Standard Issue Computing

Category: Magazines

  • PS2 in Print – December 1999

    Now that the PS2’s proper reveal at 1999’s Tokyo Game Show has come and gone, we’re in the print era’s wild west of hype, doubt, and misinformation about the console. It won’t be until magazines get their hands on the Japanese console in March (so April / May 2000 issues) that people’s expectations of the hardware will become reasonable. Let’s enjoy this chaotic, lost time period.

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  • PS2 in Print – November 1999

    As I continue to focus my attention on the PlayStation 2, I thought it would be fun to dig into some magazine coverage of the era. I decided to start in November 1999, which was when the console was formally revealed to the press and public at the Tokyo Game Show.

    I’m thinking this may be an ongoing feature, so I chose 5 magazines to track month over month: Next Gen, Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM), and GameFan. Why these particular magazines? Well, they were the ones I was reading at the time, and all provide unique perspectives.

    Without any further ado, let’s start with Next Gen.

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  • Highlights from the Premiere Issue of Macworld Magazine

    Thanks to the wonderful site Vintage Apple, I was able to check out a scan of the first issue of Macworld. It’s a fascinating magazine; part promotional tool, part behind the scenes, part user guide.

    Here are some of the highlights for me:

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  • Highlights from PC Gamer issue 2

    The cover feature is a wargame blowout, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of D-Day. This is from a time when “tank sim” was a genre that could end up on the cover of a mainstream gaming magazine. None of that really interests me, but there is still plenty to love in this issue (specifically the CD-ROM drive feature).

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  • Highlights from the First Issue of PC Gamer

    I love PC Gamer. I remember the excitement of getting a new issue with a CD-ROM to explore, trying to understand the tech articles, and being exposed to the incredible variety of games on PC. I still have a print subscription (and it’s still well-worth the cost, even without the CD-ROM).

    Thanks to Retromags, I was able to flip through the premiere issue (May/June 1994). I captured some highlights, which I will let speak for themselves.

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