Talk:Megazone

Hi guys, I noticed you were missing a lot of Megazones so I've scanned and uploaded some of my covers as well as obtaining other scanned covers from around the net. You've got a pretty good collection now!

I wasn't sure where to put it on the page as I'm not sure if it's of interest to you guys but I've also uploaded a super rare sega megazone issue 25 tv advert recording to youtube a few years back on youtube. Video ID & timestamp: Ej9udvlqWPA?t=2m30s (link is triggering spam filter) --Blake00 (talk)

https://retrocdn.net/Category:Megazone_scans

I wasn't too keen on listing some of the earlier issues here, because this magazine started off as a multi-format publication. It didn't become Sega-specific until a couple of years down the line -Black Squirrel (talk) 10:16, 4 May 2018 (CDT)

Oh... Well if I had known all I was going to get a no thanks I would have put that hour and all that effort into something else! I have many of the mags so yes I know it didn't become Sega only until issue 32, however it was still a Sega heavy mag before that due to being published by Sega Ozisoft (which is why there was next to no Nintendo stuff in the muti format mags), and if its full of sega stuff despite having other stuff in it & published by Sega too why get rid of it? Look at those beautiful sonic covers in the old issues, the Sonic 2 one is beauty! --Blake00 (talk)

We are always thankful for new material... he just explained you why we didn't have them ... I can't see a single word in his comment alluding to that... scanning entire magazines is sometimes boring... it takes time ... patience... our objective is to preserve the maximum we can about Sega ( and Sonic of course) ... there's lots of information in these magazines from the past... so without pressure... and if you're disposed to do it we would be thankfull ... I'm in no way trying to be offensive with you... nor trying to impose you rules ... sometimes we may feel that our work is not apreciated ... but I can assure you that it is... I guess the trick is to not think in ourselves as individuals ... but as a team... no offense ... (It's not perceptible ... but we do prefer to have just a cover than having nothing)... --Asagoth (talk) 02:36, 5 May 2018 (CDT)

Well you said thanks so I'll take that one lol. Yeah scanning mags is pretty full on so I'm can't promise that, however I did just come across a large select of scanned megazone pdfs from another website so I probably could upload them although I think they're all above your 100meg limit. As for my physical collection I only have from issue 29 onwards to the final issue 56 but I'm actively trying to get earlier copies on ebay, in fact I just bagged issue 24 with the sonic 2 cover, I always wanted that one! I've also got quite a few spares (including new & sealed ones) that I'm going to sell too so if you guys want any, do an ebay megazone search over the next few days and you'll probably see them haha. Oh and it turns out I missed another one that you guys don't have. The last EVER issue of Sega Megazone, issue 56! I've scanned it and uploaded it to your page so now with that plus the others you should have a complete record all the way back to issue 16. If I bag any pre 16 (and they appear still heavy on Sega content & published by Sega Ozisoft) I'll let ya know. I can't find a single trace of them online though, I think they must have been in the MegaComp mag days. I've got saved ebay search for that to keep an eye out. --Blake00 (talk)

Do not worry about the size limit... Sega Retro staff is able to upload them via ftp ... if one of your magazine scans exceeds the limit just let Wiki Sysop Black Squirrel know about it and he will upload it for you... as I said to you before, don't feel pressured... I know its a huge task to scan all that stuff ... but someone has to do it one day... We are not trying to compete with other wikis or websites... our aim is to preserve Sega's history and reunite all this good stuff not just for our community, but for everyone who loves Sega... is better to have this goodies in just one place than have them scattered across thousend websites and short living blogs... in fact no one will be punished for downloading our material (I can't find a better definition for "public service") ... just a tip for you... there's a button in the Talk page (the one that looks like a signature) for signing your messages... just click on it after writing and it will add your signature to your messages ...--Asagoth (talk) 04:54, 11 May 2018 (CDT)

