Events

Worms Creator Andy Davidson Recounts Game’s Origins to BBC

Worms Creator Andy Davidson Recounts Game's Origins to BBC

The BBC has published an interview with Andy Davidson, creator of the turn-based artillery game Worms, about how the title came to be. Davidson says he began programming the game whilst still at Bournemouth School and was 22 when it first reached shelves. He explains he chose worms as characters because they had not featured in a game before and were simple enough to animate with personality. Across all its formats and versions, Davidson says Worms has now sold around 70 million copies. via bbc.co.uk

PlayStation History Book Runs to 400 Pages

PlayStation History Book Runs to 400 Pages

A newly published book, described as a 400-page celebration of PlayStation's history, has been released covering Sony's console line from its origins to the present. The piece accompanying its coverage notes that it arrives amid growing debate over physical media, digital ownership and the direction of the PlayStation brand going forward. The book joins other recent retrospectives marking three decades of the platform. via console-classics.com

Japan Amusement Expo 2026 Preview Published by Arcade Heroes

Japan Amusement Expo 2026 Preview Published by Arcade Heroes

Arcade Heroes has published a preview piece covering Japan Amusement Expo 2026, the country's major arcade trade show previously known as JAEPO. The article notes that the event again falls in November, close to IAAPA 2026, which the site says has created scheduling difficulties for attendees wanting to cover both shows. Amusement Expo has run under its current name for the past few years as Japan's largest arcade industry gathering. via arcadeheroes.com

Golden Age Magazine Kickstarter Launched by Jaz Rignall

Golden Age Magazine Kickstarter Launched by Jaz Rignall

A Kickstarter campaign has gone live for Golden Age, a new print publication from Jaz Rignall, described as a successor to classic magazines Mean Machines and Computer and Video Games. Rignall writes that he launched and ran a string of best-selling publications during the 1980s and 1990s, including Zzap!64, CVG, Mean Machines, and the official Sega and Nintendo magazines. Golden Age is positioned as a continuation of that style of games journalism for a modern audience. via timeextension.com

Golden Age Magazine Links Itself to CVG, ZZAP! 64 Team

A new print publication called Golden Age is being promoted as coming from the makers of three well-known British games magazines: Mean Machines, Computer and Video Games (CVG), and ZZAP! 64. These titles were prominent fixtures of UK games journalism in the 1980s and 1990s, covering Nintendo and Sega consoles, home computers generally, and Commodore 64 software respectively. Golden Age is positioned as a new venture focused on classic video gaming, following earlier teases of its launch. via kickstarter.com

Tim Stamper Asks Fans What ‘Vault’ Reveal They Want First

Tim Stamper Asks Fans What 'Vault' Reveal They Want First

Tim Stamper, co-founder of Rare and Ultimate Play The Game, has followed up his earlier cryptic social media tease by directly asking fans what they would like him to reveal first. His post name-checks several possibilities, including Conker, Ultimate, an unnamed project called Dream, and Zelda, continuing the "vault" imagery and key motif from his initial post. The update states that Stamper plans to reveal more via YouTube. Stamper had been absent from social media for more than three years before this sudden reappearance. via timeextension.com

LEO Computer’s 75th Anniversary to Be Marked by CCH Event

The Centre for Computing History and the LEO Computers Society are holding an event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of LEO, the Lyons Electronic Office, described as the world's first business computer. LEO was built by the J. Lyons and Co. catering firm in Britain, adapting early computer research to run business applications such as payroll and inventory. The anniversary event brings together the preservation society dedicated to LEO's history with the computing museum hosting the celebration. via computinghistory.org.uk

Computer and Video Games Magazine Marks 45th Anniversary

Computer and Video Games magazine, whose first issue appeared in November 1981, is being marked as having reached its 45th anniversary this month. Veteran games journalist Julian Rignall has noted on BlueSky that it was the first monthly computer game magazine. The publication is remembered for its cross platform coverage, type in program listings and features such as The Bug Hunters comic strip, and remains a reference point for enthusiasts who grew up reading it during the home computer era. via reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro

Julian Rignall Teases New Retro Magazine Golden Age

Julian Rignall Teases New Retro Magazine Golden Age

Veteran games journalist Julian Rignall has teased the launch of a new publication called Golden Age, dedicated to last-century video gaming. The announcement came via his social media account, where he indicated the magazine would be launching soon, with a specific reveal time mentioned for Thursday. Rignall is well known for his long career in games journalism, including his work on magazines such as Zzap!64 and Mean Machines. via bsky.app

ZX Spectrum Book Kickstarter Raises £112,000 in Pledges

ZX Spectrum Book Kickstarter Raises £112,000 in Pledges

Publisher Golden Slumbers Ltd. has announced that its upcoming Kickstarter campaign for a new ZX Spectrum anniversary book has already attracted £112,000 in pledges. The book, titled "The Rubber-Keyed Wonder", is written by gaming historian Kim Justice and serves as a companion piece to the 2024 documentary of the same name, produced by Gracious Films and directed by Anthony and Nicola Caulfield. It is timed to celebrate the ZX Spectrum's 45th anniversary, with the crowdfunding campaign set to launch on October 1. The Spectrum, released by Sinclair Research in 1982, remains one of the most influential home computers in British gaming history. via timeextension.com

Nagoshi Studio Shuts Down, GANG OF DRAGON Likely Dead

Nagoshi Studio Shuts Down, GANG OF DRAGON Likely Dead

Nagoshi Studio, the Tokyo-based developer founded by Yakuza and Super Monkey Ball creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, has officially been dissolved. A notice in Japan's government gazette Kanpo states the studio was dissolved through a shareholders' resolution on October 31, with the filing published November 2. The studio was established in November 2021 under NetEase Games. Its closure casts doubt over the future of GANG OF DRAGON, a game it had announced, which now seems unlikely to ever release. via segabits.com