VGBounceHouse work-in-progress

[VGBounceHouse]

Thanks Areala, I'll wait until Thursday and if there's no other feedback I'll upload both issues.

On a related note I managed to grab one of the missing issues of Videogaming (nee & Computergaming) Illustrated:

Videogaming & Computergaming Illustrated, Issue 12, December 1983

I had to buy two issues I already had to get it but now I'm only two issues away from completing this mag. I'm bumping it up on my scan queue because of the Imagic article. Because they were my favorite third-party publisher during the first console war and there is some interesting "console crash" information in the article I want to get it up on my site sooner rather than later.

[VGBounceHouse]

I added another missing magazine topic, Manci Games, to the Database Discussions forum if anyone's into that stuff.

I'm also working on the final December 1982 magazine I have on hand, Joystik:

There are some curious bits I wanted to raise here rather than creating another topic somewhere else. I bought the first four issues of Joystik off eBay from a seller who had multiple copies of the lot. Given the age I'm curious if this is a later print run since they were in mint condition in addition to the multiple copies. I guess the seller could have found a box of old issues stored in a pristine place for 33 years but I am curious. Just as strange is the way the magazine is presented: "By the Editors of JoyStik Magazine". As far as I can tell this *IS* Joystik magazine, not a supplement/alternate issue. And while later issues were simply "Joystik" in big print rather than "How to Win at Home Video Games" it begs the question "are these the same things?" I remember this issue on the newsstand, and noty a regular magazine, yet this is only strategy guide after strategy guide, no news or features. Was there really no "Joystik" magazine "proper" at this point? Why would they present the magazine this way if that were the case?

This goes along with another question of our accuracy based on info RetroDefense brings up regarding Video Games Player here:

http://community.retromags.com/topic/9811-missing-magazine-video-games-player-computer-games/#.VkKrnberSCo

The link to Digital Press implies issues between Volume 1, Number 1, dated Fall 1982, which has been archived elsewhere, and Volume 2, Number 1, dated August/September 1983 which I both own and remember from the newsstand. However the link to 2600 Connection doesn't allow space for those issues though they may only be listing ones they've archived. Neither the Library of Congress nor interview links imply these other issues exist. I had hoped to cross December 1982 off my list but these speculative issue holders at Digital Press leave me wanting lol

[Areala]

They're the same thing, VG. That's issue #3 out of the ten, but it was also a special edition which focused on gaming tips. The magazine was always "Joystik: How to Win At..." but the title changed over the months. It started off as "Joystik: How to Win At Video Games", produced that special issue as "How to Win At Home Video Games" in October, 1982, went back to being "How to Win At Video Games" again until the October, 1983 issue which was "How to Win At Arcade Games" and like #3 focused entirely on game play tips and strategy. The last three issues were released as "Joystik: How to Win At Home, Computer & Arcade Games".

Clear as mud, right?

*huggles*
Areala

[RetroDefense]

The Dec '82 issue you have there is counted as a regular issue (Vol. 1 No. 3) while the Oct '83 issue Areala mentioned is considered a special edition. (The October '83 issue is currently missing a dbase entry here at RetroMags, btw.)

Reminds me of EGM and their Top Score issues.

[VGBounceHouse]

It's release time so usual rules apply:

Joystik, Issue 3, December 1982

Database Page: http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/joystik/joystik-issue-3#.VkVMFLerSCp

I've marked it preserved and provided a link to my RetroMags-formatted CBR. If someone could handle copying the upload to the RetroMags servers and making a release topic I'd appreciate it!

As usual a 300dpi CBR and text-searchable PDF are available: http://vgpavilion.com/mags/1982/12/joystik/ (only the downloads are valid links at the moment)

This issue was kind of a pain as I had to do facing pages for nearly the entire issue but I think it came out looking pretty good. Not a great addition as it's just tips 'n tricks rather than full coverage of videogaming at the time, but a glimpse into what they thought were the hot home cartridges of the time.

I plan to upload the Electronic Fun with Computers & Games and Videogaming Illustrated issues I finished and mentioned above as there's been no discouragement.

[VGBounceHouse]

Someone already changed the Videogaming Illustrated issue to my download so my only update today was editing Electronic Fun to reflect my download and Preserved status. I used the notes field to indicate the yellowing meant a better source could be found in the future.

