Future plc (Page 7)

The latest circulation figures for UK magazines show that Future will hold slightly over 95 per cent market share if its bid for rival Highbury House is successful - but headline publication Official PlayStation 2 has seen a drop in sales.

Magazine publishing giant Future has confirmed that it is to acquire rival publisher Highbury House, in a deal worth around £97 million which will give the company almost total dominance of the UK videogames magazine market.

Sources at print publishing firm Future have indicated that it has tendered a bid for rival publisher Highbury House, the parent company of its last major rival in the UK games magazine market, Paragon.

Magazine publisher Future Network has announced its interim results for the first half of 2004, showing a rise in both circulation and advertising revenues and continued growth of its share of the games magazine market.

Magazine publisher Future Network has acquired Dennis Publishing's remaining videogames magazines, Computer & Video Games and PC Zone, in a UKP 2.5 million deal that sees Dennis exiting the game magazine market.

Magazine publishing group Future Network has announcd its full year financial results for 2003, showing strong growth in both turnover and profits as circulation revenues climbed significantly.

The latest data from the UK Audit Bureau of Circulation shows that while single-console magazines increased their circulation slightly in the second half of last year, sales of PC and multiformat titles continue to decline.