RETRO MAG AXES CGEUK STAND AS PUBLISHER TIGHTENS BELT
Despite the magazine's no show on Saturday, Retro Gamer has not withdrawn its support completely.
"Our deal with Chris
[Millard] was the same as last year; to preview the show editorially in the
three issues of RG running up to the event, carry full page ads in the same
issues, and then report from the show after the event," added the source.
Millard told the Lair: "Retro Gamer are not coming to the show this year.
They have not said that they are withdrawing support for CGEUK.
"I am obviously disappointed that Retro Gamer can't make it to the event,
although I am informed that some of the staff members are still coming, just
not necessarily in their staff capacity.
"However, the one positive thing that has come from this is that we've
been able to offer the space to other exhibitors who we initially had to turn
down due to space restrictions."
It is understood that editor Carroll will be among those members of staff attending.
The news coming out of Live about restructuring and staff cuts has understandably left some RG readers fearing for their subscription fees and feeling a little uncertain about the future of the magazine.
Some retro computing enthusiasts feel the mag has run out of steam and its readership is dwindling after a spectacular and successful launch at the end of 2003.
And one contributor has said that due to the financial problems at Live, he has been waiting for payment for "some time", which any freelancer will recognize as a bad sign.
There are also murmurings that general enthusiasm for retro computing is on the slide after several booming years, although opinions differ greatly on this matter and the hot summer months have to be taken into account.
From experience of working in the world of technology publishing, the Lair knows that when times are tough (like when consumer and advertisers are not splashing the cash) it's always the smaller publishers that tend to fall first.
However, the last issue of Retro Gamer was well received and if the magazine continues to carry original, interesting and relevant content, then we reckon it stands at least a half decent chance of continued success.
And even if RG does fold, there is always the chance that a bigger publisher like Future, with more financial clout and resources, could buy the magazine, revamp it, relaunch it and make it a success once again.
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