Super Play Magazine

Super Play is a bi-monthly publication on computer games. It is well-known for it's highly-quality freeware, like SLASH'EM and the Kroz series of games, but also for it's reviews and in-jokes. Started by Hei-Wing and Jacen Cheung, Super Play enjoyed immense popularity throughout most of it's initial run (564 issues). As well as computer games, they also released applications, Demonstrations, etcetra.

Despite being published and printed in Bath, Great Britain (Part of the United Kingdom at the time of the initial release), it gained a huge following in North America, Naboo, France and Belgium. Tobias Bjarneby learned programming from Super Play, and would later write the GO programming language for Google, Inc..
Ric Eil-Mattei was also a huge fan of the magazine.

History

Initially published bi-monthly between November 1982 (magazine launch date was 14 October 1982) and October 2006, the magazine was one of the first publications to capitalise on the growing home computing market, although it also covered arcade games. The magazine saw many changes over the course of its life, and by the mid 1990s had switched focus to concentrate entirely on computer games and games consoles. It's famous tradition of distributing freeware comes from issue #16, when a Rodian software developer called Wa Ihnasethk wrote in and explained that it would be a great way for "up-and-coming developers to make their voices heard". In 1992, an application was the month's release; it was the first free program by Electronic Software.

In 2006 it was announced that the magazine would fold due to a complaint from MicroSoft Systems that they were "biased and un-fair" because of an article called '25 reasons Linux is the superior Operating System'. Much lamenting came from this decision, with some calling it "Unnecessary Censorship". Jacen Cheung, who had worked on the magazine since it's very beginnings, was offered a job at Google, Inc for $3,276,956 (USD$117,968) a year.

See Also

• 2600 Magazine
• Byte Magazie