CPCWiki forum

Hi all


I would like to present a project I've been working on for about 2 years now.

The working title is "RetroMag", but I think I'll call the project "8bit memories" instead when it's done, and the short description sounds like this:

It'll (hopefully) be a Discmag-like series, where each issue contains a lot of (true) stories told by one person. All stories will be memories from that persons life about various retro computers and/or consoles he/she remembers from his/her childhood.
For example, the day he/she got her Amstrad CPC464, or that summer vacation he/she visited a friend who introduced him/her to the Amiga. Or a story about how a certain game represents certain people and/or a certain time in his/her life.
That's the only requirement for each story: It has to be about some kind of retro machine, 8bit or 16bit.

I am making issue 1 myself, where I'm writing stories about the Phillips G7000 at my aunt and uncle's, the Game & Watch game Donkey Kong II I got one year for Christmas, the Amstrad CPC464 at my grandmother's, when I began exploring the BASIC language - and lots of other stories.

The collection of my stories will then become "8bit memories issue 1".

Future issues can be created by anyone who wishes to do so, and be about any retro machine(s) he/she wishes. If you find that interesting, and would like to share your stories with the world, then start writing your memories today!

Here are some guidelines:

In short: The stories should describe how you remember experiencing the machine(s) and the games back then.

One key difference between "8bit memories" and other retro-oriented writings, is that "8bit memories" is supposed to feel much more like a small book to the reader. So we're not talking reviews or any kind of technical aspects or analysis of machines or games either. It is meant to be stories that anyone can read. Describing the joy you experienced with a game, rather than describing how it's poor because it was coded with BASIC and didn't use a certain technique.

For the past 2 years I have been developing my own Discmag-like engine for issue 1 of "8bit memories", and authoring the stories at the same time. I still have a long way to go. I still have more than half the stories left to write, and port the engine for other platforms. I'm planning on having the engine available for JavaME enabled cellphones, Blu-ray players (just for fun), and an HTML5 web version for smartphones and tablets.
And then I need to create the background music... I'm nowhere near the finish line.

So this presentation is given to you very early in the process, and I'm doing this because:
I know how long it takes to write these stories. You will need to spend a lot of time writing, reading, re-phrasing, reading again, and so forth. If you have a daytime job and a family, you'll need at least a year writing these stories, because of all the other things that also need your attention.

I hope that everyone will like my engine, with its Discmag-like retro look. Because the plan is that I can then receive the text files from authors of future issues, and then compiles issues for the 3 platforms I'm targeting. That way authors don't have to have any coding skills.

And that's basically it.

Anyone interested in sharing their stories, please PM me with contact information, so I have somewhere to send the guidelines when they're ready.


Now to answer some questions I know will be asked:
Q: Why only have 1 author for each issue? Why not have many authors in each issue, so that the same author can also contribute to many issues?
A: I would very much like the writing style for each issue to be the same. Different writing styles (which is impossible to avoid when having multiple authors) is noisy. I'm not compromising on this.

Q: But it'll take much less time for people if they just have to write a single story, rather than a whole book.
A: That's absolutely true.

Q: This is an amazing idea! How about porting the engine to the Amstrad CPC? Or other retro platforms?
A: I'm thinking anyone who feels like porting the engine to other platforms, should do so. They'll need some guidelines from me of course, so that it looks somewhat the same as on the other platforms. You could have a preview of issue 1 when it's ready on a platform that you own, and then you can see how it looks and runs.

Q: How is it going to be distributed? Will you be making any money on it?
A: Well... I don't know of any way to make money on an HTML5 app, since it'll just be online somewhere. And I from experience that chances of earning money on JavaME apps are virtually none nowadays. So no, there are no plans on making any money on this. However, I will probably manually insert ads for e.g. my site IndieGameMusic.com and put something like "Sponsored by".

Q: Why not use one of the many online ad-systems?
A: There's a slight chance I'll do that, but at the moment I'm against it. Experience tells me that the developer earns very little, so the annoyingness the reader experience is simply not worth it for anyone. Also, one of my main wishes for 8bit memories is that it's runnable offline. Even the HTML5 version will be installable, and then runnable offline. So an online ad-system wouldn't do much good.

