Famitsu encyclopedia topics

Shūkan Famitsū

Shūkan Famitsū concentrates on video game reviews, as well as video game industry news. The name Famitsū was originally an abbreviation of , the magazine's original name after the Famicom (which was the dominant video game console during the late 1980s in Japan). The first issue was published in 1986. Today, Shūkan Famitsū features multi-platform coverage, with a separate spinoff magazine dedicated to Nintendo's platforms (currently titled Famitsū Wii+DS). Shūkan Famitsū is published every Friday with a circulation of 800,000 per issue.

Others

Famitsū publishes other magazines dedicated to particular consoles. Currently in circulation are:

Famitsū PS (formerly PlayStation Tsūshin), which reports on Sony-based platforms news (currently the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable).

Famitsū Wii+DS, which report on Nintendo-based platforms (currently the Nintendo DS and Wii). The magazine was formerly known as Famitsū 64 and then Famitsū Cube (among other variations of those two names) based on Nintendo's previous platforms.

Famitsū Xbox, which reports on Xbox and Xbox 360 news.

Famitsū Wave DVD (ファミ通 Wave DVD) is published monthly. Each magazine includes a DVD disc (NTSC Region 2) with video game footage. The magazine was originally called GameWave DVD.

Famitsū spin-offs that are no longer in circulation include Famitsū Bros. (which concentrated on video game hints and strategy rather than actual news), Famitsū Sister (which covered bishōjo games) and Famitsū DC (which covered the Dreamcast).

Scoring

Video games are graded in Famitsū by a panel of four video game reviewers. Each reviewer gives a score from one to ten (ten being best). The scores of the four reviewers are then added up with a possible score of forty.

Though Famitsū reviewers have received notoriety for their selectiveness, recent review scores have generally taken an upswing. Several recent Famitsū scores have been subject to controversy, with accusations that the magazine is raising scores to appease advertisers and the gaming industry, as was the case with its score for Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. However, it is still extremely rare for a game to receive a perfect score of forty from Famitsū's reviewers. Famitsū Wave DVD does not grade video games.