RETRO: Multi-Format, Throw-Back Video Game Magazine - KICKSTARTER

[Kaboomer]

Hey Everyone,


GameGavel and The RetroGamingRoundup podcast are preparing to launch a Kickstarter to create a brand new print and digital magazine that will feature columns from some of the most notable video gaming journalists and personalities from the past three decades. The plan is to also have the digital magazine integrate with auction listings on GameGavel to help bring in more people to buy and sell. Should be a great combination. Also, talking with Play N Trade about national magazine distribution. The Kickstarter will go live very soon! Hope to have your support!


Magazine Sizzle Video: http://youtu.be/5MGmtzm6Pp4

[goob47]

I'm really looking forward to an alternative to the extremely expensive Retro Gamer magazine. :) Definitely going to fund this.

[Bojay1997]

I'm really looking forward to an alternative to the extremely expensive Retro Gamer magazine. :) Definitely going to fund this.

If you subscribe to Retro Gamer, it's only about $7 an issue to the US if you use the code "CLASSIC" which has been available for literally years now. IMHO it's worth every penny. I am curious to see what this new magazine looks like (the video is slick, but it's hard to tell what the content really will be like) and what the business plan is going forward. I've seen a lot of similar attempts over the past few years and the one thing that always trips them up is a lack of a viable advertising and distribution model. Hopefully they have a really solid and experienced ad sales and marketing team on board.

[Mayhem]

Yeah, the reason Retro Gamer may appear expensive is because it doesn't rely on an advertising model like some many US publications. Hence you get plenty of content and barely any ads bulking the page count.

[iPadCary]

Sounds good, looking forward to it.

And PLEASE format the e-version for iPad.
Some magazines seeem to think that all you have to do is digitize a print medium & that's that.

Yes, I'm looking at you, WIRED ....

[goob47]

If you subscribe to Retro Gamer, it's only about $7 an issue to the US if you use the code "CLASSIC" which has been available for literally years now. IMHO it's worth every penny. I am curious to see what this new magazine looks like (the video is slick, but it's hard to tell what the content really will be like) and what the business plan is going forward. I've seen a lot of similar attempts over the past few years and the one thing that always trips them up is a lack of a viable advertising and distribution model. Hopefully they have a really solid and experienced ad sales and marketing team on board.

Whoah... Where would you apply this? The only place I can find that does subscriptions is Amazon, and when I tried entering in the code, nothing happened. :( I absolutely despised the FPS-based GameInformer magazine. Total shit.

[Bojay1997]

Whoah... Where would you apply this? The only place I can find that does subscriptions is Amazon, and when I tried entering in the code, nothing happened. :( I absolutely despised the FPS-based GameInformer magazine. Total shit.

http://www.imaginesubs.co.uk/

You just change the country to US and enter the promo code below and the 50 pound price (i.e. about $75 a year) comes up. That's how I've done it the past three years and never had a problem.

[Kaboomer]

RETRO: The Multi-Format, Throw-Back Video Game Magazine with an All-Star Writing Team! Kickstarter is now live and we need your support! Check it out. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/socalmike/retro-the-multi-format-throw-back-video-game-magaz

[JSoup]

Gonna sit this one out.
In the odd instance I feel like reading a review or article, there is a wide internet of free information for me to choose from.

[Akito01]

You know, when this post first appeared, I did what I usually do with anything to do with RetroGamingRoundup, which was roll my eyes and ignore it. I actually used to like that podcast, but got turned off of it real hard a couple of years ago after increasingly strident and bizarre anti-Obama rants began creeping in for no readily apparent or useful reason. But, you know, its their podcast and they can say anything they want. I just didn't understand why it was necessary to so bluntly alienate a portion of the retro gaming audience based on differing political viewpoints. So, whatever, I didn't put up a fuss online or post a negative iTunes review, I just unsubscribed and that was that.

What genuinely shocked and surprised me was to just now hear both Jeremy Parish and Kat Bailey mention the Retro magazine kickstarter, and are apparently going to be writing for it as well. I mean, Retronauts is kinda the flagship retrogaming podcast as far as I'm concerned, and both Jeremy Parish and Chris Kohler are some of the most knowledgeably and eloquent writers around when it comes to videogaming history. This project is genuinely exciting, and if the same people who backed the current season of the Retronauts podcast are willing to back this as well, I have no doubt it will be successful. I mean, in spite of the impression I've gotten from the personalities behind RetroGamingRoundup, this project is hugely impressive.

