''PC Zone'', founded in 1993, was the first
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
dedicated to
games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as ''
PC Leisure
''PC Leisure'' was the United Kingdom's first magazine dedicated exclusively to IBM PC compatible (PC) entertainment and was published by EMAP between spring 1990 and September 1991. A total of nine issues were published in its lifetime, the first ...
'', ''
PC Format
''PC Format'' was a computer magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future plc, and licensed to other publishers in countries around the world. In publication between 1991 and 2015, it was part of Future plc's ''Format'' series of magazines ...
'' and ''
PC Plus
''PC Plus'' was a computer magazine published monthly from 1986 until September 2012 in the UK by Future plc. The magazine was aimed at intermediate to advanced PC users, computer professionals and enthusiasts. The magazine was specifically ...
'' had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. The precursor to ''PC Zone'' was the award-winning multiformat title ''
Zero
0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation
Positional notation (or place-value notation, or positional numeral system) usually denotes the extension to any base of the Hindu–Arabic numeral system (or ...
''.
The magazine was published by
Dennis Publishing Ltd. until 2004, when it was acquired by
Future plc
Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...
along with ''
Computer And Video Games
''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...
'' for £2.5m.
In July 2010, it was announced by Future plc that ''PC Zone'' was to close. The last issue of ''PC Zone'' went on sale 2 September 2010.
First issue
''PC Zone'' was first published by Dennis Publishing in April 1993 and cost £3.95. Billed as the first UK magazine dedicated exclusively to PC games, it was sold with two accompanying
floppy disks
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined wi ...
carrying game demonstrations. The first editor was Paul Lakin.
The magazine was split into four sections: Reviews, Blueprints, Features and Regulars. Among the first titles to be reviewed were ''
Dune II
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'', ''
Lemmings 2'' and ''
Stunt Island''. The Blueprints section involved previews of new games and Features consisted of an article written about a specific area of gaming interest, such as gaming audio.
Regulars included a news bulletin, competitions and a Buyer's Guide which featured recommended games.
Evolution
In its original incarnation, ''PC Zone'' recognised that its audience consisted largely of males in their late twenties and older, and adopted a tone suited to that audience. This was in contrast to contemporary multiformat and console magazines aimed at children and teenagers. During this period, the PC was not yet widely recognised as a games platform in the UK, an attitude PC Zone arguably helped to change by championing a succession of notable games such as ''
Star Control II
''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'', ''
Star Wars: X-Wing'', ''
Ultima Underworld
''Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'' is a first-person role-playing video game developed by Blue Sky Productions (later Looking Glass Studios) and published by Origin Systems. Released in March 1992, the game is set in the fantasy world of ...
'' and ''
Doom
Doom is another name for damnation.
Doom may also refer to:
People
* Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed
* Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist
* Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher
* ...
''.
By 1995, under the initial editorship of John Davison and then later Jeremy Wells (promoted from deputy editor with Davison moving on as publisher for the title), the magazine adopted a tone which heavily referenced
lad culture
Lad culture (also the new lad, laddism) was a media-driven, principally British and Irish subculture of the 1990s and early 2000s. The image of the "lad"—or "new lad"—was that of a generally middle class figure espousing attitudes typically att ...
, which had been made fashionable by magazines such as ''
FHM
''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...
, Loaded'' and Dennis Publishing stablemate ''
Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
''. This period was marked by several moderately controversial episodes, including the accidental inclusion of a pornographic ''
Doom
Doom is another name for damnation.
Doom may also refer to:
People
* Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed
* Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist
* Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher
* ...
'' modification on a cover-mounted CD-ROM, an article about the infamously bug-ridden
Frontier 2: First Encounters illustrated with a large photograph of a piece of excrement wrapped with a bow, a joystick group test which featured a model dressed as a nun (testing each joystick for “phallusicity”), and a one-page comic by regular contributor
Charlie Brooker
Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
, graphically depicting animal cruelty (originally intended as a comment on the violence against animals frequently portrayed in the ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...
'' games) which resulted in the offending issue being withdrawn from
W H Smith newsagents.
Towards the end of the decade, during the editorship of long time contributor Chris Anderson, the magazine underwent another redesign and a stricter scoring methodology was introduced. For a twelve-month period it was rare for a game to score above 90%, although this was later relaxed, resulting in controversial 94% and higher scores for ''
Black & White'', ''
Unreal II
''Unreal II: The Awakening'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by Legend Entertainment and published by Infogrames under the Atari brand for Microsoft Windows, the game was later ported to Microsoft's Xbox console by Tantalus. I ...
'' and others. It was around this time that the magazine retired the long-running Mr Cursor column, a series of humorous, quasi-autobiographical anecdotes written by a thinly-disguised Duncan MacDonald, originally intended to be a counterpoint to the jargon-heavy nature of much of the rest of the editorial.
Anderson was succeeded by Dave Woods. Most of the regular recurring features used in the current version of the magazine were introduced during this period, and Woods' final contribution was the redesign which marked the handover of the title to Future plc and the editorship to Jamie Sefton.
DVD Zone
Each issue of PC Zone came with a DVD-ROM containing game demos, videos, mods, drivers, freeware software and patches among other things. The DVD Zone sleeve would occasionally have unique codes which gave readers access to game betas, trials, and in-game content, among other things.