Q: Aren't you gonna make any money on this at all??
A: My primary drive has been to share my stories. I imagine some day my daughter will probably read them. And developing the engine is simply a sparetime hobby. Earning some money would of course be nice, but I just don't see how it's possible - and I do have some experience with the market since 2006. So I figure it's better to just manually insert some ads for my own (and yours?) private projects, like e.g. my site IndieGameMusic.com, or PirateDiamonds.com. I imagine each author probably has his own stuff he'd like to advertise for.

Q: Ok, I'm interested. I'll start writing right now! What issue will I be writing for?
A: Don't worry about it. Just start writing. What issue it'll be can always be decided later. Whoever is ready first will be the author of the next issue. And less important, since the issue number is probably only visible in the top graphics, and possibly a single text file.


Attached are some screenshots of the JavaME version running with the emulator Pstros.


Looking forward to hearing some feedback on this project in this thread now.

This does sound like a lovely project indeed; but the major hurdle is having all the stories from a single author - I really doubt you'll find any volunteers... :(

Quote from: Gryzor on 17:03, 01 July 14This does sound like a lovely project indeed; but the major hurdle is having all the stories from a single author - I really doubt you'll find any volunteers... :(

Well it's not really about finding volunteers. More like me offering a service to anyone who (like me) have a lot of stories they'd like to share.

Only text authors within the retro-computer/console community would be interested in this, so I know perfectly well that it's a small group of people.  :)

I've felt like writing my own stories for years, and now I'm finally doing it. I really want my stories to be preserved, and also available for e.g. my daughter many years from now. So the project is something I will do regardless of any feedback I might get.

I'm not looking for people to author future issues really. I'm merely presenting the project idea, so that anyone who would like to author an issue, knows that I can help. But we're talking a year from now or so. Currently I have enough to do with my own issue.  :)


This thread is not only about telling writers that I'm offering this service though. It is also meant as a simple presentation to readers of my own stories, i.e. issue 1, to get a vibe of whether anyone would be interested in reading my stories or not. And what people thought about wrapping the stories in a retro-styled diskmag-like look.
I can see that most people instead seemed to think that I was only looking for authors. That's what I get for trying to present two things in one thread I suppose.

But about eventual future issues: Back in October 2011, Badstarr created "Your Earliest Memory of the CPC? (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/general-discussion/your-earliest-memory-of-the-cpc)" thread here at CPCwiki. It showed me that a lot of people have stories to tell, but sadly don't remember them that well.
I bet a lot of us have a lot stories that would be interesting for the rest of us to read, if only people could remember them well, and were able to write them down in an easy-to-read way. But naturally we can't all be text authors. In my humble opinion, I happen to remember my own stories surprisingly well, and also believe I'm able to tell them in an interesting way. I hope I'm right.  :) Time will tell.

Ah, I get it, thanks. Very interesting project, really looking forward to it!!

Well it'll be different, if nothing else.  :)

I'm eager to see how the Blu-ray version works out.
I think it'll be kinda like using a modern text-tv.

Users of various media centers, like e.g. PowerDVD, should be able to run the Blu-ray version.

I'm also thinking I'll make an ePub version, so that the stories can be distributed for the various existing e-book readers.

But one step at a time.  :)

To anyone interested in this project, I can report that it's progressing nice and slow.

The engine for the blu-ray version is nearly complete, and so is the "old cellphone" version.
It's rather cool to see my little creation run on my TV from my Sony blu-ray player, and controlling it with the remote control.
I'll probably start looking into the web version soon.

Meanwhile I'm also slowly authoring the stories.
Anyone who thinks text authoring is a fast and easy thing, should try writing a story to get a taste of reality.  :)
It is a very time-demanding task.
(That is why you might as well get started now, if you wish to be the author of issue 2).

Since I grew up with the CPC, most of the stories in this little project, will of course be about the CPC.
Because of this, I'm wondering if there ought to be a version for the CPC too?
For now I'll just say that if there is a coder out there who'd like to make a CPC version, then it's fine by me. But you'll have to convert all the graphics yourself (or decide to not include the graphics), and parse the texts to fit the CPC etc.
I don't expect anyone to have the urge for this, but just want to let you know that it's open. Maybe someone already have an engine that could be used.

More updates later.
I'll also be asking for betatesters at some point, but more about that later too.

Well, this project is still being developed. Frequently interrupted by various daily-life stuff, like work and family, but definitely still being worked on.

