Missed this one earlier this month (and came to my attention via Tolman’s column below): Future plc - the UK-based publishing empire behind such titles as .net, Max PC and Digital Home - has snapped up US gaming tips website Cheat Planet for $8.7 million. Cheatplanet.com—which used to be owned be Echo Software and Hardware—is a top-five games site in the US, apparently, attracting 6.1 million visitors a month.

Because Cheat Planet’s content is reader-generated and has a longer shelf life than news or reviews, it requires limited editorial input and therefore has operated on high profit margins, according to the company. The site last year generated pre-tax profits of more than $800,000 on the back of $900,000 revenues. More details here…