KiwiArcader's Work In Progress

[Areala]

I request all the covers of those magazine! Wait, how many sections will I need to create

That was just mean, Philly...mean, mean, mean...

*huggles*

Areala

[KiwiArcader]

Oh wow!!! Six years since I posted something here.

Well, I thought I'd put a word in for my website and give people an update on things over at OGM.

First off ......

• EGM 166 (May 2003) has been scanned and released over there for all you EGM'ers who need a post 2000 fix.

Secondly .....

• GamePro 138 (March 2000) is also available for those into the alternative gaming mag. Retromags denotes this as issue 128 but I opt to go with the cover number

Thirdly, I have offered Phillyman my issues of PC Gamer (USA) and any EGM/GamePro issues he can make available here IF he wants them. Generally, Retromags covers USA content really well while OGM holds sway in the UK/Australian content arena so I have no real issues making USA content on my site available here as long as OGM is credited with the original scans.

If you like the magazines over there please consider donating a few bucks towards the site. We are pushing out a LOT of new magazines on a daily basis and donations help in acquiring more content and assisting with keeping things like our scanners running properly. Currently I am trying to get funds together to ship a large shipment of PC Gamer (USA) magazines from USA to New Zealand for instance so any help will be much appreciated. To a large extent getting USA content scanned relies on donations as it costs a lot to ship content down under.

Anyways, enjoy the latest magazines and I wish everyone well for 2016 ......

Edited January 7, 2016 by KiwiArcader

[marktrade]

I finally went through and marked all my PC Gamer (USA) issues as "acquired" if that helps. Mostly 1997-2001, with discs from 97-98.

I can personally convert your PDF files to CBR and upload them here and properly credit you. I can also make the "New Release" posts so they appear on the front page here and put a link to OGM in those posts.

[Areala]

I finally went through and marked all my PC Gamer (USA) issues as "acquired" if that helps. Mostly 1997-2001, with discs from 97-98.

I can personally convert your PDF files to CBR and upload them here and properly credit you. I can also make the "New Release" posts so they appear on the front page here and put a link to OGM in those posts.

What software do you use to do this? I've been looking for a way to pull images from PDF files.

*huggles*

Areala

[KiwiArcader]

What software do you use to do this? I've been looking for a way to pull images from PDF files.

*huggles*

Areala

Comic Rack for Windows allows batch conversions from/to all major formats ......

[Areala]

Comic Rack for Windows allows batch conversions from/to all major formats ......

Don't mind me, I'm just gonna be over here with my big ol' collection of PDFs. If you hear moans of pleasure, let me assure you all that nothing untoward is happening.

Well, almost nothing...

*huggles*

Areala

[marktrade]

I just remembered there isn't a download section for PC Gamer here yet, but I prepared some CBRs for when that day comes and updated the database.

[KiwiArcader]

EGM issue 116 is now available over at OGM for those interested in this particular title.

Edited March 25, 2016 by KiwiArcader

[KiwiArcader]

EGM issue 153 is now available over at OGM. Release date for this particular issue is April 2002 so a little too new to be hosted here but I'm sure someone will grab it for the day when it can be hosted here right?

[KiwiArcader]

I just realised that issue 141 along with 116 of EGM that are available on OGM are now able to be hosted here on Retromags thanks to the date changes if someone wants to do the upload thing

Edited March 25, 2016 by KiwiArcader

[kitsunebi]

I'll let marktrade handle it since he volunteered before, but who should be credited? I see that #116 was donated by I Pledge and scanned by Jason, but don't see any info on #141. For that matter, I assume you've checked witht those guys and they're cool with having their stuff shared elsewhere?

Thanks for the new scan, btw! I know you've lamented a lack of donations to your site in the past...have you ever considered a system similar to the one here where donators are bequeathed less restrictive download rights? (Which would require you to actually have download restrictions in the first place, of course, but given your recent troubles with leeching abuse, maybe that could kill two birds with one stone?)

