COMMENT: And it’s goodbye from me

It was exactly 15 years ago that MCV debuted at the ECTS trade show in Olympia.

We’ve published 754 editions so far. There will be eight more with my name in, then I’m off.

The November 1st edition ends a 27-year career in games trade media, having served a dozen years at MCV predecessor Computer Trade Weekly, mostly as editor. I will also leave Intent Media, which I founded in 2002 after a management buy-out from our original backers, Computec.

MCV alumni include Lisa Carter, Dave Roberts, Samantha Loveday, Ronnie Dungan, Owain Bennallack, Steve Merrett, Neil Long, Chris Buckley, Tim Ingham, Matt Martin, Johnny Minkley and Rob Crossley. All retain senior roles across the entertainment industry today, and like so many others I have been lucky enough to employ, all of them fully deserve their success.

But the current content team of Michael French, Chris Dring, Ben Parfitt, James Batchelor and Greg Lockley is as good as any MCV has ever had. As well as weekly readers across print, iPad and PC download, MCV now has over 12,000 Twitter followers and a monthly online readership of 300,000.

As MCV evolved it provided the springboard for Intent’s own growth. The company boasts 10m annual revenue and 90 staff, with 25 different print, digital and events brands – including Develop, Music Week, ToyNews, Mobile Entertainment, PCR, Bikebiz, Licensing.Biz and The London Games Conference.

Last December, Intent was sold to Newbay Media, which also specialises in entertainment technology, and publishes the CES Daily. It wants to grow in Europe and was attracted to the Intent brands and personnel. Quite right too, they are brilliant.

The deal was a good one for everybody, but I have decided to move on. I will remain chairman of GamesAid and have taken a stake in developer and publisher Curve Studios, whilst I contemplate building a completely new business all over again.

MCV readers will be in good hands, with Michael French stepping up to publisher and Chris Dring becoming day-to-day editor.

It has been an honour to be at the centre of the business for so long, and I wish all of you every success for the future.