EGM Compendium Interview: Author Reflects on Impact and Kickstarter

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As someone who has spent countless hours poring over the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) since my teenage years, I can truly appreciate the monumental effort that went into creating the EGM Digital Archive. The sheer volume of data collected and organized is astounding – it’s like reading through the history of video games themselves!

First established in 1988 by team members from the United States’ initial esports league (which was formed in 1983), Electronic Gaming Monthly eventually became one of the most well-known and honored periodicals focusing on the gaming industry. For almost two decades, fans looked forward to each new issue or a visit to its website, and it’s safe to say that this publication played a significant role in defining the tone and trajectory of games journalism. Although EGM stopped printing issues in 2014, the online continuation of the magazine has now sparked an exceptionally ambitious Kickstarter campaign that has struck a chord with fans.

Beginning on October 15, 2024, the crowdfunding initiative for “The EGM Compendium” was successfully funded in a flash, surpassing its funding target by a significant margin within only 2.5 hours. Game Rant recently had an interview with Josh Harmon, one of the book’s co-authors, to talk about the book and the team’s strategies for leveraging the Kickstarter’s success to solidify “EGM’s” lasting impact. One notable goal is a highly ambitious project to digitally preserve and archive every single issue of the print magazine. Here’s a condensed and clear version of the conversation.

Response to The EGM Compendium’s Kickstarter Campaign

GR: How does it feel to see the resounding response to the Kickstarter campaign?

Josh Harmon expressed that the Kickstarter campaign response has been incredibly heartening, not only due to the generous pledges, but also because of the touching messages from backers who enthusiastically reminisce about EGM. One individual even shared how they were in the letter art section as a child and went on to have a career in animation. The team is thrilled about delivering an exceptional book and Digital Archive to fans, but it’s equally exciting to witness everyone expressing their passion for video games through EGM.

AL: Has the team set any extra objectives or rewards if the crowdfunding campaign exceeds its final target, given the strong and immediate response we’ve seen so far? The book is nearly reaching that mark.

JH: Initially, we anticipated that our prepared stretch goals would sustain us throughout the campaign or almost until its end. However, they were all unlocked by the backers within just three days! To keep you updated and engaged, we’ll be posting some fresh campaign updates on the page. Additionally, we’d love to hear your ideas for potential new stretch goals!

GR: Can you talk a little bit about the history of EGM? What comes to mind when you reflect on it?

In 1988, Steve Harris established EGM (Extreme Gaming Magazine) and turned it into the leading console gaming periodical of its time. Six years later, he sold the magazine along with an emerging online platform called NUKE to Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis operated the magazine for another 13 years before ceasing publication in early 2009. Steve reacquired the magazine and restarted EGM the following spring, focusing primarily on creating content for iPad and tablet devices.

Over time, the magazine underwent significant changes, consistently delivering the freshest gaming updates, never shying away from frankness, and brimming with the wit and character of its editorial team.

One memorable aspect of EGM that stood out to me was the multi-person reviews, where each issue featured a picture and a brief biography of the reviewers. These weren’t just faceless voices representing the entire publication; they were distinct individuals with unique perspectives. Reading the magazine for an extended period made it seem as if you knew the Review Crew personally. You became familiar with their preferences, and even learned which reviewers often shared your views. Reflecting on it now, it appears to be a precursor to the prevalent trend in the internet age, where people connect with influencers and content creators for their personalities. Just as viewers today are drawn to streamers, in the past, readers were attracted to the Review Crew.

GR: How did this book come about? What was the initial spark or idea?

JH: We were brainstorming how EGM might publish books. At one point, it dawned on us what seemed evident from the beginning: If EGM was going to produce books, wouldn’t it make sense for one of those books to be about EGM? Pondering over the most captivating concept for that idea eventually gave rise to our vision for The EGM Compendium.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve always admired the influence Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) had on game journalism throughout its heyday. I wonder what its lasting impact is in today’s rapidly evolving landscape of games media?

JH: To reiterate, it’s evident that EGM, as previously mentioned, left a significant and enduring influence on numerous readers. Moreover, its unique focus on personalities arguably paved the path for contemporary gaming media. If you require further evidence of EGM‘s impact on the gaming world, simply observe the impressive careers of its former editors. For instance, they’ve contributed to major companies such as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and Ubisoft. They’ve also played crucial roles in creating popular franchises like BioShock, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Call of Duty. The magazine fostered many writers who not only pondered the qualities that made games exceptional but also ventured into the industry, excelled, and eventually developed their own remarkable games.

