News

Press releases will be posted to this area. For general media enquiries please contact Nick Cutler, Managing Director +61 2 8305 6900.

JUNE 2008

Derwent Howard achieves true interactivity between magazine and online publishing with rebuilt gameplayer

Derwent Howard has enhanced its integrated offering to Australian video gaming enthusiasts with the relaunch of gameplayer.com.au, significantly upgrading the site with more local content, Web 2.0 functionality and true integration with the multimedia publisher’s suite of gaming print titles.

The gameplayer site, which was originally established as an information portal on games, consoles and upcoming titles, has been rebuilt from the ground up to form the basis of Derwent Howard’s expanding network of online gaming titles.  It features volumes of rolling content on video gaming, produced by the site’s dedicated editorial team of three – editor in chief Chris Stead, news editor James Cottee and deputy editor Adam Mathew – as well as freelance content and user contributions. 

“The new site’s blog-style design is deceptive in its simplicity.  We know our users visit several times a day and are avid syndicators of content; we’ve rebuilt the site to make it as easy as possible for visitors to find the information they’re after quickly,” said Derwent Howard’s online division director, Ben Mansill.

“We’ve established an editorial team to rival that of any of the world’s major gaming sites, whose approach to the production and updating of content on gameplayer is similar to that of any mainstream online news portal.  What makes the new site particularly appealing to our audience however, is its inbuilt web 2.0 functionality.”

Gameplayer’s redevelopment has enhanced its position as a gamer’s community hub, incorporating social networking capabilities alongside incentives for the uploading of original reviews, cheats and tips, personal posts for seeking out like-minded gamers, and opportunities for multi-player matchups.  It is also the common online environment for Derwent Howard’s gaming titles including Official PlayStation Magazine, Australian 360 and Ultimate Nintendo, hosting regular forums with the magazine teams.

“The sum of these interactive features is a site that keeps gamers engaged and entices them back – often on an hour-by-hour basis.  This is a potentially lucrative audience of men and women of all ages who have money to spend and the willingness to spend it on technology and entertainment, but – given the time and concentration they dedicate to their interests – are otherwise elusive.

“One element of the new Gameplayer we’re really excited about is the marriage between our print titles and the online community.  Our magazine editorial teams are constantly engaging with readers on the gameplayer forums, allowing enthusiasts to devour the mags and then jump online and discuss what they’ve read with the people who wrote it. 

“This is what publishers and advertisers dream about: a dedicated audience that religiously buys the magazines and interacts with the writers and other readers in an equally relevant online environment.  Given today’s international gaming industry makes more money than Hollywood and Bollywood combined, this network presents a very powerful proposition,” Ben said.

Derwent Howard’s new Gameplayer site is now live, with the Publisher in final discussions to significantly expand its network of online gaming titles.

For more information on Gameplayer and Derwent Howard’s suite of print and online video gaming titles, contact Ben Mansill on ben@derwenthoward.com.au.

ENDS

Media information:     

Luke Starr, Starr Public Relations
02 9264 4411 / 0419 446 879 / luke@starrpr.com.au

erwent Howard is a multimedia publisher of special interest and contract titles and has twice been included in the BRW Fast 100 list of Australia’s fastest growing companies.  For information on Derwent Howard’s print and digital titles, visit www.derwenthoward.com.au.

APRIL 2008

Editor appointed to new Derwent Howard gaming titles

Derwent Howard has appointed an editor to its Australian 360 and Ultimate Nintendo magazines, promoting current Official PlayStation Magazine deputy editor, Luke Reilly.

The appointment follows the cross-media publisher’s mid-March announcement of a licensing agreement with the UK’s Imagine Publishing to produce Australian versions of the two titles.  Both set to launch in April, Australian 360 Magazine will be a monthly publication while Ultimate Nintendo Magazine will appear on stands every six weeks.

Luke’s career in gaming journalism began more than five years ago when, after freelancing while studying Journalism at University, he began as a full time staff writer for Official PlayStation 2 Magazine.  He later became contributing editor to the magazine in 2004, after which he was twice nominated Best Gaming Journalist at the annual Sun Microsystems IT Journalism Awards and later made deputy editor of the amalgamated title, Official PlayStation Magazine Australia.

“This is a great opportunity for a rising star in the casual gaming sector.  Luke is a talented writer with a passion for magazines and the games industry, and is an excellent choice to introduce these two popular titles to enthusiasts in Australia,” said Derwent Howard managing director, Nick Cutler.

New editor for Official Playstation Magazine

The title that began diversified media company, Derwent Howard’s dominance of the gaming magazine sector will soon have a new editor, with gaming doyenne Vanessa Morgan signing on to head up Official Playstation Magazine.

