New online only RC magazine.

[biggman100]

Has anyone else heard about this? There is a new, online only, RC magazine, but, instead of a subscription, it's $6.99 an issue.

https://rcmagazinedrive.com/

 

[tudordewolf]

Doesn't seem viable to be honest... Where'd you hear about it?

That's a lot more money than I think people are willing to pay for a digital-only hobby magazine, and a lot less than it would take to pay for meaningful journalism.

Since it's a premium, paid magazine, does that mean no ads? Manufacturer ads are probably a hobby magazine's best bet at monetization, which puts the reviews under a lot of pressure to praise sponsor brands, if it doesn't wind up being a product catalog more than a magazine anyway.
At least manufacturer ads would be relevant.

At worst, it could be all AI-written "articles" based on scraping RC forums.

 

[biggman100]

Doesn't seem viable to be honest... Where'd you hear about it?

That's a lot more money than I think people are willing to pay for a digital-only hobby magazine, and a lot less than it would take to pay for meaningful journalism.

Since it's a premium, paid magazine, does that mean no ads? Manufacturer ads are probably a hobby magazine's best bet at monetization, which puts the reviews would be under a lot of pressure to praise sponsor brands, if it doesn't wind up being a product catalog more than a magazine anyway.
At least manufacturer ads would be relevant.

At worst, it's probably all AI-written "articles" based on scraping RC forums.

From the way it looks, it's a printed magazine, that you download and read. I heard about it because of a local FB RC group I belong to. One of the members downloaded it, and then was telling us about it. I personally don't see it really going anywhere.

 

[RudyF6]

I wouldn't pay $6.99 for a paper mag I can hold in my hand, and I can't stand any online "magazine" formats.
NRA magazines are all digital now. I no longer read them.

 

[Xraycer]

With all the free to view YT and online rc channels available, nowadays, why would someone pay for yet just more digitized opinions and manufacturer butt kissing?

 

[CertifiedMike]

I don't trust end user agreements and digital 'right to own' nonsense.
I don't trust that if I pay for it today, I can still access it tomorrow.
Printing a mag myself is unrealistic at best.
It would need to have vintage RCCA magic in it. I'm not sure if that exists really any more.
The preview looks like a lot of scale truck builds. Cool but not my thing.

 

[Chubaka]

With all the free to view YT and online rc channels available, nowadays, why would someone pay for yet just more digitized opinions and manufacturer butt kissing?

Besides that we got comedy here and for free as well as free medical advice. I'm good on the magazine.

 

[CrunchyM5k]

Besides that we got comedy here and for free as well as free medical advice. I'm good on the magazine.

The e magazine might come with a complimentary love potion.

 

[Doom!]

Looks really well laid out. I'm not a fan of digital mags, but the price really isn't unreasonable if you've looked at the price of hardcopy mags lately. I like hard copies because I like to have them laying around the house, where I can just pick it up and look at it over and over. Digital just doesn't give the same vibe.

 

[ahr43]

I'm probably as old school as anyone on here. Anything new, I have to be dragged kicking and screaming into accepting it. Digital content, I have to reluctantly admit, is becoming more acceptable to me than print media.

That said, probably pass on the OP's link. Rely now on a manufacturer's website or You Tube for reviews and update/mod info. Although lately am finding paywalls popping up on YT posters. Bypass those in favor of the many other articles usually found for updates and/or mods for RC. This forum, too, of course for valuable info.

As Bob DYLAN once lamented in song, "The times, they are a changing." Heck, they already have. At least regarding how to find reliable info within the RC hobby. Cheers. -AC