Report: UGO Planning 1UP Acquisition

Media reports have suggested that UGO Entertainment may be on the verge of acquiring Ziff Davis Media’s 1UP Network. Citing "multiple sources", consumer website Joystiq suggests that the deal could include the main 1up.com website, as well as subsidiaries such as GameVideos.com and MyCheats.com. However, struggling content delivery service FileFront.com and long-running print magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly are reportedly unlikely to be included in the deal, leaving their fates uncertain should the acquisition be finalized. The talks are reportedly at a "very advanced" stage, and 1UP Network staff were reportedly told of the sale on Tuesday. The rumors suggest that UGO will keep the 1UP Network sites as independent brands, rather than making them part of the UGO Entertainment Network. UGO Network itself was acquired by Hearst Corporation -- publishers of Cosmopolitan, Esquire and many local newspapers -- last year, and operates websites such as GameBanshee.com, GamingTarget.com and GameCheats.com. The same report suggests that the February issue of EGM may be the last, as Ziff Davis Media continues to struggle to attract advertising revenues or alternative buyers for its Game Group.