#cd-rom — Public Fediverse posts

🤔 it might not be the best $10 i'll ever spend but it won't be the worst i guess?

#multimedia #cdrom #retrogaming #win31 #1990s

🤔 it might not be the best $10 i'll ever spend but it won't be the worst i guess?

#multimedia #cdrom #retrogaming #win31 #1990s

had a really fun time being interviewed by @brendn for his Kaijuville (buttondown hosted) newsletter

we talk about the cringy experience of writing my book Mages & Modems, the time my mom publicly flamed the Texas Instruments TI-85 assembly language listserv, doing gig work for the NHK, and the return of utopian scholastic CD-ROMs.

https://kaijuville.com/2026/07/13/spinning-discs-with-vga256/

(off the record we nerded out about Highlander: The Series and that conversation deserves an entire newsletter itself.) 😅

#multimedia #cdrom #japan #nhk #interviews #books #writing

had a really fun time being interviewed by @brendn for his Kaijuville (buttondown hosted) newsletter

we talk about the cringy experience of writing my book Mages & Modems, the time my mom publicly flamed the Texas Instruments TI-85 assembly language listserv, doing gig work for the NHK, and the return of utopian scholastic CD-ROMs.

https://kaijuville.com/2026/07/13/spinning-discs-with-vga256/

(off the record we nerded out about Highlander: The Series and that conversation deserves an entire newsletter itself.) 😅

#multimedia #cdrom #japan #nhk #interviews #books #writing

Эмулятор CD-ROM из Raspberry Pi Pico W, использующий образы из сети

В одной из своих статей я уже рассказывал, как из Raspberry Pi Pico сделать USB CD-ROM. Так как размер флеш-памяти Pico ограничен, поместить что-то серьёзное в образ, который будет находиться во флеш-памяти невозможно. Можно попробовать разместить образ на флеш-карте и использовать модуль для неё, но я нашёл более интересное с точки зрения используемых технологий решение. Эмулировать образ, который находится в интернете. Образа многих дистрибутивов Linux доступны для загрузки с сайта.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/ruvds/articles/1050406/

#linux #cdrom #emulation #lwip #tinyusb #CYW43439 #raspberry_pi_pico_w #http #wifi #ruvds_статьи

surprisingly, it appears that no one has imaged the clip-art CD-ROM that came with the book. that work has now been done :)

enjoy some low-effort photographic clip-art courtesy of DK in ISO format:

https://archive.org/details/ew-ocean-clipart

#cdrom #digiPres

surprisingly, it appears that no one has imaged the clip-art CD-ROM that came with the book. that work has now been done :)

enjoy some low-effort photographic clip-art courtesy of DK in ISO format:

https://archive.org/details/ew-ocean-clipart

#cdrom #digiPres

today's thrifting treasure from the peak utopian scholastic period: Dorling Kindersley's Ocean (2008)

while the scholastic period is usually associated with the late 90s and early 2000s, it lasted well into the late 2000s thanks to DK's amazing book layouts

even better, these later books come with a cd-rom full of clipart. 😎

#utopianScholastic #books #art #design #cdrom

today's thrifting treasure from the peak utopian scholastic period: Dorling Kindersley's Ocean (2008)

while the scholastic period is usually associated with the late 90s and early 2000s, it lasted well into the late 2000s thanks to DK's amazing book layouts

even better, these later books come with a cd-rom full of clipart. 😎

#utopianScholastic #books #art #design #cdrom

yeehaw! just finished recording a new episode of the CD-ROM Safari podcast with guest briandemodulated

https://cd-rom.ca/podcast/season2/episode3

our topic: the criminally underrated Millennium Auction for Windows 3.1 - a bizarre post-apocalyptic fine art bidding simulator where you compete for the rights to bob dole's spleen and other aesthetic treasures of the 20th century.

#cdromSafari #cdrom #multimedia #dosGaming #win31 #podcast

yeehaw! just finished recording a new episode of the CD-ROM Safari podcast with guest briandemodulated

https://cd-rom.ca/podcast/season2/episode3

our topic: the criminally underrated Millennium Auction for Windows 3.1 - a bizarre post-apocalyptic fine art bidding simulator where you compete for the rights to bob dole's spleen and other aesthetic treasures of the 20th century.