At the moment, I'm looking to get my hands on a Harman/Kardon BDP10 blu-ray player, because I know my engine doesn't behave correctly on that player.
I've missed 2 eBay auctions because the price ended up to high.

There's a norwegian who's selling one for a good price at finn.no, but he won't ship to Denmark. If you happen to be from norway and would like to help me get it, look here:
Anyone from norway who wants to do me a favor? (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/off-topic/anyone-from-norway-who-wants-to-do-me-a-favor)

@Terje_Norway (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=200) is the only active user here from Norway as far as I know.

Bryce.

Quote from: Bryce on 21:24, 23 March 15
@Terje_Norway (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=200) is the only active user here from Norway as far as I know.

Bryce.

Hi Bryce (and all others),


We are AFAIK three Norwegians on CPCWIKI.


Me, ivarf and kribjo.


And now back to the subject.


It shouldn't be that much of a problem getting hold of that Blu-Ray player for You mr_lou.
But what's so special about it. Isn't it just a ordinary Blu-Ray player ? ? ?


Anyway, if You want it I could try to get hold of it for You. Shipping to Denmark looks to be something around 417 NOK (about 50 EUR).


Looking forward to hearing from You mr_lou.


Yours

Terje Grind
NORWAY

Hey Terje!

Thanks for "reporting". :-)

Quote from: Terje_Norway on 22:10, 23 March 15
Anyway, if You want it I could try to get hold of it for You. Shipping to Denmark looks to be something around 417 NOK (about 50 EUR).

417 NOK? Is that only from Norway to Denmark, or are you including the Norway to Norway shipment too?
Sounds a bit high considering how close we live, if it's only from Norway to Denmark. But maybe it's because of the sea?

Hi,


YES, I know it sounds crazy :o  I have double checked it myself. You could have a look yourself at Posten - posten.no (http://www.posten.no)


Calculations are based on a BASIC price of 277 NOK plus 20 NOK pr kilo. According to the net the player weight 6.48 kg.
You'll probably have to pay for 7 kilo. That makes it up to 417 NOK for shipping from Norway to Denmark.


Grand total could be as high as 872 NOK (about 102 EUR)
300 NOK for the player itself.
155 NOK shipping inside Norway.
417 NOK shipping to Denmark.


Yours

Terje Grind
NORWAY

PS I have checked the auction on FINN.NO and it's not available at the moment. Could be that it gone ? ? ?

Crazy indeed.

I found someone to receive the package and had the seller ship it to them, for the 155 NOK as you said.
Even better, they're visiting Denmark on Sunday, so they can bring it along! :-D

Thanks for offering your help! Much appreciated.

@mr_lou (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=96): Cool, that you got it sorted.

@Terje_Norway (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=200): I forgot ivarf :( Never heard of kribjo, is he active here?

Bryce.

Quote from: Bryce on 10:21, 24 March 15
@mr_lou (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=96): Cool, that you got it sorted.

@Terje_Norway (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=200): I forgot ivarf :( Never heard of kribjo, is he active here?

Bryce.

Hi,


@kribjo (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=787) is active on CPCWIKI. He has been a member since 2012.


It's up to him to introduce himself, but I think I could mention that he has several CPC's and some of the later hardware extensions.


That makes us at least THREE Norwegians on the WIKI.
There are also a few more Norwegians that COULD be on the WIKI, but I haven't noticed them posting anything.


Yours

Terje Grind
NORWAY

Small update on the status of this project.

Yes I'm still working on it, but so many other things also keep stealing my time.

Anyway, it's grown to be extremely big, and I keep on adding new ideas. Like e.g. different playlists of music. There'll be a playlist of music by musicians of IndieGameMusic.com, and then I was thinking about adding playlists of my own CPC music up through the years, like "CPC BASIC music" and "CPC Equinox music" and "CPC Starkos music" and "Amiga Protracker music" etc.

I'd also like to add videos of certain CPC games. I could do this part myself too of course but it would be more interesting if they were created by people who are much better players than me.
I need videos of games being played, but without personal intros and without additional music. It should just be the game showing and only the CPC audio. No advertisement for your own YouTube channel in the video either.

Also: While I'm fairly sure there's no way I'll ever be making any money on this project, you should be willing to supply me these videos for free even if I end up making money on the project some day in the future.
The plan is to release it as a free download - but if by some chance I'm approached and asked to publish it as a book instead with a blu-ray disc, then I might try that.

