This is a review for Sonic 4 Episode 1 on the JXD S601 Android Hand Held.

Bringing on the best of the best has always been the credo we live by here at S7PR and gaming magazines are no different.  We have Video Game Trader (want to know the value of your classic collection or if a used game store is gouging customers?) and we have been working with Skewed and Reviewed for awhile now (general entertainment for today’s gamer).  Now, we expand into the retro realm with Retrocade Magazine from the United States (headed up by a retro veteran of previous retro themed gaming magazines that are now defunct).

Retrocade Magazine has regular vintage gaming tournaments on their website, a robust forum full of like minded gamers.  Issue #2 has just been released and it features the writing talents of fan favorites like The Nintendo Legend, Mike James (UK Mike) and Scott Schreiber (SuburuBrat) from Retrogaming Roundup, to industry pros such as  Jeff Spega (Digital Press) and movies with Mark Alpiger (co-star of The King of Kong) and last but not least, gaming personality Patrick Scott Patterson.

We have very special advertising rates for Retrocade Magazine for those interested in reaching a targeted, highly motivated, audience.  Just contact Carl Williams at cwilliams@scenic7pr.com.

With the expansive popularity of the Internet and the ease of getting a site up and running now (WordPress, Joomla, Blogger, etc) there seems to have been a severe drop in quality content being made available. Why? That is the main question we plan on offering an answer to in this article.

Do a quick Google search for gaming website and see what you come up with as a total for results (I just got 343 million results- yes MILLION). While you will receive an astronomical number, we must take into account that a lot of those results will be duplicate sites returning a result for more than one page of their site, in essence inflating the numbers a bit. Let’s knock off say, a million of those for that purpose, shall we? That still leaves 243 million gaming websites in our figurative search. That is still a large number. Take another 200 million off, that leaves us 43 million sites- feeling any better now than when we started? Me neither.

Taking into account that there are only so many public relations representatives available to answer e-mails, phone calls or for those less tech savvy, snail mail letters, you can see that there is quite a large problem here. From my experience, most PR reps at companies like Ubi Soft, Capcom and other rather popular gaming publishers receive around 200 to 500 e-mails a day (depending on the popularity of the games being released around that time). Going with the higher number there, that is 0.00001162790698% of the gaming websites out there even knowing how to contact gaming companies for review copies, press lists, interview requests, etc. If you do that stuff already, congrats, you are ahead of the curve by quite a bit.

The problem here is, that there are still A LOT of websites out there that either have no clue how to get help. Also, there are a lot of gaming PR reps that cannot answer requests for the simple fact that they only have so much time in the day to do so (there are a precious few that will bring their work home with them, even if it is simply answering e-mails). Something will have to give for what is commonly known as “enthusiast press” to move up the evolutionary ladder to that next level.

Let’s get this next part out of the way right now. Everyone wants to be their own boss, in control of their own destiny, the one running the show. No one sets out to be just another cog in an online machine (most have that already in their day jobs). There is nothing wrong with that mentality, it is what has kickstarted more than one industry with healthy competition and in most cases, made quality go up. Gaming websites are something different because of the entry price (about $10 for a .com and a few bucks a month for hosting).

The problem arises from the fact that, with such low entry requirements, many sites that should fold and go away simply won’t because the owners think they will make it big. Others are fueled by the knowledge that some guy started a site and sold it for millions a year later (this isn’t the late 90′s folks, those days are long gone). Either way, it is all dreaming big and shooting for the stars. Again, nothing wrong with that. The problem arises from the fact that most don’t know when to call it quits and pack up and go home.

Some sites, when they reach a certain level, start to overwhelm the owner and they are lost as to what to do. This could be from not being able to keep up with work flow or with demands from publishers (if you get review copies, you really need to get reviews up in a timely fashion) or managing the staff and their workload. Growing a site into something that can compete with IGN.com, Gamespot or Kotaku is no easy task and one that requires more help than a one man army can realistically provide.