#cdromSafari #cdrom #multimedia #dosGaming #win31 #podcast

Ah, yes, nothing screams "cutting-edge technology" like slapping your #GitHub repo onto a CD-ROM 📀. Because who doesn't love the sound of dial-up #nostalgia and tripling their carbon footprint for the sake of retro vibes? 🌎💾
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v4j5cvGGr0GRqy180BHbR6G-c11n8yFDlQmk4B-QjDxUQkdTTjZLU0EyTFFRV1E3NVRTVTRTWjRHMy4u&route=shorturl #cuttingEdgeTech #retroVibes #carbonFootprint #CDROM #HackerNews #ngated

Ah, yes, nothing screams "cutting-edge technology" like slapping your #GitHub repo onto a CD-ROM 📀. Because who doesn't love the sound of dial-up #nostalgia and tripling their carbon footprint for the sake of retro vibes? 🌎💾
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v4j5cvGGr0GRqy180BHbR6G-c11n8yFDlQmk4B-QjDxUQkdTTjZLU0EyTFFRV1E3NVRTVTRTWjRHMy4u&route=shorturl #cuttingEdgeTech #retroVibes #carbonFootprint #CDROM #HackerNews #ngated

Das GIF ist heute allgegenwärtig. Die Geschichte geht aber schon früh los: Der Bot @gifs_bot zeigt Bilder aus einer GIF-Collection von einer CD-ROM aus dem Jahr 1990 #gif #graphics #cdrom #retrographics #hacknplay2026

Das GIF ist heute allgegenwärtig. Die Geschichte geht aber schon früh los: Der Bot @gifs_bot zeigt Bilder aus einer GIF-Collection von einer CD-ROM aus dem Jahr 1990 #gif #graphics #cdrom #retrographics #hacknplay2026

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

7. Apocalypse Print Ads

Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

7. Apocalypse Print Ads

Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

the best part of building an online encyclopedia for multimedia and educational games is acquiring the physical media. after 10+ years of hunting, finally received an affordable copy of Oceans - arguably one of the best educational multimedia experiences MS’s edutainment division produced.

it came with some adorable stickers that have the best utopian scholastic styling and i can’t wait to scan it all in for the https://cd-rom.ca encartapedia!

#digiPres #softwarePreservation #multimedia #cdrom #utopianScholastic #education

the best part of building an online encyclopedia for multimedia and educational games is acquiring the physical media. after 10+ years of hunting, finally received an affordable copy of Oceans - arguably one of the best educational multimedia experiences MS’s edutainment division produced.

it came with some adorable stickers that have the best utopian scholastic styling and i can’t wait to scan it all in for the https://cd-rom.ca encartapedia!

#digiPres #softwarePreservation #multimedia #cdrom #utopianScholastic #education

the magic school bus explores the ocean for windows 3.1 and mac system 7 has about the most perfect intro you could imagine for a 256 colour interpretation of the tv show

the illustrator nailed those heavy ink outlines

#edutainment #cdrom #multimedia #retroGaming #dosGaming #macintosh

the magic school bus explores the ocean for windows 3.1 and mac system 7 has about the most perfect intro you could imagine for a 256 colour interpretation of the tv show

the illustrator nailed those heavy ink outlines

#edutainment #cdrom #multimedia #retroGaming #dosGaming #macintosh

Here's the TOKYO Scenery CD-ROM for Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.1/95. An add-on version by LAGO from 1997.

https://archive.org/details/lago_tokyo-scenery

Have fun! 😜😎

#RetroGaming #DOSGaming #FlightSim #Microsoft #Retro #Gaming #90s #CDROM #DOS #PCGaming #Japan #Tokyo

Here's the TOKYO Scenery CD-ROM for Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.1/95. An add-on version by LAGO from 1997.

https://archive.org/details/lago_tokyo-scenery

Have fun! 😜😎

#RetroGaming #DOSGaming #FlightSim #Microsoft #Retro #Gaming #90s #CDROM #DOS #PCGaming #Japan #Tokyo

edit: solved by @txgx42 - it's the CD Deluxe Pack 4.

fellow cdrom aficionados: does anyone recognize this Software Toolworks cd slipcase?
it appears to be the backside of a disc, but i can't figure out which disc this might be

#dosGaming #multimedia #cdrom

edit: solved by @txgx42 - it's the CD Deluxe Pack 4.

fellow cdrom aficionados: does anyone recognize this Software Toolworks cd slipcase?
it appears to be the backside of a disc, but i can't figure out which disc this might be

#dosGaming #multimedia #cdrom

Загружаемся с Raspberry Pi Pico

Я продолжаю освещать работу с USB на Raspberry Pi Pico. В текущей статье хочу привести пример, как можно использовать Raspberry Pi Pico в качестве загрузочного USB-устройства.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/ruvds/articles/1042562/

