It’s been a good run, but the UK’s Play magazine has announced that their next issue will be their last one in print. The publication had been on store shelves for 20 years, printing 269 issues in the process.
However, despite the physical form of the magazine coming to an end, the publication will continue on in digital form. VG247 reached out to the magazine’s editor, Luke Albigés, who shared some insight about his time with the company and where it’s headed:
“Like many who previously sat in this chair (well, probably a different chair, but you get the point), I grew up with Play. I read the mag, put my trust in its reviews in spending what little cash I had as a youngling and enjoyed watching the mag grow and evolve as Sony built its PlayStation empire. To be offered the chance to work on the mag was, therefore, a genuine privilege, and to eventually be able to run it an honour.”
He goes on to discuss the print magazine’s fate and the changing of the times, saying “It’s sad to think that in a month’s time, that iconic masthead will no longer be seen on newsstands, but we’ll live on in digital form – I’d like to think that those who have enjoyed our mag over the years will be happy to continue to do so on their phones and tablets. It’s not the same as having that papery treat in your hands, I know, but times, markets and consumption habits change and we need to change too to keep up with them.”
Considering many of the greatest gaming magazines have been gone for a while now (including the US version of Play), it was only a matter of time before the same fate hit the UK’s Play. Still, it’s a shame to see that part of the industry slip away, as I’ll never forget the excitement of getting a new gaming magazine in the mail and then tearing into it like a wild animal.