[goob47]

Woah, Pat Contri?! I definitely need to donate now. @_@

[Kaboomer]

Just announcing that Joe, John & Sean will contribute a column promoting the Video Game History Museum. Their column will feature in-depth discussions and interviews dealing with some of the rarest items in the museum collection. We are excited to have them on board RETRO! Look for their combined bio added to the campaign page this weekend!


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/socalmike/retro-the-multi-format-throw-back-video-game-magaz

[Greg2600]

Nice! The contributing writer list was already a who's who of game collecting. I'll be backing it, just deciding if I want to go digital, or harvest a few trees.

[badinsults]

I like the idea, and I like the list of contributors, but could you not have made a more original name? I mean, do you think that Retro Gaming magazine is going to actually allow you to call your magazine "Retro" without a fight?

[Canadian Psycho]

You know, when this post first appeared, I did what I usually do with anything to do with RetroGamingRoundup, which was roll my eyes and ignore it. I actually used to like that podcast, but got turned off of it real hard a couple of years ago after increasingly strident and bizarre anti-Obama rants began creeping in for no readily apparent or useful reason. But, you know, its their podcast and they can say anything they want. I just didn't understand why it was necessary to so bluntly alienate a portion of the retro gaming audience based on differing political viewpoints. So, whatever, I didn't put up a fuss online or post a negative iTunes review, I just unsubscribed and that was that.
Never heard of them before, but I find it refreshing that they don't refrain to "stridently" and "bizarrely" rant against The Messiah. I mean, it's not like anti-George W. Bush rants have ever been a thing, right? lol...

On topic: I have been a Retro Gamer subscriber since 2009 and while I generally enjoy the magazine, there is much room for improvement IMO (according to my taste in videogames, of course!). I get that they are from the UK, but I couldn't care less about European 8 and 16 bit computers of yore. Nor am I interested in the homebrew scene. I wish Retro Gamer (or Retro, for that matter) would focus more on the collecting and Japanese import scènes (console wise). Please keep us updated.

[Flam]

I'm going to back it, but does this really have a shot at reaching $50k?

[PizzaKat]

This look interesting. Ive seen Mikes vids on Youtube very entertaining. Amazed how many great deals he finds. He sure loves his Atari. He looks like Jon Favreau.

[gameofyou]

Never heard of them before, but I find it refreshing that they don't refrain to "stridently" and "bizarrely" rant against The Messiah. I mean, it's not like anti-George W. Bush rants have ever been a thing, right? lol...

lol. Agreed.

[gameofyou]

http://www.imaginesubs.co.uk/

You just change the country to US and enter the promo code below and the 50 pound price (i.e. about $75 a year) comes up. That's how I've done it the past three years and never had a problem.

Same here. I've been subscribing this way for at least 5 years. There is a thread here on Digital Press that usually gets updated if the subscription code ever changes.

Depending on what the exchange rate is, some years it has been very cheap ( less than $7 shipped per issue).

[Damaramu]

Is that UK retro magazine a purely Euro-centric magazine? If so, I'll keep passing on it.

As far as this new Retro magazine goes, I saw the names Seanbaby and Kat Bailey and.....yeah. Gonna pass on this one too.

[Greg2600]

I'm going to back it, but does this really have a shot at reaching $50k?

20K attained, with 20 days to go, so chances are good.


I like the idea, and I like the list of contributors, but could you not have made a more original name? I mean, do you think that Retro Gaming magazine is going to actually allow you to call your magazine "Retro" without a fight?

I'm not sure what the legal ramifications are, given that Retro Gamer is based in the UK. However, just simply out of causing confusion, I would agree they should have used a different name.

Frankly this kind of magazine is what Digital Press was for many years. I'm sorry to have missed that era, and look forward to a new US-based magazine for collectors.

[Bojay1997]

20K attained, with 20 days to go, so chances are good.



I'm not sure what the legal ramifications are, given that Retro Gamer is based in the UK. However, just simply out of causing confusion, I would agree they should have used a different name.

Frankly this kind of magazine is what Digital Press was for many years. I'm sorry to have missed that era, and look forward to a new US-based magazine for collectors.

