REBECCA RICHARDS

ON SUBBING RETRO GAMER

WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING ON RETRO GAMER?

Unlike some of the other magazines I worked on, there was a consistently engaged and always-growing community of retro fans, some of whom would directly contribute to the magazine. So despite being a commercial product, it never really felt like one; we were always able to publish much more freely based on what we were interested in because almost none of it was based on any kind of external schedule like industry events or new releases.

HOW DID RETRO GAMER COMPARE TO OTHER MAGS YOU PROOFED?

Considerably lengthier! In terms of pure content density and word count, RG has always been a titan. Other magazines would have features usually running between four and eight pages, while RG could easily go up to 16, 18, 20 pages… Still, deep-diving into proofreading and fact-checking for a Retro Gamer article was always a fun time; even for games I was familiar with, there was always new information to read about.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF ARTICLE TO READ?

I think probably Making Ofs for their unique perspectives. The amount of passion that developers have for their work and the insight they have from behind the scenes, no matter how many years later, is always an interesting read. There is a timelessness to a Retro Gamer issue – I can pick up any issue of RG even now, years later, and enjoy reading it through pretty much cover to cover.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ANECDOTE FROM BEING ON THE MAG?

What comes to mind is the internal debate with RG 137 with the decision of whether or not to put the original Playstation on the cover. I remember it feeling wild to me; “retro games” were games from my dad’s childhood, not mine! It was definitely the right call; there are still so many people who want to keep reading about and engaging with their favourite games, tech and consoles, even as the mainstream moves on. It’s no bad thing to bring more enthusiasts into the retro-gaming world.