#diy #raspberrypi #pico #usb #tinyusb #cdrom #emulation #mass_storage #iso #ruvds_статьи

Picked up for fifty euro cents in a charity shop in the wilds of West Cork:

#retrocomputing #cdrom #encyclopedia

Picked up for fifty euro cents in a charity shop in the wilds of West Cork:

#retrocomputing #cdrom #encyclopedia

Распространение CD-R и кризис музыкальной индустрии

В 1982 году Philips и Sony выпустили компакт-диск, и музыкальная индустрия получила самый доходный физический носитель вплоть до наступления эпохи стриминга. В пиковом 1999 году CD-продажи в США принесли около $12,8 млрд из общих $14,6 млрд отраслевой выручки. Совсем скоро эта же технология стала главным врагом индустрии и запустила ожесточенную битву за авторские права. Расскажем об этом подробнее в нашем материале.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/onlinepatent/articles/1043032/

#звукозапись #звуковая_аппаратура #cdrom #cdr #sony #betacam #копирайт #копирайт_и_патенты #законодательство #законодательство_и_ит

after years of digging and research, i finally found the toolkit that was used to make MS multimedia software Encarta, Dinosaurs and Dangerous Creatures.

when i fell in love with these programs, i imagined they were built with a rich multimedia authoring environment/IDE like Macromedia Director. e.g. dragging and dropping images, sounds, text and video onto a stage, animating it with keyframes, and then scripting it for interaction.

the toolkit used was, as it turns out, a very roughly hewn collection of individual programs. there was no IDE. all of the content was written in RTF files, which were then compiled with links to external resources like wavs and avi's.

i cannot imagine what a nightmare this was for the MS Home teams to work with. there is no drag and drop of any kind, no object linking and embedding (OLÉ!), nor animation editor. this is a dog's breakfast of individual programs written by different people.

i'm frankly amazed that the MS Homes teams put together such well-designed programs *despite* how painful this toolkit is to use

the one thing i can say in its favour is that it has one badass tetricube logo for cover art :D

huge thank you to @david_rysk and @philpem for archiving this extremely obscure piece of software

https://archive.org/details/microsoft-multimedia-viewer-2.0-rips-20210921-1.7z

#multimedia #cdrom #retrocomputing #win31

after years of digging and research, i finally found the toolkit that was used to make MS multimedia software Encarta, Dinosaurs and Dangerous Creatures.

when i fell in love with these programs, i imagined they were built with a rich multimedia authoring environment/IDE like Macromedia Director. e.g. dragging and dropping images, sounds, text and video onto a stage, animating it with keyframes, and then scripting it for interaction.

the toolkit used was, as it turns out, a very roughly hewn collection of individual programs. there was no IDE. all of the content was written in RTF files, which were then compiled with links to external resources like wavs and avi's.

i cannot imagine what a nightmare this was for the MS Home teams to work with. there is no drag and drop of any kind, no object linking and embedding (OLÉ!), nor animation editor. this is a dog's breakfast of individual programs written by different people.

i'm frankly amazed that the MS Homes teams put together such well-designed programs *despite* how painful this toolkit is to use

the one thing i can say in its favour is that it has one badass tetricube logo for cover art :D

huge thank you to @david_rysk and @philpem for archiving this extremely obscure piece of software

https://archive.org/details/microsoft-multimedia-viewer-2.0-rips-20210921-1.7z

#multimedia #cdrom #retrocomputing #win31

CD-ROM Journal: A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS. “XD-submit Vol. 1, as it turns out, is a promotional disc for a Kansai-area bulletin board system (BBS) called XD FirstClass Network. As I started digging into it I assumed this would be sort of a basic information kit, a digital pamphlet or something, but it’s something a lot more exotic: a functioning archive of […]

CD-ROM Journal: A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS. “XD-submit Vol. 1, as it turns out, is a promotional disc for a Kansai-area bulletin board system (BBS) called XD FirstClass Network. As I started digging into it I assumed this would be sort of a basic information kit, a digital pamphlet or something, but it’s something a lot more exotic: a functioning archive of […]

today’s rescue from fb marketplace

whenever someone says “what on earth could you possibly use that thing for?” i know i’ve made a wise purchase. 🫡

#cdrom #multimedia #retrocomputing

today’s rescue from fb marketplace

whenever someone says “what on earth could you possibly use that thing for?” i know i’ve made a wise purchase. 🫡

