Amiga Concept

AKA: Amiga Concept

The May 1995 issue of French mag Amiga Concept, number sixteen, carried three coverlines. One announced an interview with David Pleasance reassuring everyone the Amiga was not dead. The second foretold a ten-page ECTS report on Amiga Concept bearding the software companies in their lairs and asking what they were doing to support the Amiga. The third and, curiously, largest was "COUP DE GUELE - A-POWER S'AMUSE A TUER L'AMIGA," or "AMIGA POWER enjoys killing the Amiga."

Inside, a two-page feature pressed the point, headed by a cartoon showing (presumably) AP's Ed holding a letter reading, "Dear AP - Please review our new game Pac-Man," and, erk, a wad of cash.

Yes, dear readers. Amiga Concept's article accused us not only of (ahem) "taking a malign pleasure" in single-handedly killing off the Amiga, but we could be bribed to give good reviews. And had a political agenda behind awarding certain games certain marks. And (oh dear) persecuted Team 17. They presented as proof our giving ATR 38%, but Super League Manager 89%. Marcus Dyson of (but not representing) Team 17 helpfully confirmed we were bribable and dishonest.

All tremendously libellous, but, being printed in a mag not based in this country, extraordinarily difficult to pursue legally. So we didn't bother. After all, Amiga Concept were clearly a little emotional over the recent collapse of Commodore (that month's editorial opens "L'AMIGA N'EST PAS MORT!") and, after exonerating the Commodore management in their probing interview with David Pleasance and the software companies in their fearless ECTS piece, what more natural when casting about for a scapegoat than to expose a computer games magazine that had harshly rubbished a crap and incompetent racing game while championing an innovative and enjoyable football management sim? We knew they liked us really, what with having read us for years, and stealing Points Of View, though forgetting to put any jokes in.

With the aid of Jonathan Palmer (polylingual jumper-wearer and friend of Steve Faragher, though that's not strictly relevant but adds local colour) and Ed Guidon (one of you, our readers, and the Frenchbloke of Champions), we therefore present the article for all to see in a literal translation; and, if you want to play along at home testing your own powers of Frenchness, the original feature.

Sadly, we do not know what became of Amiga Concept. (Possibly they're still being published as the Amiga goes from strength to strength.) Does anyone know what they made of Jonathan Anderson?