Sega Mania, a fan-made publication devoted to all things Sega, is closing after 18 months and seven issues, it has been revealed.
The project was run by a team of unpaid Sega enthusiasts. The magazine covered news, features and reviews and was supported by a preorder and subscription service. Those who have already paid for future issues using either method will be refunded, the statement reads.
However, it's not all negative. "It may be the end of Sega Mania but not the end of us," the statement adds. "With such an incredible pool of talent at our fingertips, it would be mad for us not to try something a little different in future. We don't know if we will yet and, if we do, what it may be, but we'll be sure to let you know if we figure it out."
While many self-published video game magazines have sprung up in recent years, actually making them profitable is tricky, as Ninty Fresh boss and Time Extension contributor Paul Murphy recently explained.
Here's some more on the closure of Sega Mania from founder Tim Hugall:
I want to thank each and every one of you who has supported us. It has been a wild ride and despite the occasional ups and downs, an incredible experience we will never forget. We never could have gotten this far without you and we owe you all our eternal gratitude.
I also want to thank Sam, Simon, Rob, Steve, Alex, David and Tom for their incredible work and personal sacrifice. Nobody who worked on Sega Mania was ever paid for the work they did. Every penny we made was sunk straight back into the project to keep it going, it truly was a passion project crafted with love. I owe them so much for helping turn my mad ideas into reality and bringing new ideas such as the podcast into the mix. They are some of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and I ask you to applaud them for the insanely good content they produced across our 7 issues.
Don't forget that you can still tune into Alex and David on the A Winner Is You Podcast, read Simon's musings on SimFiction.co.uk and be spooked by Rob on his HowHaunted? Podcast.
It may be the end of Sega Mania but not the end of us. With such an incredible pool of talent at our finger tips, it would be mad for us to not to try something a little different in future. We don't know if we will yet and if we do, what it may be, but we'll be sure to let you know if we figure it out.