By joining together in a sort of conglomerate, websites can leverage one single larger group with PR reps.  This is a much more likely to receive positive response than five to ten smaller sites all hammering the same e-mail addresses.  I am not saying that all gaming sites should join up and cover the same games across their sites.  What I am saying though is, gather sites that compliment yours, think about the content you make available and search out other sites that compliment your content.  There is a lot of cross over between gaming, movies, comic books and even anime for instance.

Everyone that has the inclination to do anything will, naturally, think they are the best at it- gaming website owners are no different. As with most things, the majority are not that good (anyone watch contest shows like American Idol?).

Working with other sites is not a sign of weakness or of anyone failing with their intended purpose. If you are a fan of Magic the Gathering and have a fan site that is not doing that well in the world and your are beating your brain against the wall trying to figure out what to do to make it more popular, you may want to investigate other MTG sites. Check into joining them as a part time staff writer. This doesn’t mean you have to shut down your site, it just gives you a chance at expanding your reach through writing for another site that is more popular.

Starting conglomerates, or news aggregation sites such as N4G.com, VGN24.com or a recent, more team focused approach- Glitched-Out.com, is a great way to build up a fanbase without losing your hard work. This is also known as a form of syndication, getting your work out to more people with as little work as possible. In most cases, the exchange can be fulfilled with a simple banner exchange or similar agreement.

Trying to make a name for yourself is a team effort, there is simply no quick way around it. For every star, big name gamer, or even professional gamer, there is more than likely a huge support team behind them, handling the details for the front man/woman.

Here at S7, we like to keep things running lean and mean, we can move when the market moves (a lot faster than most PR companies) and we screen the heck out of prospective clients.  We do our best to make sure they are dedicated, hard working and in their respective fields filled with passion for success.  That is why we have been extremely careful on who is accepted as a client and who is, sadly, turned away.  As you can tell by the title there, we are announcing a new client here at S7- The Community.

What is The Community?  They say it best-

The Community is a little slice of the Internet maintained for gamers, by gamers. We offer unique perspectives on everything from consoles, to Magic: The Gathering, to pen and paper RPGs, but the perspective we value the most is yours. The Community is a breeding ground for enlightened discussion about the games and hobbies we all love, so check us out for a fresh twist on your favorite games including reviews, news, strategy articles, interviews and gaming philosophy. While you’re at it, visit our forums or drop us a comment and get in on the conversation. Love it or hate it, we want to hear what you have to say.

Check out The Community’s website and let them know you learned about them on S7 today!

Monday, October 10th 2011, Out-of-Print Archive was revealed as the digital preservation partner of Gamefan Magazine.  Out-of-Print puts each issue through a rigorous process of restoration (for an idea please read this) before the masters are returned and the scans are turned over for verification and eventual release.

Gamefan Magazine started in October 1992 with Dave Halverson and Tim Lindquist and ended in the early 2000′s.  In 2010, Dave Halverson revived the publication and is currently preparing the release of issue #7.

Out-of-Print Archive was founded by myself and Andy DeWilde and Mike Pitarro on the premise that these magazines NEED to be archived, not just scanned and released, edited and restored for historical purposes.  From day one, Out-of-Print has sought out publishers to work with and to provide legal, official, releases of gaming magazines.

Gamefan Retro Issue #1 and #2 are available at the links below:

Gamefan Retro Issue #1

Gamefan Retro Issue #2

Independent developers are not that uncommon nowadays, they are all over the place, making it harder to stand out from the rest of the pack.  Locomalito, a nickname, is just such an indie developer that stands out with some great titles and interesting beginnings that show in his games.  

Recently, a demo was released for Locomalito’s latest game, Maldita Castilla, referenced in his final answer in this interview.  MC has a very late 80′s/early 90′s arcade look to it (which is a good thing to those in the know).

On with the interview:

S7PR: Would you like to introduce yourself?

LM: I’m a guy interested in videogames, who started making games as soon as technology allowed me to do so.

