RetroGamer128 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Hi everyone, first post here! My name's John and I recently had a small part in helping to get a new Atari 7800 magazine out there called Pro Gamer! This is the first issue and it's digital only at the moment as a PDF file that works on PC/Tablet/Mobile etc. But if there is enough demand we do hope to do a print edition. The magazine has already proved to be quite popular so was very surprised to see word hasn't traveled to Atari Age yet! There are over 50 pages of content, exclusive interviews, info on lost games (including a game nobody knew about!), reviews, tips & cheats, archives, features and much much more! It costs £2.99 (about £4.50 or €4.25) and available to purchase now! You can buy it here: http://www.retroriginals.co.uk/ 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
san-d-2000 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Maybe you could post some sample pages? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroGamer128 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) Sorry, I meant to include a link to the preview version as well but forgot and can't see a way to edit my original post. So here you go: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hb53tckci0848dm/Pro%20Gamer%20Preview.pdf?dl=0 This is taken from an early version of the magazine that was put out there to gauge interest and get feedback so there are quite a few changes but the basic content remains the same. Edited November 21, 2015 by RetroGamer128 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Neat idea but the price is a bit high for digital. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Iacovelli Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Neat idea but the price is a bit high for digital. 8.00 us for digital is too high IMHO, should be something like 2.00 or 3.00 would be best 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Thats over ten bucks Canadian. Ouch.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosweargamer Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Full Disclosure Time: I was first made aware of this magazine a few months back at another forum. It appears to be headed up by former used The_Laird aka Laird's Lair. As a matter of fact, going to the fb page linked to the magazine's site takes you to Laird Lairs fb profile. At the previous forum, I believed he used a new forum name as he was previously banned from that site, but the new username was also banned and the post removed. I do not know all the details, but I believe part of his problems included falsifying proof of unreleased games, specifically for the Jaguar, claiming false screenshots were genuine. I am all for second chances, especially if the person man ups and admits wrong doing with a promise to turn around, but when the detail of who is head of this magazine is not mentioned, it gives me pause. It also takes away from the integrity of this magazine. RetroGamer128 might be a different person, but as a new user who just popped up solely to promote the magazine, it makes me think it may very well be this may also be The_Laird with a new screen name to hide from the past. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Full Disclosure Time: I was first made aware of this magazine a few months back at another forum. It appears to be headed up by former used The_Laird aka Laird's Lair. As a matter of fact, going to the fb page linked to the magazine's site takes you to Laird Lairs fb profile. At the previous forum, I believed he used a new forum name as he was previously banned from that site, but the new username was also banned and the post removed. I do not know all the details, but I believe part of his problems included falsifying proof of unreleased games, specifically for the Jaguar, claiming false screenshots were genuine. I am all for second chances, especially if the person man ups and admits wrong doing with a promise to turn around, but when the detail of who is head of this magazine is not mentioned, it gives me pause. It also takes away from the integrity of this magazine. RetroGamer128 might be a different person, but as a new user who just popped up solely to promote the magazine, it makes me think it may very well be this may also be The_Laird with a new screen name to hide from the past. laird.png Wow. One retro system is also a pretty narrow scope for an e-zine. Well maybe not for an extremely popular system like NES, Turbo/PCe, or Neo Geo, but only so much can be discussed for the 7800. 50 pages is a lot. Also if a dude known for propagating false information is promoting a magazine, that can't bode well... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebor Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Confirmed that banned AtariAge member "The_Laird" is (one of) the individual(s) behind the magazine endeavor. Here are some links from this site and others; individuals can form their own conclusion(s):http://atariage.com/...back-to-basics/http://atariage.com/forums/topic/220209-atari-gamer-digital-magazine/http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=23047http://atariage.com/forums/topic/172078-jaguar-unreleased-games-thread/http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/55-atari-st-gamer-magazine™/ Additionally, currently all publicly listed social media links contained within the site from the OP (retroriginals.co.uk) are connected to Kieren Hawken aka "The_Laird": twitter.com/RetroLaird facebook.com/LairdsLair plus.google.com/+LairdsLair/ youtube.com/user/LairdOfForsyth linkedin.com/pub/kieren-hawken/87/118/541 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroGamer128 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Full Disclosure Time: I was first made aware of this magazine a few months back at another forum. It appears to be headed up by former used The_Laird aka Laird's Lair. As a matter of fact, going to the fb page linked to the magazine's site takes you to Laird Lairs fb profile. At the previous forum, I believed he used a new forum name as he was previously banned from that site, but the new username was also banned and the post removed. I do not know all the details, but I believe part of his problems included falsifying proof of unreleased games, specifically for the Jaguar, claiming false screenshots were genuine. I am all for second chances, especially if the person man ups and admits wrong doing with a promise to turn around, but when the detail of who is head of this magazine is not mentioned, it gives me pause. It also takes away from the integrity of this magazine. RetroGamer128 might be a different person, but as a new user who just popped up solely to promote the magazine, it makes me think it may very well be this may also be The_Laird with a new screen name to hide from the past. laird.png First of all, none of the first part is even remotely true. