Once upon a time, the best way to get games onto an 8-bit microcomputer was to type them in yourself. Magazines for computer hobbyists contained program listings for games that were not only fun to play, but gave a generation of users both knowledge and permission to hack on their machines and become creators themselves.
This presentation looks at some of the magazines that defined the micro era and describe how they fostered a culture of active media participation, creative recombination, and independent creation that is reflected in the current day indie and maker scenes.
When Users Were Makers: Hobbyist Magazines in the Microcomputer Era
1. WHEN USERS WERE MAKERS
Hobbyist Magazines in the Microcomputer Era
Josh Lee, Floor Is Lava
IndieCade East
February 16, 2014
2. Hi!
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Josh Lee
Floor Is Lava
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Solar Surfing in Opti Space
Voyage of the Starship Lexicon
etc.
Professional Middle-Aged Grump
3. Topics
Computer magazines as a resource for learning to
make games
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Evolving relationships between users and computers
Maintaining permission to play with games
Old stuff is neat and old
39. Opaque dev tools
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Engines and IDEs distance you from the machine
Computers are abstractions, not toys
Pro-am game building tools
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Promise of “professional” quality without coding
Constrained, exclusive