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Posts Tagged ‘Mega Drive/Genesis: A Visual Compendium’

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.

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