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Commodore Free 15
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Commodore_Free_Issue_15_2008_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64
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t.iv kenz
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2023-02-26
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u
Interview with Kenz
www.binaryzone.org
Q - Please introduce yourself?
Greetings Programs! My name is Jason
'Kenz' Mackenzie & I'm the founder of
Binary Zone PD - the UKs biggest
dedicated C64 PD library which has been
running since 1990 (good lord!) I've
also been a member of various C64 demo
groups including Computer World (which
was just me & a few schoolmates),
Xentrix (the first proper group I
joined) & Cosine (which I'm still happy
to be a member of!) I'm now a crusty
36 year-old retro-twonk living up on
the beautiful Malvern Hills in the UK
with my lovely wife Natasha, a small
hairy bunny-type beastie called
Phoenix & lots of retro computers (far
too many in fact!)
Q - When was www.binaryzone.org setup?
The Binary Zone website was uploaded
onto the 'Net on November 28th 1998.
Binary Zone had relied on sending its
paper-based PD catalogues & mailshots
to its 4000+ members via Snailmail
until that time so I decided to give BZ
a web-presence as that was where every-
one else seemed to be heading. This
made it a lot easier to tell people
about new Binary Zone releases & reach
a wider audience.
Q - For readers who are not aware can
you give a brief history about Binary
Zone, when you started to the present?
Blimey, where do I start?!
Right from the beginning I guess ... I
had the idea for a PD library back in
1989 after I had bought a few PD disks
from 'Wicked PD' which was a PD library
run by famed Compunet duo Ian & Mic.
Unfortunately they stopped their PD
service in order to concentrate on
commercial game productions so I
decided to carry on where they left
off.
I had amassed quite a big collection of
demos & other C64 PD releases by this
time so I set about compiling a
catalogue. It took me about a year to
set up Binary Zone PD from the initial
idea & the PD library was officially
launched in 1990. I placed small ads
in a couple of computer mags & the
orders literally came flooding in! Over
the next fews years the PD catalog
expanded to include hundreds of disks &
I also branched out in different
directions.
I also took over the running of 'The
Guild Adventure Software' for a while,
released a few C64 games (produced by
Jon Wells, Alf Yngve & Jason Kelk) on
the 'Psytronik' software label & I also
produced & edited the C64 magazine
'Commodore Zone' (with the help of a
LOT of contributors!)
This ran for 16 issues in total from
SEP 1995 until the winter of 2001. I
also joined forces with
www.c64audio.com
& helped work on various commercial CD
releases featuring C64 music & remixes.
Nowadays I produce retro-related
products for the Binary Zone Inter-
active website (www.binaryzone.org)
along with various other internet
related shenanigans. A recent project
of mine is 'One Man & His Mic'. This
is a series of retrocomputer music
podcast shows that feature classic
tunes from various computer systems.
For more details check out:
www.binaryzone.org/podcast/
Q - Why was the Commodore Zone magazine
stopped?
By the 16th issue my life had changed
direction somewhat & I wanted to
concentrate on other projects. I had
become involved with the UK Channel 4
computer game show 'Bits' working
behind-the-scenes as their retro-
researcher. When the idiots at Channel
4 decided to kill the show I produced
the official website for Emily Booth,
one of the girls who presented the show
(www.bouff.tv),
and then spent a few years in Soho
larking around with Emily. All these
'distractions' meant I had less time to
work on the Commodore Zone mag so
decided to end it with the 16th issue
(which featured Emily Booth on the
cover & an interview with her, funnily
enough!)
Q - How long have you supported & owned
C= machines?
I bought my first C64 in 1987 I think -
although I'd been a huge fan of the C64
a good few years before then! When I
was still at school I used to go round
to my chum Matt Waltons house & play
C64 games with him (I was a Speccy user
at the time!) I was always blown away
by the amazing music in C64 games (Matt
even used to record C64 music tapes for
me!) along with the smooth scrolling &
sprites etc. This made me really,
REALLY want a C64 but I was then
unexpectedly bought an Amstrad CPC 464
as a present. I dabbled with the
Amstrad for a good few years but still
wanted a C64 so in the end I sold my
Amstrad &, after a lot of saving,
finally bought myself a C64 (which cost
me about 250!) I still have that C64
although it looks a bit different
nowadays - check out:
http://www.binaryzone.org/
specadore64.php
to see why! I also got into the Amiga
scene & even expanded the Binary Zone
PD range to include Amiga disks. The
Binary Zone Amiga PD range wasn't as
popular as the C64 PD range - probably
because there were a lot of very good
Amiga PD libraries but only a few who
catered for C64 users.
Q - How did you set up the website?
The Binary Zone website was originally
produced by my mate Mat Recardo who
runs www.preferredimage.co.uk
He designed the site & came up with the
original look. I then built on what Mat
had started & over time the site has
evolved into what it is today. The most
recent addition was the retro store. I
wanted to present the Binary Zone
product range more professionally &
cater for other retro systems so, with
the help of my wife Natasha, produced
the new feature-packed Binary Zone
Interactive store:
http://www.binaryzone.org/retrostore/
Q - Do you still provide PD to C= users
& if so is this still available on disk
or is there another delivery method?
There isn't really much call for C64
software on disk any more - probably
due to the popularity of emulators.
