More On PiQ
Comic212’s Christopher Butcher received a media kit about ADV’s magazine PiQ, which is apparently both just a name change for Newtype USA and, at the same time, an entirely reworked magazine.
The magazine will be a bit smaller both in trim size (8″x10″ instead of 9″x12″) and length (~130 pages versus ~160), and in price as well: $6.99 to NTUSA’s $12.98 (that’s USD of course; CAD will be $7.99, versus NTUSA’s $16.98). It will also read standard left-to-right instead of NTUSA’s right-to-left and have a spine instead of being stapled.
No word on DVDs, but the content will broaden; it’ll be roughly 20% anime, 20% gaming, 20% “US comics/Japanese manga,” 20% genre movies and TV, 10% toys and collectibles and 5% each of gadgets and lifestyle. Butcher notes how amazingly similar this is to Wizard’s magazines, especially when you factor in that PiQ will be “squarely addressing the needs of a cutting-edge young male audience.” (I wonder if they really wanted that phrase to be published; as a cutting-edge female I can’t help but feel a little neglected.) They’re estimating a 70/30 split in favor of guys for their readership– I wonder what NTUSA’s was?
Butcher also shares a potential cover for the first issue featuring Appleseed Ex Machina, which you can go see at his post.
I think Butcher’s statements that the magazine sounds a bit more generic geek than otaku-specific are pretty apt given this information, though of course we’ll have to wait and see how it actually turns out. Given the current market for magazines, broadening probably isn’t a bad move anyway– but it may put off some of the fans who would rather see more features on anime and manga than on, say, Heroes or Cloverfield.
And I have to admit I’m a little annoyed that I’m gleaning all the info on PiQ via other people receiving media kits or having their questions answered, rather than via a response to my own e-mail to Gary Steinman regarding the magazine, or even an e-mail to all us former NTUSA writers.
Original source: Comics212
Secondary source: MangaBlog
Tags: ADV, magazines, newtype-USA, PiQ
January 19th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I wonder if they’ll still have the spreads, since I thought that was the best part of Newtype USA. If not, I’ll probably look to a Newtype Japan subscription. While I am interested in the Heroes and Code Geass coverage, this really worries me :(.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Looking at the cover, the comparison to PLAY seems about right.
January 19th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Perhaps you’re not getting your direct info because you’re not male, 12-22 years of age (guessing on the age range). Man, the more I think about that, but more I say “f*ck that”, but the less I am surprised. …Considering that’s the demo for anime in general.
As for the spreads, even if they have them, they won’t be as “user-friendly” due to the perfect binding, which carries with it fact of the annoying gutter. You’d have to crack the spine to get the same feel as a saddle stitched book.
January 19th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I’m not liking this and I don’t play on buying it either. I’m not interested in the tv and movie columns for one and the size reduction with less overall content, but more generalized don’t cut it for me.