MagWeb.com

Online Gaming Resource

by Rob Hamper

MagWeb is an Internet based resource for gamers of all types and genres. It is equally geared to history enthusiasts of all eras. It is a collection of publications in digital format, most of which had previously been available to the public in print. Some of these magazines are still in circulation while others are extinct.

Whatever their origin, the publications were gathered together by Russ Lockwood and the MagWeb team and made available to interested readers on a subscription basis. There are magazines such as “First Empire” and our own “The Courier” which are still in print and then there are those like “The Armchair General” which have long since passed from view. In addition there are various gaming club newsletters such as those of the HMGS branches, the ever popular Midwest Wargamers Association Newsletter (MWAN) and my eclectic favorite: the Potomac Wargamers Review.

It’s not just historical miniatures gamers that are catered to. There are issues pertaining to card games, board gaming and Matrix gaming. Sci-fi fans have “Inquisitor” and “White Knight” for their reading pleasure. Even RPG’rs have zines to look into. The range and scope of the material on MagWeb is broad enough to cover just about every enthusiasts interest. If you don’t believe me, tell me where else you could find the “Pakistan Military History Newsletter”!!

The strength of MagWeb lays in the availability of old issues that are normally beyond the reach of readers except through expensive back-issue purchases, or perhaps being lucky enough to pick up your favorite at a flea market or swap meet. The MagWeb team is filling in the gaps of old long-lost issues, but it’s a lengthy process to obtain the issues, scan and convert them and set them into a Web format.

Here is the soft underbelly of MagWeb. Those with a narrower interest might blow through relevant magazines in a short amount of time and be left wondering “what’s next?”. There is no way the staff can keep up with the voracious appetites of historical and gaming enthusiasts. I would think that readers with a wide spectrum of interest will find more value in MagWeb than say a reader whose interest lies in the “woolen underwear varieties of the medieval knights”.

What is the value of MagWeb? Well, a full year of availability costs $75, which works out to $6.25 a month. What magazine can you get at that cost let alone have it readily available your fingertips? Certainly, as MagWeb grows, that value can only get better. Shorter length subscriptions are available (as low as $10). Payment options are varied and secure, online purchasing is available.