From D.Bradforth Entering the next millenium with the Acorn 8-bit range A few years ago, someone wrote in to Acorn Computing complaining about the lack of decent BBC games. Steve Hanson has done a sterling job with keeping the BBC software on at Superior, but that sadly appears to be all of the commercial entertainment software left available. Hopefully, the situation will now be able to change. Thanks to an arrangement with The Fourth Dimension, their entire back catalogue of BBC titles will be made available once again (primarily on disc, unless I get sufficient requests for cassette tapes). However, The Fourth Dimension will not be selling these theirselves: ProAction (a new Acorn fanzine) will be manufacturing and selling these products on behalf of The Fourth Dimension. I suppose one of the best things regarding this arrangement is that all of the prices have been reduced. Before I give you the product list, I would like to inform you of two new 'compendium' packages which I will be making available. First up, Holed Out is probably the most realistic golf game available for the Beeb, and it seems to be second on the Archie only to its successor, Virtual Golf. The BBC Holed Out Compendium will contain the original game, plus both of the extra courses discs providing you with a total of SIX courses situated all over the world. (For cassette users, there is no compendium: but the Extra Courses 1 cassette will be made available). Secondly, the White Magic compendium brings together White Magic 1 and 2 (fantasy roleplay games of a similar ilk to Gauntlet) including the designer. Unfortunately, there is no cassette option for this title because we haven't got any copies of the original issue cassettes! Please see after the price list for details of how to order. --------------------------- PRODUCT / PRICE LIST Arcade Soccer 5.25" disc £5.95 Arcade Soccer 3.5" disc £5.95 White Magic Compendium 3.5" disc £6.95 White Magic Compendium 5.25" disc £6.95 Holed Out Compendium 5.25" disc £9.95 Holed Out Compendium 3.5" disc £9.95 Holed Out Xtra Crses 1 Cassette £5.95 E-Type 5.25" disc £5.95 E-Type 3.5" disc £5.95 Nevryon 3.5" disc £5.95 Nevryon 5.25" disc £5.95 Q-Master 3.5" disc £5.95 Q-Master 5.25" disc £5.95 Inertia 3.5" disc £5.95 Inertia 5.25" disc £5.95 UIM 5.25" disc (requires SWR) £9.95 UIM 3.5" disc (requires SWR) £9.95 POSSIBLE PRODUCTS - STILL TO BE CONFIRMED The Art Studio 5.25" disc £5.95 The Art Studio NEW 3.5" disc £5.95 -------------------------- ORDERING FROM PROACTION Physically, ProAction will be based in Romford and will operate through a Post Office box. However, seeing as though my address has already been included on a past 8 Bit Software disc, I see no reason why I should not include it here again .. If you wish to order, send a cheque or postal order for the total amount, made payable to David Bradforth, to: ProAction software 40 Honiton Road Romford Essex, RM7 9AJ No telephone calls or personal callers, please! Please note that there may be a short delay in your receiving of your products but I will not cash your cheque until the goods are in the post! If you'd like the first ProAction disc, please send a pound coin plus a formatted disc - this disc features a demonstration of TimeSlip, a game, plus a review to give some opinions and a whole lot more. Remember to write on your disc what format it is - and a stamped, addressed, envelope isn't neccesary because that's what the pound will partly cover. If you've got any queries about any of the above, please write - I'll answer all letters and try and help at every opportunity. If you've got some software you would like marketted commericially, send me a copy to look at and I'll let you know how it would best succeed - if we do offer it through ProAction, you should get paid a royalty of between 15 and 20% depending on how much it costs to produce. (Don't forget 8BS - it needs to succeed!) Watch out over the next few 8BS discs for any 'surprise' announcements! David Bradforth P.S. If you have released software commercially for the Beeb which is no longer available, and you would like it released at a budget basis, please get in touch and we'll see what we can do. Of course, we'd also welcome contributions to the BBC ProAction magazine disc! (Which unfortunately are not paid for, but its a good way to get your software known - and the menu has been completely rewritten into a basic Mode 7 thing that works fine on the BBC B as well as the Master.)