Gauging Interest: Gameroom Junkies Magazine???

nocashvalue

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I had just renewed my subscription to Gameroom Magazine and received one issue before I heard that they were ceasing publication. Talk about bummed. I really enjoyed getting a physical copy of a magazine of a hobby I loved. I felt a void, which is why I did what I could and have tried to carry on the tradition of Gameroom Magazine by showcasing other collector's gamerooms on www.gameroomjunkies.com . I also host a podcast of the same name to talk about collecting vids and pins and talk to other collectors to hear their stories as well.

Obviously Gameroom Magazine folded for a reason. Maybe there wasn't a large enough audience; maybe there was too much overhead; maybe shipping costs got too high. I don't know the full situation, so if someone wants to chime in, feel free. However, that being said, I know that plenty of us were sad to lose out, and however small, that audience has nowhere else to go.

So here's my question: Would you be interested in a Gameroom Junkies Magazine?

Honestly, the content would be pretty similar to what GM did - and what GJ currently does: gameroom news, current events, gameroom showcases, etc. The only other hobby magazine out on the market is PinGame Journal, and that doesn't cater to the arcade hobbyist at all and is flakey on distribution (sorry Jim).

I have devoted some thought and research into this, but haven't actually proceeded with this hair-brained scheme yet as I want to know what others think. Would you be interested? What sort of things would you like to see? How often? Do you even think a printed version is a way to go, or should this be a digital thing?

The internet is awesome, and has some amazing resources at the ready, and if that's what the market demands, then that's fine and I'll continue doing what we're already doing which is publishing great content on the blog, but if there are enough folks who want a true hobby magazine, then perhaps Gameroom Junkies can fill the void.


Thoughts?

To get an idea what we're about, check out our most recent gameroom showcases of KLOV's own

BarrysFarm: http://bit.ly/jm3yyu

NutballChamp: http://bit.ly/iHjMFt

We also do the facebook http://www.facebook.com/GameroomJunkies and tweet the twitters: www.twitter.com/gameroomjunkies if you're into that sort of thing.
 
I would absolutely subscribe.

To be honest, I don't think it would work. I don't think the money is there to publish a print version, and I don't think there would be enough interest to sustain an online version.
Sorry to be a downer on it, I would love to see something like this come out and have it succeed.
If GameRoom folded due to, say, bad management, that would be one thing, but I think it's a greater message on the overall decline of print media.
 
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I would love to subscribe to a magazine dedicated to this hobby. I really need to shore up some details and submit my gameroom to you guys.
 
Thanks for the reply. Definitely not a downer. Believe me, I'm a total realist, but I just want explore all avenues. What about these thoughts?

- Not subscription based? Just a per-issue thing?
- Online subscription to downloadable PDF?
- Never said it had to be monthly. Pingame Journal, for example, promises 8 issues for your subscription, but never sets a schedule for those issues, so it may take 1.5 years for those 8 issues.

Keep the input coming!
 
Don't forget about Retro Gamer magazine. They have multiple articles each month featuring classic arcade games, and even more info if you bother reading into the console games that are arcade conversions or were designed by guys who also did arcade games.


I would love a physical magazine, and I would be willing to pre-pay up to $10 an issue. I know this breaks from US magazine tradition, but if it keeps Viagra adds out of the magazine it is a fair trade in my opinion...


I have considered doing this myself, but I feel that I can contribute to the community more by doing repair work. However, I would be willing to assist by being a tech editor and submitting articles for the magazine.

There are multiple arcades in the Seattle area, all operating differently, and I could write an article on each fairly easily. I have ideas for about 25 articles in all, everything from basic troubleshooting (how to use a multimeter, safely transporting a game), to fluff pieces about local clubs and even a review of the Seattle Pinball and Gameroom show.

I even know of some advertisers if you are interested...
 
I whould definaltly get a home subscription, I truly miss Gameroom magazine and always looked forward to every issue that arrived in my mailbox. My favorite part of the magazine was the Gameroom submissions and enjoyed the stories that went with it. My only disappointment was the magazine was getting thinner and next thing I know it's gone. I still look at my old subscriptions because there's nothing else like it anymore, make it happen and I'll be on your list of future subscribers.
 
id subscrie. I miss gameroom mag.

Honestly, i think there may have been some ram controls nonpayment that killed the mag, the last mag has all that ram controls krap in it right? mabye he was depending on it and never got paid. If thats the case, theres another reason to hate ram.
 
I have dealt a bit with magazine publishing and here is my thoughts as to what killed it:

Too small of an audience - He called this gameroom magazine, but there were issues where the pinball guys feld he ignored them. There have been many posts over on RGP over the last five years or so talking about not renewing subscriptions and/or badmouthing the magazine in general. These things led to fewer subscriptions which leads to fewer advertising dollars.

Over payment for content - Kevin made claims that he paid very well for published articles. I never submitted an article to him, so I can't be certain, but these kind of specialty mags usually pay a small amount of cash along with giving a special swag bag to contributors. If Kevin was paying rates akin to what the big magazines paid that would have kept profits low and possibly created a hole that he couldn't climb out of.

