Newly released data from the Audit Bureau of Circulations shows that Game Informer Magazine increased its monthly circulation over 33 percent in 2010 to just over 5 million copies.
The new numbers make Game Informer, which has long been the country's most widely circulated video game magazine, into the fifth most-circulated print magazine of any type. That mark is up from seventh place in September and maintains the publication's lead ahead of well-known brands like Time and Sports Illustrated.
“2010 was a great year for video games and for Game Informer,” said publisher Cathy Preston, in a statement. “Our growth exceeds industry expectations for a print magazine – especially when you consider that 62 percent of our subscribers are from the hard-to-reach 18 to 34-year-old male demographic.”
Game Informer's growth contrasts with the magazine industry as a whole, which saw circulation fall 1.2 percent and newsstand sales fall 7.3 percent for the second half of 2010 as consumers continued to migrate to the internet for their media needs.
A large portion of Game Informer's subscriptions are created through its relationship with game retail giant Gamestop, which bundles those subscriptions with discount-laden loyalty cards for $15 a year. The retailer's
sales were up 5.4 percent in the holiday quarter of 2010, well behind analyst expectations.
The publication also maintains a paid digital edition which has just over 125,000 subscribers, and the free GameInformer.com, which won the Webby Award for Best Games-Related Site last year.
