Car Action
01-18-2007, 07:12 PM
#106
Originally Posted by Soviet
Because my disdain for what racing has done to our hobby lately leaked through.
"A bunch of folks riding the gravy train until it derails." That about sums it up.
"A bunch of folks riding the gravy train until it derails." That about sums it up.
you have to at least race within a 365 day period to post on this forum
01-18-2007, 07:26 PM
#107
Originally Posted by Joel Lagace
RCCA bash #101 i get my renewal notice in the mail.... stating there best price for loyal renewing customers...... Went on line... The new subscriber price was cheaper then my renewal price was!! WFT! Im done with them.
Joel - Don't worry. Even though your Sub is up for renewal, I am sure you'll keep getting it. I kept getting Car Action magazines for almost 6 months after I had received my 3rd or so "Final reminder" that my sub was up!.
Did anyone else have a subscription to RCNitro magazine from Airage?? When that went belly-up, they traded your paid RCNitro subscription for a RCCA subscriptions. I started getting 2 RCCA mags each month.
01-18-2007, 08:04 PM
#109
Originally Posted by fpart
Im trying to be up there. We'll see. BTW that Matt Howard is the king of all hacks. Just ask Mike Ivy. He only laps people because he crashes them the first time....and breaks their car. lol!
01-18-2007, 08:15 PM
#110
Matt, Is that Mr.Ivy in your avatar? 
01-18-2007, 08:23 PM
#111
Originally Posted by TSR6
Did anyone else have a subscription to RCNitro magazine from Airage?? When that went belly-up, they traded your paid RCNitro subscription for a RCCA subscriptions. I started getting 2 RCCA mags each month.
I did find a good use for RCCA; makes very good shipping packing
01-18-2007, 08:55 PM
#112
I have to post my R/C magizine collection up here. It is about 40 magizines and 32 of those being R/C Car Action. They all seem good to me, since they cover new cars and parts. I have seen most of the how-to's twice or more, but they are always a little better each time, since they are updated because of new technology. I am the editor of my school's newspaper and when ever I look for new column/article ideas I look to Xtreme R/Cars for ideas, since they seem to relate to the masses and make people laugh. The only thing is that XRC isn't the most apropreate (chicks, chicks and more chicks), so I have to keep it away from my mom. I have just subscribed to XRC this month, so I am excited to see the next issue I get. R/C Driver is another good magizine, it just seem a little imature at some times. Bob is sometimes funny, but the R/C Platapus is just lame. RCCA is just getting worse and worse. I see more ads and more and more articles on hopped-up cars. I really don't care to see a T-Maxx or Revo hopped-up to the extreme for the upteenth time. Originally RCCA was my favorite of the three, but now XRC is WAY on top of my list. Good job XRC and RCD, keep up the good articles and work. Just don't put out the same article once a year every year like RCCA. RCCA is still good, they are just getting worse. What you have read is my opinion and ONLY my opinion.
-Steve
-Steve
01-18-2007, 09:08 PM
#113
Originally Posted by RCSteve93
I have to post my R/C magizine collection up here. It is about 40 magizines and 32 of those being R/C Car Action. They all seem good to me, since they cover new cars and parts. I have seen most of the how-to's twice or more, but they are always a little better each time, since they are updated because of new technology. I am the editor of my school's newspaper and when ever I look for new column/article ideas I look to Xtreme R/Cars for ideas, since they seem to relate to the masses and make people laugh. The only thing is that XRC isn't the most apropreate (chicks, chicks and more chicks), so I have to keep it away from my mom. I have just subscribed to XRC this month, so I am excited to see the next issue I get. R/C Driver is another good magizine, it just seem a little imature at some times. Bob is sometimes funny, but the R/C Platapus is just lame. RCCA is just getting worse and worse. I see more ads and more and more articles on hopped-up cars. I really don't care to see a T-Maxx or Revo hopped-up to the extreme for the upteenth time. Originally RCCA was my favorite of the three, but now XRC is WAY on top of my list. Good job XRC and RCD, keep up the good articles and work. Just don't put out the same article once a year every year like RCCA. RCCA is still good, they are just getting worse. What you have read is my opinion and ONLY my opinion.
-Steve
-Steve
We plan on repeating "how to break in an engine" every year. But things like that are something you can skip.
And we (XRC) don't have all these "chicks" you say. We maybe MAYBE have 2-4 pictures of a model for professor or some other opening of an article a month.
Tell you mom you can either look at men or women...which would I rather have my son looking at?
01-18-2007, 09:32 PM
#114
Niche markets (like R/C racing) have found a home on the Internet when it comes to quality coverage and reporting in the form of blogs. Companies have made big business out of supporting those kinds of markets, like Gawker Media and Weblogs, Inc. It seems like there's a great opportunity for a professional blog that covers R/C racing, and R/C news that's of interest to racers. And since the cost and overhead of maintaining a site is MUCH lower than dead tree, you don't have to worry quite so much about filling ad space, or writing enough articles to fill a magazine.