These are the games I need videos of:

Commando
Super Sleuth
Zorro
Wriggler
Winter Games
Spindizzy
Nuclear Heist
Street Machine
Atlantis
Don't Panic
Collapse
Daley Thomson's Super Test
Caves of Doom
Kung Fu Master
Gauntlet (the Defender clone)
Killer Gorilla
Batman (isometric)
Radzone

I have found a few of these games on YouTube.

@Metr (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=359), Can I use your videos "Zorro", "Winter Games" and "Batman" under those circumstances?
@Axelino (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=551), Same question for your video "Killer Gorilla".
@Cholo (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=70), Same question for your videos "Commando" and "Kung-Fu Master".

Anyone else interested in helping out creating videos of these games? All you'll get in return is your name listed in the credits along with a URL to your site. (And keep in mind the URL can't be clicked because it's a blu-ray project. (but ok there might be a web version later)).

The videos don't have to be flawless gameplays. In fact it would be nice to see mistakes too. But you have to be able to get somewhere, unlike myself who rarely gets too far. But don't rush through the game. It's not a speed run. It's a display of the game.

As I said I could do these videos myself. But I'd really like the project to have parts from many different people in the community. So if you feel like being part of the project, let me know.


The engine also allows for different graphical themes. A theme is "just" a top graphics that contains the title "8bit Stories" somehow, and a bottom graphics, 1280 pixels wide and height almost your own choice. And then choose a background colour and font-colour and a colour for "light that hits the bottom graphics" in the fields that displays story name and page number etc.
Feel like contributing with a theme? Let me know.
Your theme could be called "Amstrad CPC" while other themes could be for other platforms.


I've written over 50 stories now, slowly adding screenshots and bugging my girlfriend to create supplemental illustrations. Will soon start recording videos of BASIC creations I did from age 11 and up.
Sometimes I think it's becoming a collection of memories for myself only, and wonders if anyone else will even be interested in this project. I'm 100% certain that I'll definitely appreciate it myself a lot when I get older, but it sure is a lot I'm telling about myself, so I have to figure out if I really feel comfortable "giving out" all this info to the world.

I've started thinking about making a preview available for a few people in order to figure out how I feel about that. It'll only be for people I know personally though, meaning no one online at first.


Has anyone else started writing their own stories? I know Neil has written a few stories, though not with an issue of 8bit Stories in mind (yet  ;) )

Half a year already since my last update on this project. People did "warn" me decades ago that time would go by faster the older I get, but this is ridiculous.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that this project is still very much alive and progressing quite a lot.

Currently working a lot on the CPC videos, and it's going great. I can see I need to cut down the length on them a bit though, in order for everything to fit on a 25gb disc. But then it looks like there's exactly the amount of space I need, meaning roughly 10 hours of video/audio will be included.
Video/audio isn't the focus though - the stories are. Video and audio are "just" supplemental.

I've spent a ridiculous amount of time experimenting with creating a CTM simulation, and finally managed to get an acceptable result. It involves applying a filter in a scale-up version of the video and then down-scale the video again. Obviously not 100% identical to the look of a real CTM, but a lot better than plain flat colours in my opinion.

The Framemeister and Hauppauge PVR I bought is really great for recording these videos. The only downside is that it won't recognize certain productions, like for example the new music disc from Virgill. Seems that various screen trickery confuses the Framemeister. Luckily I don't need to make any videos of any such productions though.

The biggest problem with the project is still the lack of time though. Work and family "steals" most of the time. I'm enjoying working on the project, but I'm also really looking forward to finishing it.  :)

Alright, first: The project has had a name-change (again). I figured "8-bit Stories" sounded a bit too much like fiction, so I renamed it to "8-bit Memoirs" which sounds more authentic to me - which is it, so....

And then I'm happy to present you with a sneak-peak preview now:



(Recorded from my Dune HD Smart D1, which isn't the fastest device in the world, but great for blu-ray java development. Expect faster execution on your own player).

Looking fantastic, can't wait to experience it :D

Oh this looks lovely!!! I'd prefere more text on-screen, but I'm like that (the missus always mocks me for the insanely small font size I use on my Kindle). I'd really like to see the end result!


PS 'memoir' is a bit too grand perhaps... 'memories' is closer I'd guess, but that's just nitpicking.