Reflecting on The EGM Compendium’s Content and Development

GR: Were there any guest contributors to the book that the team wanted but weren’t able to secure?

JH: We’re not going to name any names here, because we haven’t given up on including anyone yet. We’re still reaching out and trying to ensure we get as many voices in The EGM Compendium as possible.

Question: Why were certain YouTube personalities, well-known for their expertise in retro games, chosen for the “Influencer” section? Were factors such as accessibility and audience size or the team’s preference to feature current content creators with a deep understanding of the industry during EGM’s peak important in this selection process?

In our efforts, we made contact with numerous game content developers. However, we intentionally sought out individuals who could vividly recall reading EGM as youngsters, or possess specialized knowledge on the historical aspects featured within our published work.

GR: What has been the most satisfying and challenging things about the book so far?

JH: To avoid getting too fancy, I believe the hardest part of the book turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects of this project. When we decided to delve into the entire print run of EGM, we soon understood that if we were to produce the best work possible, we had to record every detail in each issue of the magazine. If we were writing the book and wanted to discuss any specific game, we required a reference that would allow us to locate every single instance the game was featured in the magazine, as well as any other relevant details we might need for future discussions.

After we began meticulously recording all aspects of our work, we discovered that we were essentially amassing materials for an online database. It struck us then that if we constructed it, we could make it accessible worldwide. The most gratifying moment for me was when we finally launched the Digital Archive and I could easily explore its contents using links – apart from the excitement of Kickstarter launch and the encouragement from our supporters, of course. Given the current uncertain state of other digital archives, we felt it crucial to provide a user-friendly navigation system for the entire magazine’s history and make it accessible to everyone.

Q: What can we expect about the upcoming book, given the positive feedback from the community after the Kickstarter success? Specifically, will it feature classic EGM reviews, and if so, which ones?

JH: We’ll incorporate selected significant reviews in the book, along with other standout quotes from the magazine. However, for those eager to delve deeply into classic EGM reviews, we provide the Digital Archive, available in some of our reward tiers and as an additional purchase. This archive encompasses every issue of EGM, accessible via a dedicated website. You can browse through issues one by one, with a summary page displaying all games reviewed, their reviewers, and scores for easy viewing. Alternatively, you can opt to read the full review at your leisure. Additionally, you can utilize advanced search tools to explore the archive in detail, such as searching for all Sega Genesis reviews or all Marvel game reviews. You can even combine filters, like seeing all the reviews of Marvel games on Genesis written by a specific author.

Instead of an exact match, we’ve reached another milestone that our supporters have helped us achieve. This means that anyone who receives a physical book through this campaign will also get eight bookmarks inspired by memorable EGM review covers. We’ll be disclosing the list of games and showcasing a sample design on our campaign page in the near future.

Based on its previous success, could the EGM Compendium’s Kickstarter campaign potentially lead to a sequel or an archived collection of reviews?

At present, our main priority is to produce the optimal edition of both the Compendium and the Digital Archive.

The Significance of the EGM Digital Archive

Was indexing every single issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly as part of the digital EGM archive a significant challenge, considering it’s one of the key attractions of the Kickstarter campaign?

JH: To be more specific, it involved a considerable amount of hard work and dedication spanning several months.

To put it simply, you’re referring to the process of examining each and every page in approximately 40,000 magazines altogether.

For each issue, we documented every single review, preview, and feature, along with a ton of details: which games are covered, whether those games are part of a franchise, if a game covered was even released in the U.S. (or never released at all), publishers, developers, the writer of the piece, any people who were interviewed, and so on. I actually have the spreadsheet used to build the initial database. It has 26 columns—so all the way from A to Z—and then 21,039 rows.

GR: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Once more, I appreciate each one of you who’ve supported our Kickstarter campaign or expressed your admiration for EGM on social platforms. We’re eagerly looking forward to providing an outstanding book and some exceptional bonuses.

To those who haven’t pledged support yet, I encourage you to explore the campaign. There is ample opportunity left for you to become part of it.

[END]

Currently, the EGM Compendium is being funded through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. It’s anticipated that the physical books will be delivered in February, 2025.

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2024-10-28 14:25