Lack of Research - Shortly before going under GRM released all back issues on a CD. The problem with the CD is it cost way more money than the market would bare. I don't know how much was invested in this, but in my experience many publishers push this kind of remedy for failing magazines but it rarely benefits the magazine. The publishers do see short term profits but they are just bleeding the magazine for all it is worth before it loses all profitability.

Of course, you can't ignore the failing economy, as well as the ever evolving audience. For instance, over my five years here I have seen a huge turn over of contributors to this site. In fact, I'd say less than 10% of those who contributed regularly in 2006 still post. With a few notable exceptions many of the guys who have been here for that long have stopped trying to help with tech questions and now stick mainly to the social areas of the forums. This time frame has seen many new members but the general willingness to spend money has decreased rapidly as well. If they aren't willingto buy parts to fix their machines, they are not likely willing to spend money on a magazine.
 
I for one would subscribe to a reasonably priced ($5-6/issue) physical mag. I only have 4 back issues of GR, but I re-read them all the time.
 
Three words: print is dead

Two more words: Niche market.

Otherwise, good luck. If you can make it work, it could be cool. Not trying to be negative, just dropping my honest 2 cents.
 
As being new to the hobby, and I'm nowhere near as fluent or deep into it as most. I would still subscribe to a mag like this.

First and foremost, I never knew about these type of mags. Word of mouth? Distributing? I don't know but just from being an arcade junkie from way back when, I would of picked up a mag just for that. But never knew about such magazines mentioned here.

Second, like I said before, I'm new to this hobby. Bought my first PCB in May of 07'. So before then I had no idea about anything of anything in the hobby. Mags would of been a great tool to help push people into the hobby or more deeper into the hobby.

If I had walked into somewhere where the magazines posted earlier were properly distributed. I would have picked one up and would have gotten into the hobby a lot sooner than I did.

With magazines like these what can they offer? Not only is there so much nostalgia in magazines like this, but great stories, and maybe a few how too's. Tips, guides, price guides, arcade stores or tips where to get cabs etc. Maybe even a few wanted/sell ads.

I think I will have to pick up a few back copies from somewhere since I missed out.
Anyone remember joystick mags from the 80's?
 
I would subscribe, so where do I pay? Anyway, a PDF-Mobile device version would be great if you did not want to go with a print version. I subscribe to a magazine and they offer a "tiered pricing" plan where you pay considerably less to get just the magazine in digital form and access to all their podcasts/forums. Either way, it won't be easy, but you won't be without supporters...Good Luck!!
 
With magazines like these what can they offer? Not only is there so much nostalgia in magazines like this, but great stories, and maybe a few how too's. Tips, guides, price guides, arcade stores or tips where to get cabs etc. Maybe even a few wanted/sell ads.

Especially the how-to section. Reading the websites is great, but having it in front of you physically would be great.
 
Three words: print is dead

Two more words: Niche market.

Otherwise, good luck. If you can make it work, it could be cool. Not trying to be negative, just dropping my honest 2 cents.


Print is not dead, but the quickest way to kill a printed magazine is to offer it in non-printed form as well. Most advertisers run away from mags produced both in print and electronic formats. You must choose one if you want the magazine to survive.


US consumers seem to be confused about magazines and how they make money. Subscriptions do not pay for magazines directly. Do you really think Hot Rod magazine can survive by selling issues shiped to your door at $1 to $1.50 a piece? Subscriptions provide leverage to the magazine publisher when making advertising deals or setting advertising costs. Advertisers have much more confidence in a magazine with 1000 fully paid subscriptions than a magazine that will be distributed to 3000 shelves and the price they pay for advertising reflects this confidence.


There are many different examples out there of niche market magazines. Frankly, this market is not big enough for a mainstream mag like Hot Rod or Rolling Stones. So following those examples is not a good idea.

Completely online magazines, like AutoSpeed out of Australia, are great as well, but they require constant upkeep to be viable. When I subscribed the had seven to ten new articles each week, something I don't think our hobby could do. Also, this magazine would have never survived in the US due to the letigious nature of US consumers. Many of their DIY articles are downright insane to try and copy. (My favorite was the guy who burned his house down while experimenting with Prius batteries.)

Advertisement free magazines such as Auto Restorer can be good, but they have their downside as well. For one, they have to go with cheap paper and often times black and white only. I don't think our community will accept cheap paper (the pinheads certainly will not) and I am certain that black and white photos will kill any cosmetic articles (glossy car paint jobs show much better in black and white than matte cabinet paint jobs).

I think following the example of the Pingame Journal is the best course of action. You will have to find your own set of advertisers, at least until you prove the viability of the magazine. Please make new magazine release dates consistent, I don't care if there are 6, 10, or 12 issues a year, as long as they are consistently released. The magazine needs to reflect multiple hobbies, not just arcade video games, and should be balanced based off of the interests of your subscribers. For instance, if 30% of your subscribers are pinball only guys then approximately 30% of your articles should be pinball related.