I think there is less of a chance of an infringement claim from Retro Gamer than there is from GamesTM Magazine that has a magazine compilation they put out every six months or so called "Retro" which is also published by Imagine Publishing. I know they distribute that particular compilation at news stands throughout the US and in Barnes and Noble and Frys. https://www.imagineshop.co.uk/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/2584/s/retro-vol-6/

I'm still on the fence on this one. While the contributor list is impressive, without a strong and experienced editorial hand guiding things and a solid distribution and advertising sales component, this will become a very short-lived publication once the KS money has been burned. The fact that limiting advertising seems to be part of their business plan doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe they have some other means of generating revenue beyond subscription sales.

[Kaboomer]

I am excited to announce we will be adding another notable face to the pages of RETRO. This is the guy I am probably most excited about bringing on board this team and I am sure any of you who grew up reading EGM back in its heyday will be excited too! Just confirming a couple things and then all will be revealed.

[Kaboomer]

I am excited to announce that legendary gaming journalist and long time EGM Editor in Chief, Ed Semrad is coming out of retirement to contribute to the pages of RETRO!

[Canadian Psycho]

Ed Semrad? Wow, didn't see that one coming! I'd love to know if he still has fondness for early 90s gaming and if he still owns some of his favourites from the era.

I still have the late 1990 issues of EGM (and plenty others!) with Mario World and Mega Man III on the cover; first gaming magazines I purchased with my own money too. Good memories.

[Kaboomer]

Ed Semrad? Wow, didn't see that one coming! I'd love to know if he still has fondness for early 90s gaming and if he still owns some of his favourites from the era.

I still have the late 1990 issues of EGM (and plenty others!) with Mario World and Mega Man III on the cover; first gaming magazines I purchased with my own money too. Good memories.

I guess he has a huge collection, protos and what not from his days at EGM. We will be interviewing him for the mag as well as having him as a contributor :)

[Atarileaf]

I don't do the whole kickstarter thing (what happens to donated funds that don't reach their target?) but I would sub to this magazine for sure. I'm assuming it would be available to us Canadians?

[Bojay1997]

I don't do the whole kickstarter thing (what happens to donated funds that don't reach their target?) but I would sub to this magazine for sure. I'm assuming it would be available to us Canadians?

If they don't reach their target, nobody gets charged, just like every Kickstarter. Indiegogo and some of the other newer crowdsourcing platforms allow partial funding, but that's one reason why many backers won't back projects on those sites structured in that way. I know I won't back a project like that. Honestly, the way this particular Kickstarter is structured is basically like a subscription preorder, so I'm not seeing the harm in just pledging if you're going to subscribe anyway.

[Flam]

did my part, threw in $35

I do have a question. Is it possible in Kickstarter projects to have a person, who already has a substantial amount of funds, to create a project, wait for 29 days to see how much backing they get, then on the last day fund the difference themselves, as not to lose all the donated funds. What I'm getting at, is it possible for the creator of this project to come in at the last minute and donate whatever the difference would be to reach $50k?

[Bojay1997]

did my part, threw in $35

I do have a question. Is it possible in Kickstarter projects to have a person, who already has a substantial amount of funds, to create a project, wait for 29 days to see how much backing they get, then on the last day fund the difference themselves, as not to lose all the donated funds. What I'm getting at, is it possible for the creator of this project to come in at the last minute and donate whatever the difference would be to reach $50k?

I believe there is a cap of $10K per donor on Kickstarter, although there have been various claims on Kickstarters such as the ones that were part of the Ouya funding match program that the campaign organizers were creating fake accounts to pump up the contributions to hit the target and therefore qualify for the funds from Ouya. So, in theory, if someone really wanted to commit fraud or was wealthy enough, they could just pledge the difference to collect the contributions. Of course, they will lose about 10% of whatever they pledge to Kickstarter and Amazon Payment fees, so it's not a free way to make money by any stretch and they still have a legal obligation to deliver whatever they promised to the contributors.

[postulio]

I like the idea of a RETROGamer competitor, if only because I started buying them late and missed a whole ton of great issues which are hard to get now (btw, use that code at checkout, CLASSIC, $7 an issue is totally doable).

I really dont like the guys behind this though. GameGavel sucks and the guy who runs it is a complete tool (sorry). He was on these forums before he launched the website and established a very low opinion of himself, in my mind. All he cares about is making a couple of bucks.

That podcast is pretty bad too, too biased and I just can't take it seriously.

I also despise Jeff Green....



If the people behind this were more credible I would bite, but these really aren't the guys I want to support, mostly because I just don't trust that the output would be good.