Hi guys, Been a few years (so long I had to make a new account as the old one had been removed lol) but I'm back. I've managed to bag a super old MegaZone for my collection that I thought you guys might want to add to your online collection. It's in pretty good condition and even still has the poster! Only problem is I'm unable to identify what issue number it is as unlike later issues it doesn't seem to state the number on the cover or internally, at least not that I can find so far. It appears to be the November 1990 issue before they switched to bimonthly. I've uploaded the cover for now. If you want the whole mag I can try and scan it into a pdf at work for you (if so do you have a recommend scanning guidelines to follow or advice for me?). I've uploaded the cover to here: https://retrocdn.net/File:Megazone_AU_Nov1990.png BTW I was gonna say this years ago so I may as well say it now. I see no signature button. All I've got is save changes/shopw preview/show changes/cancel/editing help at the bottom. On other wiki sites I see at bar at the top with a sig button but not yours. --Blake00 (talk) 17/11/2019

UPDATE: Matt from the RetroGamingAus MegaZone wiki has given me this information about this issue.. "Thanks Blake – have never seen that one before. The National Library’s record on Megazone notes that their numbering dropped off after September 1990. Definitely can see it picks up on the Falcon cover #16 which is where the bimonthly run started according to NLA. The government’s record seems to assume that there was an issue number for January, but the editorial page for the Arachnophobia cover issue (Feb 91, don’t have the cover anymore but this page is on the Amiga Magazine Rack - http://amr.abime.net/issue_1840) suggests that there was no January issue. That issue is #12, so based on the existence of a December 1990 issue (which I believe would have been the first issue I had back in the day, as the Arachnophobia one was the second), it would be #10." --Blake00 (talk) 17/11/2019

Wild stuff Blaze00, I'd be super keen to read it! I'd also possibly ask @sincespacies on Twitter as he worked on the Magazine at one point. - Rlan

Already have mate. :) Been mates with Brian (sincespacies) for a few years now as he contacted me after I posted an old Sega MegaZone TV advert I recorded as a kid on youtube. This mag is so old it predates when he worked there so even he doesn't know either! It's quite a find haha! --Blake00 (talk) 17/11/2019

One of your people deleted my cover upload (stating copy on retrocdn as reason) so I've switched the link above to https://retrocdn.net/File:Megazone_AU_Nov1990.png --Blake00 (talk) 18/11/2019

I have painstakingly scanned this super rare copy of Megazone issue 10 at 400dpi which resulted in 123mb file. This place has a 100mb upload limit so I used adobe acrobat optimizer to reduce the file to 300dpi but with high quality jpgs still which dropped the file size to 79mb. I've uploaded that one here for you guys to preserve and have edited the Sega Megazone back Issue section to use the file. If you want the original bigger one it's temporarily located here: [REMOVED SORRY]. I'm not going to bother uploading this file to retrocdn as someone will probably delete it, so you guys can transfer it there if you want. --Blake00 (talk) 11/12/2019

Thank you very much... Why would we delete a magazine on Retro CDN when Retro CDN is exactly the place where we keep all magazines? ... Retro CDN works exactly like Wikimedia Commons and files from Retro CDN can be used across all our wikis... Retro CDN has an "upload large files(s)" option... you can upload it there... the process is a bit different (you will probably get lost at first... but it's not to much complicated)... I can upload it for you... but you can do it yourself ... to leave your "mark" if you prefer... --- Asagoth 2019-12-11

Nah I meant if I upload a pdf to retrocdn my copy here would be deleted again (presumably my cover.png here got deleted last time due to you both using same host) which I didn't really want to happen here again with the pdf as this the only place where I get replies, AND I can insert the file into the megazone page myself whereas over at retrocdn I can't seen to edit the megazone page and no one replies in the megazone chat. So I figured I'd just stick the pdf here and leave it up to you guys whether you want to transfer it over to their megazone page as I have no control there.

Lol its funny.. over here I can edit the megazone page but I can't have a signature timestamp (as there's no button) in chat and my files get deleted plus even my entire account gets deleted if I don't do anything for a year lol, while over at retrocdn my files don't get deleted and I have a nice signature timestamp button in chat but I'm ignored on chat and I can't edit the megazone page lol, and finally over at RetroGamingAus wiki I can't even join up to anything at all and keep having to email the admin any new megazone covers I find and he has to do all the changes himself as apparently new sign ups are not allowed lol. All you guys don't make it half difficult for new people outside of the 'wiki bubble' wanting to help do ya lol!!