Quote from: Gryzor on 12:35, 08 August 16Oh this looks lovely!!! I'd prefere more text on-screen, but I'm like that (the missus always mocks me for the insanely small font size I use on my Kindle). I'd really like to see the end result!

It's possible to change the font-size, so you can have lots of text on the screen if you want.  :)
Small font for computer-viewing. Bigger font for television viewing. Huge font (reduces number of columns from 2 to 1) for old people. (That'll be us soon).  ;)

Quote from: Gryzor on 12:35, 08 August 16PS 'memoir' is a bit too grand perhaps... 'memories' is closer I'd guess, but that's just nitpicking.

I think it fits quite well. If I google for memoirs definition, Google says this:

a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge."in 1924 she published a short memoir of her husband"

So that's exactly what it is.

8-bit Memoirs sounds good to me, and the sneak-peak preview looks lovely  ;D

I am actually really looking forward to this!  :D

Small status-update and searching for advice:

All 17 Philips Videopac G7000 texts has been edited for the last time.
All 35 Amstrad CPC texts has been edited for the last time.
All 36 Amstrad CPC videos are ready.

Left to do:
Create 12 Philips Videopac G7000 videos - one of my mates will mod my G7000 in the near future to output an RGB-signal.
Edit 6 Amiga texts (probably a few times).
Create 3 Amiga videos
Create illustrations - sadly my illustrator is dealing with health issues, so I may have to cut down the number of illustrations.  :( (at least if I want to release this any time soon)

So not quite there yet, but there's visible light at the end of the tunnul now.  :)

The text combined takes up the equivalent of 250 pages (and that's excluding the 100 screenhots). The videos alone will take up roughly 10 hours (I think). All in all there ought to be entertainment there for quite some time.


And then I need to ask for some advice.
It has dawned upon me that I may end up paying my webhotel host for the downloads of the project, due to the size of it. That's of course not in my interest.
Does anyone know of various free hosting sites I can upload the ISO file to? Anyone willing to host it for me free of charge? Other ideas?

Mega, maybe?

Quote from: robcfg on 14:22, 28 August 16
Mega, maybe?

You mean Mega File Upload - Free File Hosting (http://www.megafileupload.com/) ?
Looks like a good option yes, thanks.

I was thinking more on the lines of https://mega.co.nz (https://mega.co.nz).

So the very first pre-betatester has been through the disc now. My better half read all of the content (for the very first time) and gave me lots of good feedback along the way. It only took her 3 days to get through the whole thing!  :-\

Quite a few small gramma and spelling errors were corrected.
And I will be cutting down some of the game-videos in order to make room for playlists with my Amstrad and Amiga music.

My mate says I'll be getting my G7000 back next weekend in a modded state so I can start recording the G7000 videos.

So, time for a status update.

Since my last post; 4th of September (meaning 7 bloody months ago), absolutely no G7000 videos has been recorded.

This is what keeps happening to me in this project: Everything takes ridiculously long.

I've waited at least a year combined for various illustrators. One at a time they all said they'd do illustrations, except they never did. Then I asked the next one, who said the same and never delivered.

This time my mate would mod my G7000. First, it was delayed. Then it didn't work. Then it produced the wrong colours. Then it still produced the wrong colours. Yes, 7 months has gone by trying to get my G7000 modded. Ridiculous, but that's how it is.

Just before posting this I heard back from another hardware guy posting fotos of the results of HIS RGB mod - with the exact same problem.

I don't suppose anyone here has a G7000 with a proper working RGB mod? Or else a G7400 model with built-in RGB? For sale?

As previously mentioned, I will complete this project no matter what. It may apparently take up to an entire decade, but I will bloody complete it dammit.
I had hoped to complete it for Christmas this year, but it's rather clear that I gotta stop having such silly hopes.
What I will not do is settle for "the next best thing". I will persist until I get the result I want.

Don´t worry about the timing, it will be finished when it is finished, and everybody here understands how these kind of things work. Just keep the moral and the enthusiasm and it will be awesome  :) Just as a matter of fact, we had our adventure in beta stage almost six months before the release. However, we decided not to rush anything and keep on working slowly, waiting when it was necessary, until we had it as we wanted  :)

It might be a good idea to post the guidelines I've written for other potential authors of future issues of 8-bit Memoirs, so here they are. This text is taken directly from the project, so excuse the references to other texts.
This is for authors who'd like to write their memoirs about the 8-bit computers and games, and share them with the retro-community as an issue of 8-bit Memoirs.
Comments are also welcome.

