The Space Gamer was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. The magazine is no longer published, but the rights holders maintain a web presence using its final title Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer.
The Space Gamer (TSG) started out as a digest quarterly publication of the brand new Metagaming Concepts company in March 1975.[1][2]Howard M. Thompson, the owner of Metagaming and the first editor of the magazine, stated "The magazine had been planned for after our third or fourth game but circumstances demand we do it now"[3] (after their first game, Stellar Conquest). Initial issues were in a plain-paper digest format. By issue 17, it had grown to a full sizebimonthly magazine, printed on slick paper.
When Steve Jackson departed Metagaming to found his own company, he also secured the right to publish The Space Gamer from number 27 on. In the first Steve Jackson Games (SJG) issue, Howard Thompson wrote a report on Metagaming and stated "Metagaming's staff won't miss the effort. After the change in ownership, Metagaming feels comfortable with the decision; it was the right thing to do."[4] In the same issue, Steve Jackson announced, "TSG is going monthly... from [number 28 (May 1980)] on, it'll be a monthly magazine."[5] The magazine stayed with SJG for the next five years, during which it was at its most popular and influential. In 1983, the magazine was split into two separate bimonthly magazines published in alternating months: Space Gamer (losing the definite article with the split in Number 64), and Fantasy Gamer; the former concentrating entirely on science fiction, and the latter on fantasy. This arrangement lasted about a year. Fantasy Gamer ran six issues before being folded back into Space Gamer:
You see, we were churning out magazines - Space Gamer, Fantasy Gamer, Fire & Movement, and Autoduel Quarterly - at the rate of two a month!... We had to find some way to preserve what little sanity we had left. The best way to do this was to merge Space Gamer and Fantasy Gamer... As it has for the past year, Space Gamer will appear bimonthly, giving us the time to get some games done, as well.[6]
Like Metagaming before it, the effort of producing a magazine became greater than its publisher was willing to bear. The change to bi-monthly publication was not enough to allow SJG to focus on new games as they wished, and in 1985, it was announced, "We've sold Space Gamer. We'll still be heavily involved—but SJ Games won't be the publisher any longer. Giving up SG is definitely traumatic... but it gives us the time to do other things, especially GURPS".[7] The magazine had been sold to Diverse Talents, Incorporated (DTI). They initially had it as a section in their own magazine The VIP of Gaming, but it soon became a separate publication again with the previous numbering and format, but with the name Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer.[1]Space Gamer ceased publication in September 1985.[1]
Since that time, it has gone through a number of owners, all keeping the final name, but occasionally restarting the numbering. Eventually, Better Games, now renamed Space Gamer, bought the magazine, and has kept the title alive by reinventing it through the internet.
In 2010 Steve Jackson Games started republishing back issues in PDF format.[8]
Editorsedit
Metagaming
C. Ben Ostrander: #9 (Dec./Jan. 1976) – #26 (Jan./Feb. 1980)
Barry Osser & Jay Adan: Vol.II, No.1 (#86, July/Aug. 1989) – Vol.II, No.2 (#87, Oct./Nov. 1989)
Jeff Albanese & Perrin D. Tong: #83 (Oct./Nov. 1988) – #85 (Jan./Feb. 1989)
Future Combat Simulations
Jeff Albanese & Perrin D. Tong: #88 (Mar./Apr. 1990) {The majority of the articles printed in issue #88 were from works originally edited by Barry Osser prior to the demise of 3W Inc. and were not credited to him.}
Better Games
Pat Mannion: #1 (Sep./Oct. 1992) – #3 (Jan./Feb. 1993)
The Space Gamer won the 1977 Charles S. Roberts Award for Best Semiprofessional Magazine.[9]The Space Gamer was awarded the Origins Award for "Best Professional Roleplaying Magazine of 1982".[10]
Referencesedit
^ abcAshley, Michael (1 January 2007). Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980. Liverpool University Press. p. 273. ISBN978-1-84631-003-4. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
space, gamer, magazine, dedicated, subject, science, fiction, fantasy, board, games, tabletop, role, playing, games, quickly, grew, importance, important, influential, magazine, subject, matter, from, late, 1970s, through, 1980s, magazine, longer, published, r. The Space Gamer was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role playing games It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s The magazine is no longer published but the rights holders maintain a web presence using its final title Space Gamer Fantasy Gamer The Space GamerIssue 1 cover 1975CategoriesScience fiction fantasy tabletop role playing games board gamesFirst issue1975 49 years ago 1975 Final issueNumber1985 1985 96CompanyMetagaming ConceptsSteve Jackson GamesDiverse Talents Incorporated3W Inc Future Combat SimulationsBetter GamesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishWebsitewww wbr sjgames wbr com wbr spacegamer wbr ISSN0194 9977 Contents 1 History 2 Editors 3 Reviews 4 Awards 5 References 6 External linksHistory editThe Space Gamer TSG started out as a digest quarterly publication of the brand new Metagaming Concepts