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This is a log of my experiences of my GamesTM subscription. After those scary days last new year, when there was a real chance we may never have seen it again, I thought it would be good to keep a record of arrivals and due dates.
Monday 1st October
Issue 62 through the door - next due - Dunno! there doesn't appear to be a mention in the Mag.
Thursday 6th September
Just on time. Next due 4th Oct
Friday 10th August
A day late! - Postal strikes will have delayed it - so no complaints - next due 6th September
Monday 9th July 2007
Issue 59 arrived 3 days again - next due 9th August 2007
Monday 11th June 2007
Issue 58 arrived 3 days early - next due 12 July 2007
Monday 14th May 2007
Issue 57 arrived 3 days early - next due 14th June 2007
Monday 16th April 2007
Issue 56 arrived 3 days early - next due 17th May 2007
Saturday 17th March 2007
Issue 55 arrived 5days early - next due 19-04-07
Saturday 17th February 2007
Issue 54 arrived today, 5 days early - next due 22nd March 2007
Monday 22nd January 2007
Issue 53 arrived 3 days early - next due 22nd February 2007
Thursday 21st December 2006
Issue 52 arrived - 7 days early - next due 25th January 2007
Saturday 25th November 2006
Issue 51 arrived today - 5 days early - next due 28th December 2006.
Monday 30th October 2006
Issue 50 arrived today - 3 days early - next due 30th November 2006.
Saturday 30th Septemeber 2006
Issue 49 is here - next due 2nd November 2006.
Monday 4th September 2006
Issue 48 has arrived, three days early and at my new address - This is great! Next Due 4th October
Wednesday 9th August 2006
 Issue 47 got to me today - One day early. Next Issue due 7th September 2006. I informed them of my house move the same day it arrived so hopefully the new issue will come through my new front door.
Thursday 13th July 2006
 Issue 46 arrived today - on the nose!. The next is due 10th August 2006.
Monday 12th June 2006
 Issue 45 arrived today. The next Issue is due 13th July 2006
Monday 15th May 2006
 Issue 44 arrived today - 3 days ahead of its official release - this is excellent work on Imagine Publishing's part. A strange selection of average to low scoring games are reviewed. Bring on the "Wii" is all I can say.
Saturday 15th April 2006
 Issue 43 arrived today! The last Issue said it was due on the 20th April 2006 - that's six days early - hooray!
Saturday 25th March 2006
Issue 42 arrived this morning. 3 days after release - in pretty good time.
Friday 24th March 2006
GamesTM Issue 42 was due out yesterday and I have not yet got it. The GamesTM official website is now up and running again and it states that it is on sale now. Hopefully my copy will arrive tomorrow - if not I will be disappointed
Wednesday 22nd February 2006
My copy of Issue 41 arrived today - Hooray!!!! It's the First Issue published under Imagine Publishing - it looks great and feels smooooth. I am very happy!
Friday 17th February 2006
I received a letter from Imagine Publishing that reiterates what was said on their web site last Tuesday - See Below.
Tuesday 14th February 2006
Some good news for subscribers.
Quote from Imagine's web site in a PDF - HERE
"On 20 January 2006 Imagine Publishing announced the acquisition of the rights to publish Highbury Entertainment's magazines from the receivers, following Highbury's collapse.
It has become clear that many subscription copies of Highbury Entertainment's magazines were not delivered in December and January, and this has left loyal subscribers without their favourite magazines. Subscription details have now finally been transferred to Imagine and all subscribers will be contacted shortly.
As a gesture of goodwill to all subscribers, Imagine will be honouring all future subscriptions for titles it will be continue to publish, but only once the first Imagine issue is published (February/March). Imagine cannot deliver magazines due before this time as they were the responsibility of Highbury while it was trading.
Imagine is currently reviewing the viability of all 24 acquired titles, but can confirm the following magazines will be published in the future as part of its ever-expanding portfolio: gamesTM , iCreate, X360, Play, Windows XP Made Easy, PDA Essentials, Digital Camera Buyer, Web Designer, PowerStation, Advanced Photoshop, Digital Photographer and Go>Play.