Now in her eighth year of gaming writing, Vanessa is farewelling deputy editorship of Pacific’s K-Zone magazine and newspaper supplements K-Zone on Sunday and K-Zone in the West.  Already a respected name in Australia’s computer and console game industry, Vanessa pioneered shifts in attitudes toward tween gaming over the last four years, in which time she also covered gaming for TV Hits, Explode, Family Circle and other Pacific titles.

Vanessa has also written for the likes of Hyper, PC PowerPlay, PSW, Total Gamer and GBA World, making her a familiar voice among readers and enthusiasts as well.

”Vanessa’s reputation and passion for quality journalism has made her a highly sought talent and we’re thrilled to have her editing our flagship gaming title.  The industry’s main players know and respect her and she’s already proven she can set the agenda for discussion, contention and even fresh product development, making her a great fit to fulfil our plans for Official Playstation Magazine,” said Derwent Howard managing director, Nick Cutler.

“Each new year of console and game development – and subsequent sales – demonstrates how serious the sector has become, and its potential.  The average age, spending power and marketing desirability of the typical gamer continues to rise and an editor of Vanessa’s calibre will ensure Official Playstation Magazine continues to set the pace.”

Vanessa is contactable on vanessa@derwenthoward.com.au.

FEBRUARY 2008

Gadget Zone Launches!

Derwent Howard is thrilled to announce the launch of www.gadgetzone.com.au

www.gadgetzone.com.au is committed to delivering Australia’s very best technology journalism, covering a wide spectrum of consumer electronics and personal devices.

gadget zone features daily news and reviews of all the hottest gadgets.

“At gadget zone we cover it all, from home theatre to desirable portable devices. All products are tested by experts, so you can count on our authoritative reviews whether you’re looking to buy, or just staying on top in tech.” Said gadget zone Associate Publisher Ben Mansill, a highly regarded consumer technology veteran.

Mansill has led numerous magazine and website launches, across gaming and technology. “gadget zone is a mainstream consumer tech site that also fills a surprisingly underserved niche in Australia. We’re confident of our capacity to serve quality editorial for our audience, and offer a potent and focused means to communicate to Australian consumers for our business partners.”

Together with www.gameplayer.com.au, gadget zone is the next step in Derwent Howard’s online strategy. Its launch realises a goal to provide a voice to a wide spectrum of Australian technology enthusiasts, and product purchasers.

About Derwent Howard

Derwent Howard’s publishing portfolio is entrenched in the gaming and technology sectors. Through its long-standing relationships with Sony and Microsoft, it has been publishing Xbox and PlayStation magazines for eight years. Within this period, Derwent Howard has published numerous magazines dedicated to DVDs, Super Audio CD, Wireless Home Networking, Social Networking Online; and most recently, a magazine dedicated to Blu-ray.

Taken together, Derwent Howard’s technology portfolio reaches a combined audience of over 500,000 readers per month, and this figure has been growing exponentially with our online expansion that began with Gameplayer.

Derwent Howard has been living and breathing on consumer technology, its publications always on the pulse of the cutting-edge. Gadgetzone represents a natural expansion in the company’s porfolio to cater for an organic audience that has a growing need for daily information

Editorial enquiries

Editor
Damian Francis
damian@derwenthoward.com.au
61 2 8305 6940

Staff writer
Damien Virulhapan
damien@derwenthoward.com.au
61 2 8305 6949

Advertising sales enquiries

Andrew Brain
andrew@derwenthoward.com.au
61 2 8305 6923

FEBRUARY 5th 2008

Get into the zone with new gadget site

By Jo-Anne Hui

Gadget zone, Derwent Howard's first major project of the year launched today, with plans to expand the brand in the coming months.

Associate producer Ben Mansill said that gadget zone, which features news and reviews on the hottest tech toys and gadgets in the market, is "a strategic extension of our established expertise in consumer tech journalism and publishing".

"We have expanded and evolved the technical editorial assets of Derwent Howard to ensure that from day one the gadget zone brand represents quality and value to the audience," Mansill said.

Aimed at consumers, gadget fans and "addicts who need a daily tech fix", gadget zone will be encouraging reader and community interactivity by inviting readers to comment and engage in the forums.

According to Mansill, "this is not a 'launch it and leave it' project", as new features and enhancements will be developed for the site. Plans are also underway to release gadget zone branded print titles in the future. Although Mansill was reluctant to reveal details about the upcoming titles, he did mention that each will be "designed to serve a target segment of the overall gadget zone audience".

Gadget zone's content will come directly from its editorial team, including editor Damian Francis and new hire and staff writer Damien Virulhapan, who came on board this week.

