Wireframe - an new (old) magazine

It has been something of a pattern over the last couple of decades that print magazines have had a bit of a hard time. Squeezed between the immediacy and multimedia approach of web-based channels like YouTube, Blogger among others and the changing market (reading habits, the “value” proposition and, dare I say it, the reduction in literacy), it is perhaps surprising that so many print magazines remain in circulation. 

Okay, you might think I am being a smidge doomsday-ish with that, but consider this. The wargaming market, in the UK at least, manages three magazines outside of Games Workshop. Can it support three in the long term? Probably not. One is very lightweight and whizz-bang, another is straddling historical and sci-fant with varying degrees of success and the third is a tad po-faced at times. Aside from gimmicky freebies, they don't seem to be doing much to grow their audience but that's another blog post altogether. Other niche (and I call most hobbyist magazines niche) publications continue to thrive but in vastly reduced numbers compared to even a decade ago. Two niches that continue to hold multiple titles are those of general computing and videogames.

True, general computing has seen a decline in titles, PC Format and Personal Computer World being the two that I miss the most, but there is still the ever-readable Computer Shopper and the mixed bag that is PC Pro with a couple of smaller titles still filling the shelves.

Videogaming has suffered a bit more than most due to the rise of YouTube, live streaming and videogames news sites. Those and the obvious immediacy of online media in general, something that the printed word can never match. Whereas twenty years ago you had multiple format specific titles, you now only have one X-Box and one Playstation mag, whilst PC Gamer holds the torch for non-console gaming. Titles such as ACE, Computer and Video Games, Games TM, GamesMaster and Arcade have all left the multi-format arena and now just the industry stalwart Edge remains, but editorially that disappeared up its own arse about five years ago and hasn’t been seen since, so it was with great interest that I picked up issue one of Wireframe at the back end of last year.

All seven issues to date (27.02.19)

Launching a multi-format magazine in 2018 might be seen as something of a brave move and indeed it is. Making it fortnightly even more so and with charging £3 an issue, the publisher could be described as pushing the accepted boundaries even further. The thing is, it works.

Taking inspiration from computing magazines of the 1980’s, Wireframe offers both industry interviews, reviews, features and, in a refreshing change to almost any recent title, how to guides including programming and techniques. The balance is about right, and whilst there is a bit more emphasis on the indie games scene, I cannot fault it for that. Outside of AAA development, some of the most intriguing and exciting titles are indie-developed and big publishers are so controlling with their PR tactics that I rarely feel any anticipation for new releases. And let's not get started on the topic of review embargoes...

In a very real sense, this is a videogames magazine not just about playing them, but also how you make them, and you understand why this approach has been taken when you see who is behind the mag: The Raspberry Pi Foundation. If you are not familiar with the Raspberry Pi, this is a single board computer originally launched as a tool to help get children into programming and teaching them the skills that a lot of current day developers gained during the halcyon days of the 8-bit and 16-bit home computer era (1980’s and early ‘90’s). Expecting to sell maybe 10,000 of these $35 computers, at last count, the various revisions have now sold more than 19 million (and that's a March 2018 figure!)and there is little sign of that ending any time soon. Not only have they brought computer programming, science and home-brew hardware into the 21^st century, they have also brought near-dead operating systems like RISC-OS back to life. Really, it seems like a no-brainer to take the development potential created by the Pi and launch a new publication to focus on the creation of videogames.

The magazine itself is very well laid out and the production values are very high. The paper stock is of high quality and the cover price of £3 is reasonably justified by that. Page count isn’t that high but if you compare it to the monthly mags like PC Gamer, the equivalent page count and price per month is good.

Proper old-school code listings!

