Future US promotes new head for video game magazines

Ailing magazine publisher Future US has promoted Ursula Morgan, a 15-year veteran with the company, to Media vice president, where she will oversee all of its gaming properties like Official Xbox Magazine and Nintendo Power. The appointment comes during a difficult time for parent company Future plc as it struggles to recover from the last fiscal year's losses of £11.8 million ($18.4 million), and from the resignations of two key executives in October, including its former CEO Stevie Spring. Looking to bring its U.S. branch back into profitability, Future plc announced plans to merge its U.S. and UK operations (the latter of which publishes British game magazines Edge, Official Nintendo Magazine, Nintendo Gamer, and others) last November. It also started off this year by replacing 18-year veteran James Binns with Richard Keith as publisher of its entertainment portfolio. Future plc has previously expressed plans to transform its U.S. magazines into a "primarily digital business" in 2012. Along with Future US's game publications like Official Xbox Magazine, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, and Nintendo Power, Morgan will continue in her prior role managing special interest media division Future Plus (@Gamer, Crochet Today) and in-house multimedia production studio Future Studios. Morgan will oversee all aspects of the three divisions, including "creative and production across digital and print properties." She commented, "As the industry continues to shift, I'm excited to put my skills to the task of strategically growing the company and our partner businesses." Before joining Future US in 1997, Moran was an art director for consumer and trade magazines like T4, Redine, Good Housekeeping, and Marketing Week.