Airsoft International

[Arnie]

I've not read or seen a copy of issue two, so have no idea what's in it (past what I wrote) so can't comment much specifically. The magazine is most likely written to appeal to a broad range of users, not just the knowledgeable so I can see why some reviews and material might be considered a bit beneath some.

 

I've written 8 page reviews of a product before in my time, and then people have emailed me asking how the put BBs in the magazine.. it's very hard to cater for the "average person".

 

Regards the news.. well it's hard to write because it all have to be typed up well before it goes to print, and also I did try to cover what's gone on inbetween issues. It's not paid work, but I do my best in the free time to write it up as well as I can in the time I've got. It's frustrating as interesting news always happens after I've done my submission, but that's the way things go. I'd have liked to include news from the Hobby Show, but that only happened recently.

 

Personally speaking I know how hard it is to put material in print as opposed to html/online. By the time you've spell checked the lot, proof read it, them gone through the publication process it's out of date (compared to the internet) and you've already found a gazillion things you'd have liked to include. Magazines do tend to reach places where computers don't though, and there's a lot of people that don't have a regular connection and aren't informed about what's going on in the world.

 

As the magazine develops (and ultimately goes monthly at some point I'd guess) I'd expect the material to get more up to date as their production cycle will be much shorter.

 

Personally I think we're a long way off producing someting like an English version of ARMS or Combat in this country, as it takes a lot of money to get that all going. With respect to pictures of women/girls... have you guys ever looked in the back of ARMS mag? There's 8 pages or so in the back that are just dedicated to a glamour/fashion shoot with the cover model. It's not tasteless and I wouldn't buy it just for that, but I don't think it detracts from the quality of their product.

[Cruiser1068]

I've not read or seen a copy of issue two, so have no idea what's in it (past what I wrote) so can't comment much specifically. The magazine is most likely written to appeal to a broad range of users, not just the knowledgeable so I can see why some reviews and material might be considered a bit beneath some.

 

I've written 8 page reviews of a product before in my time, and then people have emailed me asking how the put BBs in the magazine.. it's very hard to cater for the "average person".

 

Regards the news.. well it's hard to write because it all have to be typed up well before it goes to print, and also I did try to cover what's gone on inbetween issues. It's not paid work, but I do my best in the free time to write it up as well as I can in the time I've got. It's frustrating as interesting news always happens after I've done my submission, but that's the way things go. I'd have liked to include news from the Hobby Show, but that only happened recently.

 

Personally speaking I know how hard it is to put material in print as opposed to html/online. By the time you've spell checked the lot, proof read it, them gone through the publication process it's out of date (compared to the internet) and you've already found a gazillion things you'd have liked to include. Magazines do tend to reach places where computers don't though, and there's a lot of people that don't have a regular connection and aren't informed about what's going on in the world.

 

As the magazine develops (and ultimately goes monthly at some point I'd guess) I'd expect the material to get more up to date as their production cycle will be much shorter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The voice of sanity......

[Arnie]

Also.. if you've got a copy of the issue and have read it, stick your thoughts on here:

 

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/reviewpost/...php?product=180

 

I'll ad issue 1 in there in a second too. Might as well use the system for what it's for

[FarEast]

I agree with Tank Buster here, Plug advertisers is never a good idea, as it makes the magazine a biased source of information, Has anyone here visited the site "Toms Hardware" ? It's a PC related site and it sounds like AI is in the same realms an beginner to the IT world will read the reviews and thinks "great im off for one of those!" while the seasoned IT person will read the reviews and smell the BS. This is what seems to be whats going to happen with AI.

 

They give good reviews in the hope of more articles in the future, readers read the reviews and either know different or seek a second opinion (Most people spending money on a hobby do...see these forums) In the meantime AI gets more kit and does the same, those in the know move on and dump the magazine thus killing thier reputation plus any future revenue.

 

Having written both as a staff writer and freelance, including several IT/Game magazines, BBC news and other News sites I offered my services to AI as i thought the same, fledgling company that could be a positive influence in the Airsoft community and outside of it too, yet the magazine was not happy withnsome of my requests and we parted are seperate ways, Kind of stupid to say I live in Japan go to the trade shows and write articles here.... if i had know about the games review promises I could have set them up with every major publisher in Europe and Asia that way they wwould have had news, reviews and images 3 months prior to most........ basicly its amature hour.

[Maple-Leaf]

Well said indeed Arnie... Trouble is, there's lots of "hobbyists" in this country who love to slag off and character-assinate anybody who tries to do anything constructive - just becuase they think they know better (or know it all).

