Zzap! Editorials 1994
Zzap! Editorials 1994
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There are, to be condescending and tell you what you already know, many ways of looking at things. For example, I don't own a car, and suffer from lack of real mobility. On the other hand, hooray - I don't have a car, don't have to pay for insurance, petrol, maintenance... and I can sucker friends into driving me around with minimal hassle. Disadvantage? Ha! No way! Okay, I'll get to the point - COMMODORE FORCE now costs £3.50 per issue. But look at it another way - wow, COMMODORE FORCE only costs £3.50 an issue! On this month's Reel Action is one of the biggest and best C64 titles ever. Impossible Mission 2 scored an astonishing 96% in its ZZAP! review, and it's not the only title on RA this month. When you consider C64 budget software sets you back £3.99 - and that's for just one game - is £3.50 too much to ask for, when for that sum you receive top-quality games and the world's biggest C64 magazine? Basically, C64 software is becoming increasingly difficult to find, so we - being the caring, clued-up types we are - reckon you want games, and we're fully prepared to provide them. But only the best, mind. After discussing the difficulties and costs involved in licensing such prestigious titles every month, we felt a price increase would - as long you penny-pinching lot out there accepted the logic of it, something we believed you would - facilitate the existence of a better deal for everyone. Quality titles are expensive - it's not as if we're increasing the price for the sake of it. You want the best deal available and, hand on heart, we want to provide it. While I'm on the subject, you'll also notice there's only one tape this month - let's face it, you'd be pretty stupid if you haven't. Well, to make things clear, we've abandoned the idea of cover-mounting two medium-sized cassettes in favour of one ultra-large spectacular. If you want the software and the best, most relevant and up-to-date C64 coverage, there's only one magazine to buy. That's COMMODORE FORCE, that is... Yours, James Price, Editor WHO'S DOING WHAT? THE GANG AND THEIR GOINGS ON JAMES PRICE MILES GUTTERY ROB MILLICHAMP IAN OSBORNE |
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Well, Christmas has come and gone - I expect I'll spend the rest of this year trying to get rid of this hangover I've acquired... So what does 1993 have to offer for C64 users? Sadly, it doesn't look like much. Binary Zone PD in their various guises are practically the only company interested in developing new software, while previously loyal publishers such as Alternative and Zeppelin turn their backs on the '64 because it's no longer the lucrative platform it once was. Still, at least we're in action - this month's superb Reel Action cassette is possibly the best yet, with the amazing Bionic Commando, the astounding LED Storm... we've even got Trantor, developed by the programmers of Mortal Combat. Could all you C64 owners ask for more? Hardly. Still, even though it's infuriating to walk into a shop and not find any C64 games - even when it's a kebab house, depending on how drunk you are - there are many bargains to be had. Check out the ad's in this month's issue - mail-order companies are offering classic titles for surprisingly low prices. Why worry about a lack of new games when there are literally thousands of others to be found? Yours, James Price, Editor WHO'S DOING WHAT? THE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR IN JOKES... JAMES PRICE MILES GUTTERY ROB MILLICHAMP IAN OSBORNE |
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EDITORIAL Times are hard for C64 gameheads. With a mere handful of commercial releases planned, even fewer chain-stores and independent computer stockists who intend to sell them, it's not hard to see why many 8-bit Commodore users are looking to other systems to provide the entertainment they crave. After all, who isn't impressed by new technology, better systems and the vast amount of software available for the 16-bits? Of course, COMMODORE FORCE will still be around for a fair while yet, but the decline - even death - of the C64 software market presents us with a dilemma. With so many '64 users and CF readers remaining loyal, we're not planning to shut shop, but it's difficult to fill the pages these days. We reckon we've rounded-up every game genre, discussed nearly every game... without rounding-up the round-ups, I can't see how we can take software features any further! Still, if that's what you want, we'll be willing to try - or would you be interested in a more programming-orientated approach, with utilities on Reel Action (as well as the games) and more pages on coding, game design and Public Domain? Let's be honest. We're trying to sell COMMODORE FORCE to you because: 1) It's our Job Simple, isn't it? Problem is, if we're not writing the type of magazine you want, you're not going to buy it and we won't get your cash. Subsequently, we won't have a laugh doing it, because we won't have done our job properly and we'll be out of work. The solution? Help us to help you to help ourselves! WRITE IN! Tell us what you want and we'll provide it! We hope tha... hang on, a guy on the radio's just said the Queen's fallen off her horse and broke a bone in her hand or something. Oh no! That's terrible! I can't write an editorial column while there's a national crisis on! In fact, anyone wanting to send a 'get well' donation to the Queen can do so to this address: Buckingham Palace, C/O Commodore Force, Ludlow, Shropshire. I'm sure we'll... ahem, she'll appreciate your gesture. Especially if it's lots of cash, and remember to make all cheques payable to 'James Price', ironically the name of the Queen's new Ludlow-based Barclays account. 'Till next month, then... Yours, James Price |
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The End!! Unfortuntly, that was the last editorial from the last ever issue of Commodore Force, which was kind of ironic considering many of the comments in the above editorial, e.g. "Of course, COMMODORE FORCE will still be around for a fair while yet,". I actually answered James' request for a letter and detailed how I'd like to see more public domain stuff and programming articles etc. |
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