#cdrom #multimedia #retrocomputing

after months of behind the scenes coding, i'm happy to announce the re-launch of my podcast: CD-ROM Safari!

if you're new to the show, it's a friendly and welcoming look at multimedia software of the 1990s.

i've rebuilt the entire site to use kiki, my php-based homepage construction kit. it now generates podcast RSS feeds on the fly, along with nice cover art and episode metadata :D

prior episodes (from 2018 to early 2026) have been archived into season 1.

the new episode, posted 5 minutes ago, is the first episode of season 2. it's a relaunch of the show, along with a whole new website to facilitate software preservation for educational games, edutainment and multimedia.

the website: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast

podcast rss 2.0: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast.xml

apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cd-rom-safari-podcast/id1393890581

enjoy the show :D

#multimedia #cdrom #retroComputing #retroGaming #dosGaming #msdos #macintosh #vintageApple #kiki #softwarepreservation #podcast

after months of behind the scenes coding, i'm happy to announce the re-launch of my podcast: CD-ROM Safari!

if you're new to the show, it's a friendly and welcoming look at multimedia software of the 1990s.

i've rebuilt the entire site to use kiki, my php-based homepage construction kit. it now generates podcast RSS feeds on the fly, along with nice cover art and episode metadata :D

prior episodes (from 2018 to early 2026) have been archived into season 1.

the new episode, posted 5 minutes ago, is the first episode of season 2. it's a relaunch of the show, along with a whole new website to facilitate software preservation for educational games, edutainment and multimedia.

the website: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast

podcast rss 2.0: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast.xml

apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cd-rom-safari-podcast/id1393890581

enjoy the show :D

#multimedia #cdrom #retroComputing #retroGaming #dosGaming #msdos #macintosh #vintageApple #kiki #softwarepreservation #podcast

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 43

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Taito’s 4-in-1 Print Ad

There is nothing like taking the clever approach of promoting multiple video games using only one single print ad in the size of a single page. Taito did exactly that in the 1980s when it promoted Elevator Action, The Legend of Kage, Arkanoid and Renegade for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) promising excitement as the mentioned games were making the jump from arcade to console. What is very notable in Taito’s single-page print ad was that it did not show any screenshots of the games. Instead, they used hand-drawn artwork to emphasize each game’s theme or setting, and leave it up to the viewers’ imagination as to how those games would look like on NES. This old ad is intriguing and amusing at the same time.  

2. Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation Print Ad

Following the huge success of the original Chase H.Q. on both arcade and consoles in the late-1980s, the sequel Special Crime Investigation was released in the arcades in 1989 and ported to game consoles and computers in the early 1990s under the title Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation. To promote Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation for home computers, game publisher Ocean came up with a colorful print ad showcasing a few cars, a city background and elements of gun-related action presented in nice art. The ad has an image of the original arcade machine to remind gamers that they are playing the sequel to Chase H.Q.

3. Dancing Eyes Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released by Namco in Japan in 1996, Dancing Eyes is a puzzle arcade game that became notorious due to its overtly sexual nature. With the way it was designed, players control a small monkey called Urusu-San and crawl along a 3D grid mapped over characters (mostly ladies) or various objects. If the 3D grid is mapped over a young lady, any tile of the grid destroyed by the player exposes the lady’s underwear or skin. Such sexuality is reflected in the arcade flyer of Dancing Eyes which has a suggestive hand-drawn art on the front while the game’s mechanics are explained in the rear. Even the rear of the flyer shows sexual nature of the game with screenshots. While the game was officially released only in Japan, Dancing Eyes actually was made available for gamers to play at the arcade of X-Site amusement center inside Festival Mall in Alabang during the early 2000s and it attracted a lot of guys. I bet Namco did not know about that.

4. Sega Saturn North American Print Ad

When the Sega launched the Saturn console in America roughly four months ahead of schedule in 1995, the company suffered as the sales were disappointing, ties with business partners were strained and the available Saturn games were very few. By the fourth quarter of that year, more games became available for the Saturn and this gave Sega the opportunity to aggressively market the console as the one that gamers should get for their enjoyment. To promote the Saturn, Sega came up with a two-page print ad that had a dominant image of a naked woman whose private parts were cleverly covered by screenshots of the available games. Since most gamers were predominantly male from teenagers to adults, it made sense for Sega to come up with an eye-catching sexy ad to promote their console and the video games (including those from other companies). This old ad is considered by the woke and rabid feminists as very offensive today.

