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#Post#: 7765--------------------------------------------------
Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: Blugger Date: May 11, 2011, 7:30 am
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Good Afternoon Gentlemen!
We have a very special guest joining us for the next Gamerdads
Retrocast, Mr Julian Rignall of ZZap!64 and Computer and Video
Games Magazines fame! Julian is a 25-year publishing veteran
with experience launching and managing numerous video game
magazines and websites. A writer and editor, Julian has also
produced content for corporate websites, marketing collateral
and advertising campaigns.
For those of you who do not recognise this gentleman’s name,
here is a bit of background information on him:
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[color=purple]Julian’s’ career as a gaming journalist began in
London in the early 1980s as a student competing in video game
tournaments. During his teenage years, Julian held the UK and
World Record high scores on video games such as Defender, Pole
Position and Crossfire.
He also won Computer and Video Games magazine's 1983 UK Video
Arcade Game Championship beating more than 500 of the country's
top arcade players to win the title.
Julian's success at winning international video game tournaments
launched his career as a video game journalist writing gaming
hints and tips for magazines such as Computer and Video Games
and Personal Computer Games.
In 1985, the former editor of Personal Computer Games, Chris
Anderson, invited Julian to join the launch team for Newsfield
Publications' Commodore 64 magazine, ZZAP!64. As a staff writer,
Julian continued to display his game playing abilities as he
repeatedly emerged the victor of the monthly ZZap!
Challenge,where readers challenged the magazine's reviewers to
one-on-one gaming contests. In December 1987, Julian became
editor of ZZap!64, a position he retained until his elected
departure in August 1988 (Issue 39).
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[color=purple]In 1988, Julian joined Computer and Video Games
magazine, an EMAP publication. Upon his promotion to editor,
Julian changed the magazine's editorial direction focusing more
on the newly emerging Japanese video game consoles instead of
the fading 8-bit generation of computers.
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[color=purple]In 1990, recognizing the console market was large
enough to warrant a magazine of its own, Julian launched Mean
Machines. Covering the top-selling video game systems of the
time, such as the Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive, Mean
Machines became the largest-selling multi-platform publication
in the United Kingdom. In 1992, Mean Machines was split into two
separate publications: the officially endorsed Nintendo Magazine
System, now known as Official Nintendo Magazine, and Mean
Machines Sega.
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In late 1993, Julian launched his final British publication, the
officially endorsed Sega Magazine.
During this period, Julian appeared regularly on TV as a games
reviewer on the British TV program, GamesMaster, and made
numerous appearances on BBC TV and BBC Radio as an industry
commentator and field expert.
In 1997, Julian left Virgin and moved to San Francisco, to join
the Imagine Games Network (IGN). As editorial director, he led
the expansion of the online network guiding it to its market
leadership position. During 2002, Julian shifted from the games
business into online retailing and marketing.
He became editorial director at Walmart.com responsible for the
content of the world's biggest retailer's online presence.
In 2004, Julian moved to Haggin Marketing, a San Francisco
advertising agency where he created print advertisements and
other marketing vehicles for Dell, Inc. In 2006, Julian became
the vice president and editorial creative director with Bank of
America's user-centred design and research division where he
developed consumer, business and marketing content for the
company's 22 million website customers.
In August 2007, Julian rejoined Future US (formerly Imagine
Media) to help launch the US branch of their UK-based custom
publishing division, Future Plus. He spent three years at Future
Plus creating consumer content solutions for Fortune 500
companies such as Best Buy, K-Mart, Apple, Blizzard-Activision,
Toys R Us and Research in Motion/BlackBerry. Future US's custom
content portfolio included publications like Best Buys @gamer
magazine and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft: The
Magazine. In 2008, Future Plus was awarded a Pearl "Gold" Award
by the Custom Publishing Council for its Guide 2 Gaming produced
on behalf of Best Buy.
On November 8, 2010, GamePro Media appointed Julian as vice
president of content.
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If you wish to ask Julian a question please post it below and we
will choose 15 of them at random to ask him during the recording
of the podcast.
#Post#: 7766--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: Toby937 Date: May 11, 2011, 9:16 am
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Q1: What is your favourite Video game of all time and why?
Q2: As you have been in the industry for so long, did you ever
imagine graphics engines would become as powerful as they are?
Q3: Did you ever think that the video games industry would
become as large as it is? For example turning over higher sales
than Hollywood last year?
Erm, crappy questions I know :D I look forward to listening!
#Post#: 7771--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: thedamnedunited Date: May 11, 2011, 11:49 am
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Well done mate - Julian Rignall is a legend ! Used to read Zzap
64, and still have electronic copies of them all.
My questions :
1. Top 5 C64 Games
2. Does he still have a C64 ?
3. Does he stay in touch with Gary Penn (now working at Denki)
4. Which pub in Ludlow (where Zzap Towers !!! was based) did he
use ?
5. Did software companies used to try and bribe him for high
review scores, and what was the best gift sent by a software
company ?
Good luck & let me know when its available to listen to.
#Post#: 9269--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: thedamnedunited Date: June 2, 2011, 7:56 pm
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Blugger - have you interviewed Rignall yet mate ?
#Post#: 9285--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: Blugger Date: June 3, 2011, 3:15 am
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We are interviewing Jaz after E3, as he is a little busy at the
mo! So hopefully a week after E3 the Retrocast will be recorded
and sorted!
But we need more questions! ;D
#Post#: 9298--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: thedamnedunited Date: June 3, 2011, 4:56 am
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[quote author=Blugger link=topic=628.msg9285#msg9285
date=1307088948]
We are interviewing Jaz after E3, as he is a little busy at the
mo! So hopefully a week after E3 the Retrocast will be recorded
and sorted!
But we need more questions! ;D
[/quote]
Prob a good time mate as he can update us about E3. How many
questions are you looking for - am happy to come up with a few
more if you need ?
#Post#: 9307--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: Blugger Date: June 3, 2011, 5:49 am
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We are looking at about 15 - 20 questions, which would be
lovely!
#Post#: 10698--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gamerdads Retrocast - Special Guest Q&A
By: moobit Date: June 24, 2011, 5:46 am
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It's soon time peeps-keep those questions coming! :)
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