The Pixel Nation is Formed....

Lorfarius · 23 March 2012, 18:32

As a few of you are I'm sure are aware I recently worked on a magazine for NES-Bit, a small community based project which I think met with great success. During the later stages of this magazine I got to chatting to a few other forumites and started working on something completely new, a retro publication called Pixel Nation.

After 5 months of hard work, determination, professional designs and gallons of coffee I'm now proud to announce that the first issue and website is finally complete:

http://pixel-nation.co.uk/

We are launching with a regular quarterly book with Issue 1 consisting of 100 full colour printed glossy pages, packed with articles/exclusive interviews, in handy A5 book size. Perfect for train journeys! We also have a PDF version as well for all those who prefer to read it on tablets, PC's etc. It's packed full of content, including the following:

Can video games be considered art? - We talk to Jose Emroca Flores (responsible for our cover), Dutch artist Metin Sevin from Seventh Heaven as we attempt to answer the question “Can video games truly be considered as art?“
2D Platform Revival - An in-depth look at the classic 2D Platform genre, how it faded away, and its current resurgence on modern platforms.
Design Classic: NiGHTS into Dreams - Huge feature on the beautiful Sega title Nights into Dreams. This is a “Design Classic” concept, where we outline in detail a particular game, and what makes it a design classic as well as its history.
Retro Icon: Outrun - Yes, we obviously love Sega, but really, all the cool kids do! A huge in-depth feature, and our regular “Retro Icon“ concept, going into mega detail about the original Outrun Coin-Op and what makes it unquestionably a Retro Icon.
Bob Wakelin Interview - We interview super influential 80’s British video game artist Bob Wakelin, and take a look at some of his favourite pieces of game art.
Retro Collect guide to Floppy Discs, the Gaming Black Market and the Far East - Yeah, we’re going there! The awesome and very knowledgeable Adam of RetroCollect joins the Pixel Nation, and gives you a wonderfully entertaining look at the various copying devices and black market shadiness from the world of retro games.
Confessions of a Girl Gamer - But I thought this was a geeky boys club? No! Geeky girls play too! An excellent and thought provoking look at some of video games most iconic female characters, as written from the perspective of an actual real life girl gamer!
Zelda Cartoon Feature - “Well, excuse me Princess!” We interview the two voice actors from the 1980’s Zelda cartoon, to get an insiders perspective on the show.
Spotlight: Koji Kando - A look at some of the awesome output from the Japanese video game music composer who has composed some of the most iconic game music of all time.
Amiga 1200 Look Back - Who doesn’t go weak at the knee’s for Commodores super beast of an Amiga? This is a richly detailed look at the history behind the system and how it came to be.
Shadow of the Beast Interview - Another exclusive interview, as we talk to the man behind the Amiga classic Shadow of the Beast, Martin Edmondson, in the first of a two part special speaking to the people behind the games.

Also:

· Tomb Raider 2 – A Saturn vs. PlayStation Story
· The Rise & Fall of Arcades
· The Year in Games - 1985

And many, many more!

We basically went all out to get some great stuff and I'm very proud of the Legend of Zelda cartoon interview! The printed version includes the PDF for those who simply can't wait for it to arrive! There's a few pics towards the end of the post so let me know what you think!

U-Publish

In creating NES-Bit magazine I was always wandering around the web, trying to see what other fan based communities were trying to come up. One thing I noticed is the huge number of fanzine type books/mags that were available yet most of the time are hardly seen by many. So with this in mind I came up with the idea of why not have a central place where everyone can visit to discover retro publications that you might have missed. I managed to add a few books to the library so far in Pixellation Issue 1 and Hidden Treasures but I'm really hoping this will expand over time. It's on the site so please have a look at the few we have to offer.

The whole goal of Pixel Nation is to create a dedicated retro community that can actually share stuff with everyone, get things published without spending thousands (something I found the case to be with NES-Bit Magazine System). I'm very, very excited about all this as I'm sure you can imagine and I'm looking for as much support as I can muster, so please visit the site! There's also a store packed with retro goodies so I'm hoping its enough to entice you all.

prowler · 23 March 2012, 23:40

GREAT work, Lorfarius!