5. Blockbuster Video Print Ad

Back in the late 20th century, Blockbuster Video was the dominant retailer that offered customers movies in home video format for sale and for rent. Along the way, the company offered video game rentals and attracted millions of gamers around the nation. Given the tremendous growth of video gaming in America in the 1990s, Blockbuster got itself more involved by launching the Games of Summer Sweepstakes in 1996. Utilizing print ads, the sweepstakes offered the Ultimate Game Rooms – composed of a 41-inch big-screen TV, Surround Sound speakers, hi-fi VCR, NBA Jame Extreme arcade game, the Sega Saturn, the PlayStation, a gaming chair, Acclaim games for Saturn and PlayStation, and a 1-year free Blockbuster Video game rentals privilege – as the grand prizes. Do you know anyone who won in Blockbuster’s sweepstakes?

6. Independence Day (ID4) Print Ad

Remember how big a blockbuster Independence Day (ID4) was in cinemas in 1996? The film grossed over $800 million worldwide and it revived the disaster movie genre using modern filmmaking techniques and the latest technologies of the decade. Given the massive success of the movie, it was not surprising that an official video game adaptation was released in 1997. To promote the game, Fox Interactive (the video game company of the movie studio behind the film) came up with a 2-page print ad using official artwork from the movie showcasing the alien spaceship being attacked by a military fighter plane. The ad showed only 3 screenshots and the descriptive text was written to make gamers feel like they have the role to lead Earth’s fight against the aliens. While the art looks good, it can only go so far to hide the mediocrity of the game itself.

7. GoldenEye 007 Print Ad

When GoldenEye achieved both critical and financial success in movies, it revived the James Bond movie franchise big-time and Pierce Brosnan was easily accepted by the public as the newest Agent 007. Several months before the movie was even released, an official video game adaptation started development. After much revisions and hard adjustments, the project evolved into a first-person shooting game for the Nintendo 64 console titled GoldenEye 007. To promote the game, Nintendo came up with a 2-page print ad that cleverly showed Brosnan as James Bond on the left and displayed the screenshots and other details on the right. This ad was easily eye-catching and it made lots of gamers excited. As history showed, GoldenEye 007 got released in 1997 and became a huge critical and commercial success while also proving that first-person shooters on game consoles can be a lot of fun.

8. North American Sega Saturn Games Promo Print Ad

As mentioned earlier, the Sega Saturn had a bad launch in America in 1995 which caused a lot of problems for the company. In 1996, Sega of America went on the offensive to really capture gamers’ attention by launching their Saturn games promo. The message of this 2-page print ad was very clear…Sega offered one free first-party game (limited to four specific games including Nights into Dreams) to those who bought two games (from a lineup of twelve specific titles). It should be noted that the Christmas season of 1996 was the most successful sales period of the Sega Saturn in America as gamers really responded to the promo. Even though some called this promo an act of desperation, nothing changes the fact that Sega succeeded during the most critical sales season of 1996.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 43

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Taito’s 4-in-1 Print Ad

There is nothing like taking the clever approach of promoting multiple video games using only one single print ad in the size of a single page. Taito did exactly that in the 1980s when it promoted Elevator Action, The Legend of Kage, Arkanoid and Renegade for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) promising excitement as the mentioned games were making the jump from arcade to console. What is very notable in Taito’s single-page print ad was that it did not show any screenshots of the games. Instead, they used hand-drawn artwork to emphasize each game’s theme or setting, and leave it up to the viewers’ imagination as to how those games would look like on NES. This old ad is intriguing and amusing at the same time.  

2. Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation Print Ad

Following the huge success of the original Chase H.Q. on both arcade and consoles in the late-1980s, the sequel Special Crime Investigation was released in the arcades in 1989 and ported to game consoles and computers in the early 1990s under the title Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation. To promote Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation for home computers, game publisher Ocean came up with a colorful print ad showcasing a few cars, a city background and elements of gun-related action presented in nice art. The ad has an image of the original arcade machine to remind gamers that they are playing the sequel to Chase H.Q.

3. Dancing Eyes Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released by Namco in Japan in 1996, Dancing Eyes is a puzzle arcade game that became notorious due to its overtly sexual nature. With the way it was designed, players control a small monkey called Urusu-San and crawl along a 3D grid mapped over characters (mostly ladies) or various objects. If the 3D grid is mapped over a young lady, any tile of the grid destroyed by the player exposes the lady’s underwear or skin. Such sexuality is reflected in the arcade flyer of Dancing Eyes which has a suggestive hand-drawn art on the front while the game’s mechanics are explained in the rear. Even the rear of the flyer shows sexual nature of the game with screenshots. While the game was officially released only in Japan, Dancing Eyes actually was made available for gamers to play at the arcade of X-Site amusement center inside Festival Mall in Alabang during the early 2000s and it attracted a lot of guys. I bet Namco did not know about that.

