"There was also good news about Computer Games Magazine:

Additionally, the most recent Circulation Statement prepared by BPA International indicates a 51.4% increase in Computer Games Magazine's circulation to an average of 374,576 during the six-month period from July 2000 to December 2000 versus the six-month period from January 2000 to June 2000, subject to final audit. In this Statement, the December issue reached an all time high of 450,515 in total circulation."

That certainly is good news. It seem obvious that whatever happens to Theglobe.com, somebody is going to find CGO/CGM an attractive property.

One personal sour note: For a major metropolis, there's a real paucity of stores in the Chicago Loop in which to browse/shop our favorite hobby. There used to be a half dozen or so software stores--Babbages, Software, Etc.--but now there are none, zero, nada. There's a Virgin store on the Magnificent Mile and a Comp. USA just off of it, but that's way too far to walk from Downtown during the lunch hour.

There also used to be a LOT of bookstores where you could go during lunch to browse the magazines. Now they're all disappearing too. A few weeks ago I was happy to see that the local Super Crowns had started stocking Computer Games Magazine. Now they have gone belly up. *Sigh*

"There also used to be a LOT of bookstores where you could go during lunch to browse the magazines. Now they're all disappearing too. A few weeks ago I was happy to see that the local Super Crowns had started stocking Computer Games Magazine. Now they have gone belly up. *Sigh*"

That's a drag. I have trouble finding CGM anywhere on the newstands in St. Louis. PC Gamer gets great distribution and CGW seems to do ok too, but CGM is nary to be seen.

With CGM, I'd guess that a lot depends on how profitable it is. Right now even print magazines are feeling an advertising pinch, so I'm not sure how attractive magazines are to potential buyers, if that's what it would come down to. It would be a good pickup for a magazine publisher that doesn't have a US computer game magazine. Those Germans who wasted all that money on Incite PC Games would have done better to buy CGM.

Theglobe.com really needed that sale of GDR to go through. They could have used the $5 million and been rid of an expense, too. Even though they're doing better, they're still losing money. I guess a lot depends on how much cash they have. I'd be surprised if they can raise cash, and NASDAQ is planning on delisting them. They'll need to figure out how to cut expenses more, I'm guessing.

Stock's up to $0.38 now. Market cap's $11.65 million.

I wonder if slimming down GamesDomain is going to turn it profitable? I guess we'll have to wait another quarter to see.

Yeah, the magazine business is tough. Few people realize what it costs to actually print and mail the things alone, let alone get your book on the shelves.

If you're having trouble finding it, try Borders if you've got one nearby. They've got it both there and at Barnes & Noble here, but even when I travel I see it at Borders.

Unfortunately, the distribution doesn't seem to be very even. We're at some Babbages and EB stores, and not others. Some people say we're "all over the place" (like a computer vendor I just spoke to in Texas) and others in major areas say we're not anywhere. It would be nice if there was an easy way to fix that.

The problem with the EBs and the Babbages is the same problem you have with some games selling well in one and not in another, the employees. They simply don't put the magazines out or hide them in corners of the store.

I constantly had to hound my employees when I managed an EB to get the magazines on the racks. They never understood how important they could be to driving sales so they sat in the back room or they chose to put out only the ones THEY thought were good. That was garbage and I put a stop to that quickly.

If you don't see it in an EB or a Babbages, it's the management/employees fault. I'm sure every store gets all the mags. They most certainly got issues to put out, they just didn't do it.

--Dave

Well,
Happy Puppy (another part of theGlobe family) is now selling content with USAToday.com which is great for me considering I get a USAToday link for my portfolio... but stinks because I get no extra pay for that privilage.

If USAToday is paying their usual per word rate for this content, it should help theGlobe a touch.

~Bub

"Happy Puppy (another part of theGlobe family) is now selling content with USAToday.com which is great for me considering I get a USAToday link for my portfolio... but stinks because I get no extra pay for that privilage.

If USAToday is paying their usual per word rate for this content, it should help theGlobe a touch."

They're probably paying a syndication rate. I think that what Happy Puppy is doing is indicative of what a lot of sites will have to do to survive -- find other sources of revenue beyond advertising.

We were thinking of recruiting Russian organized crime families to hunt down our freelancers and shake them down, getting back most of our payments. But we couldn't afford the vodka they wanted in payment, so you're all safe.


For now. I hear the Taliban do contract work.

"We were thinking of recruiting Russian organized crime families to hunt down our freelancers and shake them down, getting back most of our payments. But we couldn't afford the vodka they wanted in payment, so you're all safe."

Ok, now I know how to tell you apart from the other Bob Mayer. You're the vicious one. :)

"If you're having trouble finding it, try Borders
if you've got one nearby. They've got it both
there and at Barnes & Noble here, but even when I
travel I see it at Borders."

Both Borders and Barnes & Noble in the Chicago
area stock it also. Unfortunately, neither store
is in the Loop--the Downtown business area--where
I work. Like the computer and software stores (and
most other retailers) they've either ignored or
abandoned Downtown in favor of the prime shopping
areas--Upper Michigan Ave. (the "Magnificent
Mile") or the 'burbs. The Loop now mainly looks
like the shopping mall in that Simpsons episode:
Starbucks, Starbucks, Starbucks, Starbucks....
That and scaffolding. We have a lot of scaffolding.

Sorry. They don't carry us at Starbucks. But they're working on it.