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S&T Supplement Newsletter | SPI Game
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Later SPI Newsletters
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And

Networking in 1979
In mid 1979, SPI went back to their roots, launching
not one, but two new newsletters.
Newsletters were the method of circulating information in the pre-world wide
web internet days.
The first was SPIRIT, which stood for SPI Research, Information, and
Testing. The goal was to become a defacto network of "Friends of SPI." The
name SPIRIT was to evoke the feeling of a common bond between the staff of
SPI and the volunteers that frequently provided the unsung and unpaid help
that often made a world of difference for SPI projects.
The goal of the "SPIRIT Newsletter" was to create a more formal way
to keep in touch with these invaluable resources. To that end, the goal of
SPIRIT was to also make an assessment of the aid each of these volunteers
could provide, so if in need, they could be reached. The newsletter lists
these skills as Blindtesting, Research, Translating foreign documents and
OOBs, writing for MOVES, and potentially, providing out of house designs!
It was a worthy goal. Most of the material I include below are "Calls to the
SPIRIT World" for Playtesters, though in the first issue they are looking
for people to apply to be the "official" answer person and errata compiler
for various games. 
The Dawn of the Computer Age
The other newsletter hit the mail about two months later, and was an example
of SPI's foresight. Despite the fact that fewer than a million home
computers had been sold, SPI wanted to be in position to leverage their
value to wargaming.
But they are also clearly casting a call out all potential programmers who
happen to be gamers, and let them now SPI was interested seeing any game
related programs they were putting together!
One of the issues I frequently considered was how differently things would
have developed had SPI made it another year or so. Their forward thinking
would clearly have placed them in the computer gaming market. And with RAS
and the wealth of games SPI had already created, I believe SPI would have
ruled that market. I sincerely believe SPI had the talent, the insights, and
the resources to have made computer gaming a boon for SPI. And, for gamers.

Below are the links to these newsletters. I do not
have much in the way of materials on these. If you do, and want to scan
them, I would love to add them here for everyone's use! Reach me
here!
Thanks!
---Russ Gifford
Title |
About |
SPIBUS Newsletter Issue 1
Link
April 1979 Moves 44
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RAS wrote:
"SpiBus is a newsleuer designed to serve those simulation
gamers interested in microcomputer applications and those
microcomputer hobbyists who have an interest in simulations. We
intend to give SpiBus its first public exposure in the pages of
MOVES in order to interact with the audience before casting it in
its final form."
The
goal? SPIBus was to be a forum where the state of the art could be
developed. That art? The creation of game assistance programs -
(GAP) i.e., no maps or graphics. The programs would assist the
players to play the game manually.
Much of the article outlines a scope of work for these types of GAPs.
They use Stonewall and Agincourt as examples.
It
certainly appears the actual goal was to let potential programers
know SPI would be willing to purchase your effort: "In fact it is
willing to pay money to anyone who can write acceptable programs for
resale to the gaming public. "
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SPIRIT World
Newsletter 2 Link
April 1979 Moves 44
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Detailing the abilities SPI is looking for - Game testers,
Researchers, Writers, and more. Lots to cover in this issue!
|
SPIRIT News Moves45
Link
June 1979 |
Looking for testers for many of the new "time capsule" games, as
well as recruiting potential "answer men." |
SPIRIT News Moves 47
Link
Oct 1979 |
Looking for playtesters for Against Four Worlds, the soon to be
known as the GBACW series, and the "quad series for Victory in the
West!" |
SPIRIT News Moves 48
Link
Dec 1979
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This
time, it is DragonSlayer in need of testing, and the steady requests
for answer men! |
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