More bias on Retro Gamer...

[Gryzor]

So, last night I started reading RG141. In it there's a rather nice article on Driller. What really bothered me, though, was that in four pages these were the screenshots used:


-ZX Spectrum: 7 (including 2 giant background ones)
-Amiga: 2
-Other systems: 0.
-CPC: zero.


Yes. A game developed, as also mentioned indeed in the article, on a 6128, gets zero screenshots from the platform. And, it is mentioned that it was developed on a 6128 but somehow they managed to make the article about the Speccy.


Between this, Picachu covers and Halo spreads I'm seriously considering not renewing my subscription...

[AMSDOS]

Doesn't bother me so much these days since AA were notorious when they came to recommending (not reviewing) games. Some of those games were old or for some reason I missed an issue - like the Issue that had Laser Squad reviewed in it, but they couldn't be bothered dumping an screenie with that recommendation, because sometimes a screenshot is the difference deciding if you'll buy the game or not.

[Gryzor]

Sorry - you don't care about bias in a multi-format history magazine because another magazine 20+ years ago did something that could influence what you'd buy or not?

[AMSDOS]

Sorry - you don't care about bias in a multi-format history magazine because another magazine 20+ years ago did something that could influence what you'd buy or not?

Well it's troubling for a magazine that goes a tad under 20 bucks here they couldn't be bothered to pick up an Emulator and run off some screenshots, but I don't think they have ever been bothered with many Amstrad things.


I was merely suggesting AA often recommended games, Laser Squad got a good mentioning when Rod Lawton was editor, though for a long time I had no idea what the game looked like. Another game that got mentioned a bit was Gunship, Gryzor & Target Renegade, along with some of the Freescape games like Driller & Total Eclipse.


I guess from your perspective since you subscribe to a magazine full of Spectrum screenshots and having to pay good money would be quite a frustrating experience, especially now since Emulators and PCs should make it simple in obtaining the relevant screenshots. I'm merely walking into the Newsagent and deciding if there's anything there that's worth my $20. Sadly I haven't come across such an issue of RG.

[Bryce]

Maybe they just didn't have a CPC to make screenshots on?

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Could be

But in the past they have asked me to take screenshots for them (for reasons unknown), and I did...

[seanb]

Did the screenshots you took ever appear in the mag

[Gryzor]

Yes, IIRC they were the Xyphoes Fantasy ones.

[arnoldemu]

Between this, Picachu covers and Halo spreads I'm seriously considering not renewing my subscription...

I'm not renewing mine.

I used to read the magazine from cover to cover as soon as it arrived, the past few months, I've not been so quick to do that.
So I've not renewed it.

[Gryzor]

Same here - used to just dig into it for hours on end, now they sit on my shelf for months before I pick them up and then I skim through most of it

[dcdrac]

I used to buy it avidly but got less and less interested as it became clear only certain devices got favoured as time went on, I started out well balanced but not that balance has gone.

[Gryzor]

I tweeted about it to RG earlier today, as I expected got no reply from them... they don't deal well with criticism.

[seanb]

Sad to hear peoples views on retro gamer.
I bought a load of eBay a while ago to see what it was like but if it's gone a bit downhill then I probably only buy older issues

[Gryzor]

I can sell you the first 141 if you're interested

[TFM]

So, last night I started reading RG141. In it there's a rather nice article on Driller. What really bothered me, though, was that in four pages these were the screenshots used:


-ZX Spectrum: 7 (including 2 giant background ones)
-Amiga: 2
-Other systems: 0.
-CPC: zero.


Yes. A game developed, as also mentioned indeed in the article, on a 6128, gets zero screenshots from the platform. And, it is mentioned that it was developed on a 6128 but somehow they managed to make the article about the Speccy.
Between this, Picachu covers and Halo spreads I'm seriously considering not renewing my subscription...

I saw this post a bit late... I'm glad for that. Else I would have to cry out loud even before lunch.

Ok forget about that magazine, it's obviously crap now. I stop thinking to buy it now.

I wished one day to make a magazine with the CPC Wiki people and we will be than as biased pro-CPC of course! 

Maybe they just didn't have a CPC to make screenshots on?Bryce.

Can't be that hard to get an emulator installed. 

[EgoTrip]

I can understand why people would be upset there is no screen shot for Driller, which originated on the CPC. However, it's not like they completely ignored it is it? It got its fair dues in the article.

You have to remember that the CPC market for RG is a lot smaller than the ZX and C64. They have to balance their coverage accordingly. As for newer games getting in RG, there are only so many times they can cover the old formats and games before they are just rehashing old articles. Add into the mix relatively newer systems that are classed as retro now, that will draw in more people from that era of gaming and will further shrink the CPC coverage (as well as the rest) to make room for it. Its inevitable if RG want to keep going.

[seanb]

I can sell you the first 141 if you're interested

For a moment I thought you meant it and I almost asked how much for 

[MacDeath]

obviously the gorgeousest version, so let's make a lots of pictures of it :

Driller Walkthrough, ZX Spectrum
So good I put a longplay of it... and look, it has no colour clashes !!!




oh, and a loosy port of previous one with no sounds and even less colours... damn this CPC is a bad Speccy clone indeed...

Driller - Amstrad CPC - Gameplay by Ataru'75 - [90]

[TFM]

You have to remember that the CPC market for RG is a lot smaller than the ZX and C64... snip...

Oh really? Now we know the reason why the CPC market is smaller. THERE IS NOTHING IN for the CPC!

[chinnyhill10]

Maybe they just didn't have a CPC to make screenshots on?

Bryce.

Are you implying Retro Gamer use real machines for the screen shots? There's no way they did when I used to read it!


You never get those clean edges with a real machine even using the best kit. A real CPC's output looks nothing like any emulator. Which is exactly why I go to so much trouble to use real machines for my video reviews.

[chinnyhill10]

I don't know why people bother moaning about Retro Gamer. I gave up on it around issue 90 after buying it every issue since issue 4. Same old features, interviews with the same programmers. Same games, same Nintendo fetish, same shoehorning in of new games claiming they are 'retro'. Boring.


It's exactly why people like us need to fight our own corner. Print media is dead! You put together the total viewing figures for videos the CPC community releases on Youtube every month it will probably be way more than Retro Gamers monthly circulation.


Magazine circulation figures have nosedived in recent years. These days mags would kill for the 35,000 a month AA used to get (which was quite modest at the time considering Your Sinclair was doing twice that).


So don't get upset over some niche publication endlessly recycling the same old material like groundhog day. Lets set our own agenda, do our own thing. You want to write a feature or make a video on CPC Driller? Don't moan about it, go and do it!

[AMSDOS]

I can sell you the first 141 if you're interested

Why not scan all the Amstrad bits in from that 141?

[Swainy]

Guys, I'm not here to defend Retro Gamer but you do realize that Darren Jones (the editor of Retro Gamer) is a former CPC user/owner?


By the way, we interviewed him back in our 100th episode, in which he does talk about the Amstrad: Episode 100 – Your Gaming Past Re-Lived | Retro Asylum

[TFM]

Guys, I'm not here to defend Retro Gamer but you do realize that Darren Jones (the editor of Retro Gamer) is a former CPC user/owner?

Maybe a former, but this does obviously not shine through in recent publications.


Maybe he should forget about Amstrad and we should forget about RG?

[roy bates]

i think the cpc's never really got the coverage much anywhere it deserved which is a shame.

i still believe its a underrated system.

as for games,i never took much notice of reviews in magazines anyway.
i know lots of games i like others dont.