Hardcore Gamer Magazine Up for Sale

Posted by Jason

January 8, 2009

Man, I have all sorts of mixed feelings about this. Hardcore Gamer has placed their entire business, websites and printed mag, for sale on ebay with a starting bid of $42,000.

If I only had $42,000…

But honestly, is that the kind of shakeout that video game journalism is going through right now? A respected magazine with a popular website is placed for sale on ebay?

Honestly, if I wasn’t part of the credit-crunched masses of the U.S. economopocolypse, I would scramble to get a business loan together to jump on this opportunity. Of course, I also know that I’d have to drop my career and profession entirely and devout all my time and energy to this. For a man with a young family, that just isn’t an option. But for you aspiring entrepreneurs out there… this is a great opportunity.

Even if you drop the printed mag and go to digital distribution only, the website alone can easily grow to recoup the investment. The website is the hidden gem here. Advertising in the gamespace is still strong. It’s just the leadtime for a printed magazine is so long, that by the time news hits the actual “newstands”, its already old. But the online profits alone for this type of venture should make up for any overhead the magazine requires.

Back in the hayday of blogging in 2003-2005, I too had hopes of taking Portagame to print. I’m actually glad I didn’t, and that this has been able to return to its hobby roots from where it started. My stress levels are much lower now than during the rumor reporting pre-DS and pre-PSP launch days, and my marriage and health have been saved. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change anything. Those were great days, even with the stress they carried.

I often talk about moving forward with Portagame to make it more of a community. I’ve been contemplating turning it into a forum-based community. With all the flac that 1UP, EGM, and now Hardcore Gamer are taking on, this might just be the right move. A place for true handheld gaming fans to gather.

We’ll see. I have a feeling 2009 has some surprises for us yet.

Best of luck to the current AND future owners of Hardcore Gamer. I respect the position that both parties are/will be in.

via Joystiq.