company in March 1975 1 2 Howard M Thompson the owner of Metagaming and the first editor of the magazine stated The magazine had been planned for after our third or fourth game but circumstances demand we do it now 3 after their first game Stellar Conquest Initial issues were in a plain paper digest format By issue 17 it had grown to a full size bimonthly magazine printed on slick paper When Steve Jackson departed Metagaming to found his own company he also secured the right to publish The Space Gamer from number 27 on In the first Steve Jackson Games SJG issue Howard Thompson wrote a report on Metagaming and stated Metagaming s staff won t miss the effort After the change in ownership Metagaming feels comfortable with the decision it was the right thing to do 4 In the same issue Steve Jackson announced TSG is going monthly from number 28 May 1980 on it ll be a monthly magazine 5 The magazine stayed with SJG for the next five years during which it was at its most popular and influential In 1983 the magazine was split into two separate bimonthly magazines published in alternating months Space Gamer losing the definite article with the split in Number 64 and Fantasy Gamer the former concentrating entirely on science fiction and the latter on fantasy This arrangement lasted about a year Fantasy Gamer ran six issues before being folded back into Space Gamer You see we were churning out magazines Space Gamer Fantasy Gamer Fire amp Movement and Autoduel Quarterly at the rate of two a month We had to find some way to preserve what little sanity we had left The best way to do this was to merge Space Gamer and Fantasy Gamer As it has for the past year Space Gamer will appear bimonthly giving us the time to get some games done as well 6 Like Metagaming before it the effort of producing a magazine became greater than its publisher was willing to bear The change to bi monthly publication was not enough to allow SJG to focus on new games as they wished and in 1985 it was announced We ve sold Space Gamer We ll still be heavily involved but SJ Games won t be the publisher any longer Giving up SG is definitely traumatic but it gives us the time to do other things especially GURPS 7 The magazine had been sold to Diverse Talents Incorporated DTI They initially had it as a section in their own magazine The VIP of Gaming but it soon became a separate publication again with the previous numbering and format but with the name Space Gamer Fantasy Gamer 1 Space Gamer ceased publication in September 1985 1 Since that time it has gone through a number of owners all keeping the final name but occasionally restarting the numbering Eventually Better Games now renamed Space Gamer bought the magazine and has kept the title alive by reinventing it through the internet In 2010 Steve Jackson Games started republishing back issues in PDF format 8 Editors editMetagaming C Ben Ostrander 9 Dec Jan 1976 26 Jan Feb 1980 Howard Thompson 1 copyright 1975 5 Mar May 1976 Steve Jackson Games Aaron Allston 52 June 1982 65 Sept Oct 1983 Also Fantasy Gamer 1 Aug Sep 1983 and co edited Number 2 Dec Jan 1984 Christopher Frink 66 Nov Dec 1983 69 May June 1984 Also Fantasy Gamer co edited 2 Dec Jan 1984 and edited 3 Feb Mar 1984 6 June July 1984 Forrest Johnson 28 May June 1980 51 May 1982 Steve Jackson 27 Mar Apr 1980 Warren Spector 70 July Aug 1984 76 Sept Oct 1985 Diverse Talents Incorporated Anne Jaffe 77 Jan Feb 1987 82 July Aug 1988 3W Inc Barry Osser amp Jay Adan Vol II No 1 86 July Aug 1989 Vol II No 2 87 Oct Nov 1989 Jeff Albanese amp Perrin D Tong 83 Oct Nov 1988 85 Jan Feb 1989 Future Combat Simulations Jeff Albanese amp Perrin D Tong 88 Mar Apr 1990 The majority of the articles printed in issue 88 were from works originally edited by Barry Osser prior to the demise of 3W Inc and were not credited to him Better Games Pat Mannion 1 Sep Oct 1992 3 Jan Feb 1993 Red Dog 4 Mar Apr 1993 8 c 1994 states 93rd Issue of Publication but was actually the 96th overall Reviews editDragon 195 July 1993 The Strategic Review 6Awards editThe Space Gamer won the 1977 Charles S Roberts Award for Best Semiprofessional Magazine 9 The Space Gamer was awarded the Origins Award for Best Professional Roleplaying Magazine of 1982 10 References edit a b c Ashley Michael 1 January 2007 Gateways to Forever The Story of the Science fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980 Liverpool University Press p 273 ISBN 978 1 84631 003 4 Retrieved 6 December 2015 Space Gamer Magazine Issue 01 Archive org 1975 Retrieved 6 December 2015 Where We re Going Howard Thompson The Space Gamer Number 1 Metagaming 1975 Metagaming Report Howard Thompson The Space Gamer Number 27 SJG March April 1980 Where We re Going Steve Jackson The Space Gamer Number 27 SJG March April 1980 Counter Intelligence Warren Spector Space Gamer Number 70 SJG July Aug 1984 Where We re Going Steve Jackson Space Gamer Number 76 SJG Sept Oct 1985 Space Gamer www sjgames com Retrieved 20 April 2020 Charles S Roberts Awards Winners 1977 Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts amp Design Archived from the original on 7 May 2008 Retrieved 16 August 2008 The 1982 Origins Awards The Game Manufacturers Association Archived from the original on 16 December 2012 External links editArchived Space Gamer Magazines on the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Space Gamer amp oldid 1215228503, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