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet. The second part, no I am not Kieren, he was the writer on this magazine, I did more technical stuff like help with the website. I made that clear from the outset. I did debate posting this here because I know about the frankly bizarre obsession some people on here have with him and the equally weird witch hunt against him. At the end of the day people can believe what they like but Kieren also writes for a number of professional publications such as Retro Gamer (which has won numerous awards) and Retro Fusion, organises 2 of the biggest retro gaming events in the UK, has appeared on TV and in documentaries and does an enormous amount of work for charity. So I will leave people to make their own conclusions, I have always found him to be a stand up guy and really enjoyed working with him on this (and will contribute more to the next one) and so I don't think anyone can question the professionalism of this product and I was proud to be part of it and think that it deserves a bit more publicity. I do agree that the exchange rate from pounds to dollars is a killer though, something we really couldn't do a lot about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroGamer128 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 8.00 us for digital is too high IMHO, should be something like 2.00 or 3.00 would be best Where did you get $8 from? It's about $4.50. That's the problem with the high pound, totally unavoidable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Iacovelli Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Where did you get $8 from? It's about $4.50. That's the problem with the high pound, totally unavoidable. uh, from the image you posted in your first post the prices listed : 2.99 euro / 7.99 us/5.99 (i think is canada) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroGamer128 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 uh, from the image you posted in your first post the prices listed : 2.99 euro / 7.99 us/5.99 (i think is canada) Those were the proposed prices for the print edition, which is why they are on the cover. I stated the prices for the PDF version in the text above the image! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Iacovelli Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Those were the proposed prices for the print edition, which is why they are on the cover. I stated the prices for the PDF version in the text above the image! should have said that in your post that the prices on the image are not for digital. 4.50 is still high imho I pay 10.00 for year subscription to RetroMagazine digital good luck with it though (hope when you put an retro ad in the magazine like in the sample you mention its an retro ad) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetroGamer128 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Well we did consider going down the Kickstarter route like Retro to get prices down but decided against it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Iacovelli Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Well we did consider going down the Kickstarter route like Retro to get prices down but decided against it. you can alway do gufundme for just donations,or just donations for payal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
78001987 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Here's the problem with this idea: There isn't any new or previously uncovered information about the Atari 7800 that isn't already covered extensively here at Atariage, and it's forums. Since there's no tangible collectors value to this because it is PDF only, it's kind of pointless. Asking people to pay $8.00 or $4.50 for a PDF that contains all the same info you get here for free... Yeah that's kinda scammy. Like selling CDs of game ROMs on eBay. Add to that the involvement of a know liar and scam artist, and well, maybe this wasn't such a great idea. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosweargamer Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 First of all, none of the first part is even remotely true. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet. The second part, no I am not Kieren, he was the writer on this magazine, I did more technical stuff like help with the website. I made that clear from the outset. I did debate posting this here because I know about the frankly bizarre obsession some people on here have with him and the equally weird witch hunt against him. At the end of the day people can believe what they like but Kieren also writes for a number of professional publications such as Retro Gamer (which has won numerous awards) and Retro Fusion, organises 2 of the biggest retro gaming events in the UK, has appeared on TV and in documentaries and does an enormous amount of work for charity. So I will leave people to make their own conclusions, I have always found him to be a stand up guy and really enjoyed working with him on this (and will contribute more to the next one) and so I don't think anyone can question the professionalism of this product and I was proud to be part of it and think that it deserves a bit more publicity. Thanks for responding. I hope you can see that it can seem very suspicious for a new user to show up to promote a banned user's work. It is not all that unusual for banned users to make a new username and pretend to be someone else for various personal reasons. All the original post mentioned was that you were a part of the magazine, not what part you had in it or that Laird was the main force behind it. Also, while several members here can be obsessed with discerning if screenshots are true or not, that does not make it a witch hunt. Just a search for the truth. Has Kieren ever released a correction on contested screenshots? I will not contest his accomplishments or awards, however there have been award winning journalists in the past who have falsified what they report on for their own gain. The goal of the press is to report the truth. Good citizens tend to serve as a check and balance system for the press. I will hold nothing against anyone who chooses to buy your magazine, but they do have a right to know the past and make their own decision with full disclosure. