Last December I received what appeared to be bad news for Video Game Trader Magazine (a print publication for which I write). According to an e-mail from the owner of the magazine, the company is currently losing $2 on each magazine sold (not the best business plan). Out of necessity, the magazine is being restructured and streamlined.
I received this e-mail shortly after hearing that GameRoom Magazine just closed up shop. GameRoom Magazine has been around since 1989. In 1993, GameRoom merged with The Pinball Trader, and in 2005 it merged with RetroBlast! after being purchased by its owner. GameRoom Magazine has been a staple of the pinball and arcade scene for many years. Its closure reiterates that the once solid business model that served print magazines for a century is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
The good news is Video Game Trader Magazine is still around, and a few weeks ago I turned in my latest edition of Token Appreciation. In my Token Appreciation column, I talk about arcade games and their home console-based counterparts. The next one will cover both Tron and Discs of Tron, and touch on home Tron ports as well. I hope people enjoy reading it.
I get tired of people complaining about things “going away” that they don’t support. It’s like voting. You can’t complain about print magazines going away if you don’t subscribe to any. Video Game Trader Magazine offers yearly subscriptions for $25. Each issue comes with a price guide for collectors. They also sell a stand alone iPhone price guide application for $20 though iTunes.
Hopefully Video Game Trader Magazine is able to weather the storm and pull through. It’s a good magazine, run by good people. As digital as I am, in this case, I’m pulling for the paper guys.
But that won’t keep you from scanning each magazine in for posterity sake : )
please correct me if im wrong…
Game room magazine is about GAME ROOMS, you know the real arcade stuff the big boys toys..
Game trader is about used nintendo stuff and old atari carts, right?
Game room magazine is a sign of the times, there are less and less new machines each year, so it leaves little to publish on a monthly basis, I mean how many times do you want to read about someone elses home gameroom? Just cause someone has a Mspacman and a few marquees hanging on the wall doesnt really make them a unique collector. As long as Robo stays on the fence, and mentions the original arcade machine then i’ll allways enjoy his writings, but if like Walter Day he sells out to the console brigade I’ll be very disapointed……