Damian Butt, MD of Imagine commented:
"We appreciate the confusion and frustration felt by many subscribers of Highbury Entertainment's magazines, and Imagine will do what it can to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. We have made a commitment to honour all subscriptions for magazines we intend to publish, and we are keen to retain the support and enthusiasm of our loyal subscribers.
We will also offer an alternative offer for those with subscriptions for magazines that will not continue. All subscribers will be informed by letter within two weeks. I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this transitional period."
Thursday 2nd February 2006
Dripfeed HERE brought us up-to-date with the following news:
Article in Press Gazette today: Quote:
Highbury staff wait for word
Published: Thursday, February 2, 2006
Staff at 24 ex-Highbury technology titles are awaiting the results of a two-week consultation process at new owners Imagine, fearing that as many as 14 magazines and 70 staff could be at risk of the axe.
Workers at the former Highbury Entertainment division, which includes GamesTM , Play and Advanced Photoshop, completed the consultation last week and are expecting an announcement this week.
However, ex-Highbury staff at Hotdog, Front and DVD World, bought by SMD Publishing, a spin-off of Attitude publisher Remnant Media, are believed to be safe in their roles.
It is thought that Remnant's other lifestyle titles, including Attitude, will be transferred to SMD as a means of keeping them separate from the rest of the company's magazines, which consist mainly of pornography titles.
And at Highbury's profitable hobby titles, bought by Encanta Media, all 45 staff have been transferred to the new company and it is thought all are likely to keep their positions.
Meanwhile, ex-Highbury House chairman Kelvin MacKenzie this week broke his silence on the reasons behind the collapse of the company, hitting out at Allied Irish Banks, which he blamed for Highbury's failure.
In an interview with the Telegraph, MacKenzie said the bank had been firmly against a refinancing package.
But following his claim in the same interview that journalists liked being treated badly - "Basically it's the mushroom management theory with hacks. You keep them in the dark and pour lots of s**t all over them" - staff at Highbury might feel they have reason to be grateful for the sell-off.
Tuesday 31st January 2006
Still no Issue of Issue 40 or Issue 41 and all has gone quiet at the forum thread too. I will only update this page if anything actually happens from now on. If you get any info then please let me know CLICK HERE cheers!
Saturday 28th January 2006
No sign, still. Of either Issue 40 or 41.
Friday 27th January 2006 Still no sign but there was this rather interesting entry HERE at NTSC-uk.com by Dripfeed who said:
"Have been reading this thread for the last week or so, wondering like everyone else what on earth has been happening. Having read a lot of trade reports on the issue and comments made by people involved, things seem a little clearer now though.
With GamesTM now having been bought by Imagine publishing, there is virtually no chance that issue 40 is going to be sent out to subscribers at all. Highbury is officially in administration and is in the process of selling off all its assets to pay its top creditors (which will only be the banks and tax man). The magazines sold for less that £10million and the debts top £40milllion, so do the maths! Freelance writers are not going to be paid (and haven't been for months) and Imagine will invite any staff they wish to keep to re-apply for their jobs. The very bottom of the creditors list is the subscribers so there's no way a refund will be forthcoming for unmailed issues. The only (small) glimmer of hope is that the subscriptions company gets enough money paid to cover the cost of mailing issue 40 out, but given that they would be only likely to get about 10p from every pound they are owed, if anything at all, I really can't see it happening.
The bizarre thing is that with issue 41 finished, it looks like no-one is going to publish it and it will probably become the infamous lost issue. Hopefully Imagine will be able to use some of the content to get their first issue out quite quickly, they seem to be suggesting late February as a date for the first new issues of the mags they've bought. Issue 41 was supposed to have the first 50 of the 100 best games article, with the 2nd 50 in issue 42, so who knows if we'll ever see that appear now.
