Celebrating a decade of gaming

A decade ago this month, when Tom Hanks was trying to save Private Ryan, a small team of computer and gaming geeks fought their own war: a war to establish a locally produced computer and gaming magazine – New Age Gaming, later to be renamed NAG. This tenth anniversary of publishing coincides with the resignation of editor James Francis.

One of the longest-serving NAG journalists, Francis has decided to call it a day and pursue other career options. He will be replaced by Michael James. In addition, resident hardware guru Toby Hudon has also decided to leave to return to the US.

NAG was first published in 1998, and due to budgetary constraints, possibly wasn't the best-looking magazine on the market at that time. However, it hit the right cords from the start, and gamers and computer enthusiasts soon started taking note of this newcomer. And the rest, as they say, is history. Ten years of it.

To celebrate NAG's ten-year anniversary, Tide Media has packaged the title in a box and printed a special collector's edition cover. There is also a R50 discount voucher inside from Incredible Connection which can be redeemed when buying your next game.

Packed with features, reviews, previews and some other proudly South African goodness, the magazine also has a twenty-two-page ‘Looking Back at a Decade of Gaming' feature written by six heavyweight writers, reflecting on the changes in computer components and peripherals, the rise of game consoles, and the massive industry spawned by videogames.

There has also been an increase in circulation – 29 000 copies per month are now being printed – and the latest copy may be bought at Woolworths, Dion Wired and Pick n Pay stores nationwide.

The April 2008 birthday issue of NAG went on sale last week.