Between advertising, and possibly "pay as you play" access to topical content, or even a subscription service, it seems reasonable that you could make a nice little business out of it.
I'd pay $5 for a timely feed of information, pictures and videos (not live, but quality videos of races uploaded within an hour or two of the event) for any particular event. You get a few hundred people doing that, and you're set. In the meantime, provide free news and reviews of products to keep people coming back.
Of course, I have no idea about the politics behind taking pictures and videos at an event for profit, and there's probably plenty, so it may be a little more involved than just showing up, but there sure seems to be a need for this sort of thing.
Between advertising, and possibly "pay as you play" access to topical content, or even a subscription service, it seems reasonable that you could make a nice little business out of it.
I'd pay $5 for a timely feed of information, pictures and videos (not live, but quality videos of races uploaded within an hour or two of the event) for any particular event. You get a few hundred people doing that, and you're set. In the meantime, provide free news and reviews of products to keep people coming back.
Of course, I have no idea about the politics behind taking pictures and videos at an event for profit, and there's probably plenty, so it may be a little more involved than just showing up, but there sure seems to be a need for this sort of thing.
01-18-2007, 09:42 PM
#115
Originally Posted by DerekB
I addressed why this "Certain Magazine" did that very thing in the shootout. Because where do you stop with adding in parts to make it better? Should we have swapped out the chassis on other cars because somebody won a race?
I decided that what comes in the box, and some simple tuning options would be the best bet for that shoot out...and when a magazine does shootouts and shows the advantage of having something in the box, racers win. If I was a kit manufacturer and saw kits are tested with what's in the box...I'd include both. So our "bitching" that a kit doesn't include certain parts, or in some cases like a Tamiya didn't even offer parts to switch without buying 3 different kit parts, YOU win.
But what most racers tend to forget is that they work on 1 car, and tuning 5, let alone 13 is a nightmare and very difficult. To get things "equal" never really will happen.
But just to let you know about the shootout...the TC3 which was a diff car, one the shaft, and the XRAY won over all. And looking back to who won what and what was good for the average racer was our "Conclusion" incorrect?
Also, racers rarely read magazines for content. I've used this 123 times. Michael Schumacher wasn't reading F1 magazine for "driving" tips, but he was aware of the importance of publications and media exposure. So many of you won't learn in any magazine that on your track moving a camber link up .001" will be better, but it does help people see the hobby and get more people racing. I know that you guys aren't putting out 65,000 copies of stuff on newsstands and shelves or getting people to race.
5% is probably a good estimate, which most of you don't seem to math out to how many people are in the hobby. Competition Plus? I read that once when I was a racer...horrible magazine. Really nothing but a minute by minute playback of the race. What you see on the internet.
Our magazine offers other things that aren't found on the internet. Good bathroom reading. We're not trying to be the end all of magazines, but a place for you to read about new stuff, laugh and remember to flush when you're done.
The JDM magazines seem okay, but can you read them? I can't and from what I see I see that since they only really are into TCs, and after about 6 months have to figure out what content they can get. So taking apart one of the 4 new cars they got is something they do.
The US is much more diverse, and it's much harder to go really, really deep into a car because next month there's 3 new TC, 4 Monster Trucks, 4 minis, and a bunch of other "hot right now" stuff that needs to be covered. IT's not easy, and anybody who thinks you can walk into Kinkos and publish a magazine...good luck. It's taken XRC 7 years to get to a good point, and in the last 5 we've double in size. That's with a staff of 7 people.
But I can say that complaining about what content you'd like to see in a publication on a random forum won't do much.
Anyway, the internet is "shutting down" print anytime soon. I for one still enjoy a magazine while on the crapper, and don't really enjoy reading online. I like forums because you can talk and solve problems, but it doesn't replace the magazine I read at all.
And so it's out there, I read forums all the time looking for what people want to see, and lots of times those things pop back into the magazine.
I decided that what comes in the box, and some simple tuning options would be the best bet for that shoot out...and when a magazine does shootouts and shows the advantage of having something in the box, racers win. If I was a kit manufacturer and saw kits are tested with what's in the box...I'd include both. So our "bitching" that a kit doesn't include certain parts, or in some cases like a Tamiya didn't even offer parts to switch without buying 3 different kit parts, YOU win.
But what most racers tend to forget is that they work on 1 car, and tuning 5, let alone 13 is a nightmare and very difficult. To get things "equal" never really will happen.
But just to let you know about the shootout...the TC3 which was a diff car, one the shaft, and the XRAY won over all. And looking back to who won what and what was good for the average racer was our "Conclusion" incorrect?