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler172 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Hi Kieren just bought it.Where is the download? greetings Walter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyfox Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I've had a look at the preview PDF Jason and I'm failing to see why it's been sold for £3 ? For fifty pages with a possible 12-13 of the pages being scans simply lifted from 1980's video gaming magazine archives with no premastering at all other than to fill the gaps containing all the discolouring and scratches and tears of these low res scans. A colleague of mine which I do not need to mention, states that the introduction of the magazine has been directly lifted from the Homebrew Heroes magazine I produced 2 years ago, about the time I served my ties with Mr.Hawkens. Why wasn't this rewritten? I do not wish the magazine any ill faith unlike the way Kieren Hawkens did regarding Atari gamer and ST gamer magazine for that matter with insults of grammar and spelling issues and then having his band of small fry followers ridicule them even further, and when it came to physical publication licencing from me the owner of the magazine ordered cease and desist orders on those who would believe the copy and paste word document he issued with currencies from different parts of the world, because it wasn't reviewed while creating it? Was only doing an incredible limited run for those lucky 30 people who received the magazine with zero profit margins due to the cost of a4 printing. No. I'm sure that this magazine may have great information inside, but the fanzine presentation lacks any real reason or inspiration why people would spend that sum of money on it, although it's not expensive, maybe Pro-Gamer (Kieren) should stick to producing a vast collection of reviews in a paperback style presentation where it's all about information he wrote about over at RVG's review database on the game reviews on the Atari 7800 and not the scattered and misplaced imagery within its reviews in this magazine. With this being issue one, we are all allowed to learn from our mistakes and deliver a second and more worthy effort that this one seems to have fallen short. So I wish it the best of luck, hopefully it will spark a second and more professional looking issue. btw how's my grammar in this post? just in case I've written or misquoted anything that would make me look amateur or dis interesting to read into. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I'd think something like this (first issue) would be free or near it. You know, to entice people show what they can expect in future issues. In any event, hats off for having the guts to devote a 'zine to a system with such a small and well documented library. Not sure what else can be said about ALL of the games that hasn't already, but with the resurgence of interest in the 7800, largely thanks to the great home-brews as of late - guess there is enough hullabaloo to be bantered about for_a_while. But only because of the home-brews IMO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 First of all, none of the first part is even remotely true. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet. The second part, no I am not Kieren, he was the writer on this magazine, I did more technical stuff like help with the website. I made that clear from the outset. I did debate posting this here because I know about the frankly bizarre obsession some people on here have with him and the equally weird witch hunt against him. At the end of the day people can believe what they like but Kieren also writes for a number of professional publications such as Retro Gamer (which has won numerous awards) and Retro Fusion, organises 2 of the biggest retro gaming events in the UK, has appeared on TV and in documentaries and does an enormous amount of work for charity. So I will leave people to make their own conclusions, I have always found him to be a stand up guy and really enjoyed working with him on this (and will contribute more to the next one) and so I don't think anyone can question the professionalism of this product and I was proud to be part of it and think that it deserves a bit more publicity. I do agree that the exchange rate from pounds to dollars is a killer though, something we really couldn't do a lot about. Why does nobody learn? You come here to sell- then, when legitimate concerns are raised, you respond with insults, as if that will help your sales. I'm looking at you, Natalie8888, RVGS... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I find it very deceiving when people say magazine when what they really mean is a digital whatever and not a real tangible article. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I find it very deceiving when people say magazine when what they really mean is a digital whatever and not a real tangible article. E-zine! Yeah, I thought that too. Thought I might throw $5-$7 at a large oversized (non-standard/A4?) typical British physical magazine to be delivered to my home. All torn and tattered by the time it finally made its way to my mailbox btw, but nope! PDF instead. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BydoEmpire Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I dont' know, browsing through the dropbox pdf, it looked cool to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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