[Kaboomer]

I like the idea of a RETROGamer competitor, if only because I started buying them late and missed a whole ton of great issues which are hard to get now (btw, use that code at checkout, CLASSIC, $7 an issue is totally doable).

I really dont like the guys behind this though. GameGavel sucks and the guy who runs it is a complete tool (sorry). He was on these forums before he launched the website and established a very low opinion of himself, in my mind. All he cares about is making a couple of bucks.

That podcast is pretty bad too, too biased and I just can't take it seriously.

I also despise Jeff Green....



If the people behind this were more credible I would bite, but these really aren't the guys I want to support, mostly because I just don't trust that the output would be good.

With all due respect, I ran ChaseTheChuckwagon.com first and then bought out the domain name GameGavel.com from the "tool" who started it over here after he failed with it. I don't think you are talking about me :) For God's sake, almost everyone has been using "my" GameGavel.com for free the past five years so I am making nothing from it.

[Flam]

I believe there is a cap of $10K per donor on Kickstarter, although there have been various claims on Kickstarters such as the ones that were part of the Ouya funding match program that the campaign organizers were creating fake accounts to pump up the contributions to hit the target and therefore qualify for the funds from Ouya. So, in theory, if someone really wanted to commit fraud or was wealthy enough, they could just pledge the difference to collect the contributions. Of course, they will lose about 10% of whatever they pledge to Kickstarter and Amazon Payment fees, so it's not a free way to make money by any stretch and they still have a legal obligation to deliver whatever they promised to the contributors.

Let me state that I really don't care if someone were to use this tatic, the way I look at it, I'm receiving what I was willing to pay for. Actually I'd perfer if they did have money stored to make up the difference should they come up short as I'd really like to see this thing happen.

[Bojay1997]

Let me state that I really don't care if someone were to use this tatic, the way I look at it, I'm receiving what I was willing to pay for. Actually I'd perfer if they did have money stored to make up the difference should they come up short as I'd really like to see this thing happen.

I disagree. The whole idea of Kickstarter is to obtain enough funding from the "crowd" to prove whether some business or artistic concept is viable or not. When people screw with the system for personal gain, they destroy the very core of the crowdfunding concept and ultimately, their incentive to be responsive to the interests of the community diminishes. Frankly, project creators should be willing to risk their own funds on projects, but that shouldn't be part of the crowdfunding if for no other reason than they lose 10% off the top which is a stupid investment on their part.

[portnoyd]

Derpy hooves!

[Greg2600]

I like the idea of a RETROGamer competitor, if only because I started buying them late and missed a whole ton of great issues which are hard to get now (btw, use that code at checkout, CLASSIC, $7 an issue is totally doable).

I really dont like the guys behind this though. GameGavel sucks and the guy who runs it is a complete tool (sorry). He was on these forums before he launched the website and established a very low opinion of himself, in my mind. All he cares about is making a couple of bucks.

That podcast is pretty bad too, too biased and I just can't take it seriously.

I also despise Jeff Green....


If the people behind this were more credible I would bite, but these really aren't the guys I want to support, mostly because I just don't trust that the output would be good.

Please no personal attacks. I don't see how you can question the credibility of the contributors when most of them have written for successful magazines in the past, and published highly regarded books?

[Kaboomer]

We have it on good authority Bob Mackey will now be joining the RETRO contributor team! This just keeps getting better and better! Can't wait to hit our goal and start officially bringing this mag to market! Lots more exciting news to follow so stay tuned.

[JSoup]

Please no personal attacks. I don't see how you can question the credibility of the contributors when most of them have written for successful magazines in the past, and published highly regarded books?

Can't speak for postulio, but from my perspective, it's pretty easy to question credibility, seeing as I don't know who any of these people are. I've read the same magazines and websites the rest of you did over the last 20 years, I was just looking at the game guides and screenshots, not the puff pieces and opinions. The only reason I know these people are "all-stars" or "legends" is because you all told me they were.

[Bojay1997]

Can't speak for postulio, but from my perspective, it's pretty easy to question credibility, seeing as I don't know who any of these people are. I've read the same magazines and websites the rest of you did over the last 20 years, I was just looking at the game guides and screenshots, not the puff pieces and opinions. The only reason I know these people are "all-stars" or "legends" is because you all told me they were.

