134 replies to this topic

[tomrussell]

For several months now I've been working on the premiere edition of Russell's Quarterly, a magazine devoted to the art and appreciation of video games. While the magazine covers all areas of the art form, I think it is of special interest to members of the Game Maker community, as four of the five reviews at the end of the magazine are of Game Maker games.

The Game Maker games reviewed are: Hunter's Island, Fedora Spade, Death Worm, and Shush.

Also present in this first issue is a discussion of power-ups and a spotlight on the classic Nintendo platformer M. C. Kids.

But, like I said, the reason why I'm starting this thread are the reviews of Game Maker games. Future issues will also heavily lean towards Game Maker creations in the reviews section, and I am more than happy to do reviews by request.

Here are the download links:

Issue 1: M. C. Kids
Articles: Power-Ups, Purposeful and Arbitrary Difficulty
Reviews: Hunter's Island, Fedora Spade, Death Worm, NetHack, Shush
Download

Issue 2: The Problem with RPGs
Articles: Mimetic and Non-Mimetic Elements
Reviews: Wolf, Albero and the Great Blue Emblem, Shotgun Ninja
Download

Issue 3: "God" Games
Articles: Controls, My Wife Asked Me to Write This, DAVID SIRLIN'S Rethinking Story Games
Reviews: Immortal Defense, The Power, Viking Bazooka Bloodbath, Elements of Escape
Fiction: Paper Games by August Poole
Download

Issue 4: Boss Battles
Articles: High Concept, Common Narratives in Non-Narrative Games, Promoting Systemically Cohesive Variety
Reviews: Cactus Game Arcade, Lost in the Desert, agalaG
Fiction: Three Button Combo by Daphne Whitaker
Download

Issue 5: Super Mario Bros.
Articles: Chance vs. Skill, Sprite Substance, PAUL ERES'S Miyamoto's Framework
Reviews: Pinball Panda, Alternate Path
Special Comment: Gaming with One Hand by Peter Jurich
Download

BlackMage/NightmareLink is giving Tom and the Quarterly some webspace over at Dopterra.com: here.

And thanks most of all those who give me their feedback and comments. That's what's going to keep me doing this, however long I keep doing it.

(It would be a bit easier if I could find some other writers, hint-hint. ;-) )

Thanks, everybody! Enjoy!

Podcasts | Website | Elite Indie

Enjoy!

Edited by tomrussell, 15 January 2009 - 11:47 PM.

[JTR]

Awesome mag! Really interesting articles. Even a NetHack review! Quality stuff.
Thanks for the DW review, I liked it!

[pgg]

Amazing magazine. Simple design. Quality writing.
Can't believe there has been so little response to it here.

[King Killa]

I lol'ed when I read the part of your post that said "The Classic Nintendo Platformer Mc Kids".

Anyway, I'll download, and read soon, and edit this with my "review"!

EDIT: A good, simple layout, making it easy for the reader. Plenty of content - quality content at that - to keep the reader entertained. Good job.

Edited by King Killa, 17 February 2008 - 10:32 AM.

[Nailog]

That was certainly worth reading. You get extra points for interviewing the guys behind MC Kids.

Thank you for deciding to strike out on your own, not submitting articles to other "established magazines". You created a straight-to-the-point, professionally written document filled to the brim with useful information on game design. Information users here (myself included) should take to heart.

[tomrussell]

Awesome mag! Really interesting articles. Even a NetHack review! Quality stuff.
Thanks for the DW review, I liked it!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you enjoyed the magazine a tenth as much as I enjoyed Death Worm, I feel that I've done my job.

Amazing magazine.  Simple design.  Quality writing.
Can't believe there has been so little response to it here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you very much for the kind words. As for the responses, well, it's been downloaded by over a hundred people-- a first for me-- and I'd like to think that they're all still reading it. :-) After all, it is over seventy pages, and they're text-heavy pages at that.

Maybe I'll be getting more feedback after people have had enough time to process it. I dunno.

But I surely do appreciate all the love I've been getting in these comments from everyone.

I lol'ed when I read the part of your post that said "The Classic Nintendo Platformer Mc Kids".