Anyway rant over, I'm afraid I've removed the high quality over 100mb version of issue 10 from my one drive I linked to above as I needed the cloud space. So I'll stick it on archive . org soon as they have a really good magazine preservation service and send you guys the link to the pdf there if you still want that bigger version (although I'll try to figure out the retrocdn large file uploader as you suggest too). I notice you and retrocdn both still don't have pdfs for issues 32-36 & 38-43 so after successfully scanning + editing issue 10 and seeing how easy it is I've decided to scan 32-36 & 38-43 for you guys meaning you will have a complete collection from issue 16 onwards plus issue 10. :) Once again these will be high quality files over 100mb so I'll stick them on archive . org (& I'll try at retrocdn) and send you guys the links to each pdf should you want your own copy for here (of if you want them even more direct black squirrel will need to chuck me those ftp details). Will post here again soon when the job is completed as scanning & editing these mags takes quite some time at work lol! --Blake00 (talk) 20/12/2019

Ok... let's clarify some things... We don't delete user accounts here. However, we did switch to the Retro CDN user database a while ago, and as you created your account before that it was probably gone ... it happened with me too some time ago and in those rare cases you have to create a new account again...You don't have a signature timestamp exactly like me and the rest of the users (except Administrators and staff) because the feature is broken and needs to be fixed yet ... if you save a magazine on Retro CDN, you can edit a page here exactly as if the magazine had been saved here (got it ?) ... and if it's saved there, there's no need to have a duplicate of the magazine here... there's no conspiracy against you :) ... and thanks for the scans...--- Asagoth

You can sign a comment with four tildes (~~~~). Asagoth is right, we don't delete users except for that time we deleted every user and switched to another database. We keep all magazines on Retro CDN where they're accessible from all four Retro wikis. - Hivebrain (talk) 11:57, 20 December 2019 (EST)

lol don't worry the only time I think there's a conspiracy against me is when I'm stuck in traffic haha, I was just making a point that it never ceases to amaze me how confusing and difficult wiki sites are to use to those outside of the wiki bubble, but thank you for your help in jumping over the hurdles (& thankyou hivebrain for the >100 upload info over at retrocdn). Glad to hear that some of my issues are just bugs that hit everyone. As for the shared hosting thing I would 'get it' if I didn't hit so many road blocks lol, eg when my file got deleted here for the issue 10 cover png I did try to link the megazone page file link to the retrocdn one but just couldn't figure it out. I did originally think that maybe they share the same storage and I didn't have to put in any other web address but i got file not found so presumably 'something' special has to be put in to tell your megazone page to use the retrocdn copy. eg lets say now that we remove the issue 10 pdf here and put it on retrocdn. currently it says this on the mega page "gbackissue|mz|10|image=Megazone_Issue_10.pdf", so what would I need to put in to link it to the version on retrocdn if I put one there? When I look at the other pdf issues you guys have linked to retrocdn there's nothing special in the address fields that give it away. --Blake00 (talk) 11:38, 21 December 2019 (EST)

If you upload a file named "aaa.jpg" to either wiki, you can use it here with "[[File:aaa.jpg]]". If the same file is on both wikis, the local one takes priority (which I would then delete). No special syntax is needed to link to Retro CDN files. - Hivebrain (talk) 11:56, 21 December 2019 (EST)

Let's do it this way ... I'll do it for him ... this way Blake00 can see how it's done... ... Asagoth (talk) 12:24, 21 December 2019 (EST)Asagoth

Done...Asagoth (talk) 12:53, 21 December 2019 (EST)

