In a time before the internet gamers had to rely on magazines to get their news and information about either what games were coming out or how to beat a certain level. My first magazine was Electronic Games (which later became EGM) and it was an amazing time to read about my favorite games. Now someone is trying to bring that back with a new project on Kickstarter. Recently I had a chance to talk to the founder of From Gamers and they had this to say.
TR: Please tell me about yourself.
AS: My name is Andrew Smith and I am the creator of From Gamers, a new print gaming magazine. I’ve been around the gaming industry for a few years now and decided it was time to do my part to help bring back some form of physical games media.
TR: How long have you been playing games?
AS: I’ve been playing games my whole life. I’m currently 23 years old, so my fondest memories are playing on my GameCube and Nintendo DS with my friends and family. I grew up on Mario, basically!
TR: Have you written for any of the gaming websites?
AS: I have written for a handful of different gaming websites over the years. I started out writing at a small site called Sick Critic when I was a sophomore in college. From there I landed a regular gig at Game Revolution writing news and guides. This led to opportunities to work regularly with IGN as a freelancer on the news and guides team. I’ve also worked with Prima Games, GameSpot, Polygon, and a few others!
TR: Then you started your own website. Tell us about Guide Fall.
AS: A lot of the work I did as a freelancer revolved around guides, so in 2019 I decided I wanted to launch my own game guides website. I knew very little about running a website but knew how to write good content. So in August 2019 Guide Fall was born and is continuing to grow! Currently, it averages around 250,000+ visitors a month and is continually increasing!
TR: Now you have a project on Kickstarter. Tell us about From Gamers.
AS: Just as Guide Fall was getting up and running, there was a big shift in the gaming industry of digital products becoming more and more popular. There’s nothing wrong with digital products, but I’ve always had a love for physical media. I like to display all of my games, magazines, and game memorabilia around in my office, so to see a lot of magazines and memorabilia ceasing to exist was a real bummer to me. So, eventually, I decided I’d create something of my own that I could proudly display and share with like-minded gamers. Thus From Gamers Magazine was born!
TR: What is going to set this magazine apart from others that are out there?
AS: The unique thing about From Gamers is that we don’t really have a regular team of “staff writers’ like traditional magazines of the past. Anyone is welcome to submit a pitch and be paid to have their work featured in an issue. The whole idea is that the magazine is written ‘from gamers’ just like you and me!
TR: You have some rewards on this kickstarter. What are some of the content that gamers can unlock?
AS: We have a couple of different options available on our Kickstarter. Whether you just want to check out our content or want a magazine to arrive in your mailbox, there’s something for you. For just $6 you can get both Issue 1 and 2 digitally at release. For a $20+ donation, you can get a physical copy of both Issue 1 and 2 mailed directly to your door. And for $30+ you can get a digital or physical print of our cover art to display! Oh, and everyone who backs us will receive a shoutout by name in both Issue 1 and 2!
TR: How many issues are going to be released for this project?
AS: Currently, we are starting with two issues in 2021. The first will be released in May 2021 and the following will be released before the end of the year. We are kicking around a few different ideas for 2022 and will have more on that at a later date!
TR: If this project does well do you see yourself being able to walk into a bookstore and pick up a copy of the magazine?
AS: That would be awesome! However, for now, our focus is building up a base of readers and a quality magazine!
TR: If you could work with anyone in the gaming industry who would it be and why?
AS: Great question! Probably Tom Kalinske of SEGA of America. A while back I read Blake Harris’ Console Wars and was fascinated with his story about how Tom and the team at SEGA almost dethroned Nintendo in the late ’90s. I’d love to sit down and chat with him and hear his story with my own ears.
TR: What would be a dream project you would love to work on?
AS: Honestly, what I’m doing now is exactly what I’ve dreamed of doing. I’m so proud to be able to work with an awesome team of writers at Guide Fall and the idea of launching From Gamers gets me excited every single day!
TR: Anything else you’d like to add?
AS: I truly appreciate your willingness to support From Gamer! If you’d like to know more about the project or want to reserve a copy of Issue 1 and 2, you can do so here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andrewsmithgaming/from-gamers-magazine-a-new-video-game-print-magazine. Additionally, if you’d like to submit a pitch for Issue 1 of From Gamers.
If you love gaming magazines and want a chance to have your work published then you need to check out From Gamers. Check out the link above to fund them on Kickstarter and who knows you might have your work featured within the pages of that magazine!
