View source for Game Players

{{short description|American video-game magazine}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title = Game Players
| logo = 
| logo_size = 
| image_file = 
| image_size = <!-- (defaults to user thumbnail size if no size is stated) -->
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = February 1994 issue
| editor = 
| editor_title = 
| previous_editor = 
| staff_writer = 
| photographer = 
| category = [[Video game journalism]]
| frequency = Monthly
| circulation = 
| publisher = Signal Research (1989–1992)<br>GP Publications (1992–1994)<br>[[Imagine Media]] (1994–1998)
| founder = Robert C. Lock
| founded = {{start date and age|1989|5|30}}
| firstdate = <!-- {{Start date|year|month|day}} -->
| finaldate = {{end date|1998|6}}
| company = 
| country = USA
| based = [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], U.S. (later [[Burlingame, California]], U.S.)
| language = English
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| issn = 1087-2779
| oclc = 34042091
}}
'''''Game Players''''' was a monthly [[video game]] magazine founded by Robert C. Lock  in 1989 and originally published by Signal Research in [[Greensboro, North Carolina]].

The original publication began as '''''Game Players Strategy to Nintendo Games''''' (the cover featured a disclaimer that claimed it had no affiliation with [[Nintendo]], which already had its official publication in ''[[Nintendo Power]]''). The magazine evolved over the years, spinning off a separate publication called '''''Game Players Sega Genesis Guide''''' when [[Sega]] entered the console market. These two magazines were later folded together into one magazine.

In 1996, the magazine changed its name to '''''Ultra Game Players''''' and introduced a radically different format. At the end of its run, it turned into '''''Game Buyer''''', before being cancelled in 1998.<ref>[http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/07/column_game_mag_weaseling_unra.php Game Mag Weaseling': Unraveling Game Players]. Game set watch (2006-07-22). Retrieved on 2020-09-16.</ref>

==History==
Around 1992, Signal Research was shut down by investors that seized the company because of fiscal mismanagement. The publishing house was revived by an investment group as GP Publications, with the intention of being sold. About a year later, GP Publications was purchased by [[Future Publishing]] UK (mainly for ''Game Players'') as an entry into the North American media publishing field. The newly acquired publication (along with ''PC Gamer'', that was also published by GP Publications) was then used as a foundation to start a for a new American publishing company operated under the name of Imagine Media.<ref>[http://www.gamingmagz.com/magazines/usa/game-players#.X2KkmtR7lhE Game Players history] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928213728/http://www.gamingmagz.com/magazines/usa/game-players#.X2KkmtR7lhE |date=September 28, 2020 }}. Gaming Magz. Retrieved on 2020-09-16.</ref>

''Games Players'' is the first video game magazine to feature a computer generated or CG cover.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} The magazine also featured mini-strategy guides, paper toys, trading cards and other branded items and extras, like posters for games, that were included when the issue was polybagged.

During 1989 and 1990, the company also put out a total of 16 "GameTapes", which were VHS tapes that showed how to beat certain [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] games.

Humor is included in almost every videogame review and image caption. Readers' letters come at the beginning of the magazine and are often one of the highlights of the magazine.{{according to whom|date=June 2016}} The magazine often includes a "newsletter" with irreverent jokes about magazine staffers, as well as cartoons. The introduction of ''Ultra Game Players'' was intended to coincide with the release of the [[Nintendo 64]] and ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', as originally, the Nintendo 64 went by the name Nintendo Ultra 64.

''Ultra Game Players'' features an updated design which places the readers' letters at the end of the magazine. One of the features of ''Ultra Game Players'' is a "prize store" in which readers answered trivia questions for chances to win prizes. However, many readers complained that the humor that had made ''Game Players'' such an enjoyable magazine was missing from the ''Ultra'' version, which prompted a return to form soon after the switch.

''Ultra Game Players'' continued until June 1998, at which point it was replaced by ''Game Buyer''. ''Game Buyer'' ran for four more months before being cancelled by Imagine Publishing.

==Former employees==
*Associate Publisher & Creative Director Vince Matthews went on to lead Future's Special Projects group (creating ''Pocket Gamer''). After leaving Future, Vince became the Director of Marketing for Conspiracy Entertainment and later, went to work for ''[[The Walt Disney Company]]''. 
*Former magazine Editor in Chief Chris Slate helped launch ''[[PSM (magazine)|PSM]]'', became Editor in Chief at ''[[Nintendo Power]]'', Editor in Chief of ''[[MacLife]]'', and is currently now corporate communications manager at ''[[Nintendo]]''.
*Managing Editor Bill Donohue went on to ''[[PSM (magazine)|PSM]]''.
*Francesca Reyes became Editor in Chief at ''[[Official Xbox Magazine]]'', another Future publication.
*Frank O'Connor, who helmed the later issues of ''UGP'' and ''Game Buyer'' is now at [[Microsoft]], became director of the ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'' franchise.
*Roger Burchill became Managing Editor at ''[[PSM (magazine)|PSM]]''.
*Vince DiMiceli became the editor of ''[[The Brooklyn Paper]]''.
*Chris Charla also went to Microsoft and now heads the [[Xbox One]]'s Independent Developers division.
*Mike Salmon became Editor in Chief of ''[[PC Accelerator]]'' magazine and later ''[[Official Xbox Magazine]]'', and is currently Director of Research and Planning for [[2K Games]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/19961105033826/http://www.gameplayers.com/}}
* {{Internet Archive|gameplayers}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721031843/http://trenchmania.com/gameplayers/ |date=July 21, 2011 |title=Game Players / Ultra Game Players }}
*[https://retrocdn.net/Category:Game_Players_scans Digitized Game Players magazines on Retro CDN]
*[https://retrocdn.net/Category:Ultra_Game_Players_scans Digitized Ultra Game Players magazines on Retro CDN]

[[Category:Monthly magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct video game magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct magazines published in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1989]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1998]]