Anyway, I'll download, and read soon, and edit this with my "review"!

EDIT: A good, simple layout, making it easy for the reader. Plenty of content - quality content at that - to keep the reader entertained. Good job.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you! I'm glad you were entertained. Persons elsewhere have said it's a bit too stuffy or scholarly-- which it very well may be, it's certainly a valid complaint-- but I'm very pleased to hear that you found it entertaining.

That was certainly worth reading.  You get extra points for interviewing the guys behind MC Kids.

Thank you for deciding to strike out on your own, not submitting articles to other "established magazines".  You created a straight-to-the-point, professionally written document filled to the brim with useful information on game design.  Information users here (myself included) should take to heart.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you very much! I'm going to use that quote over on my webpage, I think!

[RoboBOT]

I have to admit that at first I thought this was just another poorly executed attempt at a Game Maker magazine, but now I'm glad that I gave it a chance and actually downloaded it.

The first thing I noticed is that this magazine uses proper grammar, correct spelling, and appropriate writing style. THANK YOU (seriously).

Secondly, I found the content to be excellent. You obviously have a sophisticated understanding of game design, and your Power-ups article was extremely interesting and insightful.

My only recommendation is to shorten your articles a bit (maybe provide fewer in-depth examples). I was interested, but my attention starting waning after several pages of the same article.

I look forward to next quarter's issue!

[anonymouss]

Well, I figure I could basically rewrite what RoboBOT said, or I can just say that that is exactly what I was going to say.

However, Quarterly means every Quarter year. Is that really how un-often you plan on releasing it?

[King Killa]

I lol'ed when I read the part of your post that said "The Classic Nintendo Platformer Mc Kids".

Anyway, I'll download, and read soon, and edit this with my "review"!

EDIT: A good, simple layout, making it easy for the reader. Plenty of content - quality content at that - to keep the reader entertained. Good job.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you! I'm glad you were entertained. Persons elsewhere have said it's a bit too stuffy or scholarly-- which it very well may be, it's certainly a valid complaint-- but I'm very pleased to hear that you found it entertaining.

Maybe so. Or maybe those other people can't be bothered reading that much, in-depth information, so they look for an excuse

Can't wait to see the next issue - hopefully as informative and in-depth as this first issue.

[Wirodeu]

To be honest, I tried reading it, but I soon found myself skipping everything untill the parts with the screenshots, the layout seemed better there, and I read some bits of it.
How good the content might be, if its not possible to read it in a relaxed and easy way, then I'm not going to read, sorry.

So please work on the layout, re-release the same issue with the same content, but with a better layout.
Also spicing up your first post will earn you a whole lot of more views

[tomrussell]

I have to admit that at first I thought this was just another poorly executed attempt at a Game Maker magazine, but now I'm glad that I gave it a chance and actually downloaded it.

The first thing I noticed is that this magazine uses proper grammar, correct spelling, and appropriate writing style. THANK YOU (seriously).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're extremely welcome.

Secondly, I found the content to be excellent. You obviously have a sophisticated understanding of game design, and your Power-ups article was extremely interesting and insightful.

My only recommendation is to shorten your articles a bit (maybe provide fewer in-depth examples). I was interested, but my attention starting waning after several pages of the same article.

I look forward to next quarter's issue!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you, and you may be right about the article length. I sometimes strive to present too complete of a thought and I need to work on being slightly more concise.

Well, I figure I could basically rewrite what RoboBOT said, or I can just say that that is exactly what I was going to say.

However, Quarterly means every Quarter year. Is that really how un-often you plan on releasing it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm afraid so. With my weekly reviews and my own short fiction over at the usenet newsgroup rec.arts.comics.creative, filmmaking, my own game design and spending time with my adoring family, I don't have the time to make it a monthly or bimonthly at this time.

This also ensures that I have plenty of time to get an issue into shape and to ensure it's a quality publication. A monthly schedule, for example, might end up rushing things and the quality would suffer.

To be honest, I tried reading it, but I soon found myself skipping everything untill the parts with the screenshots, the layout seemed better there, and I read some bits of it.
How good the content might be, if its not possible to read it in a relaxed and easy way, then I'm not going to read, sorry.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry to hear that. I was going for more of a substance-over-style approach, and I know that might turn off some readers. Ah well.