Yeah, I'm really not sure why this whole campaign has been premised on name dropping an increasingly long list of people who used to write for magazines. I'm in the same position as you are in that I've read all the major magazines since Electronic Games in the 1980s through the mid-2000s or so and while I am familiar with many of the people on the list, I wouldn't consider myself a fan of any of them. The reality is that there are tons of former video game writers out there and the cream of the crop generally moved on to more traditional journalism or some other field when the magazine business started to die out. I suspect everyone on that list would be happy to work for anyone willing to pay them for writing about video games, so I don't see the value in amassing that list of potential contributors. I'm not very interested in opinion or even reviews for the most part which is why I really like Retro Gamer as it's primarily an interview and historical publication with just a small selection of news and reviews for recent "retro" releases. Personally, I think this campaign would have been funded by now if instead of focusing on the contributor list, more emphasis was put on the business model and the content (it seems like everyone on the list could have been asked to write a piece on spec for a sample issue that could have been released at the beginning of the campaign) and a good business case was made for how this magazine can be a success in an increasingly small magazine marketplace.

[badinsults]

I have to agree with that assessment. If a short sample issue (say 25 pages) were made up to showcase their vision for the magazine, it would really help this along. And don't say it couldn't be done. Nintendo Age produced a lot of nice high quality e-zines that were about that length with no budget at all.

[Kaboomer]

Come on in and have a chance to win a RetroN 5!

http://www.faceitpages.com/timeline.php?fid=140283#.UmJ30QM_iEg.facebook

[Kaboomer]

Just wanted to drop this in here as we have been called out, and correctly so, for not discussing more of what we will be focusing on within the pages of RETRO!

This should help :)


RETRO will feature coverage of games from every era, including classic gaming systems, current and next generation consoles and upcoming independently funded projects, with an emphasis on:

•Extensive retrospectives on classic consoles and the games (and ill-fated add-ons) that made them famous.
•RETRO reviews of classic games across countless genres.
•Reviews of current generation products with a focus on franchise reboots, games with classic licensing tie-ins and modern games that build on 8, 16 and 32-bit gaming's core principles.
•In-depth interviews with modern-day icons, our industry's founding fathers and up-and-coming developers of games with old-school sensibilities.
•Roundtable discussions with some of gaming's most respected personalities, including RETRO's own panel of revered contributors.
•Monthly "Top 10"-style features on the best games, consoles and moments in gaming history.
•In-depth news regarding the latest reboots, industry icons getting back into the business, hot indie games and Kickstarter projects and a dash of current generation information
•Lifestyle pieces on gaming gear, industry conventions, licensing tie-ins other entertainment mediums and other random nerdiness.
•Columns from some of the industry's top journalists, developers and video game personalities.
•Extensive guides and game-busting cheats on those titles you still never got around to beating.
•Reader interaction and feedback via polls, reader mail, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more.


We will also be introducing our Editor in Chief very soon! This magazine will be in very good hands! We appreciate everyone's support and need all of it we can get as we move closer to the end of our campaign. Thanks again,

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/socalmike/retro-the-multi-format-throw-back-video-game-magaz

Mike

[SegaAges]

With all due respect, I ran ChaseTheChuckwagon.com first and then bought out the domain name GameGavel.com from the "tool" who started it over here after he failed with it. I don't think you are talking about me :) For God's sake, almost everyone has been using "my" GameGavel.com for free the past five years so I am making nothing from it.

I understand postulio was saying things when postulio is going against you, but I am going to ask you to not refer to the founder of GameGavel.com as a tool and "passing the buck" from what this guy is talking about to another person. If you and this person you responded to have any beef (and it appears he has beef with you), then please do not pass the buck and refer to name calling on people who you bought the domain from.

I personally know the founder of GameGavel, Jasen, and we go back a ways, so the name calling is not appreciated.

I don't post often in here anymore, but kindly asking you to not refer to Jasun as a tool (I think that is how his name is spelled, but I always mess it up).

[Flam]

I understand somebody was saying things when somebody is going against you, but I am going to ask you to not refer to the founder of GameGavel.com as a tool and "passing the buck" from what this guy is talking about to another person. If you and this person you responded to have any beef (and it appears he has beef with you), then please do not pass the buck and refer to name calling on people who you bought the domain from.

I personally know the founder of GameGavel, Jasun, and we go back a ways, so the name calling is not appreciated.

I don't post often in here anymore, but kindly asking you to not refer to Jasun as a tool (I think that is how his name is spelled, but I always mess it up).

Postulio refered to him as a "tool", that is why he put it in quotations.

[SegaAges]

Postulio refered to him as a "tool", that is why he put it in quotations.