Thanks for the heads-up.

I'll definitely be ordering a printed copy of the first issue.

Will you be accepting subscriptions?

Lorfarius · 23 March 2012, 23:45

Its something we are considering

The issues are selling really quickly so I'd grab one while you can.

Greyfox · 23 March 2012, 23:46

He didn't make this

his company did, out sourced designers over at pixel nation, he been posting this all over other forums to generate awareness as he is part of the pixel nation brand and company partner , Something he should be mentioning before promoting , this is a money based venture, its nothing to do with expanding any communities .

Just setting the facts here is all.

Lorfarius · 23 March 2012, 23:53

The company consists of me, another chap and 1 designer (a chap called Dave who currently works in Comet) using a couple of forumites to help with writing and yes I'm trying to drum up as much interest as I can, we've spent 5 solid months of hard work trying to get this going

Not every day something like this comes along is it? Apologies everyone if this is out of line, but I think it's worth shouting about

I only became involved with this because of my huge love of retro gaming and felt I had something to offer, as with the rest of the folks behind the first issue. The forums very own RetroSofer put a lot of hard work into the Amiga 1200 piece, so much we had to split it into two parts, its a great read too!

We've also got several people perfectly happy with the U-Publish side of things and I'm hoping to build it into something really special. Only time will tell but I think we have the best start possible right here

Greyfox · 23 March 2012, 23:55

Debatable

prowler · 24 March 2012, 00:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorfarius

The issues are selling really quickly so I'd grab one while you can.

Just tried, but I got the message "No shipping options are available" when I got to the checkout.

I have just scratched the account I had created.

Lorfarius · 24 March 2012, 00:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Just tried, but I got the message "No shipping options are available" when I got to the checkout.

I have just scratched the account I had created.

That's an easy one

Make sure you have your address selected in the list. If not click the "I want to use a new address" bit and then use that. Should sort it

prowler · 24 March 2012, 00:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorfarius

That's an easy one

Make sure you have your address selected in the list.

It was selected.

Lorfarius · 24 March 2012, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

It was selected.

Weird

drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do

Mnemesi · 24 March 2012, 01:46

Smexy mag is smexy.

prowler · 24 March 2012, 02:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorfarius

Weird

drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do

No need for that, mate. I went through the loop again and suceeded this time!

Edit: Downloading the PDF copy now...

fishyfish · 24 March 2012, 02:56

Cool stuff, but this part was very funny......

"......as written from the perspective of an actual real life girl gamer!".

LOL,... "a real life girl gamer!",.... as though such a thing was thought to be myths or something, or the equivalent of Ghandi? I loved the use of an exclamation point

Lonewolf10 · 24 March 2012, 03:21

It looks amazing. I'll be ordering mine tomorrow (I would do it tonight, but I'm very sleepy).

Regards,
Lonewolf10

Lorfarius · 24 March 2012, 05:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishyfish

Cool stuff, but this part was very funny......

"......as written from the perspective of an actual real life girl gamer!".

LOL,... "a real life girl gamer!",.... as though such a thing was thought to be myths or something, or the equivalent of Ghandi? I loved the use of an exclamation point

You wouldn't believe the amount of thought that went into that bit of text, difficult if you don't want to alienate the other half

Glad you got it sorted Prowler.

fishyfish · 24 March 2012, 10:02

Hehe, it's all good. Im probably just amused by strange things, and it was pretty standard to exclaim pretty much everything on the front of video game magaines from the era your magazine focuses on.

Seriously though, good stuff. It looks to be right up my alley

Lorfarius · 24 March 2012, 12:53

The writer found it just as funny, we triple checked

wilshy · 25 March 2012, 20:02

Cracking work, as I said over on Retro Asylum

Will be ordering one soon.