Please don't allow any column to run on too long. I didn't mind the monthy reviews of arcade related products that were near the front of every issue of GRM, but limit it to a couple of pages a month. Sometimes it felt more like I was looking through a ThinkGeek catalog than a consumer magazine...
 
I for one love the idea, I as most others miss GRM. I enjoyed the arcade articles of the obscure ones you dont see that much, and also the how to section is always a plus more in depth is always great...Anyways Id be down for it, good luck.
 
I had just renewed my subscription to Gameroom Magazine and received one issue before I heard that they were ceasing publication. Talk about bummed. I really enjoyed getting a physical copy of a magazine of a hobby I loved. I felt a void, which is why I did what I could and have tried to carry on the tradition of Gameroom Magazine by showcasing other collector's gamerooms on www.gameroomjunkies.com . I also host a podcast of the same name to talk about collecting vids and pins and talk to other collectors to hear their stories as well.

Obviously Gameroom Magazine folded for a reason. Maybe there wasn't a large enough audience; maybe there was too much overhead; maybe shipping costs got too high. I don't know the full situation, so if someone wants to chime in, feel free. However, that being said, I know that plenty of us were sad to lose out, and however small, that audience has nowhere else to go.

So here's my question: Would you be interested in a Gameroom Junkies Magazine?

Honestly, the content would be pretty similar to what GM did - and what GJ currently does: gameroom news, current events, gameroom showcases, etc. The only other hobby magazine out on the market is PinGame Journal, and that doesn't cater to the arcade hobbyist at all and is flakey on distribution (sorry Jim).

I have devoted some thought and research into this, but haven't actually proceeded with this hair-brained scheme yet as I want to know what others think. Would you be interested? What sort of things would you like to see? How often? Do you even think a printed version is a way to go, or should this be a digital thing?

The internet is awesome, and has some amazing resources at the ready, and if that's what the market demands, then that's fine and I'll continue doing what we're already doing which is publishing great content on the blog, but if there are enough folks who want a true hobby magazine, then perhaps Gameroom Junkies can fill the void.


Thoughts?

To get an idea what we're about, check out our most recent gameroom showcases of KLOV's own

BarrysFarm: http://bit.ly/jm3yyu

NutballChamp: http://bit.ly/iHjMFt

We also do the facebook http://www.facebook.com/GameroomJunkies and tweet the twitters: www.twitter.com/gameroomjunkies if you're into that sort of thing.

<personal rant>: URL shorteners are evil unless absolutely necessary. They make your URLs more brittle and make your stuff harder to find if anything goes wrong (like, oh, the URL shortener service going out of buisiness). They are fine for something like Twitter where shortness of the URL is required by the medium, but there's no unreasonable length limits here, just paste in the full URL, please?<end personal rant>

Now, as to a magazine: I think your best bet would be use POD. The problem that print publications have is that they have to order a bunch of magazines in order to fulfill subscriptions, and have a few left over. That's a big chunk of change right up front, and having all that money tied up in a pallet load of paper in your garage is damned annoying. Furthermore, if you take subscriptions, and then the price of materials or shipping goes nuts on you, you can end up on the hook for the extra money.

I'm going to suggest going through a POD publisher like Lulu, at least at first (and perhaps for all your back issues). The idea is that you'd lay out the magazine, upload to them, and then people just order from Lulu. You're out of the fulfillment and printing business. If I read this correctly, If you stick to black & white printing, perfect-bound, you can actually get something digest sized for < $4 a copy (I assume that's the base cost).

If you want color printing it's a lot more (like $18-19-20), but if you're only doing 1 or two a year, that might pass muster.

If you don't want to go POD for production, then I suggest this: Use a normal printer for your subscribers (get perhaps 25 or so copies beyond what you have PAID subscriptions for). Then us a POD service to allow the back issues to be printed on demand. That way your back issues (while expensive) are always available, but you get the benefit of real printing for your subscribers.

Another approach would be an e-book type magazine, published as a PDF, but I'm not clear that such a thing is worth the trouble.
 
Thanks for everyone's responses and honesty.

The thing about this for me is that I'm not in it to make money. I recognize that profit margins on something like this are slim. I don't know if the publisher of GR magazine ran that as a full-time job, but if so, I can certainly see it not being able to support an entire family. However, I already have a great job and anything more than operational costs would be icing on a cake.

I already do what I do as a labor of love. I have a passion for this hobby. If you look back at my old blog (www.nocashvalue.info) along with the current GJ website and podcast, you'd see that I would produce this kind of content anyway, for free. I just feel like a portion of GRMag's 1800 subscribers miss a physical copy of a magazine, as do I.

I found a print company that can do full color print runs for a reasonable amount. The price of an issue should cover printing and shipping with advertising covering any overhead (hookers and booze). I think there's a lot of people out there who want a project like this to happen, just none with the time, energy, or skill to devote their efforts to do a project like this themselves.

Again, this is just a "testing the waters" post, and to see if there'd be any support. This may never happen. But then again...
 
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