Gaming mag EGM is on its way back to printing and store shelves now that its founder, Steve Harris, has re-acquired its trademarks and publishing rights. According to the press release, Harris entered an agreement with Ziff Davis Media and the former now has plans to re-launch Electronic Gaming Monthly in the second half of 2009. More after the jump.

It's official. Ziff Davis has sold 1UP to UGO Entertainment and has closed EGM. This was confirmed by no less than an official press release from both camps earlier today. The axe has fallen, and it's fallen hard. GameVideos.com and others take the hit as well. Full details right after the jump.

Is the magazine industry already bust? You've probably heard a lot of print media transferring to the e-format due to various reasons (mostly because of the lack of demand and rising printing costs). Earlier this week, the publication firm has revealed their plans to cease print circulation of PC Magazine, and opt for the e-publication approach. It was also noted that they're currently considering Electronic Gaming Monthly to follow suit.

Sometimes, you just feel the need to move on. That's what Dan Hsu of 1UP feels, as he has recently announced his official resignation from the company. The former editor-in-chief of EGM also mentioned a who would take over after he left. More about that after the jump.

In a rather shocking development, Ziff Davis Media appeared before the court  today and filed for bankruptcy due to overwhelming debt that could reach up to US$ 1 billion. The company is responsible for entities EGM and 1UP.com among others. Know the full details after the jump!

We just got word that former gaming magazine editor John Davison has just opened up a new gaming website for parents. This particular website reportedly aims to be the "video games guide for parents" and was established due to the alleged proliferation of violent titles.

John Davison is not at all a stranger to the video game industry. He used to be the editor of magazines EGM as well as the Official PlayStation Magazine for U.S. Check the full story by clicking the "read more" link below.

For a good while now, we've been hearing various reports and rumors about the recent sale that Ziff Davis is intending to make. Well, apparently, the whole issue is expected to be finally put to rest "in the next day or two". Normally, this would have been good news.

The element in this whole saga which has been keeping the industry at the edge of their seats is the fact that Ziff Davis owns the widely popular gaming website 1UP.com, and its offline counterpart, Electronic Gaming Monthly. One has to remember that EGM has already been churning out reviews and features since the days of the NES, while 1UP has already established itself as one of the prime resources of gaming-related news on the web, so the prospect of these being sold off by its parent company will most definitely have major implications.

At the moment, many are waiting with bated breath on how the whole deal will affect the staff of both 1UP and EGM (and along with staff comes the content, of course), what sort of changes will the public be looking forward to, and whether these changes will be for the better or otherwise. Many have fears about the outcome of the deal, especially after the Official Playstation Magazine was cancelled just last November.

In the meantime, we'll be keeping an eye out for updates on this matter, so stay tuned.

It's times like these that make game bloggers and journalists like myself cry. Mostly, it's because magazines are the format that brought the love of gaming to the forefront of many gamers' hearts. That is why it saddens me to say that the US version of "Official PlayStation Magazine" will be printing its final issue in January 2007.

According to a statement by Ziff Davis, its American publisher, it seems the magazine doesn't fit the strategic vision of the company. Known by many readers to be the magazine that always has a demo disc of goodies inside, the PlayStation 3's online capabilities have apparently made the idea of demo discs obsolete.

Scott McCarthy, President of the Ziff Davis Game Group, explained the effect of the PS3's online capabilities on the market. "With this next generation of game consoles," he said, "the days of having to bundle a disc with a magazine to distribute games-related content are over. And the disc has clearly been a major driver for consumer interest in premium-priced, platform-specific magazines in the past, when the magazine disc was the only way gamers could get such content."

We're all going to miss the American "Official PlayStation Magazine". Hopefully, it's charm and words might still live on through the PS3, as the Ziff Davis Game Group is going to work with Sony to bring original content specifically for the PS3. Whether that means we'll see a PS3 version of the OPM remains to be seen, but it's a nice thought nevertheless.