RetroDefense

Dan Gutman was kind enough to reply to my inquiry. So I think this ends any speculation. I can't edit my OP to reflect this, but whomever eventually adds the issue breakdown to the database, please ignore the unconfirmed dates listed. I'll be contacting Digital Press - perhaps they'll pull their placeholders to avoid any future confusion.

Yeah - I always loved receiving a demo disc along with a magazine. Official Dreamcast Magazine was a particular favorite. I think niche video game magazines - retro included - are doing well. I hope we see more pop up over time.

I've heard similar horror stories with game app purchases. I guess Apple is now removing games from purchase histories, meaning the only option to retain your game is to back it up from the device itself. Something not possible with iOS 9. http://www.gamersftw.co.uk/apple-removing-games-from-purchase-history/

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.

Thanks, TheRedEye! Btw, videoparadise-sanjose.com's broken image link for Top Score issue 1 page 3 has since been corrected.

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

I remember these from the Unsorted Covers gallery - nice to finally see them address label free. Thanks for the research and the preservation work, VG!

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.

I've looked into this further during the past year - on and off - and like you, I'm beginning to suspect issues Dec 82/Jan 83 through Jun/Jul 83 don't exist. I haven't found any cover scans, etc, of these missing issues. And although the LoC entry and the interview do support most or all of the Digital Press placeholders, they just as easily don't. Dan Gutman mentions a bi-monthly schedule but also suggests a long break after the first issue. The LoC indicates bi-monthly but also indicates a formerly quarterly schedule. Without knowing the month the Fall '82 issue actually released, it could overlap the placeholder time frame. Plus, your eye-witness testimony is fairly damning evidence they never happened. I'm going to try and contact Gutman - perhaps he'll be willing to clarify the publishing schedule. I'll follow-up if I learn anything.

Maybe market testing? Odd the UPC are identical though.

Hi all, Spotted this on Facebook - RETRO Magazine is offering $5 off their regular print subscription fee. Promo expires 1/1/2016. Looks like you have to go through their recent Facebook post to receive the discount? https://www.facebook.com/ReadRetro/

Welcome to RetroMags! RetroMags has a "cutoff date" policy in affect - anything after a particular date (Dec 2005 for defunct magazines, Dec 1999 for ongoing magazines) cannot yet be archived and are flagged as "Not Allowed." This site doesn't want to impose on magazine publishers by hampering sales - the goal is to preserve game magazines (essentially snapshots of gaming history) that are no longer supported or offered by a publisher. Nintendo Force issues are available digitally via their online store - older back issues are very affordable at only $0.99 each. Future Publishing doesn't appear to offer Nintendo Power through their website any longer. Probably the easiest avenue for recent NP issues would be Ebay or posting a want ad here at RetroMags.

Looks legit. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/11/snes_playstation_prototype_gets_turned_on_opened_up

bump (edit spotlight)

That's interesting - I'll have to double check my physical copy. I don't recall duplicate pages but it's been a very long time since I actually read it. Thanks for bringing this newsletter to everyone's attention, Sean697. I wasn't aware of it myself - definitely a "missing magazine" worth preserving. Especially given it's history.

Thanks for preserving more golden age mags, VGBounceHouse! Imo it's the most important era to be archived here at Retromags as the 'net wasn't much of a thing back then.

I think this is a good idea as an EGM sub-category. Similar to the "Supplements" sub. Some other magazines would benefit from some sub-categorization as well - like GamePro's Code Vault issues.

Thanks Phillyman!

As a long-time Nintendo fanboy, I've gotta say - great choice for a contest prize!

I think many games of today will be memories in 10 years, sadly. Most are reliant on services and networks beyond our control - online multiplayer servers, digital-only downloads and patches and updates, etc. So I'm not sure many of today's games will be considered retro - at least in a playable sense - as many won't be available (either fully or partially). Many may be repackaged and resold (remastered compilations, digital emulated downloads, etc) but others will be lost to IP red tape and lack of interest. But I agree gaming has largely stagnated. It feels like we've reached a point where we've formulated everything and really need a new genre or two instead of the incremental updates and cross-genre stuff we've been getting lately. A new Pac-Man, Tetris, or Street Fighter II is past due.

Heck yeah, E-Day - just don't run the good 'toons 'till after 9 or 10 am on Saturday.

I think a couple big contributors to last generation's super-long life-cycle was 1) OS updates and 2) HD displays going mainstream. We pretty much had a massive graphics "upgrade" without having to change out the console hardware (the Wii, not so much), and the hardware itself was able to keep up thanks to constant updates (as annoying as they are). Kinda cool (and a little weird) that an entire generation of gamers may have grown up essentially playing only one generation of hardware though.

Updated the OP and my fill-in-the-blank thumbnail gallery with issue 8 details. Thanks, Phillyman!