Mansill added that unlike other blog sites, gadget zone offers readers reviews from established journalists, "not throw away comments or comedy antics".

"There's an emergence of blog-based consumer electronics sites that I don't think serve a useful purpose," he said. "Gadget zone seeks to provide real, honest and comprehensive information about mainstream consumer electronic products for consumers looking for quality and value."

This article reprinted with permission, from www.itjourno.com.au

OCTOBER 2007

	Gaming guru Ben Mansill leaves Atomic, joins Derwent Howard     By Jo-Anne Hui Oct 24, 2007

Atomic legend and founding father of the publication, editor-in-chief Ben Mansill has decided to finally let go of his baby and move over to Derwent Howard, where he will step up to the role of associate publisher.

"Something like Atomic requires a very high level of commitment and intensity. My time for that here is over," said Mansill of his departure. "After eight years I need toembrace something new and go hard on all cylinders again in a fresh new environment."

Mansill's remit at Derwent Howard involves overseeing a number of titles including Playstation, Australian 360 and Gameplayer. Later this year, he will launch a new consumer technology site. Mansill will also take care of a number of games-related special interest titles, such as the Gameplayer series, including Pokemon, World of Warcraft and Halo3. Mansill described his new position as "an outstanding role and absolutely the perfect next step for me".

"The company (Derwent Howard) has some very mature and evolved titles, plus a world of opportunity in other areas, including online," he said. "I like and respect all the people there, the company mirrors the same excitement and energy I have, and felt in the early days of Atomic. As a publisher I can work across many titles, and help grow the brands, the audiences, and the people there. Good times ahead!"

Ironically, Kevin Cheung, previous associate publisher of Gameplayer, now holds the same title across print and online special projects, taking over from David Hollingworth, who shifted over to the position of editor of Atomic earlier this month. One of Cheung's projects includes working on a one-shot blu-ray magazine, which is slated to launch in December. Cheung said the recent shift in his position is "part of (Derwent Howard's) strategic moves into the market for the coming period and as part of the restructure".

Mansill will officially hang up his hat at Haymarket on November 1, and will begin four days later at Derwent Howard.

The group publishing director at Derwent Howard is pleased to welcome Mansill on board and looks forward to working closely with him.

"Our brands are very well positioned within the Australian games sector, and we're fortunate enough to have both a strong portfolio and very experienced personnel - but we still see opportunity to raise the bar on what we do and evolve the current games offerings, and we also see opportunities to develop new initiatives - Ben will be an important part of both.".

"He's established a good reputation in the industry, and he brings broad experience and a skill set which is complementary to the existing team, and I also very much see Ben as being a great addition to the Derwent Howard business generally."
According to editorial director Debra Taylor, Haymarket is now on the lookout for a new editor-in-chief, "but (Mansill) is a hard act to follow".

"He’s created a brand and he’s been instrumental in the evolution of that brand into a vibrant and pretty much unique online IT community. You can’t really ask more of an editor than that," said Taylor.
"I've known Ben for many years since we were both at Next Media. He always brings enthusiasm, imagination, hard work, humour and ideas – some of them crazy – but plenty of ideas. And he’s always managed to mix all of that with unquestionable professionalism. More importantly though, he is a genuinely gifted dancer."

Meanwhile, Mansill will leave the publication in the hands of newly-minted editor Hollingworth, who he described as a "pro editor".

"He'll take it where it needs to be and I will be cheering him along all the way," Mansill said.

In 2000, Mansill launched Atomic: Maximum Power Computing. In conjunction with the publication, he also launched Atomic's website and online forums, which quickly became one of the most highly trafficked sites in Australia. He then moved over to manage B2C online projects at AJB (which was then acquired by Haymarket ) in 2004, but soon returned to his gaming grassroots a year later as groups games editor. Most recently, he was crowned editor-in-chief of Atomic in May this year. Prior to his career at Atomic, Mansill was deputy editor of Next Media's Hyper and founding editor of PC PowerPlay.

Mansill described his time at Atomic as "a never ending roller coaster that just got faster and more fun."

"Atomic is cool, sexy and fun, and honest, transparent and legit about everything we do," Mansill said. "The early years were incredibly exciting. We forged new ground in a traditionally dull market. We smashed preconceived ideas about IT publishing from industry and reader. We attracted a huge, passionate and genuine community, and created a brand that extended far beyond just being a magazine, and into starting a true social subculture."
 
In covering the gaming market for the past 17 years, Mansill said the industry has wildly transformed and that as a culture, gaming has "gone from the loner's bedroom to the family living room. The world is changing, social interaction is heading into a new zone and gaming will be a key part of  most people's lives."