 

I wonder how many of you desk-bound, chair-borne rangers out there have ever tried to write a regular newsletter? Its damn hard - its even harder to write or be editor of a full-fledged magazine.

 

How many of you are professional editors, or journalists, or marketers, or ahve ever tried to launch and run your own business????

 

I'm sure this will come as a surprise to all you "experts" out there, but all magazines need paying advertisers in order to survive - they never make enough money from subscriptions. And you have to build up a solid base of readers and advertisers before you will be big enough for the distributors to take on your publication - oh and guess what, they expect to paid for that as well...

 

Sure, if Paul had stayed with the original publishers we'd have had issue 1 earlier, and we'd have had issue 2 on-time as well probably. But I know from talking to him that they also would have taken far tighter control of the content as well and we would have ended up with a magazine that mostly appealed to knuckle-dragging, toss-pot, chav neanderthals.

 

So I'm willing to put up with the extra amount of advertising from AW for the time being (let's see the other retailers put their money where their mouth is and buy some space too then!). I'm also willing to put up with naff "Young Guns" and "Fem side" articles for the time being as well. In time, I'm sure they'll get their house in order and the quality will improve.

 

Best way to ensure that it does is to support the guys and offer them some constructive feedback about what would be better - not just shooting your mouthes off about what "sucks".

[xRAZERx]

So I'm willing to put up with the extra amount of advertising from AW for the time being (let's see the other retailers put their money where their mouth is and buy some space too then!).  I'm also willing to put up with naff "Young Guns" and "Fem side" articles for the time being as well.  In time, I'm sure they'll get their house in order and the quality will improve.

 

Best way to ensure that it does is to support the guys and offer them some constructive feedback about what would be better - not just shooting your mouthes off about what "sucks".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Well sadly I'm not, when i buy a magazine to do with my other hobby the adverts are subtle and I don't feel like the whole thing is one big marketing campaign for one advertiser.

 

If the AI people read this thread they can see where they are going wrong and then maybe they will correct it.

 

However this is my review and my opinion and I will no change my mind for any reason, because airsoft is about to be banned or because it's hard work writing a magazine or whatever. Yes I'm sure it is hard work but maybe they need to look at the way they do that hard work and then find a better way of doing it.

 

I can honestly say there was one thing in the whole magazine that interested me and that was an advert.

 

I can honestly say that i have spoken to 40(ish) people about it and they agreed with me.

 

maybe we're all just "desk-bound, chair-borne rangers" (even though i hardly ever get to sit behind my desk) and maybe I'm not a magazine editor or wroter BUT I am a potential customer so my opinion should count for something....

Edited October 3, 2005 by xRAZERx

[Maple-Leaf]

Sure, you can have your opinion - but I'm not going to bother justifying your ego by replying to it anymore.

[HaVoC]

Basically, as I see it...

 

1 - The articles aren't that well written.

 

2 - I know most of it off the forums/internet sources already.

 

3 - The news is old, and always will be in a printed magazine.

 

4 - There are too many adverts.

 

That said, it's something to read on the sh*tter, and that's a good thing.

[Marlowe]

To be honest the main issue I have with AI is that it offers nothing which can't be sourced for free by coming on here or another Airsoft community website. I'm a tightarse when it comes to spending (but then what do you expect, on a teaching salary...), so unless someone can give me clear advantages in putting down the sort of money the AI publishers want for an issue, I'm not going to even consider it.

 

Whilst there is a strong issue with being able to target the right audience, I think AI's main problem is that it doesn't know what it whats its target audience to be. AI seem to operate on a pretty simplistic marketing strategy, which consists of marketing the magazine for as wide a demograph as possible. Which of course, is fine if you have sufficient material to keep every group interested, from the kiddywinks wanting to own a 'deagle and awp' through to casual softer letting off steam through to the wannabe class geardoes. But AI from what I have seen so far simply hasn't been able to achieve that.

 

After seeing Razer's copy of issue one at AG05, I have to be honest and say that found the articles to be fairly diluted, and devoid of much depth. Great, show the kiddies how to fill up a gas magazine's reservoir, but how about articles on kit guides as a weekly feature, with labelled illustrations, or maybe interviews with geardos on why they chose x gear for y outfit. I'm not even a proper geardo, and even I'd like to see more like that.

[HaVoC]

But you can't print out Arnie's news page and half the forums to read on the bog, can you?