I do games in my spare time, for the fun of it, and to preach about a few values I believe in.

My games are just games, I mean, games for playing and having fun, without further pretensions.

The old-school style fits the way I understand them, and that’s why everything I do is limited to more or less an 8bit or 16bit style.

S7PR: How did you get into programming?

LM: I started making graphics for Amiga games when I was a kid, but none of them was finally released.

With the time, I get some knowledge about programming oriented to business, and that helped me to understand the way computers works, and opened me the path to start dealing with some upcoming tools to make tiny games.

I dedicated some time to learn and practice with GameMaker 5, and when I finally noticed that this tool can assist me to do almost every 2D game I liked, I stayed with it until today.

I’m not a high skilled programmer anyway, just know a few combinations of graphic-and-code tricks that can look cool.

S7PR: What are some game ideas that you wanted to implement, but couldn’t, in your releases so far?

LM: I always wanted to make an exploration platform game with a huge (huuuuuge) map to explore, full of objects to find not by unlocking the way with previous items, but by finding them in a random order.

S7PR: While other indie developers are fine with releasing just the game, you release artwork, posters etc. What motivated you to create extras like that?

LM: It make me feel like the games I do are more solid this way, more complete.

I think also that it helps players to understand that free games are not necessarily games without a value.

S7PR: What does the future hold for your game development?

LM: I’m working in a straightforward action game, in the style of arcade cabinet games from 1985-1987.

It’s about knights and demons, and take a lot of references from old medieval books from Spain and other parts of Europe.

It’s played just shooting and jumping, like Black Tiger, Rygar, Ghost’n'goblins, Shinobi and many others…

Maybe it will come out with a bunch of interesting places and situations that must be solved with player skills.

We would like to thank Locomalito for taking the time to answer the interview questions during what is surely a hectic development schedule.  For more great titles that resemble retro ones, check out Locomalito’s website.

When most people think of Marines, they think of “The few, the proud, The Marines” and tough men and women risking their lives every day for our great country.  There is a side of many Marines that isn’t shown on TV, a side that usually is only seen by friends and family and other Marines.  I am talking about Marines that suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  A very real, and for those that suffer it’s effects, painful disease that affects almost every facet of everyday life.

While I failed in earning the right to be a Marine back in early 1996, I did give it my all.  I simply wasn’t mentally fit enough to finish Marine Boot Camp due to being diagnosed with PTSD shortly before graduation.  I am not comparing myself to Sgt Caudill, or any other person that is a Marine, there is a reason for their slogan.  Being someone that feels the pain of PTSD every day, I know the daily challenges that must be overcome.

Sgt. Caudill is doing something about PTSD, or at least trying to, and attempting to help others that suffer from it’s near debilitating effects.  Through Kickstarter, Sgt Caudill is trying to help others deal with their PTSD through the use of hydroponics therapy (a method of growing plants with mineral enriched water, rather than soil).

S7PR: Would you like to introduce yourself?
Sgt. Caudill: I am a Sgt in the Marines I have deployed 4 times to Iraq with HMM-364 the Purple Foxes, My main PTSd comes from a Casvac I helped out with Oct 27th 2006 (we picked up a wounded Marine that passed away shortly after the flight) it was not until May of 2010 that I came out to medical saying I needed Help. I was sent to the Wounded Warrior Battalion Jan 26th 2011.
S7PR: For those that do not know, what is a Casvac?
Sgt. Caudill: My unit I served in Iraq with was a CASVAC unit, that meant we were a flying Ambulance. During the day we would get a 9 line which is a report coming from a unit that tells us how many were wounded, how they were wounded, where they are located, along with other amounts of info. once the 9 line came in the officer on duty will hit a buzzer, which alerted us outside the room. When we heard the bell we would race to the Bell we had hanging up in the courtyard to ring it to alert the rest of the flightline. The crew would race to the Helicopters, this would take an average of 2:30 mins. Our goal was to reach the wounded and get them to the hospital with in the hour we called it the golden hour, because it was the best chance for survival. During the first two deployments my unit was able so save over 1400 wounded.