With the rise of the Internet, Mansill said "readers now expect there to be a bridge between staff and readers". Indeed, Mansill said he doesn't really feel like he's leaving Atomic, as he will continue to spend time with the friends he has made during his time at the helm of the publication.

"I have more friends in the Atomic community than anywhere else. That's a hell of a fine thing to walk away with. It was never just a job."

This article reprinted with permission, from www.itjourno.com.au

MARCH 7th 2007

Derwent Howard Announce the Launch of Gaming Website www.GamePlayer.com.au

Building on the company's market leading position in the games magazine market place, Publisher Derwent Howard has announced a new launch into the online space, with its games portal www.GamePlayer.com.au due to go live on March 21st 2007.

The foray into the online space is the result of extensive gaming research and in direct response to feedback from both the industry, and also the readers of market leading titles, T3, Xbox360 and PlayStation. Newly appointed Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Cheung said “the objective of the new site is to evolve the relationships we've established with our magazine readers, to also reach a new audience, and to create a community of site visitors seeking the best, and latest, content which meets their interest in, and passion for, the console platforms, the games and the all important technology and hardware”.

The site will be positioned as the definitive online gaming environment in the Australian and New Zealand market. “It will be the complete package, leverages our existing portfolio and I believe GamePlayer will be the most respected gaming site in the market built on the journalistic excellence of the teams that have so successfully developed our print portfolio”. added Cheung.

The launch of GamePlayer is also a significant strategic move for Derwent Howard and, uniquely in the Australian and New Zealand markets enables Derwent Howard to offer advertisers seeking to reach the gaming audience, a highly targeted print and online solution. Nathan Berkley, Managing Director said “This is an incredibly exciting time in the industry, with new consoles and games, and whilst we acknowledge the market is changing, our print portfolio is strong, and the games titles continue to meet our expectations. Developing a differentiated online offering will further support this and provide the market with something new, and by drawing on the breadth and depth of our business, a marketing proposition that doesn’t currently exist. We’ve invested significantly, both in time and dollars, over the last six months exploring and developing the online initiative, and I firmly believe GamePlayer.com.au will provide the best environment for the consumer, industry and advertisers”.

SEPTEMBER 27th 2006

New Developments for Official Playstation Magazine

Derwent Howard is taking its market leading title Official PlayStation® 2 Magazine Australia into new territory with a new masthead, a new look and a relaunch on November 1st 2006 as Official PlayStation® Magazine Australia. This reflects the new strategy to create an editorial proposition which will encompass the whole PlayStation® family; PLAYSTATION® 3, PlayStation® 2 and PSP (PlayStation® Portable) products into the one magazine.

The new look Official PlayStation® Magazine cover will feature the highly anticipated PLAYSTATION® 3 racing simulation Gran Turismo HD. The magazine will be completely redesigned with a more mature look and feel to reflect the high-tech style of the upcoming PLAYSTATION® 3 console.

Editor, Narayan Pattison commented “This is an exciting time in the games industry, and the much anticipated launch of PLAYSTATION® 3 is something we know our readers are very much looking forward to given the countless letters and email queries we receive on the subject daily. The new look magazine will continue to be an important part of their PlayStation® experience, delivering everything our readers love, from the most in-depth and exclusive PlayStation® coverage to playable demo discs, and with the new proposition we’ll be ensuring readers get the best and latest news on PLAYSTATION® 3 as the console launch gets ever closer.”

Steve Wherrett, Director of Sponsorship and Product Development, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia added, “The Official PlayStation® Magazine forms an important part of our marketing communication strategy, and whilst the title has editorial independence the brand values of the magazine very much reflect the brand values of PlayStation®, and our strategy to focus on PlayStation®.”

SEPTEMBER 20th 2006

New Online Developments for Derwent Howard Pty Ltd

Derwent Howard Pty Ltd and the Australian Poker League (APL) have announced an exclusive agreement for the commercial management of APL’s website and newsletter advertising within Australia.

The Australian Poker League has announced the appointment of Derwent Howard as the exclusive representative for advertising sales of the company’s online media inventory. The new agreement is effective from October 1st 2006 and further strengthens Derwent Howard’s objective of developing the company’s online strategy.

“This is an exciting time for the Australian Poker League as we have experienced strong growth over the past six months and we are genuinely excited about the partnership with Derwent Howard,” said Martin Martinez, Managing Director, Australian Poker League. “The Derwent Howard alliance adds an enormous amount of credibility to the digital side of our business, plus their suite of websites and the audiences they bring with them will be hugely beneficial to the ongoing commercial success of our business.”

The agreement further re-enforces the position of Derwent Howard’s Interactive business division, which has grown from a single technology site, to a range of activity including the further development in the technology space, as well as customer projects for clients such as Blockbuster Australia and Sony Foundation.