[KiwiArcader]

I'll let marktrade handle it since he volunteered before, but who should be credited? I see that #116 was donated by I Pledge and scanned by Jason, but don't see any info on #141. For that matter, I assume you've checked witht those guys and they're cool with having their stuff shared elsewhere?

Thanks for the new scan, btw! I know you've lamented a lack of donations to your site in the past...have you ever considered a system similar to the one here where donators are bequeathed less restrictive download rights? (Which would require you to actually have download restrictions in the first place, of course, but given your recent troubles with leeching abuse, maybe that could kill two birds with one stone?)

I personally scanned issues 141 & 153 along with all other issues on my site except 116.

I've let Jason who scanned that issue know that I have made offer of USA based mags on OGM to be made available here given this sites predominant preoccupation with your local mags, and as marktrade and yourself have said you have no issues making your scanned content available over at my site if I want to, so I see it as a purely logical way of ensuring content is preserved and prospering good relationships between the sites. He had no issues with this. Even Phillyman has made similar comments in the past.

If in doubt as long as oldgamemags is credited then I see no issue if someone wants to put our USA content online here.

In fact there is nothing to prevent Phillyman from taking ALL the content from my site and making it available here, and vice versa. Such is the way of the Internet, the last Wild West if you will. We make a conscious choice not to do so other than for specific content to help each other out. Such is mutual respect.

Regarding restrictions on downloading etc, I like to think if people like what we are doing they will contribute in some way or another towards OGM. That hasn't happened. That's life. I just want to make sure the download server isn't affected by high usage. If I ever managed to get enough donations in place I would like to purchase IP.Board forum software (Retromags uses it) so that rather than penalize non-donators I could look at rewarding active contributors with access to new content locally rather than via 3rd party hosting, allowing scanning members access to content pools so that we can scan newer content for the day when it can be made available and they can easily see what has been scanned/ not scanned etc.

[kitsunebi]

and as marktrade and yourself have said you have no issues making your scanned content available over at my site if I want to, so I see it as a purely logical way of ensuring content is preserved and prospering good relationships between the sites. He had no issues with this. Even Phillyman has made similar comments in the past.

This is true, although I do have a personal request should you ever decide to add my stuff to your site - I realize that you prefer pdf and I have no problem with my files being repacked that way. However, I'm not comfortable with having the images themselves altered, and in order to keep a visual consistency to anything being attributed to me between sites I would ask that the levels/colors/whatever not be readjusted the way marktrade has permitted you to do (you'd be free to do whatever you want with your personal copy, of course)

[KiwiArcader]

This is true, although I do have a personal request should you ever decide to add my stuff to your site - I realize that you prefer pdf and I have no problem with my files being repacked that way. However, I'm not comfortable with having the images themselves altered, and in order to keep a visual consistency to anything being attributed to me between sites I would ask that the levels/colors/whatever not be readjusted the way marktrade has permitted you to do (you'd be free to do whatever you want with your personal copy, of course)

That's not a problem. I haven't even been doing that with any of his scans either anyway

[Sean697]

I didn't check out the 141 but I did check out the 116. I suppose we could add it but I'm going to scan it again anyway. I know your style over there is to get quick and fast scans to get as much content as possible. I bought this issue last fall to scan. And while it's pretty good, I would probrably do a lot more editing to clean it up. I know you like you real magazine look and all but I see a lot of scratches and marks (and hairs on a couple pages lol) on some pages and a few but not many glue spots. I know when I get there I will be spending a lot more time on editing. But I'm not opposed to filling any gaps till then. And welcome your generosity.

What is the policy on shared stuff from OGM? Do we convert to cbz and add a splash page? Or leave as is?

