Group opinion: Backing up BASIC games in magazines

Justin Payne · July 8, 2017

Hey all,

Been meaning to do this for a while. I was given a bunch of SoftSide magazine BASIC programs, which have been organized by issue in ATR format BUT some of the games are missing. I've gone through AtariMania to see what I might be able to glom from that but at some point I'm sure there are a few games/programs that I'll try to OCR off the issues and create myself, which, if successful, means I can backup all of the programs/games for all of the systems they were offered for.

Here is where I want your opinion.

If your plan was to offer these two everyone, say via AtariMania or some other source, would you.

A. Like to have all of the programs in an ATR that were offered in that issue?

B. Like to have every program made available individually but maybe have a reference to what issue that program appeared in

Of course, there is always a C but I think in this case it's "do nothing" and I don't think I'm going to do that.

Now, I know AtariMania has an FTP location but for the life of me I can't exactly tell where the files are dropped AND there is also no way to fill out the information associated with the game so, although I like what AtariMania offers, and upload option that lets people fill out the info would be of real help (hint hint). I assume the alternative is I just add the data to an Excel file and apply the info to somewhere at a later date.

k1w1 · July 8, 2017

I have been trying to catalog all of the BASIC programs released on magazines and add them to GameBase 800 v12. Through this I was able to send a stack of missing SoftSide and Antic magazine programs in ATR format to Allan from AtariMania several months ago but they have not been put on line yet.

Anyway I am slowly plugging away at compiling as many magazine listing programs as I can and adding them to GameBase. Presently I am looking at listings from European magazines.

k1w1 · July 8, 2017

Here are the Softside programs I have been able to catalog. I believe it covers all of the game listings printed and the disc only software produced by Softside.

+skr · July 8, 2017

Presently I am looking at listings from European magazines.

You know that the ABBUC guys are typing in (and sometimes also correct) everything they find? Take a look at the forum: http://www.abbuc.de/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9246

And take a look at these sites:

http://tronic-verlag.50webs.com/

http://ataribasiclistings.mygamesonline.org/

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

Justin Payne · July 8, 2017

You know that the ABBUC guys are typing in (and sometimes also correct) everything they find? Take a look at the forum: http://www.abbuc.de/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9246

And take a look at these sites:

http://tronic-verlag.50webs.com/

http://ataribasiclistings.mygamesonline.org/

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

No, I didn't know that. Well, that's good. I'll have to check that out as well as Gamebase, which I hadn't heard of. This might save me a lot of work. I just didn't want this stuff to get lost to the ages.

+Allan · July 8, 2017

Since Softside officially released their stuff on disk I suppose I can add them to Atarimania as whole disks. I have a bunch of Softside disks as well. I will try to copy them and post them up here soon (as well as on Atarimania).

Allan

Justin Payne · July 9, 2017

Are the disks you use

Since Softside officially released their stuff on disk I suppose I can add them to Atarimania as whole disks. I have a bunch of Softside disks as well. I will try to copy them and post them up here soon (as well as on Atarimania).

Allan

Rob, from the Player/Missile Podcast, gave me a ZIP full of SoftSide stuff but, as I previously mentioned, some of the games are missing. How complete is your collection?

Also, it sounds like you have a better method, or better idea, of getting files made available to others on AtariMania. If you get a chance, could you share that process?