Official feedback thread for issue 19

[Kaede]

I personally don't think it has anything to do with amount of sales or even popularity, but rather trying to lure as many people in as big a net as possible. The word "NeoGeo" appeals to that certain slice of the population that the others titles don't.

I guess it depends on if the magazine wants to attract a small amount of hardcore enthusiasts or reach out to the millions of people who owned an Amstrad machine. That is a commercial decision from the magazines point of view.

Of course, the magazine that got it right was New Computer Express. The biggest machines (in terms of their audience) always got a mention on the front but they would always cycle two or three of the slots for other machines. So if a machine had lots of stuff going on that week then it would get a mention on the front.

Regarding the Amstrad/Neo Geo comments, all I was trying to say is that surely an article about a niche/cult console that was really a much saught after luxury item back in the day has got to be a more enticing read (IMO) than yet more stuff about the Amstrad, which has had lots of coverage in the old mag. It's only the first of the new issues, clearly the Amstrad will get it's fair share of coverage in future issues (and hopefully the Neo too!).

[Ash]

Just to chime in on the Neo Geo/Amstrad debate again.

While the Amstrad sold far more units than the Neo Geo in the UK I would bet that there are more people PLAYING on Neo Geos now than Amstrads. These people are looking for recommendations for what to play next. There are even Neo Geo homebrew games in the works so it definitly deserves cover status.

[Kaede]

Just to chime in on the Neo Geo/Amstrad debate again.

While the Amstrad sold far more units than the Neo Geo in the UK I would bet that there are more people PLAYING on Neo Geos now than Amstrads. These people are looking for recommendations for what to play next. There are even Neo Geo homebrew games in the works so it definitly deserves cover status.

Agreed 100%.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

The Amstrad will be appearing on the cover next month guys (but don't worry, the Neo Geo will be staying).

[chinnyhill10]

Just to chime in on the Neo Geo/Amstrad debate again.

While the Amstrad sold far more units than the Neo Geo in the UK I would bet that there are more people PLAYING on Neo Geos now than Amstrads. These people are looking for recommendations for what to play next. There are even Neo Geo homebrew games in the works so it definitly deserves cover status.

Agreed 100%.

Sorry but that is wrong. The CPC still has a scene and had a commercial life of over 10 years. There may not be a huge amount of people playing on original machines, but that is merely down to design. I myself no longer have a CPC, but I still have all my software and still use emulators on a regular basis. A CPC doesn't slip easily into a cupboard and unless you have an mp2 modulator (rare and crap) you are lumbered with the monitor. The monitors are also getting elderly and although many people don't mind replacing drive belts in their 6128 or fitting new keyboards, messing around with the high voltages in CRT's is something that is best avoided.

I don't mean to sound all confrontational, I've owned pretty much every major UK format (or wish to) but it truely narks me to see people putting the CPC down. Yes it was the third 8 bit but it sold at a higher price to a different audience. It was still a hugely successful machine in a decade when many machines fell by the wayside. The Neo-Geo was a niche machine brought by a few thousand people in the UK. The CPC was a major format brought by about 1.5 million people in the UK (the rest sold worldwide including 1 million in France). That is a hell of alot of units and that means a huge amount of potential readers for RG.

I do realise that the Neo-Geo was much bigger in Japan and has some wonderful games for it. But that means little when seen on the shelf of WH Smith. The Amstrad brand is know by all and the CPC 464 even got a mention on the grand final of The Apprentice (well actually the interview programme afterwards). The attraction of "Oh, I used to own one of them, I'll buy this mag" is an important one.

For the record I would like to own an Neo Geo. As a retro enthusiast (or anorak) it's important that the mag reflects on all UK retro life. No doubt people could argue that Acorn should be mentioned on the cover as well.

What I am getting at is that the Neo-Geo does deserve cover status. But it doesn't deserve it more than the Amstrad.

As I say, NCE had the right idea. One issue even had the MSX mentioned on the cover.

[andy vaisey]

Just finished work and picked up a copy of RG19 from WH Smith...

...WOW!

Looks, feels and reads like a quality product! Well done and roll on issue 100!!

[Ash]

As I say, NCE had the right idea. One issue even had the MSX mentioned on the cover.

This discussion has run it's course so I don't want to ressurect it but what does NCE mean?

[chinnyhill10]

As I say, NCE had the right idea. One issue even had the MSX mentioned on the cover.

This discussion has run it's course so I don't want to ressurect it but what does NCE mean?

New Computer Express. A weekly magazine published by Future Publishing from around 1989 to 1992. It covered all major formats, contained a decent amount of weekly news and had a games section that became decent as soon as Gary Penn left.

For a great majority of it's time it was a decent multiformat mag with regular columns for all. The mags techy guy was a genius (Keith Pomfrett IIRC?) who gave excellent multi-format coverage as well. It also had lots of interesting articles and was well worth the quid or so it cost every week.

However the mag decided that it needed a coverdisk which pushed the price up and left anyone who didn't own an Amiga/ST or PC out in the cold. The disk also contained mostly tat. The magazine was closed shortly after.

