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 Cover of Shūkan Famitsu for May 9–16, 2024 (#1847) issue, featuring Acheron and Aventurine ofHonkai: Star Rail | |
| Categories | Video game |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Weekly / Monthly |
| Format | Paper and online magazine |
| Circulation | 500,000 (Shūkan) 120,000 (Entamikusu) 80,000 (Connect! On) 40,000 (DS+Wii)[1] |
| Publisher | ASCII (1986–2000) Enterbrain (2000–2013) Kadokawa (2013–2017) Gzbrain (2017–2019) Kadokawa Game Linkage (2019–present) |
| First issue | June 1986; 39 years ago (1986-06) (as Famicom Tsūshin) |
| Country | Japan |
| Based in | Tokyo |
| Language | Japanese |
| Website | famitsu.com |
Famitsu[a], formerlyFamicom Tsūshin[b], is a line of Japanesevideo game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary ofKadokawa.Famitsu is published in weekly and monthly formats, and in special issues devoted to particular themes. It was first published in 1986.
Shūkan Famitsū,[c] the original publication, is considered the most widely read and respected video game news magazine in Japan.[2][3][4] From October 28, 2011, the company began releasing the digital version onBookWalker weekly.[5][6]
The nameFamitsu is aportmanteau abbreviation ofFamicom Tsūshin;Famicom is the Japanese name forNintendo Entertainment System, the dominantvideo game console in Japan when the magazine was first published.
LOGiN (ログイン), a computer game magazine, started in 1982 as an extra issue ofASCII, and later it became a periodic magazine.Famicom Tsūshin[d] was a column inLogin, focused on the Famicom platform, and ran from March 1985 to December 1986 issue. It received a good reception, so the publisher decided to found the magazine specialized for it.[7][8]
The first issue ofFamitsu was published on June 6, 1986, asFamicom Tsūshin.[9] It sold less than 200,000 copies, despite 700,000 copies printed. The major competitor wasFamily Computer Magazine launched in July 1985 byTokuma Shoten.Famitsu's editor found many readers had multiple game consoles, and they thought it would be better if the magazine covered various platforms. Increasing contents and the page count gradually, the magazine was published three times per month instead of semimonthly publication. On July 19, 1991 (issue #136) the magazine was renamed toShūkan Famicom Tsūshin[e] and issues were published weekly thereafter. Alongside the weekly magazine, a monthly version calledGekkan Famicom Tsūshin[f] was also published.
Hirokazu Hamamura, an editor-in-chief (1992–2002), felt the beginning of a new era when he saw a private demonstration ofFinal Fantasy VI in 1993. He thought the nameFamicom Tsūshin should be refurbished. At the start of 1996 (with issue #369) the magazines underwent another name change, truncating their titles toShūkan Famitsū[g] andGekkan Famitsū[h]. The nameFamitsu had already been in common use.[8]
The magazine was published byASCII from its founding through March 2000 when it was sold toEnterbrain, which published it for 13 years, until their parent companyKadokawa published it from 2013 to 2017. Since 2017, Kadokawa's subsidiary Gzbrain has been publishing the magazine, while in 2019 the company changed its name to Kadokawa Game Linkage.[6]
Famicom Tsūshin initially focused on the Famicom platform, but later it featured multi-platform coverage.Famicom Tsūshin was renamed toFamitsu in 1995.Shūkan Famitsū is a weekly publication concentrating on video game news and reviews, and is published every Thursday with a circulation of 500,000 per issue.[1]Gekkan Famitsū is published monthly.
Famitsu covers alternately feature pop idols or actresses on even-numbered issues and theFamitsu mascot, Necky[i] the Fox[10] in odd-numbered issues.[11] Year-end and special editions all feature Necky dressed as popular contemporary video game characters. Necky is the cartoon creation of artistSusumu Matsushita, and he takes the form of a costumed fox.[12] The costumes worn by Necky reflect current popular video games. Necky's name was chosen according to a reader poll, and it derives from a complex Japanese pun: "Necky" is actually the reverse of the Japanese word for fox, キツネ,[j] and his original connection toFamicom Tsūshin is intended to evoke the bark of the fox, the Japanese onomatopoeia of which is コンコン[k].[13] Necky makes a cameo appearance inSuper Mario Maker.[14]
Famitsu publishes other magazines dedicated to particular consoles. Currently in circulation are:
Famitsu spin-offs that are no longer in circulation include:
Video games are graded inFamitsu via a review system of having four critics each assign the game a score from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest score. The scores are then added together. As of 2024[update], thirty games have received perfect scores of 40 fromFamitsu. The console with the highest number of perfect-scoring games is thePlayStation 3, with seven total. Four of the perfect-scoring games on PlayStation 3 were also released on theXbox 360, which is tied with theWii for the second-highest number of perfect scores at five total. Franchises with multiple perfect score winners includeThe Legend of Zelda with five titles,Metal Gear with three titles, andFinal Fantasy with two titles. The most recent game to receive a perfect score isLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.[15]
As of 2023[update], all but three games with perfect scores are from Japanese companies, ten being published/developed byNintendo, four bySquare Enix, three bySega, three byKonami and one byCapcom. As of 2023[update], the only three completely foreign games to achieve a perfect score areThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim byBethesda Softworks,Grand Theft Auto V byRockstar Games, andGhost of Tsushima bySucker Punch Productions. Other foreign games that have achieved near-perfect scores areGrand Theft Auto IV,Red Dead Redemption,L.A. Noire, andRed Dead Redemption 2, all byRockstar Games;Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,Call of Duty: Black Ops, andCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, all byActivision (but published bySquare Enix in Japan);Gears of War 3 byEpic Games; andThe Last of Us Part II andUncharted 4: A Thief's End byNaughty Dog.Kingdom Hearts II, another game with a near-perfect score, was a joint effort between Japanese developer Square Enix and American developerDisney Interactive Studios.
Famitsu administers theFamitsu awards. Video games receive a number of different awards in categories like Innovation, Biggest Hit, Rookie Award, Highest Quality, etc. One or two "Game of the Year" awards are granted as the top prize. Top prize winners are determined by a combination of critical and fan review scores as well as sales figures.
UK trade magazineMCV andFamitsu have an exclusive partnership which sees news and content from each magazine appear in the other.[16]