That is between postulio and Mike, but Mike said, "oh, you are referring to the person I bought it from who is a tool, obviously not me". Look, I am not stirring the pot, since others can do that just fine without me. I am simply asking him to not refer to Jasen as a tool, that's all. If postulio and Mike want to go back and forth, that is between them, but passing name calling to another person, and passively calling Jasen a tool, is uncalled for.

[JSoup]

Someone is sounding an awful lot like a tool here.

Anyway, back to topic.

[Gameguy]

I don't post often in here anymore, but kindly asking you to not refer to Jasun as a tool (I think that is how his name is spelled, but I always mess it up).
It's Jasen.

[SegaAges]

It's Jasen.

Whoops. I knew I was going to mess up the spelling. Thanks dude. I am going to go back and correct the spelling on my posts


Someone is sounding an awful lot like a tool here.

Anyway, back to topic.

I am all for people directly calling me a tool. I can live with that. I will then discuss it with you so that you understand what a tool is and how when used in an incorrect context, it is simply used as a way to throw insults. Yeah, in many contexts of the word, being a tool is when you are being used by others (regardless of who those others are) for their gain. You know, you are being used. You are just a tool. Sorry, but defending somebody is not what I would really consider a tool. I see nothing wrong with publicly defending a person who is passively getting insults thrown at him, especially when I have done work with the person in the past. If you think that makes me a tool, I am being used by Jasen, then we can continue that conversation, and probably do it through PM's to not derail this thread. Honestly, and I know I am repeating, I see nothing wrong with publicly defending a person who is passively getting insults pushed in his direction. There is no need to insult me for stepping up and saying something about it.

[JSoup]

I am all for people directly calling me a tool. I can live with that. I will then discuss it with you so that you understand what a tool is and how when used in an incorrect context, it is simply used as a way to throw insults. Yeah, in many contexts of the word, being a tool is when you are being used by others (regardless of who those others are) for their gain. You know, you are being used. You are just a tool. Sorry, but defending somebody is not what I would really consider a tool. I see nothing wrong with publicly defending a person who is passively getting insults thrown at him, especially when I have done work with the person in the past. If you think that makes me a tool, I am being used by Jasen, then we can continue that conversation, and probably do it through PM's to not derail this thread. Honestly, and I know I am repeating, I see nothing wrong with publicly defending a person who is passively getting insults pushed in his direction. There is no need to insult me for stepping up and saying something about it.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facetious
Ya overly sensitive tool.

[tom]

At least you guys obviously know your stuff, so that's good for starters (The guy who runs the UK Retro Gamer thought the Atari 8 bit came out in 1983)

[SegaAges]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facetious
Ya overly sensitive tool.

I am just fine with you saying whatever you want to me. You also pointed out later on that you were just joshing me, so I am ok with that. I have no beef with you.

I am simply making a point that passively name calling on other people, especially when others in this message board, which is a really old message board, know the people who are passively getting trash talked on them is uncalled for.

I mean, between me and you, I am more than willing to have some fun and go back and forth with you, but I am not saying things like, "Oh, Person X is facetious, not me. You couldn't be talking about me and must be referring to the other person". Yeah, that is not cool to do.

But yeah, call me what you want and I will be happy with it, and, in fact, some of it will probably be true. I am not the perfect specimen of man. I am not Brad Pitt or anything, even though I think of myself like that.

[postulio]

With all due respect, I ran ChaseTheChuckwagon.com first and then bought out the domain name GameGavel.com from the "tool" who started it over here after he failed with it. I don't think you are talking about me :) For God's sake, almost everyone has been using "my" GameGavel.com for free the past five years so I am making nothing from it.

Actually, I did not know that. Foot meet mouth. Apologies. I am now a backer of yours on Kickstarter, wish you the best and looking forward to seeing a closer to home RetroGamer.


Please no personal attacks. I don't see how you can question the credibility of the contributors when most of them have written for successful magazines in the past, and published highly regarded books?

No personal attacks, just saying what others are too nice to. Also, I wasn't attacking anyone so much as was giving a reason to not back it, which has now been set straight so everything is all good.

I never questioned the credibility of the contributors either. Whether I like some of the contributors or not (I don't) is not relevant, I have heard of most of them and know they can write well regarding games and have been doing so for a while. I was questioning the mental and moral fiber of the creator, who as pointed out, is not the person I thought it was anyway.