Later format
A new format of ''PC Zone'' was introduced in October 2005 for issue #159. By issue #220, the magazine cost £5.99 and included several regular features including Supertest, where reviewers discussed which game is best in its genre (later audio only); Steve Hill's NeverQuest, which followed the often unsuccessful attempts of Hill's venture into
MMORPGs; Developer's Commentary, in which developers looked back on their recently released titles; Retro Zone, with a focus on a different retro platform emulated on PC each month; How To..., a guide with 8 tips for a recently released game and a Buyer's Guide, in which top games were listed, divided into 9 genres. The Buyer's Guide developed from an indexed list of every game reviewed in the publication, along with closing comments. When the longevity of the magazine made this completely impractical it was pared down to just the best from each genre, becoming shorter with each redesign.
As of issue #220, the leaders in each genre are:
* Shooters: ''
Half-Life 2
''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Valve. It was published by Valve through its distribution service Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half-Life 2'' combines shooting, puzzles, and storytelling, and ...
'' ''(inc. Episodes)'' : 97% / 91% / 82%
* Strategy: ''
Empire: Total War'' : 94%
* Action/Adventure: ''
Grand Theft Auto IV
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the ...
'' : 91%
*
MMOs: ''
World of Warcraft
''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
'' : 95%
* Sport: ''
Football Manager 2010'' : 88%
* Simulation: ''
X3: Reunion'' : 92%
*
RPGs RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade launc ...
: ''
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' : 95%
* Driving/Racing: ''
GTR 2'' : 92%
* Oddball: ''
Spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
'' : 95%
The oldest game in the Buyer's Guide was ''
Deus Ex
''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...
'', reviewed issue #93 and given 94%.
Review system
''PC Zone'' prided itself on its reviews scoring system, which was based on the idea that 50% was an average grade. As a result, many publishers accused the magazine of being too harsh. Games that scored 75-89% were given a ''Recommended Award''; games that scored 90% or more were given a ''Classic Award''. Very few games, perhaps only ten a year, received the latter distinction. Games scoring under 20% were given the ''PC Zone Dump'' award (Previously the ''PC Zone Pants'').
As a combined result of its honest scoring system and its age, ''PC Zone'' managed to acquire many UK and world print exclusives in terms of
news
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the tes ...
, previews and
review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a content rating, ...
s. ''PC Zone'' contained world exclusive previews for ''
Half-Life 2
''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Valve. It was published by Valve through its distribution service Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half-Life 2'' combines shooting, puzzles, and storytelling, and ...
'', ''
Doom 3
''Doom 3'' is a 2004 survival horror first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. ''Doom 3'' was originally released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004, adapted for Linux later that year, and ported ...
'', and ''
Deus Ex
''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...
'', the first of which achieved a near-record score of 97%, a ranking it shared with three other games: ''
Quake II
''Quake II'' is a 1997 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. It is the second installment of the ''Quake'' series, but not a direct sequel to '' Quake''. The game's storyline is continued in its ...
'', ''
Alone in the Dark 2'' and the relatively unknown flight simulator ''
EF2000''.
The lowest scoring game ever was ''The Compelling Adventures of A.Gent'', which garnered a score of 2%, as they stated it had "...gone straight to budget because there's no way it could live as a full-priced game." The lowest scoring non-game release was ''Page 3 Calendar & Screensaver'', which managed to score in the negatives at -10%.
Staff
The last editor was Steve Hogarty, who left in July 2010, and was not replaced. He took over from Ali Wood, who left in December 2009. Previous editor Will Porter replaced Jamie Sefton in March 2008, who in turn was the replacement for Dave Woods after the magazine's redesign at the end of 2005. Steve Spence edited the hardware section until it was taken over by Philip Wand (who also wrote Dear Wandy, a monthly section featuring technical questions from readers which started out as Dear Wazza under Warren Christmas) at the end of 2004. There were discussion forums on the official ''PC Zone'' website, as well as on Philip Wand's own ''Dear Wandy'' site. There, members could request technical assistance and discuss gaming in general.
Pavel Barter contributed a regular investigative feature titled ''Special Report'', which focused on various aspects of the games industry at large, as well as notable gaming figures and the specifics of the development process.
Dan Marshall contributed a regular column titled ''How to Make a Game'' which detailed the development of his first game,
Gibbage
''Gibbage'' is a fighting game developed by Zombie Cow Studios. It was released on April 25, 2006 for Windows.
The game was a 2007 IGF Award nominee.
Gameplay
Two characters spawn, one belonging to each player, called clones. Clones spawn ...
. Gibbage then received the “Indiezone Game of the Month” award with 71% when it was reviewed. Marshall left, but wrote freelance reviews for the magazine.
Other regular freelance writers included Jon 'Log' Blyth, Ed Zitron, Steve Hill, Martin Korda,
Rhianna Pratchett
Rhianna Pratchett (born 30 December 1976) is an English video game writer and journalist. She has worked on '' Heavenly Sword'' (2007), ''Overlord'' (2007), '' Mirror's Edge'' (2008) and ''Tomb Raider'' (2013) and its follow up, '' Rise of the ...
, Richie Shoemaker, Daniel Emery, Paul Presley and
David McCandless
David McCandless (born 1971) is a British data-journalist, writer and information designer.
Early life and education
McCandless is an alumnus of Westfield College.
Career
McCandless is the founder of the visual blog ''Information Is Beautiful''. ...
.
TV presenter and newspaper contributor
Charlie Brooker
Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
was also a regular during the 1990s, reviewing games, and contributing humorous pieces such as “Sick Notes” and the “Cybertwats”.
References
External links
Archived PC Zone Magazinesat
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
{{Future plc
1993 establishments in the United Kingdom
2010 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Defunct computer magazines published in the United Kingdom
Magazines established in 1993
Magazines disestablished in 2010
Magazines published in London
Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Video game magazines published in the United Kingdom