Also, racers rarely read magazines for content. I've used this 123 times. Michael Schumacher wasn't reading F1 magazine for "driving" tips, but he was aware of the importance of publications and media exposure. So many of you won't learn in any magazine that on your track moving a camber link up .001" will be better, but it does help people see the hobby and get more people racing. I know that you guys aren't putting out 65,000 copies of stuff on newsstands and shelves or getting people to race.
5% is probably a good estimate, which most of you don't seem to math out to how many people are in the hobby. Competition Plus? I read that once when I was a racer...horrible magazine. Really nothing but a minute by minute playback of the race. What you see on the internet.
Our magazine offers other things that aren't found on the internet. Good bathroom reading. We're not trying to be the end all of magazines, but a place for you to read about new stuff, laugh and remember to flush when you're done.
The JDM magazines seem okay, but can you read them? I can't and from what I see I see that since they only really are into TCs, and after about 6 months have to figure out what content they can get. So taking apart one of the 4 new cars they got is something they do.
The US is much more diverse, and it's much harder to go really, really deep into a car because next month there's 3 new TC, 4 Monster Trucks, 4 minis, and a bunch of other "hot right now" stuff that needs to be covered. IT's not easy, and anybody who thinks you can walk into Kinkos and publish a magazine...good luck. It's taken XRC 7 years to get to a good point, and in the last 5 we've double in size. That's with a staff of 7 people.
But I can say that complaining about what content you'd like to see in a publication on a random forum won't do much.
Anyway, the internet is "shutting down" print anytime soon. I for one still enjoy a magazine while on the crapper, and don't really enjoy reading online. I like forums because you can talk and solve problems, but it doesn't replace the magazine I read at all.
And so it's out there, I read forums all the time looking for what people want to see, and lots of times those things pop back into the magazine.
01-18-2007, 10:12 PM
#116
My goal in life was to be a hero...I'm complete.
I'm always here for a good magazine bashing. There are lots of things in the world that people think are easy because they see the end product. We're now at the point bloggers and kids can make better products than the rest of the world.
The internet is great, magazines also serve a purpose. Will there every be a magazine that makes ever person happy individually? Nope. Will there ever be a magazine that doesn't make the angry world of the internet happy? LOL
I head video games will just replace RC, then we can race with no work and blog the results. I think my dog just made out with my cat...
Understand that RCCA is, well supposed, to target new people and move on with life. It went down hill when I left, and now that I'm at XRC...that's gone to the dogs too. Everything is so simple when the solution is typing a few sentences.
I'm always here for a good magazine bashing. There are lots of things in the world that people think are easy because they see the end product. We're now at the point bloggers and kids can make better products than the rest of the world.
The internet is great, magazines also serve a purpose. Will there every be a magazine that makes ever person happy individually? Nope. Will there ever be a magazine that doesn't make the angry world of the internet happy? LOL
I head video games will just replace RC, then we can race with no work and blog the results. I think my dog just made out with my cat...
Understand that RCCA is, well supposed, to target new people and move on with life. It went down hill when I left, and now that I'm at XRC...that's gone to the dogs too. Everything is so simple when the solution is typing a few sentences.
01-18-2007, 10:47 PM
#117
I for one still enjoy a magazine while on the crapper, and don't really enjoy reading online. I like forums because you can talk and solve problems, but it doesn't replace the magazine I read at all.
). Admittedly, I'm ignorant to the economics of magazines but it seems to me that if you go to the expense of sending someone to cover a big race wouldn't you want to maximize your ROI by having the most extensive coverage with the most pictures? Can it really be more cost effective to limit the number of pages? Sure I can go online and see who finished where, but what I want to read about is the character of the race. What problems came up, the pranks and horseplay in the pits, new parts and set-ups guys were trying, all the small things that make each race unique and memorable. XRC has done some excellent race coverage and I would like to see it be more the Rule than the exception.
01-19-2007, 02:28 AM
#118
I have to say, I love magazines and always have. RCCA was one of my favourites since I hardly ever could find it (in the UK) and it was so much more colourful and exciting than what was here at the time.
It is harder doing this stuff for a job, than for fun. I am not a "blogger" or "kid", but I enjoy what I do right now. But to do it day in, day out, for years would be a lot harder I'm sure - So I have a lot of respect for Magazine guys, they have to work to a lot of different pressures and aren't in the habit of getting nice emails congratulating them on what they do, I wouldn't have thought.
It is harder doing this stuff for a job, than for fun. I am not a "blogger" or "kid", but I enjoy what I do right now. But to do it day in, day out, for years would be a lot harder I'm sure - So I have a lot of respect for Magazine guys, they have to work to a lot of different pressures and aren't in the habit of getting nice emails congratulating them on what they do, I wouldn't have thought.
01-19-2007, 04:54 AM
#119
Well said jimmy, as you have said RCCA was one of the best mag's when you could get it. Of late though it has gone of the boil. As it say's on the cover "The world's best selling rc car magazine" you would think it would have the resources and the people to write more interesting articles 