It's much easier to download a .D64
disk image & run it in an emulator
rather than muck around with floppy
disks I guess! Funnily enough, I
actually did get asked to supply over
200 Binary Zone disks on 5.25" floppy
disks recently - & the guy even
supplied the blank disks too! I still
have all the original Binary Zone PD
floppy disks so it wasn't a problem to
copy them for him (although it took a
while!) I can't actually get any stocks
of 5.25" blank disks any more so I
don't offer the PD on C64 disks.
Instead I've started giving away the
Binary Zone PD range as free downloads
on the BZ website. You can currently
freely download over 200 BZ disks as
.D64 disk images for free from:
www.binaryzone.org
& more will be added over time.
Q - Is there still a demand for PD?
Not on the original 5.25" disks - I
only very rarely get asked for C64 PD
on floppy disks, like the guy I
mentioned above. I'm not sure how many
people have been downloading the free
BZ disks as I have no way of keeping
count of those. I've had some great
feedback from people who have enjoyed
the free BZ disks however so as long as
there's still interest in the C64 I'll
keep the disks online!
Q - Can you tell our readers about some
other products you supply?
The Binary Zone audio music CDs have
proved to be very popular - these CDs
feature music digitally recorded from
real C64s (which sounds much better
than emulated SID music!) I've also
been lucky enough to receive the
blessing from a lot of the original
composers to use their work along with
www.c64audio.com who look after the
works of musicians like Rob Hubbard &
Martin Galway etc. You can also buy
retro-related CD-ROMs from the BZ shop
(including a set that contains the
entire Binary Zone C64 PD range!),
retro DVDs, retro computer glossy
photos & posters & I've even started
offering retro games on the site! It's
early days for these though as I have
literally hundreds more to add but it
will take me a while to add them all
into the store.
Q - The website lists some superb
posters are these still available for
purchase, if so what machines are
covered?
You can buy glossy prints featuring
photos of retro computers like the C64,
Amiga, Atari ST, ZX spectrum, ZX81 &
many more from the BZ retro store.
These look great when framed. In fact,
I originally produced these just for
myself but as they looked so nice
thought other people may be interested
in purchasing them - & I was right!
You can also buy larger posters that
were produced to promote various retro
events. There's even some specially
restored versions of classic retro
gaming ads & magazine covers!
Q - How many people are involved in
Binary zone?
Just little old me is in charge of the
day-to-day running of Binary Zone & the
processing of orders + website updates
etc. Countless other people & demo
crews have contributed to the Zone over
the years - in fact I've made many
great friendships with people all over
the world thanks to running BZ!
Q - Do you see any value in using real
C= hardware over emulation?
For listening to C64 music, DEFINITELY!
I much prefer the sound of real C64
music over emulated music - hence the
popularity of the Binary Zone
CDs I guess! Also, emulated C64 games
just don't look right to me! The
graphics are too crispy clear when
emulated & lot of games just end up
looking like a blocky mess. My PC never
quite gets the scrolling as smooth as a
real C64 either. If I want to play a 64
game as it was MEANT to be played I
will always power up my C64 (which is
always kept set up) you just can't beat
the original machine!
Q - Do you see any value of upgrading
the C64/128 beyond it's original spec?
I've never really seen the point of
increasing the speed of the C64's
processor or adding extra RAM - but
then again, I've never really used
software that would take advantage of
it (like GEOS for example).
Adding things like Flash memory card
readers are a good idea though as it
makes porting disk images from the PC
back to the C64 really easy & increases
the loading times considerably!
Q - What was the last piece of Hardware
for your C64 you purchased?
My most recent Commodore purchase was a
replacement mouse for my Amiga as my
old mouse packed up. I haven't bought
any C64 hardware for ages though as I
still have all my original hardware &
it still all works!
Q - Do you remember MegaTronix PD?
Hehe, I certainly do! I remember being
a tad miffed at them for launching a PD
library that was almost an exact copy
of Binary Zone right down to the
catalogue layout, logo & even the
contents of the disks! This annoyed me
as I'd put a lot of time & effort into
compiling the unique range of Binary
Zone disks & producing the catalogues -
& then for someone to come along &
basically copy everything I'd done...
Well, I wasn't impressed!
Q - What are you top 10 commercial C=
games?
From the top of my head & in no
particular order: Uridium, Paradroid,
Wizball, Last Ninja, Ghosts 'n'
Goblins, Creatures II, Armalyte,
Exploding Fist, Stunt Car Racer & Myth.
Q - What are your 5 favourite PD games
& 5 favourite demos?
From the Binary Zone range: C64 PD
Games, GameBoy Tetris, Flubble & Squij,
Chaos (Kernal), Twin Tigers & Terminal
City
C64 PD Demos: Mathematica (Reflex),
Top Priority (Contex), Deus Ex Machina
(Crest), Graphixmania 2 (MDA), & Dutch
Breeze (Blackmail)
Q - Did you ever get into the freescape
games?
Nope, too slow & boring for my liking -
good music though (especially Driller!)
Q - Have you read Commodore Free
magazine?
I must admit I hadn't read it until you
contacted me. I've since had a look
through issue #13 & enjoyed reading it.
Seeing your C64 mag reminded me of the
good times I had producing Commodore
Zone - keep up the good work!