I'm gonna try to get one more issue done for RetroMags before getting back to work on my own site Monday. I'm trying to figure out a schedule to work on both now that I have a backlog of issues to extract from. I will finish up the issues mentioned so far in this thread and there was a also a request for some missing pages from an issue of EGM but I can't remember the thread lol

[RetroDefense]

Maybe we should track all incomplete scans - even those not yet posted to the site - here in the incomplete scans thread.

[Sean697]

Someone already changed the Videogaming Illustrated issue to my download so my only update today was editing Electronic Fun to reflect my download and Preserved status. I used the notes field to indicate the yellowing meant a better source could be found in the future.

I'm gonna try to get one more issue done for RetroMags before getting back to work on my own site Monday. I'm trying to figure out a schedule to work on both now that I have a backlog of issues to extract from. I will finish up the issues mentioned so far in this thread and there was a also a request for some missing pages from an issue of EGM but I can't remember the thread lol

E-Days work in progress thread. Was for EGM 86. I believe it was last 4 pages. But might want to double check.

[E-Day]

Yes, the last four pages of EGM 86; from the nuke.com ad to the back cover.

And I updated the Videogaming Illustrated database page by adding a direct download link, and I'll do the same for what's been uploaded since then.

[VGBounceHouse]

Thanks! I'll take care of those pages tomorrow night or Monday morning, unfortunately while all of my EGM's are in their own boxes, they aren't sorted yet so I have to do some digging lol I'll also check that incomplete thread for any other EGMs I can grab at the same time.

The two needing release announcements are December 1982 Electronic Fun and Joystik. I should have a release for Videogaming & Computergaming Illustrated December 1983 tomorrow night or Monday depending on how much I get done tomorrow, almost at the halfway point of editing but have plans tonight.

[VGBounceHouse]

Quick question: what's the standard here for subscription cards? This issue has two on a single strip stapled into the issue (as in a front/back after page 10 and another after page 74, printed as one 1/4 height light cardboard strip). I normally wouldn't include them myself but I see them in some archives so I have extracted and prepared them.

[marktrade]

I take out all subscription cards. The one exception is CGW which includes some of them in the page numbering. Without them the page numbering will be off, potentially confusing readers who think there might be missing pages. Damned things.

It's up to you.

[E-Day]

I used to do them all. Now I only do them if they are a "full" page and they have an actual regular page on the magazine right after them pushing subscriptions. Same with the cards for ordering merchandise. I feel it makes sense to have them when the page promoting subscriptions or merchandise doesn't have an order form.

[Sean697]

Quick question: what's the standard here for subscription cards? This issue has two on a single strip stapled into the issue (as in a front/back after page 10 and another after page 74, printed as one 1/4 height light cardboard strip). I normally wouldn't include them myself but I see them in some archives so I have extracted and prepared them.

I always includethem. Only because I think the old site guide said to include them. I think it's really up to you how to implement. What I've been doing is scanning how it would appear in the mag with the background page blurred with the focus on the card. You could just do a small image with the card. Or I suppose not include them if you didn't want to?

[VGBounceHouse]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have not included the subscription cards in the archives, here's an example of one in case that affects anyone's opinion.

Unless anyone thinks these should now go in the release is up:

http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/videogaming-illustrated/videogaming-illustrated-issue-12#.Vkk8CnarSCo

As always the 300dpi CBR and text-searchable PDF are also available from this stub page:

http://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/12/vci/

I will hunt down those EGM issues to scan pages needed to complete some other archives and then I'm getting to work on my own site. I will be taking breaks to finish up the other issues mentioned earlier in this thread but probably won't have another release for a week.

[RetroDefense]

I include them even when not a full page or factored into the page count. I've always considered 'em part of the magazine experience - as annoying as they can be sometimes.

Besides, you never know when some historian will want to know the subscription offer of a given magazine for whatever reason.

[marktrade]

I guess it is interesting to see how they've changed over the years. That card looks like it came from the Old West, VG!

Also I might like to see cards from the first few issues of a publication, which may have cover illustrations that were never used. As a kid I couldn't help but wonder if those magazines existed out there, somewhere on some newsstand far away, in another universe or another timeline. I had a wild imagination.

Here's an example I just grabbed from issue 03 of PCXL. Those covers may never have existed, but it provides some clues into their cover thought process. What if they continued, like they did with the first issue, having a white background with game characters (maybe scantily clad) in the foreground? Or maybe those were ultra rare alternate covers?

