UGO talks, we listen: EGM left out of the Ziff Davis asset acquisition

Since UGO Entertainment’s acquisition of 1UP, one of our lingering questions was what would happen to Ziff Davis’s other hot property, Electronic Gaming Monthly. It’s easily one of the choice print publications for videogame enthusiasts. So, why didn’t UGO pick up the brand?

We asked Michael McCracken, president of UGO Entertainment that very question.

“UGO has been an online-only entity for the entire course of its 11-year history,” McCracken said.

“While we recognize and deeply respect the strength of the EGM brand and what that magazine has meant to gamers over the years, we have no experience with or desire to enter the magazine publishing business.  The opportunity to buy the EGM brand independent of the publication itself was not something that was discussed in any of our negotiations.”

McCracken’s response is quite clear, but still leaves us with a question. The magazine’s last issue is this month, but what will Ziff Davis do with the brand name in the future? We may have to wait a bit for that answer.

The full interview with Michael McCracken and 1UP’s editorial director Sam Kennedy will be available later this afternoon.