4. Sega Saturn North American Print Ad

When the Sega launched the Saturn console in America roughly four months ahead of schedule in 1995, the company suffered as the sales were disappointing, ties with business partners were strained and the available Saturn games were very few. By the fourth quarter of that year, more games became available for the Saturn and this gave Sega the opportunity to aggressively market the console as the one that gamers should get for their enjoyment. To promote the Saturn, Sega came up with a two-page print ad that had a dominant image of a naked woman whose private parts were cleverly covered by screenshots of the available games. Since most gamers were predominantly male from teenagers to adults, it made sense for Sega to come up with an eye-catching sexy ad to promote their console and the video games (including those from other companies). This old ad is considered by the woke and rabid feminists as very offensive today.

5. Blockbuster Video Print Ad

Back in the late 20th century, Blockbuster Video was the dominant retailer that offered customers movies in home video format for sale and for rent. Along the way, the company offered video game rentals and attracted millions of gamers around the nation. Given the tremendous growth of video gaming in America in the 1990s, Blockbuster got itself more involved by launching the Games of Summer Sweepstakes in 1996. Utilizing print ads, the sweepstakes offered the Ultimate Game Rooms – composed of a 41-inch big-screen TV, Surround Sound speakers, hi-fi VCR, NBA Jame Extreme arcade game, the Sega Saturn, the PlayStation, a gaming chair, Acclaim games for Saturn and PlayStation, and a 1-year free Blockbuster Video game rentals privilege – as the grand prizes. Do you know anyone who won in Blockbuster’s sweepstakes?

6. Independence Day (ID4) Print Ad

Remember how big a blockbuster Independence Day (ID4) was in cinemas in 1996? The film grossed over $800 million worldwide and it revived the disaster movie genre using modern filmmaking techniques and the latest technologies of the decade. Given the massive success of the movie, it was not surprising that an official video game adaptation was released in 1997. To promote the game, Fox Interactive (the video game company of the movie studio behind the film) came up with a 2-page print ad using official artwork from the movie showcasing the alien spaceship being attacked by a military fighter plane. The ad showed only 3 screenshots and the descriptive text was written to make gamers feel like they have the role to lead Earth’s fight against the aliens. While the art looks good, it can only go so far to hide the mediocrity of the game itself.

7. GoldenEye 007 Print Ad

When GoldenEye achieved both critical and financial success in movies, it revived the James Bond movie franchise big-time and Pierce Brosnan was easily accepted by the public as the newest Agent 007. Several months before the movie was even released, an official video game adaptation started development. After much revisions and hard adjustments, the project evolved into a first-person shooting game for the Nintendo 64 console titled GoldenEye 007. To promote the game, Nintendo came up with a 2-page print ad that cleverly showed Brosnan as James Bond on the left and displayed the screenshots and other details on the right. This ad was easily eye-catching and it made lots of gamers excited. As history showed, GoldenEye 007 got released in 1997 and became a huge critical and commercial success while also proving that first-person shooters on game consoles can be a lot of fun.

8. North American Sega Saturn Games Promo Print Ad

As mentioned earlier, the Sega Saturn had a bad launch in America in 1995 which caused a lot of problems for the company. In 1996, Sega of America went on the offensive to really capture gamers’ attention by launching their Saturn games promo. The message of this 2-page print ad was very clear…Sega offered one free first-party game (limited to four specific games including Nights into Dreams) to those who bought two games (from a lineup of twelve specific titles). It should be noted that the Christmas season of 1996 was the most successful sales period of the Sega Saturn in America as gamers really responded to the promo. Even though some called this promo an act of desperation, nothing changes the fact that Sega succeeded during the most critical sales season of 1996.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Hey, all! Do you think the Sega CD was nothing but FMV games? Let me dissuade with a look at 76 (really 78) of its most interesting non FMV titles along with a big look at games from Japan that we never got!

Link: https://youtu.be/HJA2ubd46E0

#segacd #megacd #retrogames #retrogaming #classicgames #16bit #classicgames #cdrom #rpg#jrpg #shmup

Hey, all! Do you think the Sega CD was nothing but FMV games? Let me dissuade with a look at 76 (really 78) of its most interesting non FMV titles along with a big look at games from Japan that we never got!

