The Ticket – powered by GamesMaster

25/11/10 – Future, the special-interest media group, has announced a new partnership with Mirror Group to create GamesMaster branded games content with the Daily Mirror .

The publishing alliance offers the games industry a new way to communicate with a vast audience of casual gamers and families amongst the Daily Mirror’s 3.17m readers [NRS Jan-June 2010]. A recent survey revealed that games were increasingly popular, with 1.2m Daily Mirror readers stating they had purchased a game [source: TGI July 2009 - June 2010]

The Ticket – powered by GamesMaster will appear in the Daily Mirror as part of the paper’s weekly entertainment guide. First to support the exciting new gaming section is SEGA, with a Sonic The Hedgehog themed edition on Friday 10th December, devoted to one of the world’s best known and most loved videogame characters.

The eight-page section includes an in-depth look at the new Nintendo DS and Wii game Sonic Colours, and sees the Daily Mirror & GamesMaster teams go head-to-head on three Sonic titles. Readers also get the chance to win an Xbox 360 console with Kinect, or be one of 50 people to win a copy of Kinect title Sonic Free Riders.

The strategic partnership with Mirror Group continues Future’s successful reinvigoration of the GamesMaster brand and project to widen the reach of its games editorial beyond the company’s own portfolio, marrying its industry-leading content with the Daily Mirror’s mass-market media reach.

Lee Nutter, Publisher of GamesMaster, said:

“Our new long-term partnership with Mirror Group gives the games industry a new way to target a vast audience of casual gamers and families through mass-market media. We’re excited to be building the reach of Future’s games media amongst a massive new audience and raising awareness of the relaunched GamesMaster brand. We reach more UK gamers across print, online, on-console and live events than any of our competitors.”

Mark Field, Head of Business Development at Mirror Group Advertising, added :

“Working in partnership with Future and the games industry has been a great way of marrying excellent content and broadening the opportunity to talk to a very large game buying audience. In the lead up to Christmas we have developed a platform to talk to families about upcoming launches and current releases and importantly drive new business opportunities for our commercial partners. This is just the start of a new way of working with Future to develop a brand partnership which works well for everyone involved.”

ENDS

About Future

Future plc is an international special-interest media group, listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR). Founded in 1985 with one magazine, today we have operations in the UK, US and Australia creating over 180 special-interest publications, websites and events. We hold market-leading positions in games, film, music, technology, cycling, automotive and crafts. Our biggest-selling magazines include T3, Total Film, Classic Rock, Guitar World and Official Xbox Magazine. Our websites include gamesradar.com, bikeradar.com, and techradar.com. Future sells more than 3 million magazines each month; we attract more than 20 million unique visitors to our websites; and we host 27 annual live events. In addition, Future exports or syndicates publications to 90 countries, making us the UK's number one exporter and licensor of monthly magazines.

For more information

Steve Wright, Communications Executive, 01225 822803