Guidelines for authors
It is my hope that 8-bit Memoirs issue #1 will motivate other people to start writing their own memoirs, resulting in several future issues of 8-bit Memoirs written by different authors.

Writing an issue of 8-bit Memoirs naturally isn't for everyone. (But what is?)

First of all, you need to have somewhat of an unusual good memory. The stories here in issue #1 begin when I was only 5-6 years old, and yes, I do remember that far back. Not everything that happened of course, and not in great detail either, but I do remember the episodes I'm writing about.

You also have to have had a certain kind of love for these old machines back then. If these computers didn't give you a great time back then, you'll obviously have a hard time remembering them today as something extraordinary.

Next comes the skills required, which actually aren't that many when it comes down to it: You have to know how to write and how to do the necessary research. And most importantly; being patient while doing these things, and allowing the project to take the time it needs to take. Never ever rush it.

Those are actually the only skills you need. Because everything else can be done by other people: The coding of the engine (or compiling into an eBook), music composition, illustrations, photos, videos etc. No one says you have to do everything yourself. In fact, it would be silly to insist on doing everything yourself. So I strongly encourage you to seek assistance from your fellow retro-computer geeks. I certainly didn't do everything myself for issue #1. I had lots of help from many other people. See 005 for a full list of credits and 008 for a list people who helped out with various other things.


Requirements
It would be best if all issues of 8-bit Memoirs had somewhat the same feel, and somewhat the same kind of content about the same topics. Having your own writing-style is of course fine, but the fundamental feel has to be somewhat the same.

As far as I can see, there are only a few requirements you must meet in order to achieve this:

   
• The stories must be about the computers and gaming consoles from the 70s and/or 80s and/or 90s.
• There should preferably be only a single text author for each issue.
• You must write a minimum of 10 stories. 20 would be good. More would be better.
• All stories must be written in the English language.
• Everything should preferably be presented in a diskmag-like GUI, or some other retro-styled presentation.
• The whole thing must be available for free in some form at some point, if not initially at the time of release, then at least one year after.

Let me elaborate on those:

70s, 80s and 90s
Since the title is 8-bit Memoirs, it makes sense that the stories are actually about the computers and gaming consoles from the 8-bit era. There were of course also 16-bit and even 32-bit computers from that time, but I still think that most of the work we did on these computers was done in 8 bits. Like for example the music I composed with Protracker on the Amiga: It was still 8-bit music despite the Amiga actually having a 32-bit bus. So as already mentioned in 002, the title does not relate to the bit-size of the bus.
It's fine to include stories about 16-bit and 32-bit computers, as long as the majority of the stories are either about the 8-bit ones - or about 8-bit work. If not, then it is outside the scope of 8-bit Memoirs, and would have to reside in another production called "16-bit Memoirs" for example.

Only one author
I feel that all the stories in a given issue should be authored by the same person, in order to achieve a certain consistency. Having created issue #1 myself, I am aware of how much work that requires.
You don't have to be the coder of the engine though, nor the artist of the GUI or illustrations, nor the composer of the background music. While I have authored every single story here in issue #1, a lot of other people has helped out with other things.
I think it would be ok to have multiple authors in some cases though, when a group of people who grew up together each have stories that are more or less linked together.

Minimum 10 stories
Don't be scared by the size of issue #1. Yes, it does have a total of about 60 stories, 50 videos, 100 screenshots and several illustrations too. That's just because it ended up being a lot bigger than I initially aimed for. The same will probably happen to you, but you really don't have to include that much content. You don't even have to add videos or illustrations. In my opinion, I'd say about 10 written stories with a few screenshots should be sufficient for a decent issue of 8-bit Memoirs. But of course, the more the better.
If you feel that even 10 stories is a lot, just wait and see. Once you get started you'll be surprised how the memories start coming back to you. One story will remind you of another, and the next will suddenly need to be split into two separate stories. Suddenly the project will have doubled in size - twice, and you'll end up writing at least 3 times as much as you initially thought you would. That's what happened in my case. (So if you want to do this, you should expect and accept that it might take a year or more just to author the stories - especially if you also have a family and a full-time job).