Features and reviews are honest and forthright (the Red Dead Redemption 2 review is a corker and avoids the hype train that title rode), and some of the homebrew scene pieces have been eye-opening (who knew boxed Dreamcast and Megadrive software was still being produced?). What really adds to the magazine is the Toolbox section. Published on slightly coarser paper, this is the part where you learn the nuts and bolts of game production - the above picture is of issue seven's Text Adventure how to. This brings the mag back to how I originally found computer magazines in the 1980's, typing out code listings and having a bit of a play about. In that sense, this is very much an new old magazine and all the better for it. It also provides details of additional links online to expand the coverage of the topic discussed and to develop your knowledge further

Seven issues have been made so far, the eighth came out this week and it’s one of the very few publications I buy regularly (in fact, with the exception of one writing and one airgun mag, I have no other regular purchases). It’s a refreshing title to see on the shelves and both entertaining and highly informative. I hope it continues to flourish and for only £3, it's worth a read if you have any interest at all in this area.

The Knewkey Rymek keyboard

Pretty much everyone has heard of crowd funding these days and the two most popular crowd funding sites, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are full of projects searching for funds. While there have been some well known successes (and, indeed, failures), it must be said that in any crowd funding project, it is a case of buyer beware – indeed, pledger beware as you are not handing over money for an item, merely the promise of said item.

With that said, my eye was caught by the Knewkey Rymek keyboard. This is a USB/bluetooth keyboard in the style of a traditional typewriter. With internal lighting and a tablet supporting bar at the back, it was the look of it that made me consider backing the project. So I did, pledging about £95 (roughly about that dependent upon the dollar exchange rate back then) for the early bird offer.

After several months and quite a few updates from the project manufacturer (which is always good - I have seen a few projects where the communication from the developer/builder/etc has been non-existent), the keyboard duly arrived along with a wrist rest and a set of Windows key caps (Mac was the default set up – I saw what they did there, sneaky buggers).

Packaging first and the box, along with the protective sleeve, are of good quality and give a good first impression. The keyboard itself is rather weighty, that being the battery for wire free use. You can also use a direct USB cable link. It looks good even though the keys themselves are plastic. It would be fantastic if they were metal but the extra cost and weight would have been prohibitive. There is a support bar for tablets and other devices up to 9 inches or so in screen size, the rotary dial acts as a volume control and the carriage return bar is used to select which of the three Bluetooth devices you can simultaneously connect to the keyboard.

Looks shiny...

Good quality too...

And well packaged.

I purchased the model using Cherry MX blue switches and in use, these provide plenty of feedback and a nice, gentle clack with each key press. If I have a complaint, it's that the space bar is a little too clacky but that's more a gentle niggle than a complaint. Some ergonomic folks will complain that the typewriter design will play havoc with people’s wrists but the supplied wrist rest does a very good job of preventing too much strain. Truly, the Rymek looks and feels the part. The only thing I cannot comment upon is the battery life as so far, I have only used it attached to my desktop PC. I will add here though that the manual recommends a full battery charge even if you are just going to use the keyboard as a desktop replacement and I have to agree with that. The keyboard was not picked up at all via USB until the battery had had a good three hours hooked up to a charger. The keys are backlit and can provide some funky disco effects if needed, as well as providing some decent illumination of the keys themselves. Another small blessing is the instruction manual, in that it is written rather well and much better than some Chinese translated materials.

Keyboard, wrist rest, key cap remover, key caps, brush, cloth and instructions

So far, for just over a ton (including import duty and fees), I think I have done rather well. Would I try any future crowd funding projects? Maybe, depending on the cost and what the project was trying to achieve. I have seen more than a few gaming and technology projects fall over as the development team has either ran out of money or the project was never a genuine item in the first place. This, of course, is less of an issue with Kickstarter than Indiegogo as the former has better submission and protection policies but as with any crowd funding request, it is your money you are risking and there is no promise of a finished product for delivery. As has been the case for centuries, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is too good to be true. In this instance though, I am one very happy keyboard owner.

The lighting is rather effective

As set up, it's rather neat and tidy.

If this takes your fancy, head over to https://www.knewkey.com/ and follow the link to Indiegogo. Just beware that the early bird prices no longer apply and the current price is $179, rather more than what I paid during the funding campaign.

Catching up with some reading...

One of the ‘joys’ of getting the bus to work is the opportunity to catch up on my reading. A couple of hours per day means I can get through quite a lot of the ever present book pile in a short period of time. With that, here are four recent reads I’ve quite enjoyed.

