I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic lately. Probably that’s related to having no new games to play. So I hauled out a binder and looked through Computer Gaming World July-August 1983. It was my premier issue.
On the cover was an artwork Napoleon, with a sly smile, and his hand pulling a floppy disk out of his vest. This was by Tim Finkas, who did all the covers for the early issues. Real art. I loved his stuff.
My favorite cover is December ‘83. That’s the one with the somewhat demonic-looking blacksmith hammering out a gold floppy (5.25″ floppies in those days). Runes go around the central hole, and they’re reminiscent of another circular item, something that has (ahem) a familiar ring to it.
This was a very lean mag, only 50 pages not counting the covers. Just a few ads, and those were amazingly restrained by today’s standards (if we can call them that).
Those pages were packed, though. Along with the usual reviews and game tips, there were columns by Dan Bunten (on game simulation design), Bruce Webster (programming), Jon Freeman (editorials), and Patti Fitzgibbons (online gaming). Plus specialized columns for the Atari and Commodore computers.
Oh yeah, and a new one by Yours Truly, giving in-depth hints about one game in particular. That first Tale covered Serpent’s Star, a rather forgettable adventure game. But it was fairly new and I’d just finishd it, so that made this mediocre product a good choice at the time.
In paging through the mag, I had to smile at the screenshots which, back then, were “state of the art”. How incredibly primitive they look, and how incredibly spoiled we’ve become (well, some of us, not necessarily me ;) by today’s over-the-top graphics.
On the other hand, even with that annoying “continued on page xx”, the articles were more readable. But CGW wasn’t a glitz production back then, either.
Looking at the last-ever CGW, I can hardly believe this is the same magazine I used to write for. Of course it really isn’t (or wasn’t). You know, it hurt when they dropped me, but overall, I think it was the best thing.
The magazine was going in a different direction, one I didn’t especially like, and the audience was changing, too. Also, there were fewer games coming along in my specialties. It was time to part ways.
Still, I’m glad I was there in the beginning, those early, glory days of gaming. Back when it was still fun, still exciting, and new releases didn’t need six patches to be playable.
Those days won’t come again, but I’m glad we had them when we did.
Scorpia,
Remember these words?
If so, NAME THAT TUNE.
1)
Faded photograph covered now in lines and creases,
Tickets torn in half,
Memories in bits and pieces
2)
Try to remember the time in September
3)
Midnight all alone in the moonlight
I can remember the old times
I was beatiful then
I remember a time I knew what happiness was
Scorpia,
Could you do an article on how a review do her job.
I was also wondering:
1) Who supplied the games to you to review.
2) How did you get paid? By the piece or by the word?
3) Who decided which games to review?
Etc.
I always looked forward to your columns (both the Tale and the Mail Bag) and was horribly disappointed when you left the magazine. I didn’t know back then they’d given you the boot, I only knew you were gone and it definitely left a void. You were my favorite game reviewer/columnist.
But you’re right… the magazine changed a lot and not for the better. It’s gone juvenile and is full of potty-humor, soft-porn pictures and actual swearing (the f-word was even printed in the magazine - the ACTUAL f-word). It’s become a mag for sniggering teenage boys and not much of anyone else.
Ah well… all good things…
At least we still have you here online!!
Presto, reading this early post should answer some of your questions:
On Reviewing
Orginally, I was paid by the word; eventually that became by the article.
As to who decided, that was usually a mutual decision, especially if multiple products were available. I’d call up my editor and we’d discuss the possibilities.
Klara, yeah, the standard of journalism really declined. Sad.
The key difference for me?
Audience.
CGW used to be by adult gamers, for adult gamers. Sure, a bunch of the audience was 14-year-old boys, but the expectation was that they’d keep up and stretch themselves, rather than the magazine talking to them and talking down to everyone else.
Then PC Gamer became #1 I think, catering to a much more juvenile audience. But I guess the folks in charge of the magazine figured that if it was what was working with PC Gamer, then they could do the same thing and get back to #1. So they filled the magazine with superlatives, gross-out-humor, and a distinct lack of anything requiring higher-order thought processes.
