

On August 2, 2006, Ziff Davis and Microsoft jointly announced that CGW would be replaced with Games for Windows: The Official Magazine.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10323 |title=Ziff Davis Shuts Down CGW, Opens Games For Windows |author=Jason Dobson |date=August 2, 2006 |work=Gamasutra |access-date=25 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214095051/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10323 | archive-date=2013-12-14 |url-status=live}} The new magazine replaced CGW as part of Microsoft's Games for Windows initiative. In their press release, Ziff Davis indicated that much of CGW's core content and the entire staff will be transferred to the new magazine. Because of these announcements, Ziff Davis' actions appeared more on the order of a rebranding of CGW, rather than an actual cancellation. The final CGW-labeled issue was November 2006, for a total of 268 published editions.

On April 8, 2008, 1UP Network announced the print edition of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine had ceased, and that all content would be moved online.{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/news/gfw-magazine-moves-online | title=Games For Windows Magazine Moves Online | author=Sam Kennedy | date=April 8, 2008 | website=1UP.com | access-date=November 18, 2015}}

Simultaneously with the release of the final CGW issue, Ziff Davis announced the availability of the CGW Archive, which features complete copies of the first 100 issues of CGW, as well as the two CGF issues, for a total of 7438 pages covering 11 years of gaming. The archive was created by Stephane Racle, of the Computer Gaming World Museum, and is available in PDF format. Every issue was processed through optical character recognition, which enabled the creation of a 3+ million word master index. Although Ziff Davis has taken its CGW Archive site offline, the magazines can be downloaded from the Computer Gaming World Museum.[http://www.cgwmuseum.org Computer Gaming World Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203172137/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/ |date=2011-12-03 }}

According to MDS, CGW had a circulation slightly above 300,000 as of 2006.{{cite web | url= http://www.mdsconnect.com/topcirculation.htm |title= Top Circulating Magazines| date= 2003 | publisher= Media Distribution Services | access-date= Oct 4, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110610062829/http://mdsconnect.com/topcirculation.htm | archive-date= 2011-06-10|url-status=dead}}

Bruce F. Webster reviewed the first issue of Computer Gaming World in The Space Gamer No. 48. Webster commented that "I strongly recommend this magazine to computer gamers, and just one reason alone will (in my opinion) suffice: You can now start getting from just one publication the information that you've been having to dig out of three or four or five (or six...). Get it."{{cite journal|last=Webster |first=Bruce F. |date=February 1982 |title=Capsule Reviews|journal=The Space Gamer|publisher=Steve Jackson Games|issue=48|pages=37–38}}

Page 6 reviewed Computer Gaming World and stated: "Quite apart from being an interesting read, you will get more out of your existing games and will have a much better idea of what to buy as your next piece of software. No other computer magazine that I can think of will give you reviews of such depth."{{Cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Page6-02-Feb83/page/16/mode/2up|magazine = Page 6 |issue=2 |date=February 1983 |title=Computer Gaming World Magazine |page=16}}

In 1988, CGW won the Origins Award for Best Professional Adventure Gaming Magazine of 1987.{{cite web| url = http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1987OriginsAwards/tabid/3230/Default.aspx| title = The 1987 Origins Awards| publisher = The Game Manufacturers Association| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121216052415/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1987OriginsAwards/tabid/3230/Default.aspx| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2012-12-16}}