Link: https://youtu.be/HJA2ubd46E0

#segacd #megacd #retrogames #retrogaming #classicgames #16bit #classicgames #cdrom #rpg#jrpg #shmup

Relive the #PC #magazine cover disk era with 758-strong #InternetArchive.org #CDROM collection — 1.2TB treasure trove also includes #FloppyDisks from as early as 1993
A search uncovered over 1,500 #PCGamer software archives, thanks to a trove of floppy disk offerings from yesteryear. The total collection spans 1.2TB of material, according to the site.
Many of the #magazines are available to read, too
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/relive-the-pc-magazine-cover-disk-era-with-758-strong-archive-org-cd-rom-collection-1-2tb-treasure-trove-also-includes-floppy-disks-from-as-early-as-1993

Wow that takes me back!

Relive the #PC #magazine cover disk era with 758-strong #InternetArchive.org #CDROM collection — 1.2TB treasure trove also includes #FloppyDisks from as early as 1993
A search uncovered over 1,500 #PCGamer software archives, thanks to a trove of floppy disk offerings from yesteryear. The total collection spans 1.2TB of material, according to the site.
Many of the #magazines are available to read, too
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/relive-the-pc-magazine-cover-disk-era-with-758-strong-archive-org-cd-rom-collection-1-2tb-treasure-trove-also-includes-floppy-disks-from-as-early-as-1993

Wow that takes me back!

In its unwavering efforts to further #enshittify what remains of the free and open #internet, #google has kindly decided to bring back #AOL online! And this time you don't even need a #CDROM!

Those of you old enough to remember clueless relatives screaming for help to get on the *cough* "information superhighway" or even *shudder* Besenkammer-Boris' "Ich bin drin!" will be endlessly grateful.

For the youngsters, here's an illustration...

#fckgoogle #enshittification #slop #googleio2026

In its unwavering efforts to further #enshittify what remains of the free and open #internet, #google has kindly decided to bring back #AOL online! And this time you don't even need a #CDROM!

Those of you old enough to remember clueless relatives screaming for help to get on the *cough* "information superhighway" or even *shudder* Besenkammer-Boris' "Ich bin drin!" will be endlessly grateful.

For the youngsters, here's an illustration...

#fckgoogle #enshittification #slop #googleio2026

here’s an obscure bit of software preservation that has been completely forgotten:

i learned recently that back in the late 90s in North America, Kellogg’s partnered with MS to cross promote cereal and educational software. it was a ridiculously good deal: inside any box of cereal was a coupon for a $5 CD-ROM for the *full* version of a MS educational or reference program.

these were some of their flagship educational programs like Dinosaurs, Oceans, Explorapedia, Dangerous Creatures and Entertainment Pack 3. considering that these were $50-$60 at a couple of years earlier, it was a ridiculously good price.

i wonder how many kids unknowingly grew up with a Kellogg’s CD version of these, because their parents ordered copies from the cereal box?

#cdrom #multimedia #digiPres #softwarePreservation #win95 #macintosh #vintageApple

here’s an obscure bit of software preservation that has been completely forgotten:

i learned recently that back in the late 90s in North America, Kellogg’s partnered with MS to cross promote cereal and educational software. it was a ridiculously good deal: inside any box of cereal was a coupon for a $5 CD-ROM for the *full* version of a MS educational or reference program.

these were some of their flagship educational programs like Dinosaurs, Oceans, Explorapedia, Dangerous Creatures and Entertainment Pack 3. considering that these were $50-$60 at a couple of years earlier, it was a ridiculously good price.

i wonder how many kids unknowingly grew up with a Kellogg’s CD version of these, because their parents ordered copies from the cereal box?

#cdrom #multimedia #digiPres #softwarePreservation #win95 #macintosh #vintageApple

ther… there’s a lot going on in here, interplay. but i like where this is going.

source: cd-rom today magazine, aug/sept 1994

#dinosaurs #multimedia #cdrom #dosGaming

ther… there’s a lot going on in here, interplay. but i like where this is going.

source: cd-rom today magazine, aug/sept 1994

#dinosaurs #multimedia #cdrom #dosGaming

back in 1996 i was a year away from graduating from high school and deep into my cd-rom obsession

from 1994 onward, every month i bought a $12 copy of CD-ROM Today because it came with The Disc! - a coverdisc packed full of mac and pc demos and shareware

except for one issue. this issue. as the resident early Seinfeld hater of my people, i was also a proud Jim Carrey hater when he was at his peak.