[KiwiArcader]

I didn't check out the 141 but I did check out the 116. I suppose we could add it but I'm going to scan it again anyway. I know your style over there is to get quick and fast scans to get as much content as possible. I bought this issue last fall to scan. And while it's pretty good, I would probrably do a lot more editing to clean it up. I know you like you real magazine look and all but I see a lot of scratches and marks (and hairs on a couple pages lol) on some pages and a few but not many glue spots. I know when I get there I will be spending a lot more time on editing. But I'm not opposed to filling any gaps till then. And welcome your generosity.

What is the policy on shared stuff from OGM? Do we convert to cbz and add a splash page? Or leave as is?

You can do whatever you like with them. As I've said previously, if people want to edit my mags they can go for it.

Some people have contributed entire collections of mags to another site in the belief they will be scanned but their desire for cleaning up scans is so over the top that it seems like they only release a dozen mags a year. If I did that I'd need to live until 300 to finish the collection. Obviously barring some sort of miracle cure for old age that isn't going to happen so at the moment for me it's all about getting my collection scanned and out there. Better to do that and give others the opportunity to fiddle than not at all.

[Sean697]

You can do whatever you like with them. As I've said previously, if people want to edit my mags they can go for it.

Some people have contributed entire collections of mags to another site in the belief they will be scanned but their desire for cleaning up scans is so over the top that it seems like they only release a dozen mags a year. If I did that I'd need to live until 300 to finish the collection. Obviously barring some sort of miracle cure for old age that isn't going to happen so at the moment for me it's all about getting my collection scanned and out there. Better to do that and give others the opportunity to fiddle than not at all.

Sounds good, if no one beats me too it I'll add these 2 after converting to a cbr probrably on Monday when I get time. Thanks again.

[Sean697]

Ok added to the site and credited (hopefully correctly) to OGM and Jason and KiwiArcader. I just formated them to the rest of scans on our site and changed to 2200 pixel height. Other than that no editing.

[KiwiArcader]

Ok added to the site and credited (hopefully correctly) to OGM and Jason and KiwiArcader. I just formated them to the rest of scans on our site and changed to 2200 pixel height. Other than that no editing.

No worries. As I said, people can edit the heck out of them if they like. I'm sure E-day or one of yourselves will come along with a new user scan at some point to replace it. This gives members some light reading until that happens

[kitsunebi]

I usually convert files I download from OGM into CBR format for personal use/preference, but other than that, I'll be leaving the files I downloaded from your site alone. They look good enough to me!

[Sean697]

I usually convert files I download from OGM into CBR format for personal use/preference, but other than that, I'll be leaving the files I downloaded from your site alone. They look good enough to me!

These are comvwrt4d to cbr from pdf. Also if you have photoshop, if you open a pdf in it it will bring up a dialog to extract all the images. Making conversion easy. Just made a macro to adjust image size and save as JPEG and repacked as a cbr. Edited March 27, 2016 by Sean697

[kitsunebi]

My cbr reader is set to display all images at a constant height, so I don't have a need for resizing. I just extract and repack

[Sean697]

My cbr reader is set to display all images at a constant height, so I don't have a need for resizing. I just extract and repack

Ya just resizing to site standards. The OGM pdf's are actually true 300 dpi and where much much larger files. If you want larger pixel count images, stick with the pdf's. Though they aren't that much difference in pixels. Edited March 27, 2016 by Sean697

[KiwiArcader]

Yep. I don't do any downsizing for most all scans I make except those PC Gamer (USA) or other issues which exceed 300+ pages in size. If I don't downsize those they end up being HUGE!!! My target is to keep PDF's under 400MB, preferably under 350MB. You can't do that when you have 350 page monsters if you keep them full size.

[kitsunebi]

Yep. I don't do any downsizing for most all scans I make except those PC Gamer (USA) or other issues which exceed 300+ pages in size. If I don't downsize those they end up being HUGE!!! My target is to keep PDF's under 400MB, preferably under 350MB. You can't do that when you have 350 page monsters if you keep them full size.

Yeah, I've been looking at Computer Gaming World lately. The Dec. '97 issue is 506 pages! I wonder what the single biggest gaming mag is...?