S7PR: Why Hydroponics Therapy, and how did it develop, as a treatment for PTSD?
Sgt. Caudill: I just finished a 6 week course for Hydroponics, during this course we had to come up with a business plan as part of the calss. The reason I found Hydroponics to be threaputic is I notice it was relaxing to be around the plants. I have a hard time to be around people sometimes because I get nervous.
S7PR: How has Hydroponics helped you cope with the effects of PTSD?
Sgt. Caudill: I find it hard to be around people sometimes, because I find it hard to trust people. I feel that they notice when I get nervouse which makes me get more nervouse, or I feel a huge void for people it is like I feel nothing and that bothers me to the point that I withdraw myself from people and my friends. With plants I do not worry about that and I am able to take care of them without feeling the void. I am able to take care of them, and I feel once I grow the plants I will beable to take them to the local markets to sell them inorder to get the money to keep the project going.

S7PR: What type of classes have you taken to prepare you to help others that suffer from PTSD?
Sgt. Caudill: I spent 35 days as in patient for Alcohol, I did not get in trouble for my drinking my doctors sent me there as a medical referal the Drinking was my way to cope with it. I learned a lot about how drinking and drugs affect your body with PTSD/ Anxiety. I also have been in Intesive out patient enhanced (IOPE) twice back to back.
S7PR: Where will the Hydroponics garden be located?
Sgt. Caudill: Right now the place is the hardest part to find, I live in the barracks and I do not have any land out here. I am looking for a house or apartment that I can rent that has a garage. And after speaking to a few Marines about my project I have an officer that is going to try and get me set up with the Commanding General of Marine Corps Installation- West to see if he can give me a building on Camp Pendleton to set up.
S7PR: How many Marines would be able to benefit from your project based on the funding that Kickstarter donations could provide?
Sgt. Caudill: Right now there are between 180-200 Marines here in the Wounded Warriors, and the Mental/ Deployment health building is located across the parking lot.
S7PR: Any words of encouragement for others, like myself, that live with PTSD everyday?
Sgt. Caudill: PTSD is very tricky for me, right when I feel I have a handle on it and I feel better it sneaks up on me. The best advice I can give is dust yourself off and get back on your feet, because they are just memories nothing like the real thing. The main thing I feel is the best way to help a Vet is with another Vet that has been there.

For more information on Hydroponics Therapy, NBC Los Angeles has posted several videos talking with vets and how therapeutic they find hydroponics (the last video features a bit of Sgt. Caudill).

On Kickstarter, there are multiple levels of funding and depending on the amount you can help with, Sgt. Caudill is offering to share many of his photos from his tours in Iraq (all pictures in this article are from the Sgt’s personal collection to help showcase the variety- quality is slightly diminished here).  There is a time limit to getting this project funded, if Sgt. Caudill cannot attain $5,000 in funding by the early morning of August 15th, this project will fail and the vets that would have benefited from it will have to find help elsewhere.

For more information on how you can help fund this project, and help vets deal with PTSD, please visit Kickstarter.com

To all of the men and women that have served, or are serving right now- Semper Fi.

It is never easy to say goodbye to clients but sometimes, you simply have to.  This point in operating S7PR has come once again and we have had to say goodbye to many clients that we once worked with here for various reasons that are best left unsaid here.  Suffice to say, we wish those that we once worked with nothing but the best of luck in their future endeavors and hope that they continue doing what they do best.

Other changes that you may notice here include Game Gavel moving from the “Clients” list and into the “Advertising Partners section of S7PR.  This is a move that we feel is right for Game Gavel and will allow S7PR to properly represent GG in advertising negotiations with outside companies.

These changes are being implemented to, hopefully, help provide a more coherent and unified level of quality service to our clients and the fans they service.  If you have any questions about any of these changes, or anything else S7PR related, please contact me, Carl Williams, at cwilliams@scenic7pr.com and I will reply as promptly as possible.