to be a publisher that releases a templated
set of books, one after another, that all look
the same. As a creative person, the constant
challenge to do new and exciting things is
what keeps me motivated.
‘Creating the Collector’s Edition slipcase
for the Metal Slug book was a good
example. We produced a slipcase that
played in-game sound effects, such as
“HEAVY MACHINE GUN”, when buttons on
the slipcase fascia were pressed. A book
slipcase with built-in sounds was a totally
new idea, and it’s gone down a storm!’
The licensed publications are relatively
new, and a distinct departure from the heavily
unofficial ‘Commpendiums’ that launched
the brand. ‘Working with Sega and SNK on
officially licensed books has been huge for us,’
Dyer says, ‘and me, personally, as I’ve learned
a huge amount about licensing and how thatIntelstopsend-of-life driver downloads
Anyone with vintage systems to maintain is
warned that Intel has changed its support life
cycle plans, actively removing drivers and BIOS
updates for end-of-life systems. Previously, the
company made these files available to download,
but ceased further development. Those with
Pentium 4 and earlier systems that may be
affected are advised to visit custompc.co.uk/
IntelEOL for a list of download mirrors.NEWS IN BRIEF
world works. Doing licensed books is great,
and having access to official assets is huge.
Going official isn’t always possible, but it’s
good to have both options.’
There have been other interesting projects
too, including picking up translation rights to
non-English titles that blend in with the Bitmap
Books stable. ‘Translating other publishers’
books isn’t something we do a great deal of,’ Dyer
explains. ‘We tested the water with Generation
64 [reviewed in Issue 167], which was successful,
but I much prefer to create original works.
‘Saying that, we are just about to release The
SNES Pixel Book, which was originally a German
title that Bitmap Books has localised into English.
I was seduced by the gorgeous graphic design,
and it just felt like a Bitmap Books-style title that
would fit right into our range.’
Those original works, meanwhile, seem to be
getting bigger. ‘The biggest recent project has tobeMetalSlug:TheUltimateHistory,’Dyersays.
‘Coveringsuchaniconicgameseriesinbook
formatwasalwaysgoingtobea challenge,but
whatmadeit harderwasthatallthedevelopers
areJapaneseandnon-Englishspeaking.
‘Wemanagedtointerviewa groupofthe
originalMetalSlugandex-Iremdevelopers,
whichI’mhugelyproudofbecauseit had
neverbeendonebefore.There’sa lotoffalse
informationaboutthecreationofMetalSlug
online,soit wascooltotellthetruthanddo
somemyth-busting.’
Successwasneverguaranteed,though,
especiallyinthoseearlycrowdfundeddays.
‘I honestlyhadnoidea[we’dstillbegoing],’
Dyeradmits.‘ThewayBitmapBookshas
evolvedandgrownmakesmeincredibly
proud, and I’m massively grateful to everyone
that has purchased our books and said nice
things about them. I think the more books we
publish, the better they get, and this excites
me. It drives me on to do something cool that
maybe hasn’t been seen before.’
There’s plenty still in the pipeline too
‘In early 2020, we’ll be releasing Atari
2600/7800: a Visual Compendium,
theseventhintheseries,’saysDyer.
‘We’llthenbe publishing a book on Micro
Machines, called Micro But Many, shortly
followed by a very exciting book of
unreleased games, titled The Games That
Weren’t. We’ll then end the year with a book
all about Japanese Role Playing Games
(JRPGs). Busy times ahead!’
All of Bitmap Books’ in-print publications
can be purchased at bitmapbooks.co.uk, with
prices starting at £19.99 (VAT exempt) for a
hard copy and PDF download.Dyer’s background as a designer
shines through in each layoutBitmap Books isn’t above a gimmick or two, such as
this lenticular cover