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Posts Tagged ‘Bitmap Books’

Bitmap Books’s Mega Drive/Genesis Visual Compendium Book Cancelled Due to Pressure from SEGA

Monday, January 9th, 2023

Previously scheduled to release in July 2022, Bitmap Books have sadly had to cancel the release of their The Unofficial MD/Gen: A Visual Compendium book after SEGA have threatened the publisher with legal action.

Creative director Sam Dyer has issued a statement that says the company cannot risk potential legal action by releasing the book as the company cannot afford the costs as a small business. SEGA are reportedly not negotiating with the company despite them previously giving Bitmap Books their official stamp of approval for their Master System: A Visual Compendium book from 2019.

The move is a strange one from SEGA who have largely ignored unofficial publications based on their intellectual properties in the past. Dedicated SEGA fanzines like SEGA Powered continue to see publication without SEGA’s approval alongside Hardcore Gaming 101’s excellent SEGA Arcade Classics books.

Bitmap Books are looking for a way to release the PDF of the completed book for free so fingers crossed all the work done for The Unofficial MD/Gen: A Visual Compendium book doesn’t go to waste. This entire situation is a massive loss for video game preservation as history books like these become important archival documents for generations to come. SEGADriven send our condolences to Bitmap Books and the plethora of writers involved in this now cancelled publication.

[Source: Bitmap Books]

Mega Drive/Genesis: A Visual Compendium 600 Page Book Releasing in July 2022 | Merchandise

Thursday, February 10th, 2022

Video game book publisher Bitmap Books is back with another entry in their ‘Visual Compendium’ series with the release of Mega Drive/Genesis: A Visual Compendium on the 1st of July 2022. This follows on from the publisher’s 2019 book SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium which was officially licensed by SEGA. Interestingly, Mega Drive/Genesis: A Visual Compendium is not officially licensed by SEGA.

Mega Drive/Genesis: A Visual Compendium will feature articles on 250 games released for the Mega Drive as well as select 32X and Mega-CD games. The book will feature a foreward by former SEGA America CEO Tom Kalinske alongside interviews with Ryuichi Nishizawa of Wonder Boy fame, Lode Coen from Digital Pictures, Tom Kalinske, Randy Breen of Road Rash fame and David Perry of Earthworm Jim fame. The book will also feature contributions from Ed Annunziata, Mike Diver, Kurt Kalata, Hideo Kojima, Yuzo Koshiro, Henk Nieborg, Naoto Ohshima, Ken Sugimori, Yu Suzuki, Tony Takoushi and many more. The book is close to 600 pages long.

Orders will open for Mega Drive/Genesis: A Visual Compendium on the 1st of July 2022. Click here to be taken to the book listing on the Bitmap Books online store. If you’re interested in this latest publication from Bitmap Books, head on over to our review of SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium from July 2019 for a good idea of what to expect with this book.

Review – SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium from Bitmap Books

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

Bitmap Books’ Visual Compendium series are some of the most beautifully presented books about video games out there, and with their 6th entry in the series the team are focussing their sights on SEGA’s 8 bit powerhouse, the Master System. SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium is a hefty, 432 page slab of nostalgia that highlights a strong portion of the Master System software library.

Click here to read our full review of SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium. You can also view the entry on this book in our SEGA Book Catalogue by clicking here or you can browse the complete list of our features by clicking here.

Kickstarter Campaign Now Live for Bitmap Books’ SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium | Merchandise

Monday, July 2nd, 2018

Sam Dyer and Bitmap Books have returned to Kickstarter to crowdfund a new visual compendium, but this time around it’s the publisher’s first foray into a SEGA system. Bitmap Books are now seeking funding to help create SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium. The book will be officially licensed by SEGA.

As with previous books in the series, the SEGA Master System compendium will feature large features and interviews with a range of developers and artists, as well as double-page spreads on specific games with accompanying text.

Bitmap Books are looking to crowdfund £50,000 to create and produce the SEGA Master System compendium, and the Kickstarter campaign will be running until the 31st of July. There are various bonus items you can get in the various Kickstarter tiers, so why not head over the Kickstarter page right now and have a look?

Each physical book also comes with a custom bookmark and a set of anaglyph 3D glasses which can be used in conjunction with certain pages that are printed to make use of the 3D glasses; a nice little nod to the Master System’s own 3-D Glasses.

[Source: SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium Kickstarter]

“SEGA Master System: a visual compendium” on the way from Bitmap Books, Kickstarter Launches May 7th

Sunday, March 25th, 2018

The latest in Bitmap Books’ acclaimed Visual Compendium series is on the way – and it’ll centre on SEGA’s 8-bit machine, the SEGA Master System.

Bitmap’s previous works have included visual compendiums for the Super Nintendo and Commodore 64, as well as artbooks centered on arcade games and an upcoming collection of NeoGeo visuals. Apparently, SEGA are actually involved with this book – making it the first somewhat official entry in the series. There’ll be a Kickstarter campaign to get the book made, starting May 7th.

The Master System was a surprisingly strong contender in the UK, so we’re always happy to see it get some love. It’ll be interesting to see how the book explores SEGA’s unique alternatives to Nintendo’s output – as well as if it’ll delve into the system’s staggering popularity in Brazil.

[Source: ComicBook/wwg ]

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