First up, Shackleton Boys. The latest in the ‘Boys’ series of military memoirs, this follows the UK based squadrons that operated the Shackleton in the MR/AEW/miscellaneous role from the 1950’s to the early 1990’s. That a derivative of the Lancaster bomber was still on operational service in 1990 tells you a lot about UK defence policy of the time!

Anyhoo, on to the book itself and it follows a format of stories told in airfield order. By and large, the tales are interesting and informative and definitely give you a very good idea of what squadron life was like outside of the fast jet community. None of the contributions are wasteful, each adding a bit more to the overall history of the “Shack” and I finished the book wondering how such an aircraft could end up being loved by so many with all of its foibles and challenges. Also surprising was the length of time the aircraft remained in service. Even with the tremendous balls-up of the Nimrod AEW project, it’s still hard to fathom that if the balloon had gone up in the 1980’s the RAF would have depended upon the “Shack” to such a high degree. Then again, they also used the MR version as a makeshift troop carrier during Suez so they would have managed somehow. Well written and entertaining, if you have any interest in the Cold War RAF, you could do far worse than read this book. A follow up is due this year covering overseas bases and the sole non-UK operator, South Africa.

Next up is 1983. No, not a prequel to that novel, 1983 is the telling of what the author describes as perhaps the greatest period of Cold War tension outside of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is narrative history and manages to pack quite a bit in, with background on both American and Soviet activities, the events of the year itself and the later events that calmed the Cold War down. However, there are a few technical inaccuracies that spoil the generally authoritative tone of the book.

Other issues include a degree of repetitiveness where chapter topics overlap and an annoying habit at the end of most chapters to leave a cliffhanger or forewarning. This betrays the books origins as a TV program and the author’s background. Whilst it might work every time there is a commercial break, it really does not work in written form. While this book is very much an overview of the period, there are some nuggets of information that I did not know about and the excellent bibliography does improve its worth. If you are a Cold War aficionado, then you could do far worse than 1983. An entertaining read and a good start for further reading.

Sniper One by Sgt Dan Mills follows the sniper platoon of Y Company, 1^st Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment during its tour of Iraq during 2004/05. This is an easy book to read, well written and straight-forward. The characters of the various soldiers are well-drawn and whilst you sometimes think they are a little too stereotypical, there is a genuine thread running through the account. Very much a warts and all telling of the platoon’s activities, Mills does not pull any punches and for that, he should be applauded. Again, of much interest if that is your gaming period or if you're a history buff.

Another warts and all tale is Sir Cedric Delves Falklands War account, following then Major (now Lieutenant General retired) Cedric Delves leading a troop of the SAS to war. From the very beginnings of the conflict, to the ill-fated and extremely lucky South Georgia operation and then to the Falklands itself, this memoir is highly readable and both entertaining and enlightening. The author finds his voice quickly and his often humourous portrayal of the operations of the day definitely give you the feel of being there. A major plus is the honesty of the author. When things go wrong, he points out the reasons why, be they technical, human or sheer bad luck. There is a degree of discretion though and there is little negativity towards others, something that the passage of time and the professionalism of the author must have a hand in. Where self-criticism is warranted though, it is given. As a memoir, you get very little of the wider picture but to be honest, there are books a plenty for that. No, this title is a worthy addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the period. It also humanises those who took part in the conflict, something that tends to be lost when gaming. Personally speaking, I have always found that an understanding of those who fought in the period you are playing helps make the game both more realistic and thoughtful – it’s never just about the dice.

Finally, a piece of fiction. The Last by Hannah Jameson is a murder mystery set in the period immediately after World War Three has broken out. Located in the grounds of a remote Swiss hotel, the author builds up a decent atmosphere and some unique characters. Using a first person narrative, they do indulge in a little of of unreliable narrative and the final denouement is decent, but not spectacular. Some people don’t like post-apocalyptic fiction and to be fair, this doesn’t much fall into that category as the author seems to have concentrated upon the murder-mystery aspect first and the apocalyptic setting second. In that sense, this is a bit of a disappointment and the final page is a bit of a cop out. Having said that, I have read far worse and since the copy I have is also signed by the author, I’ll be keeping hold of this one.