==Tom

Edited by tomrussell, 17 February 2008 - 09:45 PM.

[Wirodeu]

My last post actually only contained my complaint, lets give a suggestion too.

Try not to focus all screenshots on one page, or a set of pages.
Spread them evenly, and that way you can keep the readers interested all along.

Also try to use a better to read font, it hurts my eyes ._.

[blobstah]

it wont open for me it says its corrupted or not supported...
EDIT: i just had to get the new version of adobe reader GREAT magazine nice design and great articles.

Edited by blobstah, 17 February 2008 - 10:20 PM.

[Kapser]

I didn't read all but it's a nice magazine, keep it up!

[anonymouss]

...Lots of stuf...

Well, I figure I could basically rewrite what RoboBOT said, or I can just say that that is exactly what I was going to say.

However, Quarterly means every Quarter year. Is that really how un-often you plan on releasing it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm afraid so. With my weekly reviews and my own short fiction over at the usenet newsgroup rec.arts.comics.creative, filmmaking, my own game design and spending time with my adoring family, I don't have the time to make it a monthly or bimonthly at this time.

This also ensures that I have plenty of time to get an issue into shape and to ensure it's a quality publication. A monthly schedule, for example, might end up rushing things and the quality would suffer.
...Lots of stuff...
==Tom

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, couldn't you just release it unscheduled? Like, whenever you feel the magazine is good enough, just send it out?
Or you could always make a website where you release your articles early

[Jeggi]

Very nice magazine indeed. It's really nice that you dig deep into a single subject. I'm not done reading yet, but I am already looking forward to the next issue, so I can read a bit about the problems with RPGs.

Oh.. Big thumbs up for the amount of time(Or just writing skills) you used on the language and grammar. It really adds to the reading pleasure.

- Jeggi

[Tepi]

I kind of fell into the same pit as wirodeu. pure black on white pages and pages on is not the most interesting thing you know. despite that, the writing is very professional , the content is very interesting and you have good points with what you're saying. keep it up!

[Andy]

Very nice mag you have here, keep up the nice work!

[tomrussell]

[Well, couldn't you just release it unscheduled? Like, whenever you feel the magazine is good enough, just send it out?
Or you could always make a website where you release your articles early

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I actually like using magazine style layouts-- the two columns of black Baskerville text on white with a few pictures. It makes it easier to read, to follow, and to find one's place again than a website or blog with one long continuous scroll.

I generally try to print things up if I'm going to read them, as being on the computer reading for too long hurts my eyes. This PDF approach should make it easier for others who want to follow suit, though I'd suggest that they skip printing up the two cover pages, as that might exhast their black ink supply.

I'm going to stay away from the white-text-on-blown-up-background picture technique I used for part of the M. C. Kids piece-- it didn't work out nearly as well as I thought it would and that, too, would be difficult to print.

But, as to the scheduling-- having a schedule, even a quarterly one, is more appealing and habit forming than releasing it unscheduled. An unscheduled magazine you might miss an issue if you're not looking for it, whereas with a scheduled one, you can look at the last issue and determine about when to expect its successor.

[rinkuhero]

You're a pretty good writer (even if I don't agree with everything you write), and it was an entertaining read, good work.

Nice review of Fedora Spade too -- one note is that the third episode (you reviewed the first two only there) does have a lot of red herrings and diversions, which you mention in the review. I agree with you also about the idea of having multiple ways to prove something with different pieces of evidence, but Hardi seems to think that'd be a lot of work or some such (it would multiply by several factors the amount of writing you need to make a game of similar play time) -- but my own Tomato Engine game (New Detail, which is still in production) is much more non-linear, and not about detectives, which I agree is kinda inherently linear.

If you still have room doing reviews on request, you could look at some of our other games (Immortal Defense, Alphasix, etc.) -- links in my signature.

Or, since you're doing RPGs, Sword of Jade, at http://studioeres.com/games/jade

Edited by rinkuhero, 22 February 2008 - 02:12 PM.