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Newsfield
Newsfield Publications Ltd (also known as Newsfield) was a British magazine publisher during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Newsfield Publications Ltd was founded by Roger Kean, Franco Frey and Oliver Frey in 1983. Based in Ludlow, Shropshire, Newsfield published a number of popular computer game magazines from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. This line-up was later supplemented by a number of less successful magazines covering role-playing games, film, horror and youth culture. Faced with financial difficulties, the company went bankrupt towards the end of 1991. This didn't spell the immediate end for some of their magazines though. Another magazine publisher, Europress, continued to publish Newsfield's flagship publications, Zzap!64 and Crash, for a further six months before the former was relaunched as Commodore Force and the latter sold to rival publisher EMAP and merged with Sinclair User.
Thalamus Ltd, Newsfield's sister company, was set up in 1985 to publish a number of computer games on various 8-bit and 16-bit platforms, with a slant towards the Commodore 64. Thalamus initially survived the demise of Newsfield before it too finally went bankrupt in 1993.
Roger Kean, Franco Frey and Oliver Frey operated Thalamus Publishing, an independent book publisher, until it closed in 2009.
With both Roger Kean and Oliver Frey working with Fusion Retro Books in the 2010s, the publisher negotiated with Future Publishing (who acquired the assets in the takeover of Imagine Publishing) to acquire all the trademarks and names of Newsfield. Since 2020, Fusion Retro Books has revived key titles including ZZAP!, Crash and Sega Mega Force.
Crash began life in 1983 as a software catalogue, offering reviews of games and a mail order service. The first issue of the dedicated monthly magazine was published in February 1984. Focusing exclusively on the ZX Spectrum, it was a lively, colourful magazine that soon attracted a considerable cult following. It remained in print, as a Newsfield publication, until October 1991. When Europress Impact took over publication of the magazine, it lasted for a further six months before finally being sold in 1992 to rival publisher EMAP and merged with Sinclair User. The May 1992 issue was the only merged issue published. Sinclair User ceased publication in 1993. In December 2020, Crash was relaunched as a bi-monthly publication by Fusion Retro Books. Consisting of reproductions of original covers from Oliver Frey, retrospective articles, new reviews and contributions from many of the original team.
Zzap!64 was launched in May, 1985 as the sister magazine to Crash. It focused on the C64, but later incorporated Amiga game news and reviews. Like Crash, it had a dedicated cult following amongst C64 owners, but extensive changes prompted a relaunch of the magazine, this time published by Europress Impact. Issue 91 of Zzap!64 would become issue 1 of Commodore Force, a magazine that itself lasted until March 1994.
Special issues in digital format were later made in March 2002 and July 2005, the latter celebrating the 20th anniversary of its creation and included with issue 18 of Retro Gamer. The title was revived for a series of annuals, and now continues in an A5 format, available bi-monthly via Patreon.
Hub AI
Newsfield AI simulator
(@Newsfield_simulator)
Newsfield
Newsfield Publications Ltd (also known as Newsfield) was a British magazine publisher during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Newsfield Publications Ltd was founded by Roger Kean, Franco Frey and Oliver Frey in 1983. Based in Ludlow, Shropshire, Newsfield published a number of popular computer game magazines from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. This line-up was later supplemented by a number of less successful magazines covering role-playing games, film, horror and youth culture. Faced with financial difficulties, the company went bankrupt towards the end of 1991. This didn't spell the immediate end for some of their magazines though. Another magazine publisher, Europress, continued to publish Newsfield's flagship publications, Zzap!64 and Crash, for a further six months before the former was relaunched as Commodore Force and the latter sold to rival publisher EMAP and merged with Sinclair User.
Thalamus Ltd, Newsfield's sister company, was set up in 1985 to publish a number of computer games on various 8-bit and 16-bit platforms, with a slant towards the Commodore 64. Thalamus initially survived the demise of Newsfield before it too finally went bankrupt in 1993.
Roger Kean, Franco Frey and Oliver Frey operated Thalamus Publishing, an independent book publisher, until it closed in 2009.
With both Roger Kean and Oliver Frey working with Fusion Retro Books in the 2010s, the publisher negotiated with Future Publishing (who acquired the assets in the takeover of Imagine Publishing) to acquire all the trademarks and names of Newsfield. Since 2020, Fusion Retro Books has revived key titles including ZZAP!, Crash and Sega Mega Force.
Crash began life in 1983 as a software catalogue, offering reviews of games and a mail order service. The first issue of the dedicated monthly magazine was published in February 1984. Focusing exclusively on the ZX Spectrum, it was a lively, colourful magazine that soon attracted a considerable cult following. It remained in print, as a Newsfield publication, until October 1991. When Europress Impact took over publication of the magazine, it lasted for a further six months before finally being sold in 1992 to rival publisher EMAP and merged with Sinclair User. The May 1992 issue was the only merged issue published. Sinclair User ceased publication in 1993. In December 2020, Crash was relaunched as a bi-monthly publication by Fusion Retro Books. Consisting of reproductions of original covers from Oliver Frey, retrospective articles, new reviews and contributions from many of the original team.
Zzap!64 was launched in May, 1985 as the sister magazine to Crash. It focused on the C64, but later incorporated Amiga game news and reviews. Like Crash, it had a dedicated cult following amongst C64 owners, but extensive changes prompted a relaunch of the magazine, this time published by Europress Impact. Issue 91 of Zzap!64 would become issue 1 of Commodore Force, a magazine that itself lasted until March 1994.
Special issues in digital format were later made in March 2002 and July 2005, the latter celebrating the 20th anniversary of its creation and included with issue 18 of Retro Gamer. The title was revived for a series of annuals, and now continues in an A5 format, available bi-monthly via Patreon.