It'll always have an element of mystery to it.

[VGBounceHouse]

I totally agree marktrade. On my site they will be grouped in an "Inserts" category at the issue, magazine and global level. For my own archival mission I'm going that way with the CBR and PDF releases designed for recreating the reading experience, the pages to provide a "modern" reading experience, and the individual elements as the raw primary/secondary sources for citations.

But Retromags has its own mission. I'm happy to include them in the release. For this issue four additional images would be needed, two after page 10 and two after page 74. I created test images using Sean697's page blur idea and CBRs with the cropped and blurred options and run all three through two CBR readers. The effect on page numbering is enough to disaude me, but visually the blur option is visually interesting. They could be put at the end but that doesn't respect the physical reality of how the issue appeared while reading off the newsstand.

Right now it looks like it's half for inclusion, half for not including/don't care either way. I will put up a second version with the blurred pages in it for anyone interested and if we work out a standard here in the next couple of days I'll make any changes and follow it on future releases.

Yeah, Old West is right marktrade lol this issue came from eBay and was in similar yellowing condition as the 1982 magazines I kept laying around from my teenage years. Compare that to my recent Videogaming Illustrated December 1982 which also came from eBay but was sealed, boarded and obviously kept in a different environment. I've been noting my releases in the database when there s significant yellowing so others that have better preserved copies think about replacing my version rather than calling it case closed. Can't wait to get to '90s and beyond magazines, I'm sick of the yellow lol

[Sean697]

I think how you want to do cards is up to you. It doesn't really mess up the numbering, just like page 13a etc and they fit right in between the regular page numbers. But I have to say , while I haven't had time to check all of your golden age mags you've put up yet, the ones I have are fantastic. I think the site is lucky there is someone who is preserving these pre Nintendo magazines. I certainly hope to see more and will be checking all of them out later. I especially liked that Vidiot you did.

[VGBounceHouse]

Howdy!

It's been a while but I'm back on scanning duty. Editing duty actually, hoping to finish this monster up before the ebd of the month:

I've got my template and the first 40 pages done yesterday, we'll see how I power through. There are a LOT of those little colored circle printing errors so each page is taking a bit more touching up than even the really old mags I've done.

Where have I been? Why launching my preservation site that I've mentioned a few times:

http://vgpavilion.com

I launched February 1st with nine magazines, eight from 1982 (representing all of the magazines available on the newsstands at Christmastime that year [i hope]) and one from 1983. Two of the magazines came from other sources (Video Games Player Fall 1982 and Computer Gaming World November/December 1982) but the other have 300dpi PDF and CBR files in addition to the RetroMags versions I've uploaded here previously.

Each magazine is also recreated in modern responsive web format, each article linked to related games, and all artwork, photos, screenshots and advertising pulled and indexed. I hope you get the chance to check it out and let me know what you think of this supplemental archiving process.

Since launch I have also added a single article from Time magazine, January 18, 1982. I didn't preserve the whole magazine as it isn't primarily videogame related but I believe these mainstream magazine articles about our hobby are important as well.

It's also a great example of how mainstream media always gets videogame coverage wrong lol

I hope to get back into interacting with all the great people here again and appreciate all the hard work this community puts in to preserving videogame media.

Chris

[E-Day]

Welcome back! And you are coming back with a splash, doing what is probably the biggest and best issue of EGM in existence!

[E-Day]

Hey,

Your link in a post above for Videogaming Illustrated Issue 12 (December 1983) isn't working (http://vgpavilion.com/mags/1983/12/vci/Videogaming-Illustrated-Issue-012-Dec-1983.cbr). 404 error. Can you restore it? I never got to download it and I would like to add a direct link on the site.

[Sean697]

I very much hope you finish this up. What a monster of a magazine. I'm almost positive it is the biggest EGM ever made.

[marktrade]

Good to see you again, Chris!

Your site is incredible. It's really a joy and a pleasure to use.

[Sean697]

My god. Your site is incredible. The sheer work you put into each issue integrating it with the web page is simply amazing. This is professional quality work. I think on a small scale this is very sustainable, but I couldn't imagine doing that kind of work for large scale preservation. It's like the perfect version of what we try to do here. I tip my hat. In other news you alpha web page has some spelling mistakes.