Game Informer Circulation Up One-Third in 2010, Now 5th Largest Mag in U.S.

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.