The New York Times repeatedly praised CGW, placing it as one of the premier computer game publications of its time.{{cite news |title= Sites Keep Up With Games and Gamers|first=Peter |last= Olafson |newspaper= The New York Times|date= December 7, 2000|page= Section G; Page 11; Column 1; Circuits}}{{cite news |title=Aiming for Hit Games, Films Come Up Short |first=Seth |last=Schiesel |newspaper=The New York Times |date= May 27, 2004|page= Section G; Column 3; Circuits; Pg. 1}} In 1997 the newspaper called it "the leading computer game magazine",{{cite news |title= Games People Play|first= Seth|last= Schiesel|newspaper= The New York Times|date= October 27, 1997|page= Section D; Page 5; Column 1; Business/Financial Desk }} In 1999 "the bible of computer game purists",{{cite news |title=Computer Games Venture Into the World of Gun, Bow and Big Game |first= Steve|last= Lohr |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 29, 1999 |page= Section C; Page 1; Column 2; Business/Financial Desk}} and in 2005 "one of the top computer game magazines".{{cite news|last=Schiesel|first=Seth|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/arts/design/conqueror-in-a-war-of-virtual-worlds.html|title=Conqueror in a War of Virtual Worlds|date=September 6, 2005|newspaper=The New York Times|page=Section E; Column 4; The Arts/Cultural Desk; Pg. 1 |url-access=limited}}

Ziff Davis also published a sister magazine to Computer Gaming World, entitled PC Gaming World, in the United Kingdom.{{cite magazine | author=Atkin, Denny | title=A Jolly Good Show | date=December 1998 | issue=173 | magazine=Computer Gaming World | pages=46, 47, 52 }}{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128075241/https://adage.com/article/btob/vnu-acquire-ziff-davis-media-s-european-publications/249846/ | url=https://adage.com/article/btob/vnu-acquire-ziff-davis-media-s-european-publications/249846/ | title=VNU to Acquire Ziff Davis Media's European Publications | date=July 12, 2000 | publisher=Ad Age | location=Haarlem | archive-date=January 28, 2019 | url-status=live }} It was the region's third-largest computer game magazine by August 2000.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421082411/https://www.golem.de/0008/9429.html | url=https://www.golem.de/0008/9429.html | title=Computec Media kauft in Großbritannien ein | author=Ihlenfeld, Jens | date=August 24, 2000 | work=Golem.de | language=de | archive-date=April 21, 2015 | url-status=live }} In 1998, journalist Stuart Campbell described PC Gaming World as a publication with a predominantly American bent, thanks to its "sober, serious, text-heavy style". He considered it to be out of step with the British game audience.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918221703/http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/world/ctw/mags-pc.htm | url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/world/ctw/mags-pc.htm | title=PC Mags Roundup | date=October 1998 | work=Computer Trade Weekly | author=Stuart Campbell | author-link=Stuart Campbell (game journalist) | archive-date=September 18, 2012 | url-status=live }} Campbell later called the magazine an "oddity" that was "clearly aimed primarily at a 40-something audience and beyond", in comparison to more youthful rivals such as PC Gamer UK and PC Zone.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918221718/http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/world/ctw/mags2-pc.htm | url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/world/ctw/mags2-pc.htm | title=PC Mags Roundup | date=September 2000 | work=Computer Trade Weekly | author=Stuart Campbell | author-link=Stuart Campbell (game journalist) | archive-date=September 18, 2012 | url-status=live }}

In July 2000, Ziff Davis sold its publishing arm in Europe to Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen (VNU), including three magazines in Germany, three in France and four in the United Kingdom. PC Gaming World migrated with these publications.{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20190128075022/https://www.prweek.com/article/91867/media-vnu-strikes-deal-buy-ziff-davis-rsquo-european-mags | url=https://www.prweek.com/article/91867/media-vnu-strikes-deal-buy-ziff-davis-rsquo-european-mags | title=Media: VNU strikes deal to buy Ziff Davis's European mags | author=Hill, Adam | work=PR Week | date=July 14, 2000 | archive-date=January 28, 2019 | url-status=live | access-date=January 28, 2019 }} At the time, The Register reported that VNU saw PC Gaming World as a poor match for its business model, which left the magazine's future uncertain.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003020811/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/12/zero_mag_cull_in_vnus/ | url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/12/zero_mag_cull_in_vnus/ | title=Zero mag cull in VNU's buy up of ZD's Euro paper biz | date=July 12, 2000 | work=The Register | author=Team Register | archive-date=October 3, 2012 | url-status=live }} The publisher sold PC Gaming World to Computec Media a month after the purchase, citing its lack of synergy with VNU's existing brand.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507055336/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2000/oct/12/pressandpublishing | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2000/oct/12/pressandpublishing | title=VNU sells computer games mag to Computec | author=Hodgson, Jessica | date=October 11, 2000 | work=The Guardian | archive-date=May 7, 2018 | url-status=live }} This transition was set to be completed in October 2000.