[Cruiser1068]

so email the editor and voice your concerns....its in their interest to please everybody and new ideas are only gonna make it better in the future.

 

Whilst your comments here may get noted why depend on that?

[snowman]

But you can't print out Arnie's news page and half the forums to read on the bog, can you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Don't you have wi-fi?

 

Cheers.

[HaVoC]

*shiver*

 

You remind me of enzo100...

 

And no, I don't

[snowman]

That's alright, I don't either

 

Cheers.

[xRAZERx]

I just use my iPAQ when I go to the loo...

[FarEast]

Sure, you can have your opinion - but I'm not going to bother justifying your ego by replying to it anymore. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

And there is is in a NUT SHELL, I really hope you have nothing to do with the magazine because that attitude towards customers is disgusting (And he bought both issues, which is more that can be said for most!) shows a total disregard for your reader base, if you don't care about your readers opinions WTF are you doing writting a magazine for??? Sounds like some one is doing this just for thier Ego.

 

News in a monthly magazine should not be old...... if the guys at AI started getting the contacts with the manufactures they would have the news around 3 months before any trade show and have the media packages with images ready for print before the said public release.

[Fing]

Gosh how sad. To think, I just ordered issue one and two from Airsoft Warehouse (£4.50 each, delivered).

 

Perhaps I should have bought the current issue of FHM with Paris Hilton on the cover & airsoft article instead.

 

I find airsoft fascinating and I've only been involved in it for a month - a month mostly spent researching and buying gear.

 

The kinds of things I as a relative newbie would appreciate are things that are posted as stickies on the various forums like comparisons of different airsoft gun models (M9 berettas / glocks / 1911s / M4 / MP5 / shotgun / Snipers for example). Or candidates for best newb AEG and why. Stuff like that.

 

How to maintain and clean AEGs, GBB's and Springers.

 

What various internal and external upgrades for AEG's, GBB's and Springers are, what they do and where to buy parts to do so.

 

Who the different types of tactical equipment manufacturer are and their relative quality and cost / availability (I am a Guarder and BHI fan and I've never even been to a skirmish yet).

 

What is a good tac light (not just lumens but 'throw', quality of beam, focus, duration, ruggedness, cost, availability, rechargability, accessories). Which one of these tac lights will fit onto which GBB / AEGs?

 

The list goes on.

[HaVoC]

I just use my iPAQ when I go to the loo...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So much information, so little need for it

[Hissing_Sid]

But you can't print out Arnie's news page and half the forums to read on the bog, can you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Beaten to the punch by Havoc again!

 

Alas, this IS probably the single biggest attraction of AI. The only other thing it's good for is that some of the ad's provide you with new websites to nose around.

 

All that happens with the editorial is that you read it and use it for form a basis of opinion about the writers. Once you've done that all you do is either agree with or dismiss what they write.

 

For example, I got the impression that the guy doing the gun reviews was pretty switched-on and very methodical. I read through the gun reviews just to see if the guy was gonna say anything to make me think he was a wally. There was nothing in any of the reviews that actually suprised or informed me. Well, except why they seemed to like G&G guns so much even when they don't work.

 

On the other hand, I got the impression that the guy doing the site reviews was a bit pretentious and a poser. Consequentially, I kinda took most of what was written with a pinch of salt.

 

I guess I'm an idiot if it was the same guy but I call em as I see em.

 

I can see the point of using a magazine to attempt to attract new players but, BTH, I think the whole genre has missed the boat. In 10 years the only magazines left will be newspapers and jazz-mags.

 

I'll buy a copy of AI whenever I get the chance but I'll ALWAYS log on to Arnies to find out what's going on.

[snowman]

In 10 years the only magazines left will be newspapers and jazz-mags.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Smooooooooooth - Although I don't think you meant Jazz like that, did you?

 

Cheers.

[Cruiser1068]

I just use my iPAQ when I go to the loo...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I tend to use Andrex....find it easier on my piles

[xRAZERx]

Some of us can afford quality

[snowman]

Or have piles of iron!

 

Cheers.

[Cruiser1068]

Or  have piles of iron!

 

Cheers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have piles of ironing?

[Maple-Leaf]

And there is is in a NUT SHELL,  I really hope you have nothing to do with the magazine because that attitude towards customers is disgusting

 

Chill dude - I got nothin to do with the magazine, and my "attitiude" is not toward "customers" at all - after all, the other worthy gentleman said he wasn't going to buy anymore issues, so he's not a customer anyways.