Hmm.. looks like what I did. File over on retrocdn with exact same name as what's written here. No extra addresses written in, just file name.. yet it said file not found.. maybe I did something silly.. or there's a small delay. Either way no matter it's probably going to be easier if I just give you guys the archive links as Hivebrain mentioned on retrocdn that admins can do online transfers without downloading & reuploading. I've just finished last of the scans on my final day at work on christmas eve! Just gotta put the pdf's together and upload them at home in a few days from now after christmas festivities are over. The issues I've scanned will fill all your gaps in the middle of the collection (32-43). What's also cool is that I noticed you guys are keeping some of the little supplementary books here too so after some digging I managed to find mine! I found 2 of 3 you have, however I've also found 3 more not on this site (a sega megazone mortal kombat 2 cheats guide, a top 50 cheats book, and some sort of lion king mini cheats fold out booklet thingo. I also located the video file my the sega megazone tv advert I have to add to the one you have here too. So lots of goodies coming soon guys! :) Blake00 (talk) 13:06, 24 December 2019 (EST)

Copied from retrocdn chat:

>100MB uploads should work here, although I've never tried myself because of my terrible upload speed. Staff can "upload via url", so if you upload it to archive.org and provide the link, I can copy it over with that if necessary. - Hivebrain (talk) 19:26, 20 December 2019 (EST)

Hi Hivebrain, the day has finally come! Everything I promised has been uploaded to archive.org so here are the details and links below for you...

Higher res version of Issue 10:

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau10/MegaZone_AU_10.pdf

High res MegaZone Issue 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 scans that were all missing from your collection:

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau32/MegaZone_AU_32.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau33/MegaZone_AU_33.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau34/MegaZone_AU_34.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau35/MegaZone_AU_35.pdf (some cover graffiti sorry)

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau36/MegaZone_AU_36.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau38/MegaZone_AU_38.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau39/MegaZone_AU_39.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau40/MegaZone_AU_40.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau41/MegaZone_AU_41.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau42/MegaZone_AU_42.pdf

https://archive.org/download/megazoneau43/MegaZone_AU_43.pdf

More MegaZone supplement book scans missing from your collection:

https://archive.org/download/sup37hot100cheats/Sup37_Hot100Cheats.pdf

https://archive.org/download/sup43mk2guide/Sup43_MK2Guide.pdf

(this one is a super rare find as it didn't actually come with issue 48, however page 6 in issue 48 tells you to separately go and buy an uncle tobys product to get this bonus item which clearly I must have begged my mum to do back in the day haha!)

https://archive.org/download/sup48minimegazone/Sup48_MiniMegaZone.pdf

And last of all I have second Megazone TV commercial video to add to that other cool one you have in your collection. Sadly my old tape is pretty damaged but hey its better than nothing hey!:

https://archive.org/download/tvcommercialmegazone25b/TVCommercial_MegaZone25.mp4

Well that is literally everything I have that you don't have. I'm going put together a youtube video ASAP that talks about this site plus the other sites and asks people out there to help us find more issues and fill all the remaining gaps in the collection so we can properly preserve this great old magazine forever. Will let you know when that's done and hopefully it'll bring some more helpers along! Regards --Blake00 (talk) 05:30, 28 December 2019 (EST)

Task complete

Not entirely sure why that video isn't prcessing properly, but we now have 41/56 issues. Just the early ones missing now. Thank you Mr. Blake :)

Check things, reference stuff etc. -Black Squirrel (talk) 14:12, 29 December 2019 (EST)

Thanks Black Squirrel :) Yeah I can't see the new tv commercial I linked to above on either site, or do you mean the tv commercial video you already had as I noticed that's not working here anymore (is still fine over at retrocdn thankfully). Well as I mentioned earlier my final act in this little project of trying and preserve as many megazones as possible I've made a blog post and video that talks about what MegaZone is, our efforts to preserve it, our sites (gave you guys a bit of free advertising haha), and ways that people can help us find and preserve the remaining issues & other related materials. https://blakessanctum.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/sega-megazone-preservation-archive-needs-your-help/ I'm going to share it with all the Aus retro gaming internet personalities I know (Brian Since Spacies, Ausretrogamer, kotaku aus) and hopefully they'll share it around too. If you guys know any Australian retro gaming fans feel free to share it with them too! Hopefully it'll lead to some more scans coming and maybe even a complete collection preserved online one day. --Blake00 (talk) 08:46, 30 December 2019 (EST)