Can't speak for postulio, but from my perspective, it's pretty easy to question credibility, seeing as I don't know who any of these people are. I've read the same magazines and websites the rest of you did over the last 20 years, I was just looking at the game guides and screenshots, not the puff pieces and opinions. The only reason I know these people are "all-stars" or "legends" is because you all told me they were.

In all honesty they're neither "all-stars" nor "legends". They all fall into the low to mid echelon of success and have as many fans as critics. My dislike of some of them stems out of the very opinions and puff pieces you avoided reading, funny enough. But nevertheless they are all informed industry vets and truth be told their retrospectives might make for some great reading.


I understand postulio was saying things when postulio is going against you, but I am going to ask you to not refer to the founder of GameGavel.com as a tool and "passing the buck" from what this guy is talking about to another person. If you and this person you responded to have any beef (and it appears he has beef with you), then please do not pass the buck and refer to name calling on people who you bought the domain from.

I personally know the founder of GameGavel, Jasun, and we go back a ways, so the name calling is not appreciated.

I don't post often in here anymore, but kindly asking you to not refer to Jasun as a tool (I think that is how his name is spelled, but I always mess it up).

I remember you from years ago, as I do Jasen. I will not for a second back down from my years old opinion of you guys being tools. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tool) (def. 2)



I disagree. *The whole idea of Kickstarter is to obtain enough funding from the "crowd" to prove whether some business or artistic concept is viable or not. *When people screw with the system for personal gain, they destroy the very core of the crowdfunding concept and ultimately, their incentive to be responsive to the interests of the community diminishes. *Frankly, project creators should be willing to risk their own funds on projects, but that shouldn't be part of the crowdfunding if for no other reason than they lose 10% off the top which is a stupid investment on their part.

Actually they are under no legal obligation to deliver you anything. You are not buying anything, you are gifting money to a cause you believe in with the hopes that it succeeds in its mission. It is possible (and happens all the time) that the endevour fails and all contributors get nothing.





Anyway, back on topic, with the right leadership this can certainly amount to a good publication to rival the current king, RetroGamer. As long as the focus remains on objective retrospectives and quality. We've seen many niche collector/retro gaming magazines launch and scamper into obscurity on these forums, I hope this one does not follow (although to be fair this magazine has significantly more industry know-how attached to it).

I hope you guys intend on making the paper publication printed with quality. Properly bound with good inks and paper so it feels like a professional magazine and not like HS fan publication. I hope the digital version is interactive, instead of just /pdf versions of the printed content.

I look forward to the features. This industry is over four decades old and many have contributed to it, both on the hardware and software side. I'd love to read about the genres, franchises, developers, publishers and hardware manufacturers that made it what it is today.

[Bojay1997]

Actually they are under no legal obligation to deliver you anything. You are not buying anything, you are gifting money to a cause you believe in with the hopes that it succeeds in its mission. It is possible (and happens all the time) that the endevour fails and all contributors get nothing.



Totally incorrect. Spend a few minutes reading the Kickstarter terms of service. The project creator is required to deliver what they promise. It's not a gift and it's not a charity. It's a legally enforceable contract. It doesn't happen all the time. The few times it has happened, there have been threats of legal action and generally efforts to fulfill the promises made. In fact, there will likely be some lawsuits filed regarding a couple of projects that delivered nothing in the coming months based on what I'm hearing.

[JSoup]

My dislike of some of them stems out of the very opinions and puff pieces you avoided reading, funny enough.

To be fair, I wasn't really avoiding them, so much as I knew what worked for me. I read gaming magazines to get an idea as to if I'd be interested in a given game, screen shots and a one level walkthrough tell me more about a game that three paragraphs going on about the innovation or whatever. Looking up videos on Youtube serves the same purpose these days, so I dropped all my magazine subscriptions years ago. As for these classic gaming magazines, I'm interested in them as a source of history articles. And when I say history, I mean of the industry and crap that isn't already known by 90% of the community.

[postulio]

Totally incorrect. Spend a few minutes reading the Kickstarter terms of service. The project creator is required to deliver what they promise. It's not a gift and it's not a charity. It's a legally enforceable contract. It doesn't happen all the time. The few times it has happened, there have been threats of legal action and generally efforts to fulfill the promises made. In fact, there will likely be some lawsuits filed regarding a couple of projects that delivered nothing in the coming months based on what I'm hearing.

You are correct, seems the language has changed since '09.

http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/when-kickstarter-investors-want-their-money-back.html/1

[RPG_Fanatic]

What the hell I gave my money to them

[Greg2600]

Project is funded, the magazine will be made!

