This isn't the type of news that we like covering here at Retro Dodo, but we want to share with you a magazine that we thoroughly enjoy seeing in the community, and to unfortunately announce that it's the last time to snag it. You may be aware of GB Studio; it has been a remarkable tool, used by many GAME BOY game developers over the years, and has helped bring to life some incredible video games still to this day thanks to its simplicity and useful drag-and-drop features that enable the less technical to have fun making retro games without using AI and/or infringing copyright.
The genius behind this piece of software also created a niche magazine called GB Studio Magazine, which originally launched in mid-2023 and has been consumed by many for years. Heck, we even put an ad in it for our sister-brand GAMENOOK in the last issue and have a few of their issues around our office that we like scanning through in order to keep updated with the GAME BOY community.
This news comes after some changes at GB Studio regarding a leading member of staff leaving for different opportunities, making the production of the magazine even harder and less compensated for the rest of them. And that's what it comes down to: it's simply not a viable product to sustain a small team of enthusiasts at this moment in time, and therefore, they are making one last issue, known as Volume 11, that will ship at the end of the year while they either stop entirely or reconsider how they make this a profitable and enjoyable project to produce for the community.
" Our core team is more than capable of maintaining operations, but it will take time to figure out what that looks like and who will take on these responsibilities. While we do have some revenue from our magazine and site ads, the reality is the majority of folks in our team volunteer their time to keep this site going, with minimal compensation. Managing it all is a big undertaking, so finding a replacement is no simple task", states Emi.
"We know that this announcement will disappoint some folks, but we’re also making this final issue a special one. The content will be both a celebration of what has been accomplished with GB Studio and the Magazine, and a look to the future. Most of the content will be exclusive, not seen on our site or anywhere else, including an in-depth interview with the creator of GB Studio, Chris Maltby. We’re also including a subscriber bonus – a fold-in poster of the cover (two-sided with our first issue’s cover on the back), just like our favourite magazines did in the past", so it looks like they're going all out on the last issue.
You can support them and experience this awesome niche magazine by visiting GB Studio Central's official website, where you can grab a copy for $15. From what I am aware, this will be the last issue, and other issues will be reduced in price in 2027 to sell their back catalogue of units they have. It's truly a great magazine, hyper-niche and unlocks the inner child in you in a way that the physical guides and magazines did back in the day, featuring unique work, art and opinions from the GAME BOY community.
It's sad to see physical magazines like this come to a halt, especially when, you may disagree here, in a time when the GAME BOY scene feels so incredibly busy. Magazines are becoming rarer and rarer ways to consume media, but I have a funny feeling this won't be the last time we see some of their work, or their skills being put to work in the magazine space!