Quote:

this is a money based venture, its nothing to do with expanding any communities

Shouldn't think there's a massive amount of money in a niche subject print magazine published by an independent group of people, so that's a ridiculous statement to make.

prowler · 27 March 2012, 22:38

Received my printed copy this morning! So quick. Thankyou very much!

No regrets - I'm not really much of a gamer (retro or otherwise), but I found all the articles interesting.

The A5 format is neat, and it's nice to get a free PDF copy as well.

Please let us know when the next issue is out!

lesta_smsc · 28 March 2012, 02:15

Quality magazine, reminds me of when I used to get the Amiga ones ... ah the memories. Keep up the good work!

23 March 2012, 18:32	#1
Lorfarius Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glossop/UK Posts: 532	Pixel Nation issue 2 has arrived As a few of you are I'm sure are aware I recently worked on a magazine for NES-Bit, a small community based project which I think met with great success. During the later stages of this magazine I got to chatting to a few other forumites and started working on something completely new, a retro publication called Pixel Nation. After 5 months of hard work, determination, professional designs and gallons of coffee I'm now proud to announce that the first issue and website is finally complete: http://pixel-nation.co.uk/ We are launching with a regular quarterly book with Issue 1 consisting of 100 full colour printed glossy pages, packed with articles/exclusive interviews, in handy A5 book size. Perfect for train journeys! We also have a PDF version as well for all those who prefer to read it on tablets, PC's etc. It's packed full of content, including the following: Can video games be considered art? - We talk to Jose Emroca Flores (responsible for our cover), Dutch artist Metin Sevin from Seventh Heaven as we attempt to answer the question “Can video games truly be considered as art?“ 2D Platform Revival - An in-depth look at the classic 2D Platform genre, how it faded away, and its current resurgence on modern platforms. Design Classic: NiGHTS into Dreams - Huge feature on the beautiful Sega title Nights into Dreams. This is a “Design Classic” concept, where we outline in detail a particular game, and what makes it a design classic as well as its history. Retro Icon: Outrun - Yes, we obviously love Sega, but really, all the cool kids do! A huge in-depth feature, and our regular “Retro Icon“ concept, going into mega detail about the original Outrun Coin-Op and what makes it unquestionably a Retro Icon. Bob Wakelin Interview - We interview super influential 80’s British video game artist Bob Wakelin, and take a look at some of his favourite pieces of game art. Retro Collect guide to Floppy Discs, the Gaming Black Market and the Far East - Yeah, we’re going there! The awesome and very knowledgeable Adam of RetroCollect joins the Pixel Nation, and gives you a wonderfully entertaining look at the various copying devices and black market shadiness from the world of retro games. Confessions of a Girl Gamer - But I thought this was a geeky boys club? No! Geeky girls play too! An excellent and thought provoking look at some of video games most iconic female characters, as written from the perspective of an actual real life girl gamer! Zelda Cartoon Feature - “Well, excuse me Princess!” We interview the two voice actors from the 1980’s Zelda cartoon, to get an insiders perspective on the show. Spotlight: Koji Kando - A look at some of the awesome output from the Japanese video game music composer who has composed some of the most iconic game music of all time. Amiga 1200 Look Back - Who doesn’t go weak at the knee’s for Commodores super beast of an Amiga? This is a richly detailed look at the history behind the system and how it came to be. Shadow of the Beast Interview - Another exclusive interview, as we talk to the man behind the Amiga classic Shadow of the Beast, Martin Edmondson, in the first of a two part special speaking to the people behind the games. Also: · Tomb Raider 2 – A Saturn vs. PlayStation Story · The Rise & Fall of Arcades · The Year in Games - 1985 And many, many more! We basically went all out to get some great stuff and I'm very proud of the Legend of Zelda cartoon interview! The printed version includes the PDF for those who simply can't wait for it to arrive! There's a few pics towards the end of the post so let me know what you think! U-Publish In creating NES-Bit magazine I was always wandering around the web, trying to see what other fan based communities were trying to come up. One thing I noticed is the huge number of fanzine type books/mags that were available yet most of the time are hardly seen by many. So with this in mind I came up with the idea of why not have a central place where everyone can visit to discover retro publications that you might have missed. I managed to add a few books to the library so far in Pixellation Issue 1 and Hidden Treasures but I'm really hoping this will expand over time. It's on the site so please have a look at the few we have to offer. The whole goal of Pixel Nation is to create a dedicated retro community that can actually share stuff with everyone, get things published without spending thousands (something I found the case to be with NES-Bit Magazine System). I'm very, very excited about all this as I'm sure you can imagine and I'm looking for as much support as I can muster, so please visit the site! There's also a store packed with retro goodies so I'm hoping its enough to entice you all. Last edited by Lorfarius; 08 July 2012 at 20:38.

