Did you know that I put together a GameSpite Quarterly-inspired print-on-demand magazine for 1UP a few weeks ago? Quite possibly you did, but I feel sort of goofy for not actually mentioning it here on the blog. Or did I? I can’t remember. Seriously, it’s been a nutty couple of weeks, and it’s about to get nuttier.
1UP Presents is admittedly quite a bit slimmer than a GSQ volume yet only slightly less expensive, though the difference is that it’s magazine-sized (8.5 by 11 inches) and in full color, unlike the “pocket-sized” black-and-white format I use to make GSQ as affordable as possible. Full-color print-on-demand on high quality paper is pricey, and we’re only making a couple bucks per issue; the point of this venture is not profit, but rather a chance to compile some great new feature writing into a format you can put on your bookshelf. (I was actually asked to compile old content into a book, but ultimately I decided that if we’re going to charge people for content we’d rather have it be material they haven’t yet read.) If you haven’t given 1UP Presents #1 a look yet, I exhort you to at least check it out. You don’t need to feel obligated to buy it or anything, because I recognize that it is a pretty steep price, but I’ll consider it a personal favor if you do at least take a peep.
If I’ve already posted about this here… just ignore this pitiful exercise in senility, I guess.
Anyway, I’m taking a break from work tomorrow so that I can play video games. My free time has a very short life expectancy; we’ll be relocating to IGN’s offices and entering what I can only describe as a new phase of existence for 1UP. An interesting phase, I think, but a very demanding one. I therefore feel compelled to seize upon an opportunity to chill out while I still have it. I think I’ll finally finish Halo: Reach, and then maybe play BioShock 2. You know, now that the BioShock 2 article I just edited for GameSpite Quarterly 9 has completely spoiled the game for me. Ah, life.
More realistically, I admit that I’m probably just going to play Donkey Kong ’94 all day.
Pretty sure the only mention you made of it hereabouts was a very coyly titled forum thread. Also, bah! Now is not the time for self-deprecation! It’s a frelling gorgeous full color glossy magazine full of smart, well-thought articles, with nary a single ad! It’s awesome and everyone should buy it, and pester others to buy it.
See? Like that.
Just looking at the article here, it looks like it doesn’t spoil the Minerva’s Den DLC, which is fantastic and the reason why the author was poached by Irrational for Bioshock Infinite.
Want my advice, friends? I think you should buy this magazine.
According to MagCloud, the shipping costs for 1UP Presents to where I live would be more than the cost of the magazine itself. I’m interested in it, but not that much.
Since this is on-demand printing, have you considered using more than one service, eg. one in America and one in Europe? I suppose the ideal would be one service that prints in multiple locations, but I don’t know if anyone’s been that clever yet.
I’m not interested much in Metroid, Pac-Man, or the Saturn, but this looks pretty promising, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future issues.
Who knows, maybe it will take off and become the video game approximation of, I dunno, The Comics Journal. Would Parish make a good Gary Groth? Hm.
Oh man, Donkey Kong ’94.. definitely in my top ten. Helps that it’s the first game I ever bought. I played it through on my SGB a couple of years ago, it still felt fresh and delicious.
Agreed. I’ll be playing this one over the weekend as well, for to put a review on my blog early next week. I played a little bit of my old save file to tease myself, and it amazes me how bursting with creativity the game is. The inclusion of Donkey Kong Jr. was a cool touch, too, especially when he and his dad team up against you in the later levels…
Ha, you totally mentioned 1up Presents on here before, even responded to a comment I made about it.
Also, yeah, Donkey Kong ’94 is so awesome. I worked my but off as a kid doing chores around the house for weeks so I could get that game.
Great year for Donkey Kong in general by the way, because Country came later, and while it’s not as great as DK’94, I still love it.
Yeah, do that. Donkey Kong ’94 is the finest Game Boy game ever made.
I like that you guys aren’t sure if I mentioned it, either. I guess we could look in the archives, but, eh. Effort.
I think you mentioned it. It’s not being advertised on the site too much.
Got my copy a week or so ago. It is of exceedingly high quality in both writing and design. I’m completely on board for the next one in a couple months, too. I consider the higher price point to be a fair tradeoff for not having to put up with generally terrible videogame magazine ads, as well as supporting writers and the kind of content that I’m looking for from videogame writing/criticism.
It also had less spelling errors than the average issue of modern day GamePro, a mag I admittedly love. While I’m off on that tangent, it’s kind of eerie how much GamePro’s staff roster is slowly becoming a grab bag of ex-1UP and 1UP freelancers. Eerie in a good way, I mean.
Aw, dang. Sorry to spoil Bioshock 2 for you, Parish!