English language
It has to be an international creation, and all stories should thus be written in the English language.

You're free to write in another language too of course, but in order to use the title 8-bit Memoirs, there has to be an English version available. You could choose to write in your native language, and ask someone else to translate it into English.

Diskmag-like GUI
One of my biggest wishes for the 8-bit Memoirs series is for each issue to give the same cosy atmosphere and feel that diskmags used to give us back in the good old days. Therefore my suggestion is that they should all be presented in a (preferably somewhat retro-styled) diskmag-like GUI. Or at least some other retro-styled presentation, to boost the retro-feeling. The cosy colour-themes and relaxing background music probably being the two most important key elements.
I imagine it's quite possible to create such a diskmag-like GUI with an eBook format like ePub3 nowadays. Or you could choose to use a diskmag-engine like "Panorama" that has also been used for the PC diskmag "Hugi".
An HTML5 web-app could also work. (Preferably one that can run offline after installation).

This diskmag-like GUI is not a requirement though. It's just a strong encouragement. If you'd really rather target another media, like e.g. an old fashioned printed book, then that's acceptable too.

Must be free in some form
Your issue of 8-bit Memoirs must become free for everyone to download or obtain in some form at some point within a year after the release of any commercial version.

"Free" in this context means it shouldn't cost any money. It does not mean that other people are free to edit it and make their own versions. This is not Open Source.

It is fine to also offer a version people can buy.

There can be various reasons why people would want to buy it rather than just settle for the free version. Maybe they'd like to support your work. Maybe they don't want to wait till the free version will be released. Or maybe they just don't have the means to use the free version.

For example: Since issue #1 is created as a Blu-ray disc, I have made the ISO file downloadable for free. This ISO file can then be viewed with a software media player that supports Blu-ray Disc Java (BD-J), like VLC or PowerDVD. Or you can burn a disc and watch in a hardware player. But since far from everyone owns a Blu-ray burner and/or the means to print the cover and label, I've also provided a way to buy a disc version. It is not a requirement to provide a commercial version. That's entirely your own decision. You just have to make a free version available.

You are free to use crowd-funding to get started if you want. If the general public knows that you have writing-skills, and/or is particular interested in reading your stories, then crowd-funding might work for you. (Especially if issue #1 becomes popular and successfully creates the interest I'm hoping it will).
It's fine to ask for donations too. As long as the end result is freely available for the readers in some form within a year after any commercial release.

It's also fine to use your issue of 8-bit Memoirs to promote yourself and/or friends. For example, here in issue #1 I'm using background music composed by various artists of IndieGameMusic.com; a site that I created and therefore naturally wish to see gain popularity. Using music from artists of IndieGameMusic.com gives me an opportunity to promote my own site.
If you don't have a project of your own to promote, you could look for someone who'd sponsor you. I.e. pay you money in return for promoting them in your issue. That's allowed too. As long as the end result remains a free download for all - in some version. (I.e. more than just a "demo" version that only contains a few of the stories).

And that's it
Those are, as far as I can see, the only "requirements" there are in order for your stories to qualify as an issue of 8-bit Memoirs.
You are free to target any platform you want.

I went with Blu-ray because of several reasons explained in 002. I imagine most other people might feel like targeting the web instead nowadays. Some might also feel like targeting one of the 8-bit platforms they are writing about. Or maybe go for an old-fashioned printed book. It's entirely your own decision what platform(s) you want to target. There are no requirements that it has to be available on a certain platform. It's up to the readers to obtain the platform you target, either by downloading a certain emulator or a certain software media player or a certain eBook reader.

And finally, I'd like to remind you that the focus of 8-bit Memoirs should be on the stories. So please avoid writing any kind of reviews based on your present day knowledge. Stick to the stories of how you experienced everything back in the day; the childhood magic it was to be introduced to these entertainment systems. Describing the impression these computers and consoles and their games gave you, from the childhood perspective.

Tips'n'tricks
A great way to help yourself remember your stories, is to surround yourself with all kinds of things you remember from those days: Play the games again that you used to play on your 8-bit computer as a child (preferably on a real machine rather than an emulator). Put on the music you used to listen to back then, and watch movies you used to watch back then. Look at old photos and visit the places you used to hang out. Talk to people you used to know back then, see if they remember any episodes that you don't.

If you do these things I'm fairly certain you'll be surprised how many memories suddenly pops up.

