JHD

Thank-you for scanning this issue! While most issues of EGM are widely available, the last two years (or so) are not well represented online. Every bit to fill that gap is appreciated.

I have been to Ottawa many times, but I was last in the Main Library around 2000. I have just checked the online library database, and it looks like these printed catalogues are no longer available. I was hoping that they would have continued to grow the collection to cover the debut of the 2600, Intellivision, etc.

They cannot be disbound or scanning, but the Ottawa Public Library has bound copies of Eaton's catalogues from the 1970s onwards. When I was last there (quite some time ago), the collection did not extend into the 1980s -- so no video game listings -- but this is something else to be aware of. (And I use the 's intentionally even though the firm itself later abandoned it to better appeal to the Francophone market.)

Was this the last one published? I do not recall having seen a Sears catalogue after about the 1980s. My Grandparents and Mother really loved them, but not my generation.

On Saturday, I bought a handheld Famiclone, complete with a ridiculous number of built-in games (many with nonsense Engrish titles and limited playability). I found it in the Christmas gifts section of a local discount store for Cdn$22. I have several Famiclone systems already; I cannot pass up a unique model if it is sufficiently cheap.

Where did you find FF 3 in English? I understood that it was only translated for a re-release on the DS (or a similarly modern console).

I bought an NES Classic several years ago when they were new, but for various reasons it was in storage until just a few months ago. It is now setup in my living room, and I have been playing the original Final Fantasy. Since I did not have an NES when they were new (indeed, I was in University when FF first reached North America), this has no nostalgia for me, but I am still really enjoying this game. I played it before (on an emulator), but I did not get very far.

These types of corporate magazines are especially interesting since they were internal publications that did not receive widespread public distribution. Thanks for sharing this!

If you cannot find anyone here to take them, Out of Print Archive is doing something similar, albeit with an exclusive focus on British magazines: http://www.outofprintarchive.com/FAQ.html

It has been a while since there was a "new" issue of EGM released. There are some significant gaps for 2001, so I am especially happy to see this issue. Thanks for posting it!

That cover image is so very awesome! It is definitely art.

I am still trying to get a handle on the geographic distribution of this magazine. In the earliest available issues (2001, 2002) there was a contact for Advertising Sales with a Calgary telephone number. By 2003, this was gone and the only advertising contact listed was in Toronto. Almost all of the advertising was for new game releases (Ubisoft had multiple ads in every issue) and Blockbuster -- apparently the distribution partner. There was nothing for local/regional businesses, with the exception of a single ad for Microplay (which has only a very limited retail presence outside of Ontario). Obviously this does not answer the question about how widely this title was distributed, but it supports the idea that it was largely limited to Ontario. An article referenced in the first post states that: Well, that effectively answers my distribution question. As noted, Microplay did not have a presence in Alberta, and EB Games did not open its first store in Edmonton until about 2004*. I never went to Blockbuster, so that would explain why I never saw this magazine BITD. *They took over the space from a different video game retailer. My friends and I joked about the very long time that it took to convert the premises from a video game store to a different video game store.

I am very happy to see the scans of PlayStation: The Official Magazine. I am wondering when Playstation 2 coverage effectively ceased? I am somewhat reluctant to download multiple issues that have no content that is of interest to me. I see that the PS 2 continued on the masthead through, at least, 2009, but the system was approaching the end of its commercial life at that point.

Was this a free publication like The Computer Paper? The archived website mentions that it had distribution through Blockbuster and other places, but I do not recall ever seeing it anywhere. I lived in Edmonton between 2001 and 2005, so not exactly a small town, and I was actively interested in gaming at this time so I would have picked-up a copy had I seen it anywhere. I wonder if "national" circulation meant that it had distribution in Toronto and Montreal (and maybe Ottawa).

Thank-you for the recent run of magazines that are not Nintendo Power!

I was initially confused by the title since Final Fantasy III was a Japan-only release. Then I realised that it is actually a guide for FF VI. The first game in the series that I ever played was VII on the original PlayStation, so I am more familiar with the Japanese numbering system. I have since played all of 1 through 12, except for 3 and 11.

Somewhere there exist class pictures from my time in kindergarten. All of the boys are wearing plaid pants. I would not be surprised if most of those outfits came from the local Eaton's store (and are featured in this very catalogue).

The public photocopiers at work try to "guess" the correct size of paper for a document. Invariably, the choice is A4. Of course there is no A4 paper in the machine, so it throws-up an error message and then someone has to come and manually change the settings.

My solution to unwanted games is to donate them to Goodwill -- that is where their endless inventory of sports and music games comes from. Even if they eventually get recycled/landfilled, you at least gave someone else a chance to acquire them. There is a Goodwill donation depot close to my neighbourhood, and I regularly donate books that I have read, clothing that does not fit anymore, surplus coffee mugs, etc. I spent much of Summer 2020 clearing my closets and cupboards and most of it was donated. It is a very liberating feeling. On the other hand, nobody is getting my JRPG collection -- though I would consider a trade for a light-duty pickup truck...

My desk includes: A framed photo of my Family and I A small souvenir from Paris (gifted to the previous occupant of my office; left behind when he moved on) A rock from Prince Edward Island (made from unique, red-coloured sand) On my walls are my diplomas and a large framed historic photograph from the 1950s. I usually also have a calendar showing either historic Canadian scenes or architecture/buildings.

I see that there is a cover image for EGM #237 in the database, but it is listed as "Missing". It seems that this issue was never published: https://kotaku.com/the-final-copy-of-egm-that-almost-never-was-5126035 Is there a better/more descriptive way to flag it in the database? It will be "Missing" until the end of time as no copy exists to be scanned. In the alternative, does anyone have a copy of the version that was supposedly made freely available online?

I am interested in locating Canadian content in unusual places. A website mainly devoted to television/radio has scanned a large number of vintage electronics magazines. What is relevant to this audience is that a few of these titles are Canadian. Electronics Today (ETI) Canada, for example, includes both advertisements from Canadian firms and hardware reviews for (vintage) computer equipment. This is a great source to determine what was actually available for purchase (and at what price) here in Canada. https://worldradiohistory.com/ETI_Magazine_Canada.htm I am unaware of any Canadian computer magazines for this time period, though I would be happy to learn of any.

I am a big fan of strategy games. I am currently on my Nth play through of the freeware game FreeCol (a modern remake of the Sid Meier classic Colonization). There are many different options and different strategies to try. I will play this game for several months, move onto something else -- probably an RPG -- and then cycle back to it. I have never replayed an RPG, though I still keep the games I have beaten (or tired of) in case i change my mind.