[SegaAges]

blah blah blah

Uh???

I was directing everything I said to Mike, not you. I thought I made that very clear.

[Kaboomer]

Hey Guys! Here is our latest Kickstarter update which also indicates how you can subscribe to the magazine at this point. We do have a limited supply of about 500 of the printed premier issue left and it is for sale individually if you just want that issue.

Hello Backers!

I just wanted to give you all an update as to our progress on the Premier Issue of RETRO magazine! The update is we are working hard with our writing and creative team and are on schedule for a December shipment of the January 2014 Premier Issue!

The premier issue will weigh in at 68 Pages and you won't be disappointed with the great content that will adorn the pages.

International backers will be receiving their "extra shipping" invoices soon and these will be emailed directly to you. Paypal will be the preferred payment method for those.

If you know anyone else that might want to get a subscription or even just an individual copy of the printed Premier Issue of RETRO (Limited to about 500 copies left) you can give them this subscription link. Prices include shipping anywhere in the world! Remember, you can also buy RETRO as a gift for that gaming friend or family member! Just click the "I'm gifting to someone" box and you are good to go!

https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/ReadRetro.com/

We are also working diligently on launching http://www.ReadRetro.com our official website that will be running new, original and up-to-date content to complement the magazine.

Happy Holidays from all of us at RETRO and thanks again for all of your support!

Mike Kennedy

Publisher | RETRO

[YoshiM]

If you do a full subscription, do you get the limited edition premiere issue or must that be purchased separately?

[Kaboomer]

If you do a full subscription, do you get the limited edition premiere issue or must that be purchased separately?

If you subscribe yet today/tomorrow your sub will include the premier issue. Starting next week new subscribers will begin with the second issue Feb/March.

We do however, still have individual premier issues that we can ship out separately until they are gone - a few hundred left.

You can subscribe here: https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/ReadRetro.com/

The premier issue is shaping up to be EPIC and will be start shipping to subscribers shortly.


Mike

[YoshiM]

Ok! This is what I needed to know. I'll be subscribing tonight.

[Kaboomer]

Hey Guys! Here is a link to our latest Kickstarter update with premier issue cover reveal.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/socalmike/retro-the-multi-format-throw-back-video-game-magaz/posts/697006

And for those who want to subscribe you can do so here:
https://checkout.subscriptiongenius.com/ReadRetro.com/

[Steven]

First issue has gone to print and ships on the first of January! Check out the cover. Pretty flippin' badass, I say


https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/450/054/826cf4c542b9bec28df8b9094b297095_large.jpg?1387252 109

[Kaboomer]

RETRO Table of Contents Teaser:
http://issuu.com/markkaminski/docs/issue_1_preview/1?e=7425532%2F6091148

[Kaboomer]

Anyone get their print issue yet? Love to get some feedback. Thanks guys.

[YoshiM]

Not yet but I've been keeping an eye on the mail.

[Damaramu]

I got mine a few days ago. So far, so good! It's a fun read! Plus, my issue came with a "I ♡ Retro" bumper sticker!

[Greg2600]

I got mine as well, thoroughly enjoyed it. Felt a lot like reading the old EGM's or Nintendo Power back in the day when I was in the dark on all game news. I even discovered some newer stuff in there I hadn't heard of before.

[Polygon]

I would love to hear some more opinions from people that have this. I've been getting Retro magazine but the price is just too high.

[Flam]

still haven't gotten mine. Hopefully will come in today.

[YoshiM]

Polygon, this is a different Retro magazine, if I'm understanding you right.

I just got mine today. I thumbed through it and the quality looks great. I'll see if I can sit down tonight and read it.

[8-Bit Archeology]

Picked up the last copy at my local Play N Trade. Love it. Also can privately own video game stores order this for retail?

[8-Bit Archeology]

Picked up the last copy at my local Play N Trade. Love it. Also can privately own video game stores order this for retail?

[Steven]

Got the first issue a couple days ago. It's looking good so far. I hope to see more 8 and 16-bit coverage in the coming months. Personally, I would love several retrospectives per issue. The one on Battle of Olympus was well done, and I want to see at least 3 per month. Maybe one for NES, one for GEN and one for SNES? With the odd random one for TG-16, PC-E, Neo Geo, Sega CD, etc. here and there as well.

It feels nice to just be able to lay in bed and hold a gaming magazine!