According to Future: the redeveloped News channel takes the users to the heart of the biggest news stories in video games, movies and TV, with in-depth analysis supported by original reporting and interviews. Consumers will experience an immersive user experience, with articles linked to features and editorial analysis on the same subject/focus areas so that there is a real narrative thread of content.
The Reviews channel has multiple verdicts on the biggest games, from some of the industry’s most respected journalists and gaming brands. This multi-layered review system gives the consumer an invaluable and unique insight resulting in a fuller, more informed opinion.
These developments see multiple editorial changes in both the UK and US. In two new positions for Future, Kotaku UK News Editor, Leon Hurley, joins as Executive Editor, News and will oversee all global news content. Leon has been integral to Kotaku UK’s traffic growth, exceptional audience engagement and recent success at the Games Media Awards as ‘Best Editorial Team: Online’. Louise Blain, former Official PlayStation writer and member of the Scottish BAFTA committee, is appointed as News Lead and will be at the forefront of all news content creation.
Also in the UK, David Houghton and Justin Towell are promoted to Features Editor and Reviews Editor respectively. Daniella Lucas joins GamesRadar+ from GamesMaster as Content Manager.
In the US, Ludwig Kietzmann and Susan Arendt join as Editor-in-Chief (US) and Managing Editor respectively. Both of huge integrity in the world of gaming, former Joystiq Editor-in-Chief, Ludwig was on Forbes 2014 30 under 30 list for Gaming calling him “... one of the most respected voices covering the industry.” Susan worked alongside Ludwig as Managing Editor at Joystiq and was formerly Editor-in-Chief of The Escapist.
The development of these two channels sees over 50 of Future’s journalists from brands including Total Film, SFX, Official Xbox, Edge, Official PlayStation and GamesMaster magazine producing content for GamesRadar+ from around the globe.
Declan Gough, Head of Content & Marketing, Future Games, Music, Film, says, “We are delighted with how GamesRadar+ has performed since launch in November, with better than expected traffic across the entire site. The redevelopment of the News and Reviews channels is a significant step and will give the users a much more enriched experience.”
Sophia Tong, Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+, says, "It's an incredibly exciting time for everyone at GamesRadar+ and we're thrilled to be welcoming so many talented new additions to the team. I'm so happy to share that Leon, Louise and Daniella from our sister brands are joining us, who are all fantastic to work with already. David and Justin could not be more deserving of their promotions, and Ludwig and Susan's credentials speak for themselves, and will undoubtedly bring a fresh, new dynamic to the team."
GamesRadar+ has seen incredible growth since its inception. Already in 2015 the site has seen significant year on year growth with global users increasing 50% to over 8 million in January and pageviews increased 65% to 100m. The UK market has seen similar patterns in the same period increasing users in January to deliver 1 million users for the second month running and pageviews increased 78% in January to 12 million, says Future.