I'm looking forward to read your issue of 8-bit Memoirs some day in the future. :-)

Time for a status update on this project.

Things are finally progressing nicely. We're close to the finish line. So we will be needing some betatesters soon.

Interested?

Here's what you need to have in order to qualify as a betatester:

   
• You must understand English fairly well
• You gotta have lots of time on your hands
• You must own a hardware Blu-ray player in some form
• You must have an interest in reading about the good old days

Must understand English
The whole project is written in the English language, so obviously you must be able to read and understand English fairly well.

Gotta have lots of time
This is a big project. The text alone corresponds to about 250 pages in an Office Word/Writer document. There are also over 9 hours of video included. And while I don't expect you to go through all of it, you do of course need to go through a lot of it.
Must own a hardware Blu-ray player
The project will be about 25 gb in size. Way too much for me to be hosting it anywhere. So I will only be snail-mailing a Blu-ray disc to betatesters. You can play this disc on your traditional Blu-ray player, or in your PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. If you have a Blu-ray drive in your PC, you can also use software players like PowerDVD or a nightly build of VLC.
Must be interested
Obviously, you have to have an interest in stories from the good old days, reading how someone else experienced the same era that you enjoyed too. And if you enjoy diskmags too, then it's a bonus.


Here's what I need from you:
General feedback. What are your thoughts?
Report any spelling errors or grammatical errors you spot. Or phrases that sound wrong. (English is not my native language).
Do not spread the betatest version.



Here's what you get in return:
Your name will be included in the credits page of the project.
Also, if you want, I can add an advertisement for one of your own projects. Everyone who's contributing to the project is entitled to an advertisement; a logo and a small description.


If interested, send me a PM with the following info:
Your name and snail-mail address and e-mail address

Which Blu-ray player(s) will you be testing on? Brand and model number.



Since I have to burn and mail a disc to all betatesters, I can't promise I'll send one to everyone. I'll probably be selecting different people depending on which test-device they'll be using.


The goal is to release in December this year (although if it isn't possible I won't let it bother me). Ziphoid will be helping me put it on torrents, which is where you will need to get the freeware version from (and also help spread it). The physical disc version will be available from eBay I think, since that appears to be the easiest way of selling stuff. Does anyone have other suggestions?

What do you think a fair price would be for the physical disc? What would you be willing to pay for a physical disc version?
The biggest reason for buying a physical disc version instead of downloading the freeware version, is to support the work and thereby encourage other authors to create future issues. But it could also be because you don't want a 25 gb ISO lying around on your harddisk, or because you just prefer watching it on a real Blu-ray player (which I do also highly recommend because it gives the best result).

I have very little time in my hands nowadays, but I am really happy to read that everything progressed so well  :)

Quote from: ||C|-|E|| on 09:07, 20 August 17
I have very little time in my hands nowadays, but I am really happy to read that everything progressed so well  :)

I know what that's like.
I'm looking forward to completing this project. It's been fun and interesting, but has also had its share of frustrations along the way.
I hope the end result will be all worth it.

Alright.
Disc versions of the betatest version has been mailed to betatesters now. Should arrive in your mailbox soon.

Meanwhile I've been looking at VLC and PowerDVD and I'm happy to report that the project runs nicely on both. I even runs with an older version 2.2.2 of VLC on my Ubuntu. Didn't expect that.

The only current problem with VLC playback, is that they haven't yet implemented number-key input, which means you can't input a story to read. You have to settle for browsing using the arrow keys. But hopefully this functionality will be implemented soon.

This effectively means that 8-bit Memoirs can be enjoyed basically anywhere: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, multimedia-centers and of course standard blu-ray players. Can't do much better than that.

So how to get the Windows/Mac/Linux version? Simple: By a torrent. Link will be posted on 8bitMemoirs.com once everything is ready. I can also offer to send USB sticks by snailmail.

Meanwhile, if you would like to betatest on Windows or Mac or Linux, I can snailmail you a 32 gb USB stick with the beta version. But I can only pay for shipping. You will have to pay for the USB stick yourself (which you ofcourse get to keep). I will probably buy from nierle.com
PM me if interested.

Please vote on which version of 8-bit Memoirs you expect to get when it is released.

http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/other-retro/which-version-of-8-bit-memoirs-issue-1-do-you-expect-to-get/

Thanks