I'm not cancelling my direct debit subscription because Imagine say they intend to honour subscribers with due issues of the mag, though obviously it will be future mags sent out and not the ones written under Highbury's reign. The debts haven't been transferred over to Imagine, only the publishing rights of the magazines, so Imagine don't legally have to honour Highbury's subscribers (though it's very sensible to keep hold of the customers).
On the direct debit issue, you are however perfectly entitled to cancel a direct debit, it doesn't have any impact on your credit rating at all, and you do not need to give a reason for doing so. When you send a letter to inform the company of your cancellation, it is just a courtesy and is not legally required (especially since there won't be a company to send it to!)
Anyone who wants issue 40, I went and bought it in the shops now before it disappears. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon, and good luck to GamesTM staff in getting re-hired by Imagine, it would be a real shame to see different writers come in after the current crop put so much into establishing the magazine. Fingers crossed!"
This entry was found HERE on a thread at NTSC-uk.com
Thursday 26th January 2006
No sign. Isn't the next Issue (Issue 41) due out tomorrow?
Wednesday 25th January 2006
Not a dickie bird.
Tuesday 24th January 2006
Nooo sign...
Monday 23rd January 2006
Still no sign of it.
Saturday 21st January 2006
Still no sign.
Thursday 19th January 2006
Still no sub copy, but I did receive the copy sent to me from my contact. I got the Winter Animal Crossing copy of the GamesTM Issue 40 - very nice! Now I need to get on with reading it before the next issue is out.
Wednesday 18th January 2006
No sign of my Sub copy. I did however get a response to me email to paragon@cisubs.co.uk An automated response by the looks of it which told me that my me email "has been received but HAS NOT been actioned" and gave me a link to a page that just says:
"Welcome to Highbury Entertainment!
We are sorry to inform you that due to administration difficulties and production delays your current subscription copy may be delayed for a short time. However we can assure you that you shall receive all copies due once these delays are rectified.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Thank-you for your continued patience and we apologise for any problems you are experiencing."
Tuesday 17th January 2006
Still no copy. Went to all the local Newsagents and cannot find a copy anywhere. Received an email from someone who works in the games industry who explained what might have happened. He said:
"I have a feeling that the printers ran a short run knowing the financial difficulty Highbury are in and they didn't have enough to complete the subs. Now they are falling behind and the printers don't want to do their work knowing they may not get paid for it."
More news on NTSC-uk.com:
MartTM from GamesTM said
"*Sigh*
Right - look. We're not dead. The mag's not been closed. The company is still (just about) surviving. And it even looks like there might be good news on the very imminent horizon. So please, to everyone who keeps posting 'Ooh, doom and gloom' posts... well, shush. Please. Because you don't know what you're talking about.
I don't know what's happened to the subs. I wish I did, because then I'd be able to answer the dozens of emails that have been landing in my inbox. It's a complete mess. Whether that's enough to make you buy another magazine... well, hey, that's not my call. But hopefully, this is just a minor glitch.
The next issue is due out in a couple of weeks (31st Jan) and has the first half of the Top 100 (we couldn't get it all in a single issue, so it's 100 to 51), among other things.
And that's it. Although Darran should probably think about changing his location."
Very Interesting...
MORE NEWS!
My Contact has managed to find me a copy in his local WHSmiths and is sending a copy to me. Hooray!
This mag is so good and so cheap to Subscribers (£2 an issue) that I have no problem paying for a shop copy on this occasion. I am just glad that all is not yet lost. Hooray!
Monday 16th January 2006
Still no copy arrived. This could get boring. I have sent another email to the alternative email address I found paragon@cisubs.co.uk
Saturday 14th January 2006
Still no copy. Will have to hope for Monday's post now.
Friday 13th January 2006
Still no copy.
Thursday 12th January 2006
Where is my copy of GamesTm Issue 40?
I have subscribed since I was bowled over by Issue 1 and have been kept waiting only a few times before. But this time is the worst. A thread at NTSC-uk.com shows that some people have bought it in the shops as long ago as 7th January.
To top it off I can't get a response from the email address: subs@paragon.co.uk - don't bother pressing it - it won't work - well actually I suppose we should keep trying it.
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