When did Zzap get crap?

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Author Topic:   When did Zzap get crap?

Andy posted 28-05-2001 11:47 PM GMT
Simple question; when did the superb Zzap start to go downhill? I thought it started to lose some of its magic around issue 40, and when Newsfield sold it to a different publisher it became utter dross. What do you guys reckon? Am I being too harsh? (I still want to collect scans of EVERY issue though!)
Mort posted 29-05-2001 01:11 AM GMT
ZZap became terrible at around issue 74 when it dropped the Amiga coverage and dumbed itself down to infantile level, The rot started when Gordo left back in issue 51 ie less colour/reviews(not zzaps fault)& lacklustre review policy.

Andy posted 29-05-2001 02:14 AM GMT
You're right, Gordon was the last great Zzap writer. I seem to remember that when Zzap entered its childish phase, the reviewer illustrations changed in style to match the lower tone of the mag. WHY change it at all? If it ain`t broke, don't fix it.
leet posted 29-05-2001 10:39 AM GMT
....Yes it went downhill when all the anonymous writers took over and it became just like C&VG. Still, even at its worst it was better than average.
Newsfield didnt sell ZZAP! - They went bust a few years later and Europress Impact bought the title (amongst others)
iain posted 29-05-2001 11:57 AM GMT
Actually, some of the old directors of Newsfield got funding from Europress and created Europress Impact to continue publishing some of the old Newsfield titles, ie Zzap and Crash.
So Europress didn't buy the mag as such. :)
Andy posted 29-05-2001 06:43 PM GMT
I read somewhere that Newsfield's publishers ran up huge gambling debts, which contributed to the company's downfall, Can anyone confirm or refute this? (fascinating stuff, this 'History of Zzap' business!)
Bazza posted 03-06-2001 10:53 PM GMT
I can't remember the exact last Issue I bought (I remember scanning the Issues at the local Newsagent and thinking, hmmm, reviews are a tad short, not worth buying this one). I Eventually gave up checking them out. After looking at the scanned christmas 89 edition, it looks like it was well and truely on the downward slide even by then. 84 pages for a christmas issue?

iain posted 05-06-2001 03:27 PM GMT
Yeap, that was quite a disappointment compaired to the earlier Christmas issues, there wasn't anything special about it apart from some very good games were reviewed.

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Author	Topic: When did Zzap get crap?
Andy	posted 28-05-2001 11:47 PM GMT Simple question; when did the superb Zzap start to go downhill? I thought it started to lose some of its magic around issue 40, and when Newsfield sold it to a different publisher it became utter dross. What do you guys reckon? Am I being too harsh? (I still want to collect scans of EVERY issue though!)
Mort	posted 29-05-2001 01:11 AM GMT ZZap became terrible at around issue 74 when it dropped the Amiga coverage and dumbed itself down to infantile level, The rot started when Gordo left back in issue 51 ie less colour/reviews(not zzaps fault)& lacklustre review policy.
Andy	posted 29-05-2001 02:14 AM GMT You're right, Gordon was the last great Zzap writer. I seem to remember that when Zzap entered its childish phase, the reviewer illustrations changed in style to match the lower tone of the mag. WHY change it at all? If it ain`t broke, don't fix it.
leet	posted 29-05-2001 10:39 AM GMT ....Yes it went downhill when all the anonymous writers took over and it became just like C&VG. Still, even at its worst it was better than average. Newsfield didnt sell ZZAP! - They went bust a few years later and Europress Impact bought the title (amongst others)
iain	posted 29-05-2001 11:57 AM GMT Actually, some of the old directors of Newsfield got funding from Europress and created Europress Impact to continue publishing some of the old Newsfield titles, ie Zzap and Crash. So Europress didn't buy the mag as such. :)
Andy	posted 29-05-2001 06:43 PM GMT I read somewhere that Newsfield's publishers ran up huge gambling debts, which contributed to the company's downfall, Can anyone confirm or refute this? (fascinating stuff, this 'History of Zzap' business!)
Bazza	posted 03-06-2001 10:53 PM GMT I can't remember the exact last Issue I bought (I remember scanning the Issues at the local Newsagent and thinking, hmmm, reviews are a tad short, not worth buying this one). I Eventually gave up checking them out. After looking at the scanned christmas 89 edition, it looks like it was well and truely on the downward slide even by then. 84 pages for a christmas issue?
iain	posted 05-06-2001 03:27 PM GMT Yeap, that was quite a disappointment compaired to the earlier Christmas issues, there wasn't anything special about it apart from some very good games were reviewed.