Sinclair User was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers , most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games ). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP , it was published in the UK between 1982 and 1993, and was the longest running Sinclair-based magazine. The magazine contained news, game reviews, previews, tips, help guides, columns, readers' letters, and cover-mounted game demos .
6-412: In earlier years, the magazine built up personality cults around some of its "hilariously" monikered staff, including Bill "Incorruptible" Scolding, John "Disgusting" Gilbert, Chris "Lunchbreaks" Bourne, Claire "Ligger" Edgely, Richard Price (writer of the "Gordo Greatbelly" adventure tips section), and columnist Andrew Hewson (founder of Hewson Consultants software). Under David Kelly's editorial tenure,
12-476: The Timex Sinclair name. Hewson Consultants Hewson Consultants were one of the smaller software companies which produced video games for home computers in the mid-1980s. They had a reputation for high-quality games which continually pushed the boundaries of what the computers were capable of and can be compared favourably with other ground-breaking software houses like Ultimate Play
18-592: The Game and Beyond . Fourteen of their games were awarded "Megagame" by Your Sinclair . Hewson was founded by Andrew Hewson in the early 1980s. He became interested in computers while working at the British Museum when their first machine arrived. After learning to program , Andrew wrote the programming guide book Hints and Tips for the ZX80 . Following the publication, bedroom coders began to send Andrew
24-527: The games they had programmed on cassette tape, giving Andrew the idea to publish the games. Hewson Consultants was born, and initially released games via mail order advertisements in computing magazines. Andrew was also a columnist in Sinclair User magazine throughout the 1980s. Andrew and other members of the Hewson management team went on to form 21st Century Entertainment after Hewson shut down in
30-533: The logo was used as a selling point for games, big and small. In May 1992 the former rival publication CRASH was notionally subsumed into Sinclair User but in practice this meant little more than the addition of the Crash! logo to the magazine's cover page. A short-lived spin-off known as Timex Sinclair User was also published for the American market, where versions of Sinclair computers were marketed under
36-469: The magazine began to focus more on the gaming scene, and featured more colour graphics under designer Gareth "the Mad Celt". By the time of editor Graham Taylor, the magazine included the cartoon character Kamikaze Bear, and the tone of the publication changed from a semi-serious magazine to something aimed more at children. High-quality games were indicated in reviews via the "Sinclair User Classic" award,
#855144