Hi guys,
Long time lurker, dont post much, although I truly appreciate the efforts people go to so that I and many others can benefit.
Anyway, just a quick message, not sure if it is in the right place or not, apologies if not.
Anyway the point of this post is to share an idea I have for an arcade / emulation fan based magazine and decided to sign up here to see if anyone would be interested in helping it come to fruition.
I am building a small bartop for the kids (I want to built a digital pinball cab too at some point) and started trawling through various forums looking for relevant help and advice. It quickly became apparent the information I required was available, but was more often than not scattered all over the net with a wealth of good honest advice buried under masses of "filler" material.
Anyway, what I would have been grateful for and which I am others would appreciate it too no doubt) is a central, well managed location with relevant information pertaining to their newly found hobby, or just their love of arcade / retro gaming in general. Thats not to say that any given website is not good enough, it's simply that its hard to keep relevant information available to those who need it.
A magazine / fanzine / publication allows that information (and other information too) to be stored in a way that is more easily digested, and also allows for better recall when that information is required in the future.
Of course this is not to say that the publication would be newbie centric, far from it, but the information for those new to the scene would be well balanced by articles for the more advanced member too.
If you are building a cab, the chances are that it will be running a frontend, so MAME and other emulators are more than likely to feature on it. Decent setup guides seem to be hard to find (well I have yet to find a decent one in my searches) yet even a rough starting guide with well laid out diagrams, things to look out for etc, all within one easily readable and digestible article would not go amiss, I am sure. Then there is the potential for skinning and other mods that can be added, making the whole experience better. And thats just MAME and its derivatives.
As for console emulation, I appreciate that the emulators themselves change at a rapid pace but seeing as it is IMHO just as important as the games that are being played themselves, some form of recognition has to be considered (even if it is just a direction to an updated guide on the corresponding publication website for example.)
Mrotate, ArcadeVGA, Soft15K....there is a massive amount of potential in just those few things alone for articles, guides and reviews not to mention everything else associated with it. Hardware reviews (new joysticks, buttons, peripherals etc that enter the market can be reviewed) and thats without the games themselves with the addition of console emulation thrown into the mix.
And then there are the games themselves....
Looking at arcade games we have reviews, interviews if possible, walkthroughs, manufacturer / developer look backs....etc. If we add in console games too, the possibilities include...reviews (of old games and new homebrew being released), previews, interviews, walkthroughs, developer look backs, arcade conversions and how they fared (joining the two sections together), peripherals for playing emulated games (like old style joysticks that have been manufactured with USB connectors, flash carts etc)….plenty to write about or cover which is getting little or no coverage elsewhere.
With the arcade / console sections being closely related, the combination of the two in one publication will work well I feel, as they both compliment each other nicely. This also means much more scope for content and diversity to appeal to a wider audience.
And that is not an exhaustive list either, just what springs to mind, I am sure you could add to it too.
I have a flatplan made up for issue 1 and a few articles already written, but before I continue I am looking to see...
1) If there is any interest in such a publication
2) If anyone would be interested in contributing
Although I would love to see something like this in print, I cannot see how it would be possible given the extortionate cost of printing here in the UK. With this in mind, the publication would initially appear in PDF format, with the idea of including multimedia capabilities down the line (videos of gameplay, audio etc) and maybe even publication on the Apple NewsStand or iBooks somewhere down the line with any profits shared amongst those who contribute. Beer tokens ahoy! A printed version has not been discounted totally, but without robbing the proverbial bank I cannot see how it could be financially viable to begin with.
Anyway, I would love to hear your views especially if you feel you could contribute to something like this.
Thanks in advance.
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Fanzine / Magazine Idea - Gauging Interest & Looking For Possible Contributors.
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