In true Alan Partridge style, I had the last laugh. When they started the coverdisk I wrote in to complain that it alienated 8 bit owners only to be insulted by the idiot editor on the letters pages. A few weeks later the magazine was no more presumably because it had dumped so many readers like myself. Needless to say, I had the last laugh

[incarnates]

Just been reading through the new issue,Absolutely amazing.Great article on dizzy and simon the sorcerer,2 of my favourite games of all time.Was waiting outside WH Smiths when they opened,To grab my shiny new copy.Was so hard working all day,knowing i had retro gamer in my locker.
Will there ever be a cover disk?

Keep up the good work,looking forward to next issue already.

[Ash]

Great article on dizzy and simon the sorcerer,2 of my favourite games of all time.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Simon article. It was announced after deadline that Simon the Sorcerer 4 is in the works if you're interested. Check it out.

http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1104

[Fandenivoldsk]

About the Neo Geo/Amstrad debate, I do believe that with Retro Gamer, being an european magazine, should have the Amstrad brand on the cover along with Commodore and Sinclair. Those three companys go hand in hand with each other, covering everything I remember about those 8-bit years. The Neo Geo is also a logical choice to have there as well, as it got quite a rebirth, thanks to emulators such as MAME. Two things I'd personally like to see on the cover is the MSX brand, because it (to me) is the missing link between european og japanese gaming history, and is also very much alive on the homebrew scene these days. The other brand being NEC, because the PC Engine just had the best ratio of great games on any 8-bit. MSX and NEC are also very short words, so I guess they could easily be squished in on the cover?

[Steve Halfpenny]

Hiya, folks, new here.

The magazine feels more professional overall and thankfully still feels like RG. No CD is no big deal as there was too much filler material on them anyway. I wouldn't mind seeing it come back occasionally mind. However, I am a bit dissapointed that Games That Weren't and Strange Games have been dropped as I felt that these were two of RG's best features (along with the home conversaions feature that showed up now and again. Please do this again!). Also, I don't know how anybody can seriously consider doing a rundown of Perfect Dark in a retro mag? At this stage?!

There were a few more other small niggles I could mention (Strider screenshot that said it was released on the SNES, a few spelling mistakes here and there) but nothing to write home about. Overall, a good effort by everyone and a big thanks for bringing my favourite magazine back. Love the Zzap! style.

As for the guy doing the Technos piece next month... I strongly hope that this John Anderson guy knows what he's talking about! (Lurker from the Double Dragon Dojo y'see )

Cheers
-S.H

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

However, I am a bit dissapointed that Games That Weren't and Strange Games have been dropped as I felt that these were two of RG's best features (along with the home conversaions feature that showed up now and again. Please do this again!). Also, I don't know how anybody can seriously consider doing a rundown of Perfect Dark in a retro mag? At this stage?!

None of the sections you've mentioned have been dropped, I just can't fit everything in the mag mate As for Perfect Dark... Well, I take a slightly different scew on retro gaming and as I've stated before, will be using the same yard stick I employed at gamesTM. And besides, Perfect Dark Zero has just been released, so there's not really a better time to run it

[miner2049er]

I think lowering the price and losing the cover disc was a good idea.

I really hope it works out.

[samedizombie]

Looking at the other posts, I must be in a minority of one as I'm not that impressed with the new look.

To me it's now just like any other mag on the shelves, big and brash. Yes it all looks very nice and clean and sterile and that's the main problem, it's like processed cheese, looks great but lacks flavour.

The previous issues had that certain flavour, it was one of the few magazines that I actually read cover to cover and still go back to, even now.

Everyone also seems to like the fact that there's no cover disk well, again I'm not one of them there were some great games on the disks and the specials, (Llamasoft, Craftgols, Durell etc) were great.

I've still got all my C64 and Amiga kit and now and again set it all up and go through my disc collections which gives me a real nostalgic buzz and that's what I got out of reading Reto Gamer, before the change that is and that's what made it, (for me) an essential purchase. My first impressions of the new look Retro Gamer make it, (so far) an occasional one.

Thanks for the comments mate, they are greatly appreciated.

We're fully aware that not everyone was going to like the new look, but if we want to be a successful publication, then we have to give the public a magazine that's going to catch their attention.
One thing to remember though, is just because the style has changed, the main text is exactly the same. We're using all the same writers, and they're all in love with a variety of different systems.

Again though, thanks for your views.

Your comment on making the magazine a success is obviously true but wasn't it already a success? If it wasn't is that why Martyn Carroll is no longer the Editor?

I'm sorry to sound so negative and I certainly won't be deciding on future purchases purely based on issue 19, (let's face it these are more than cosmetic changes here. In the space of an issue the mag has completely changed so, (again for me personally) it's come as a bit of a shock.) Martyn had captured something different, something special, in his approach to the mag and I would hate to see that lost in the race to be corporately successful.

You may say: "Sorry matey but that's how thing are in the big world of publishing," and I would answer: "But wasn't it that different approach which made Retro Gamer a success in the first place?"