Hey guys,
Just wanted to share with everyone that I got an email to day saying that AmtixCPC has finally been launched! And it looks stunning! Great to see a proper Amstrad mag available again :)
https://www.patreon.com/amtixcpcmagazine (https://r.zzapmagazine.co.uk/mk/cl/f/Lm9jF6vAhLsRUKTJivXgG04aJrl6q9iV9uIBrmwiNN-_8v5uqFqISmo5qTAuwHp0MW6BR-26FW0VyaemgUCfbxSfFjv4CP4-bfc30KeAzoQoP6bWBcVoYnqpya6Tuu02V_qwJSaRFtByABlYGR9evrWUHfmk8Kh9SWOk-dEsmJowzaZ5EIpWAc354ZQ)
https://fusionretrobooks.com/collections/amtixcpc/products/amtixcpc-micro-action-issue-1-amtixcpc-magazine (https://r.zzapmagazine.co.uk/mk/cl/f/A9jEmk7LIS8MbGuhHPONMZakFItn82WGA_owIUtHAAGyK4uW6lCPySIUgKC5oc0H_u5zbX9R33iFUTOvobr4VPfo7jjlkSWciSM3fIJwQ8-J6TuXezWaCoZGar4zriB0a0wyY6fh_k3v5S_eNsrZo6efYmF3crLXmpW0Nj2_1_BfrxtefT-oAyM8Ycc2aXXp5UsuyfmJOOJZQyJNXLUI45u1ratqUIoGR2XHKosHg7S5z1izfJ2IJkdMq5_0WRbYLS4tbDbY78VLvTfmSxqXf04Po_w)
Anyone read it? Is it any good?
How many pages?
Ah I see - 60, good.
I'll order one today.
60 pages; game reviews (new and old), and a few articles. I would say it is good content, but I'm taking my time to enjoy it and I haven't read it all yet (it is quarterly!).
The PDF is super cheap (£1.75 + TAX), and IMHO is a great way to support the initiative. Feels professional (or not too amateur at least: found a couple of typos), considering we have a lot of hit and miss in retro, I would say it is good. I didn't read the original mag so I don't know how it compares.
Paper must be very nice, but I don't have space, so I'm sticking to digital for now.
It includes Kitsune's Curse review (77% - not bad, considering that is a hard game), so win for me :D
I'm interested, but is it "good practice" to subscribe for only a month to get the issue as a PDF, then unsubscribe?
I just added my membership for the paper edition of AmtixCPC with Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/amtixcpcmagazine (https://www.patreon.com/amtixcpcmagazine)).
I was pleased by the following: "You will only be charged when an issue is printed - so the current thinking is once per quarter (NOT monthly - billing will be switched off for the months a magazine is not produced)."
As a personal note, I'm in love with those efforts to produce paper editions. This gets me back directly to my childhood when I used to buy similar magazines.
Please take note that I had a quick look on the PDF and I'm not disappointed at all.
Quote from: Targhan on 15:45, 24 August 21
I'm interested, but is it "good practice" to subscribe for only a month to get the issue as a PDF, then unsubscribe?
You're only charged when there's an issue, the rest of the time they payments are off.
A 'table of contents' would be nice to see.
Aah thank you, it was indeed explained in the text below. A PDF will do for me. Thanks!
(http://www.retro-now.com/contents.jpg)
@boyo (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=803): Hey Chris, there are a few typos and some layout issues (most notably Novabug avatar flying out of place in page 34).
May be these are things that can be fixed before it is printed?
Thanks for this first issue.
I just had a quick flick (scroll) through the PDF and it looks great. I didn't want to read in too much detail as I didn't want to spoil the printed version for myself! ;D
I've ordered a print version :D
Print version arrived yesterday and I'm more than happy with it.
It sets the right tone - not everything reviewed is 100% enthused over and the round-up of hardware presently available for the CPC is comprehensive and informative.
Gripe - only two pages for Amstrad Art ???
As soon as issue 2 is for sale I'll get that too :)
My print copy arrived yesterday and I'm really impressed with the quality. Nothing particularly new in terms of content but happy to support this to demonstrate there is demand for CPC/Plus stuff like this.
Very pleased with my print copy.
It doesn't get an "Amtix Accolade" however, because there are several spelling and grammatical errors. Hopefully these will be rectified for issue 2.
Otherwise, it's an awesome endeavour, and I'm very happy to see an adventure column. :D
There's more hickups than just grammatical or spelling ones. In the 'CPC art' spread they have this fellow from back in the commercial days speaking his opinion about a certain piece that was in fact drawn by some unknown designer to be used in various cheap decoration mass products and paint by number books.
for example, https://www.wish.com/product/no-frame-rolled-up-canvas-animals-colourful-lion-face-1-pieces-home-decor-hd-print-painting-on-canvas-5d09f6e450f59c0a5d87f7d7?hide_login_modal=true&share=web (https://www.wish.com/product/no-frame-rolled-up-canvas-animals-colourful-lion-face-1-pieces-home-decor-hd-print-painting-on-canvas-5d09f6e450f59c0a5d87f7d7?hide_login_modal=true&share=web)
;D
And that's bad because...?
Well, judging from reading, Simon Butler seems to have some connection to art; can't guess if he practices or is just a fan, but his opinion is more educated than what's common in computer scenes. So that'd be a good thing, much needed in my opinion.
With all that said, in the end, Butler's written opinion about a certain picture of a lion signed by Titan has nothing at all to do with that certain picture by Titan or the work of Titan, because the picture itself is a plain conversion of someone else's work that Titan just 'translated' to CPC using modern conversion tools. Which is what Titan does anyway, without ever crediting the original creators.
Ofcourse Butler couldn't know about that, unless he very carefully follows the CPC scene, or he happened to recognize some of the originals behind the pictures Titan has released. I guess none of those happened in this case. Regardless, I personally found it a little bit amusing that Butler chose this certain Lion picture which happens to be sooo recognizable and used everywhere (posters, colouring books, you name it!). So, yeah, I guess Butler was unlucky there.
So. 'Bad' I wouldn't call this. 'Funny' and 'amusing' to en extent and for various reasons (not absolutely related to Amtix, that is) I might. That's where the sarcasm came from in my post. ;D
Anyway, this is a cultural thing in my opinion. I have 'moaned' about this in other threads already. There's nothing against conversions, but people who practice that need to be honest about it. And the scene needs to not be 'afraid' to call it when they see it. It's not fair for the original creators when someone re-colours their piece and tags it as his own. And it's not fair for original pixelers on CPC as well for all the reasons in the world.
Quote from: rexbeng on 20:25, 28 September 21
Well, judging from reading, Simon Butler seems to have some connection to art
Yeah... just a small connection to art...
Simon Butler Video Game Credits and Biography - MobyGames (https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,1710/)
Cmon mate, I wrote 'connection to art'. Ofcourse I know he's from the industry back in the day. But that's a different thing. (come to think of it, perhaps I should have written 'connection to arts'? maybe there's a difference in the meaning) :)
Quote from: rexbeng on 20:25, 28 September 21
Regardless, I personally found it a little bit amusing that Butler chose this certain Lion picture which happens to be sooo recognizable and used everywhere (posters, colouring books, you name it!).
I don't recall ever seeing that colourful portrait of a lion before.
I hadn't either, but do a Google image search for 'Colourful Lion'... Maybe we're the last to know?