Famitsu, which was previously called Famicom Tsūshin, is a series of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage, a company that is part of Kadokawa. These magazines are released in weekly and monthly formats, as well as special editions focused on specific topics. The first issue was published in 1986.

Shūkan Famitsū, the original magazine, is regarded as the most widely read and respected video game news publication in Japan. Beginning on October 28, 2011, the company started offering a digital version of the magazine on BookWalker every week.

The name "Famitsu" comes from a combination of the words "Famicom Tsūshin." "Famicom" is short for "Family Computer," which was the most popular video game console in Japan when the magazine was first released.

History

LOGiN (ログイン), a computer game magazine, began in 1982 as a special edition of ASCII and later became a regular magazine. Famicom Tsūshin was a section in LOGiN that focused on the Famicom platform. It appeared in issues from March 1985 to December 1986. Because it was well-received, the publisher created a magazine dedicated to it.

The first issue of Famitsu was published on June 6, 1986, and was originally called Famicom Tsūshin. It sold fewer than 200,000 copies, even though 700,000 were printed. A major competitor was Family Computer Magazine, which started in July 1985 by Tokuma Shoten. Famitsu’s editor noticed many readers owned multiple game consoles and decided the magazine should cover more platforms. Over time, the magazine added more content and pages. It was published three times a month instead of twice a month. On July 19, 1991 (issue #136), the magazine was renamed Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin and was published weekly. A monthly version called Gekkan Famicom Tsūshin was also released.

Hirokazu Hamamura, who was editor-in-chief from 1992 to 2002, saw a private demo of Final Fantasy VI in 1993 and believed the magazine needed a new name. In 1996 (issue #369), the magazines were renamed to Shūkan Famitsū and Gekkan Famitsū. The name "Famitsu" was already widely used.

ASCII published the magazine from its start until March 2000, when it was sold to Enterbrain. Enterbrain published it for 13 years until 2013, when Kadokawa took over. Kadokawa published it until 2017. Since 2017, Kadokawa’s subsidiary, Gzbrain, has published the magazine. In 2019, the company changed its name to Kadokawa Game Linkage.

Shūkan FamitsūandGekkan Famitsū

Famicom Tsūshin first focused on the Famicom platform, but later included coverage of multiple gaming platforms. In 1995, the publication was renamed Famitsu. Shūkan Famitsū is a weekly magazine that focuses on video game news and reviews. It is published every Thursday and has a circulation of 500,000 copies per issue. Gekkan Famitsū is a monthly publication.

Famitsu magazine features pop idols or actresses on its covers for even-numbered issues and the Famitsu mascot, Necky the Fox, on odd-numbered issues. Special editions and year-end issues always show Necky dressed as popular video game characters. Necky was created by artist Susumu Matsushita and is a cartoon fox wearing costumes. The costumes reflect popular video games from the present time. The name "Necky" comes from a Japanese wordplay: it is the reverse of the Japanese word for fox, キツネ. Necky's original connection to Famicom Tsūshin was meant to represent the sound a fox makes, which in Japanese is コンコン. Necky appears in the game Super Mario Maker.

Special-topicFamitsupublications

Famitsu publishes several magazines that focus on specific video game consoles. These include:

• Entamikusu (previously called Otonafami) is aimed at older readers and discusses older video games. It has been published every month since November 2010.
• Famitsū Connect! covers online gaming.
• Famitsū DS+Wii reports on Nintendo platforms, such as the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch. The magazine was previously named Famitsū 64 and Famitsū Cube, depending on the Nintendo platforms being used at the time.
• Famitsū GREE focuses on mobile gaming through the GREE service.
• Famitsū Mobage covers mobile gaming through the Mobage service.

Magazines that are no longer published include:

• Famitsū Bros. (previously called Famicom Tsūshin Kōryaku Special) was aimed at younger readers and provided tips and strategies for video games. It was published monthly and stopped in September 2002.
• Famicomi (previously called Famitsū Comic) was a comic and manga magazine. It was published irregularly from 1992 to 1995.
• Famitsū DC covered news about Sega platforms, including the Dreamcast. Earlier versions of this magazine, such as Sega Saturn Tsūshin, focused on the Sega Saturn and earlier Sega systems.
• Famitsū Sister covered bishōjo games.
• Satellaview Tsūshin focused on the Satellaview. It was published monthly and lasted for 12 issues, from May 1995 to May 1996. Its first issue was the May 1995 edition of Gekkan Famicom Tsūshin.
• Virtual Boy Tsūshin covered the Virtual Boy. Only one issue was published in 1995.
• Famitsū PS (previously called PlayStation Tsūshin) began in May 1996 and reported on Sony platforms. It was later named Famitsū PS2 and Famitsū PSP+PS3 before being discontinued in March 2010.
• Famitsū Wave DVD (previously called GameWave DVD) covered events, films, and previews. Each issue included a DVD with video game footage, such as trailers and gameplay tips, as well as interviews with developers and publishers. It was published monthly, starting in September 2000 and ending in May 2011.
• Famitsū Xbox reported on news about the Xbox and Xbox 360. It was published monthly, starting in January 2002 and discontinued in 2013.

Scoring

Famitsu rates video games using a system where four reviewers each give the game a score from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest. The scores are added together to create a total score. As of 2024, thirty games have received a perfect score of 40 from Famitsu. The PlayStation 3 has the most perfect-scoring games, with seven total. Four of these games were also released on the Xbox 360, which shares the second-highest number of perfect scores with the Wii, both having five total. Game series with multiple perfect scores include The Legend of Zelda (five titles), Metal Gear (three titles), and Final Fantasy (two titles). The most recent game to earn a perfect score is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

As of 2023, all but three games with perfect scores were developed or published by Japanese companies. Ten were made by Nintendo, four by Square Enix, three by Sega, three by Konami, and one by Capcom. The three perfect-scoring games not from Japanese companies are The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks), Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games), and Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions). Other games with near-perfect scores include Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, and Red Dead Redemption 2 (all by Rockstar Games); Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (all by Activision, but published by Square Enix in Japan); Gears of War 3 (Epic Games); and The Last of Us Part II and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog). Kingdom Hearts II, another game with a near-perfect score, was created by Square Enix (Japan) and Disney Interactive Studios (United States).

Awards

Famitsu gives out the Famitsu awards. Video games can win awards in different categories, such as Innovation, Biggest Hit, Rookie Award, and Highest Quality. One or two "Game of the Year" awards are given as the highest honor. Winners of the top prize are chosen based on scores from critics and fans, as well as how many games are sold.

Relationship with other magazines

The UK trade magazine MCV and the Japanese magazine Famitsu have a special agreement. This agreement means that news and articles from each magazine are shared with the other.