According to {{ill|Golem.de|de|vertical-align=sup}}, Computec planned to fold PC Gaming World together with its own PC Gameplay magazine, which it launched in 2000. PC Gaming World had closed by the first half of 2001; Computec moved the publication's subscribers to PC Gameplay, which nevertheless struggled to grow its base.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128085321/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_31051 | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_31051 | title=It's as easy as ABC | date=August 17, 2001 | author=Bye, John | work=Eurogamer | archive-date=January 28, 2019 | url-status=live }} The company "relaunched" PC Gameplay as PC Gaming World in 2003,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128073406/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_47413| url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_47413 | title=Gaming mags suffering | author=Reed, Kristan | date=February 14, 2003 | work=Eurogamer | archive-date=January 28, 2019 | url-status=live }} but did not release the new publication's subscriber count through the Audit Bureau of Circulations during the first half of that year. Writing for GamesIndustry.biz, Kristan Reed noted that this decision was "never a healthy sign".{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128090753/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/games-mag-market-dips-but-future-dominates-again | url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/games-mag-market-dips-but-future-dominates-again | title=Games mag market dips, but Future dominates again | author=Reed, Kristan | date=August 14, 2003 | archive-date=January 28, 2019 | work=GamesIndustry.biz | url-status=live }} Computec sold its entire British game magazine branch to competitor Future Publishing in late 2003.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211190332/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news221003futurepub | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news221003futurepub | title=Future buys Computec's UK games mags | author=Staff | date=October 22, 2003 | work=Eurogamer | archive-date=December 11, 2015 | url-status=live }}

{{reflist |refs=

{{cite web | url= http://www.ziffdavis.com/press/releases/060802.0.html |title= Ziff Davis Announces Online and Print Media Alliance with Microsoft| date=August 2, 2006 | publisher= Ziff Davis | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822033737/http://www.ziffdavis.com/press/releases/060802.0.html | archive-date= 2006-08-22 |url-status=dead|quote=To ensure clear market leadership position, Ziff Davis will transfer Computer Gaming World's veteran editorial staff and mission to Games for Windows: The Official Magazine. The new magazine and web initiative will carry on the editorial, production and art staff of Computer Gaming World, incorporating CGW's best-of-class style and tone while broadening the outlet's reach, influence and editorial content to complement the coming renaissance in Windows gaming.}}

{{cite magazine |first1=Russell |last1=Sipe |first2= Johny |last2=Wilson |first3= George |last3=Johnes |first4=Jeff |last4= Green |date= November 2006|title=25 years of Computer Gaming World |magazine= Computer Gaming World |issue=268 |pages=75–81|publisher=Ziff Davis |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_268.pdf |access-date= August 3, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180403031848/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_268.pdf|archive-date=2018-04-03 |url-status=live }}

{{cite news | url= https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/ |title=The History Of Gaming: An Evolving Community |first=Riad |last=Chikhani | date= October 31, 2015 | work= TechCrunch | access-date= March 17, 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180222031950/https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/ | archive-date= February 22, 2018 |url-status=live}}

}}

• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040605081241/http://computergamingworld.com/|title=Official website}}
• [http://www.cgwmuseum.org The Computer Gaming World Museum], a preservation project
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123122551/http://www.cgw.1up.com/ |date=2008-11-23 |title=CGW on the 1UP Network}}
• Archived Computer Gaming World Magazines on the Internet Archive

{{Ziff Davis}}

Category:defunct video game magazines published in the United States

Category:magazines disestablished in 2006

Category:magazines established in 1981

Category:magazines published in Boston

Category:monthly magazines published in the United States

Category:Origins Award winners