HobbyConsolas
HobbyConsolas is a Spanish video-game media brand built around a long-running magazine, website, and mobile reading experience.
Last updated August 21, 2026
Overview
HobbyConsolas is a Spanish video-game media brand founded in 1991 by Hobby Press. Its first magazine issue was published in October of that year, establishing the title as a periodical focused on console games and the wider culture surrounding them. The magazine was designed for readers seeking news, reviews, previews, buying guidance, and entertainment coverage across the expanding console market. The title's original editorial focus was console gaming. As the games industry broadened, HobbyConsolas expanded its subject coverage. Since 2012, its editorial scope has also included games for personal computers and mobile devices, reflecting the growing importance of those platforms in the Spanish-speaking gaming market. This extension allowed the brand to function less as a narrowly console-oriented publication and more as a general video-game information service. HobbyConsolas operates across print and digital formats. The magazine remains the brand's historical foundation, while the official website provides online news and other editorial material. The brand has also offered a mobile application intended to give readers access to digital magazines on mobile devices. Together, these formats represent the transition of a traditional specialist magazine into a multi-platform media brand. The publication has been associated with Axel Springer SE, which publishes the title within its media portfolio. Public reference material identifies Axel Springer as the publisher, although the available material does not specify a separate current corporate owner or a detailed operating structure for the brand. HobbyConsolas is principally associated with Spain and Spanish-language video-game journalism. The magazine achieved notable recognition in Spain during the 1990s. Listeners of the Spanish radio program Game 40 selected HobbyConsolas as the best game magazine of 1997. Later circulation information illustrates the continuing scale of its print readership: in March 2014, the magazine was reported to have a circulation of 32,129 copies and approximately 330,000 readers. Its official website was also described as the fifth most visited Spanish video-game website in the cited reference material. HobbyConsolas is therefore best understood as an editorial media brand rather than a game developer, publisher, retailer, or hardware manufacturer. Its value proposition rests on curated information and criticism about games across console, PC, and mobile platforms, delivered through a combination of magazine publishing and digital distribution. The available sources do not provide a detailed account of its current print frequency, present readership, revenue, executive team, or ownership beyond its association with Axel Springer SE.
History
HobbyConsolas was established in Spain in 1991 by Hobby Press, during a period when console video games were becoming a significant specialist-media category. The first issue appeared in October 1991. From its beginning, the magazine concentrated on information about games for consoles, serving readers who wanted reporting, evaluations, previews, and practical information about releases across the console market. The title developed as a dedicated video-game magazine rather than as a general technology or entertainment publication. Its identity was closely tied to the growth of console gaming in Spain and to the role of printed specialist magazines in helping readers discover new software and understand the rapidly changing market. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of the magazine's early editorial staff, launch financing, frequency changes, or individual issue history. At a later stage, the brand broadened its editorial remit. Beginning in 2012, HobbyConsolas also covered PC and mobile games. This change reflected the increasing overlap among gaming platforms and the growing relevance of mobile devices and personal computers to the video-game audience. The expansion enabled the title to address games more broadly instead of limiting its coverage to traditional consoles. HobbyConsolas subsequently developed a digital presence alongside its print publication. Its official website became a major Spanish video-game website, and reference material described it as the fifth most visited Spanish video-game website. The brand also offered a mobile application intended to help readers access digital magazines on mobile devices. These developments extended the publication from a physical periodical into a broader editorial platform. The magazine has been published by Axel Springer SE. The available sources identify this publishing relationship but do not establish a separate current owner, a detailed subsidiary structure, or a full chronology of corporate transactions. HobbyConsolas is principally connected with Spain and Spanish-language gaming media. The publication received recognition from the audience of the Spanish radio program Game 40, which named it the best game magazine of 1997. This award indicates that it had achieved meaningful visibility within Spain's gaming culture during the 1990s. Later published figures give an indication of its reach: in March 2014, the title was reported to have a circulation of 32,129 copies and approximately 330,000 readers. The available material does not state whether these figures represented audited circulation, nor does it provide later comparable figures. Today, HobbyConsolas is represented through its official digital channels as well as its established magazine identity. Its historical development follows the broader transformation of specialist games media: it began as a console-focused print magazine, expanded into PC and mobile coverage, and added online and mobile access. Current details about print frequency, workforce, editorial leadership, financial performance, and corporate ownership are not established by the supplied sources.
- 2014Reported circulation and readership figures
In March 2014, reference material reported circulation of 32,129 copies and approximately 330,000 readers.
- 2012Coverage expands to PC and mobile games
The magazine broadened its editorial coverage beyond consoles to include PC and mobile video games.
- 1997Named best game magazine by Game 40 listeners
Listeners of the Spanish radio program Game 40 selected HobbyConsolas as the best game magazine of the year.
- 1991HobbyConsolas is founded
Hobby Press founded HobbyConsolas in Spain as a video-game magazine focused on console games.
- 1991First issue is published
The first issue of HobbyConsolas appeared in October 1991.
Products and positioning
A Spanish-language specialist gaming publication offering news, reviews, previews, and broader coverage of console, PC, and mobile video games across print and digital channels.
HobbyConsolas magazinePrint magazine1991
The core product is a Spanish video-game magazine launched in 1991. It originally concentrated on console games and provided specialist editorial coverage for gaming audiences, including information about releases and the wider console market. From 2012 onward, its subject scope also included PC and mobile games.
HobbyConsolas websiteDigital publishing
The official website extends the publication's editorial presence online. It publishes Spanish-language video-game content and supports the brand's position as a digital source of gaming information. Reference material identified it as the fifth most visited Spanish video-game website, although no current traffic figure is supplied.
HobbyConsolas mobile applicationMobile application
The brand has offered a mobile app designed to help readers access digital magazines on mobile devices. It forms part of HobbyConsolas's move from a print-only identity toward multi-platform distribution.
Flagship businesses
- HobbyConsolas magazine
- HobbyConsolas website
- HobbyConsolas mobile application
Brand decisions
- 2012Broaden editorial coverage to PC and mobile gamingStrategy
The publication had historically focused on console games, while PC and mobile gaming were becoming increasingly important parts of the market.
What changed. HobbyConsolas added coverage of PC and mobile video games to its existing console coverage.
Aftermath. The move positioned the brand as a broader video-game publication rather than a console-only magazine.
Recent events
- 2014HobbyConsolas reports substantial print circulation and readership
Reference material reported circulation of 32,129 copies and approximately 330,000 readers in March 2014.
Other - 2012HobbyConsolas expands coverage beyond console games
The publication began covering PC and mobile video games in addition to its established console focus.
Other
Sources
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