Nevermind the fact that their TRUE audience kept getting older — around that time (1997 or so), the average PC game player was 26 years old, and even the average console gamer was over 18. And I think PC Gamer actually went in the opposite direction as the years progressed, catering more and more to adult gamers as CGW (under Jones) went down into the gutter.
I’m still holding out hope for what Kieron Gillen calles “New Games Journalism”. We’re seeing it in The Escapist, and on some websites. He’s got a point.
But unfortunately, that’s few and far between. Most gaming sites out there today put hardly a thought into their reviews (indeed, some don’t actually review the game… they just make a quick grab for some keyword real-estate for Search Engines to get those click-throughs and sell more ads).
Scorpia,
If you’re still feeling nostalgic, you’re more than welcome to write something for the Museum… I’m sure it would be a hit. ;-)
Scorpia,
I picked up a few CGW issues in my teens and fondly remember all the great info gleaned from those pages. Back before the internet, CGW was a great resource for game reviews and also some great strategy articles. I still have a few pages from a CGW in an old Warlords manual I kept through the years. (Warlords was an excellent turn-based fantasy strategy game.) One page was the first part of the review and the other was a table of unit values and other info. Ahh, the memories…
I wish I could play the old games again with today’s interfaces. They play great in Dosbox but it’s always the interface more than the graphics that make me give up. I’m too spoiled to go back to a 2 button mouse setup. I used to play Populous for hours back then but these days I can’t stand mousing back and forth in it’s tiny isometric viewport to play it. Warlords’ interface isn’t as bad but it’s still too cumbersome for my spoiled taste :)
Steph, I may get around to that one of these days ;)
El Cid, yeah, the old CGW was a great info mag. I think it’s because Russ himself was a big game fan (especially Diplomacy). It really was, in many ways, “by gamers, for gamers” (have we heard that somewhere else? ;).
I know what you mean about spoiled. It is tough to go back to a clunky (by today’s stanards) interface. For me, though, the problem is that the old games are played out. I got everything I could out of them, and there’s no way I can return. See: Why I Can’t Go Home Again for more details.
Ah…those are great memories. I met Russell Sipe on the CompuServe GameSIG. We had a nice little chat and he sent me Issue #2, which I still have somewhere stored away.
The early issues of CGW were rather raw. People had figured how to cheat and post unrealistic high scores for screenshots. Many of the columns and features were still being hashed out. Even then, it was a great magazine. I am sorry to see what it has ended up being. It has so much energy once.
Scorpia, I am still waiting for an answer to the question I asked many years ago: How do I get past the Wall in Advent751 on CompuServe? I have the Horn and blew it..making a hole appear. And, yes, I know there is an Elephant in the room. But I can neither move it nor stand on it to reach the hole. What do I need to do? LOL
Yes, I have been around the block a few times. I don’t play any text adventures anymore. I am mostly alpha/beta testing online games. These help keep my sense of discovery and wonder active in my ‘golden’ years! -)
Toodles,
Dolnor Numbwit
aka Noldor Numbwit
Eternal Newbie
Dolnor, always nice to see another veteran gamer here. Yeah, the early CGW did show its lack of experience, but that just made it seem more friendly in some ways.
Gosh, you know I don’t think I ever played Advent751. Did play the original 350. Maybe you need something here, like a ladder to climb the elephant. Or maybe a long plank would do it.
I don’t play text adventures these days, either, alas.
Text adventures? Do they still make those any more?
I thought they died along with the late, great Infocom.
I still remember the old days of Zork, Enchanter, Sorcerer, Deadline, Witness, Suspect, Lurking Horror, Ballyhoo, etc. MAN, they don’t WRITE games like they used to when Infocom was still around.
By, the way, Scorpia, wasn’t Lutking Horror based on Lovecraft writings as well like you were talking about in another recent post?
RIP Inforcom, you really gave us some fantastic games.
Oh yes, there are still text adventures around, though of course you won’t be finding them on the shelves. I really must relocate a couple of links on that. So many links, so much disorganization… ;)
You bet, Infocom had some Lovecraftian touches in Lurking Horror. Right at the start, you stumble on what could only be the Necronomicon while sweating out a term paper in the computer lab. The game was very good at giving you the creeps. The written word is always better, because nothing can scare you more than your own imagination.