i was so truly offended by the cover of this issue that i refused to buy it on principle.

a month later, I went back to my Coles bookstore to get my fix, and the magazine was gone from the shelves. i checked two other bookstores - it wasn’t out of stock; it had disappeared entirely. by september, it was clear that the magazine was never coming back, and i gave up looking for it. i was heartbroken - it was something i had counted on every month for years.

a few years ago i started buying every issue of the magazine i could find. it took months just to assemble a complete year’s worth of issues.

and then, this morning: I begrudgingly flip open the issue that i had refused to buy 30 years ago. a note from the editor explains that as of this issue, CD-ROM Today is ceasing publication, and forking into Boot magazine and MacAddict!

i would have been fucking overjoyed to know that i now had *two* cd-rom mags to buy! instead, when i saw MacAddict and Boot appear on the shelves, i just assumed they were inferior fly-by-night zines that would disappear after a few issues. 😭

#multimedia #cdrom #macintosh #vintageApple #msdos #dosGaming

back in 1996 i was a year away from graduating from high school and deep into my cd-rom obsession

from 1994 onward, every month i bought a $12 copy of CD-ROM Today because it came with The Disc! - a coverdisc packed full of mac and pc demos and shareware

except for one issue. this issue. as the resident early Seinfeld hater of my people, i was also a proud Jim Carrey hater when he was at his peak.

i was so truly offended by the cover of this issue that i refused to buy it on principle.

a month later, I went back to my Coles bookstore to get my fix, and the magazine was gone from the shelves. i checked two other bookstores - it wasn’t out of stock; it had disappeared entirely. by september, it was clear that the magazine was never coming back, and i gave up looking for it. i was heartbroken - it was something i had counted on every month for years.

a few years ago i started buying every issue of the magazine i could find. it took months just to assemble a complete year’s worth of issues.

and then, this morning: I begrudgingly flip open the issue that i had refused to buy 30 years ago. a note from the editor explains that as of this issue, CD-ROM Today is ceasing publication, and forking into Boot magazine and MacAddict!

i would have been fucking overjoyed to know that i now had *two* cd-rom mags to buy! instead, when i saw MacAddict and Boot appear on the shelves, i just assumed they were inferior fly-by-night zines that would disappear after a few issues. 😭

#multimedia #cdrom #macintosh #vintageApple #msdos #dosGaming

Hab' für euch gerade die GameStar CD-ROM aus 1/2001 ins Internet Archive hochgeladen. Darauf gab es damals eine Vollversion von Diablo, inkl. deutschem Handbuch im PDF-Format:

https://archive.org/details/gamestar_0101_diablo

Frohes Monsterkloppen! 😉

#Diablo #GameStar #CDROM #Win95 #Windows95 #Gaming #PCGaming #Retro #RetroGaming #Blizzard #90er #90s

Hab' für euch gerade die GameStar CD-ROM aus 1/2001 ins Internet Archive hochgeladen. Darauf gab es damals eine Vollversion von Diablo, inkl. deutschem Handbuch im PDF-Format:

https://archive.org/details/gamestar_0101_diablo

Frohes Monsterkloppen! 😉

#Diablo #GameStar #CDROM #Win95 #Windows95 #Gaming #PCGaming #Retro #RetroGaming #Blizzard #90er #90s

Some nights, I'm just having fun exploring these old coverdiscs from 90s game magazines. PC Games 3/95 included loads of old demos, shareware and tools for Windows 3.1.

#RetroGaming #PCGames #DOSGaming #Retro #Gaming #90s #90er #Spiele #CDROM #Demos #MSDOS #DOS

Some nights, I'm just having fun exploring these old coverdiscs from 90s game magazines. PC Games 3/95 included loads of old demos, shareware and tools for Windows 3.1.

#RetroGaming #PCGames #DOSGaming #Retro #Gaming #90s #90er #Spiele #CDROM #Demos #MSDOS #DOS

Und da is mir wieder so eine GameStar CD-ROM zugelaufen. Damals 2001 hätte ich das vermutlich einfach ignoriert, weil "einfach nur ein altes Spiel". Heute 2026, ist Diablo aber natürlich ein absoluter Retro Klassiker und 2001 auch schon ne ganze Weile her. Das Spiel läuft jedenfalls einwandfrei in 86Box und Windows 95. Und ein PDF-Handbuch ist auch noch mit auf der CD dabei. Nice! 😉

#Diablo #RetroGaming #PCGaming #90er #90s #GameStar #CDROM #Retro #Gaming #Windows #Blizzard