23 March 2012, 23:53	#5
Lorfarius Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glossop/UK Posts: 532	The company consists of me, another chap and 1 designer (a chap called Dave who currently works in Comet) using a couple of forumites to help with writing and yes I'm trying to drum up as much interest as I can, we've spent 5 solid months of hard work trying to get this going Not every day something like this comes along is it? Apologies everyone if this is out of line, but I think it's worth shouting about I only became involved with this because of my huge love of retro gaming and felt I had something to offer, as with the rest of the folks behind the first issue. The forums very own RetroSofer put a lot of hard work into the Amiga 1200 piece, so much we had to split it into two parts, its a great read too! We've also got several people perfectly happy with the U-Publish side of things and I'm hoping to build it into something really special. Only time will tell but I think we have the best start possible right here Last edited by Lorfarius; 24 March 2012 at 00:12.

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23 March 2012, 23:40	#2
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	GREAT work, Lorfarius! Thanks for the heads-up. I'll definitely be ordering a printed copy of the first issue. Will you be accepting subscriptions?

23 March 2012, 23:45	#3
Lorfarius Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glossop/UK Posts: 532	Its something we are considering The issues are selling really quickly so I'd grab one while you can.

23 March 2012, 23:46	#4
Greyfox Pixel Blender! Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Dublin, Ireland Age: 51 Posts: 267	He didn't make this his company did, out sourced designers over at pixel nation, he been posting this all over other forums to generate awareness as he is part of the pixel nation brand and company partner , Something he should be mentioning before promoting , this is a money based venture, its nothing to do with expanding any communities . Just setting the facts here is all.

23 March 2012, 23:55	#6
Greyfox Pixel Blender! Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Dublin, Ireland Age: 51 Posts: 267	Debatable

24 March 2012, 01:46	#11
Mnemesi Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North America Age: 55 Posts: 58	Smexy mag is smexy.

24 March 2012, 02:56	#13
fishyfish Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 475	Cool stuff, but this part was very funny...... "......as written from the perspective of an actual real life girl gamer!". LOL,... "a real life girl gamer!",.... as though such a thing was thought to be myths or something, or the equivalent of Ghandi? I loved the use of an exclamation point

24 March 2012, 03:21	#14
Lonewolf10 AMOS Extensions Developer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: near Cambridge, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,924	It looks amazing. I'll be ordering mine tomorrow (I would do it tonight, but I'm very sleepy). Regards, Lonewolf10

24 March 2012, 10:02	#16
fishyfish Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 475	Hehe, it's all good. Im probably just amused by strange things, and it was pretty standard to exclaim pretty much everything on the front of video game magaines from the era your magazine focuses on. Seriously though, good stuff. It looks to be right up my alley

24 March 2012, 12:53	#17
Lorfarius Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glossop/UK Posts: 532	The writer found it just as funny, we triple checked

27 March 2012, 22:38	#19
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	Received my printed copy this morning! So quick. Thankyou very much! No regrets - I'm not really much of a gamer (retro or otherwise), but I found all the articles interesting. The A5 format is neat, and it's nice to get a free PDF copy as well. Please let us know when the next issue is out!

28 March 2012, 02:15	#20
lesta_smsc Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 3,175	Quality magazine, reminds me of when I used to get the Amiga ones ... ah the memories. Keep up the good work!

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