Imagine Publishing has effectively closed its unofficial PS3 magazine PSU3 – merging it with multi-format PlayStation title Play.

In a statement, Imagine said:

‘The move comes after careful deliberation into the state of both the PlayStation and the related magazine market which has not seen the significant growth shown by Xbox 360 titles. With the PlayStation magazine market unlikely to improve in the short to medium term, the decision was taken to merge the two titles in order to focus resources on what is Imagine’s market-leading PlayStation title.

‘The merger will see key staff from PSU3 move over to Play to bolster its already talented team, and will see some of PSU3’s innovative features incorporated into Imagine’s bestselling independent title and improve Play’s editorial package in time for what is hoped to be a stronger 2008.’

Editor in Chief of Imagine’s PlayStation titles Nick Jones added:

“The fact is that the PlayStation market is at an all-time low and this has been reflected in the sales of PlayStation magazines. With a lower than expected PlayStation 3 installed user base, no price reduction of the hardware, and few triple-A games until much later next year, we have taken the decision to merge PSU3 with Play and focus on our most long-standing games brands and also our new launches.

“By concentrating on Play, our premium PlayStation multiformat magazine, and of course PowerStation the market-leading tips and cheats title, we will be able to ensure that Imagine stays ahead of its competitors and remains an attractive opportunity for games publishers and advertisers alike.”

Existing subscriptions of PSU3 have been moved onto Play’s list.