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but in the past several years, demos have grown from mere 50MB files to 500MB or larger. This discourages magazines from distributing most of the larger demos, unless the magazine has an exclusive distribution agreement or the title is highly anticipated. While in 1997 a CD could carry over 15 demos, in 2005 the typical CD had 5 or fewer. This led some magazines to insert a second CD, or to use DVD media instead.
756:
Although tagged as "free", covermount discs sometimes increase the price of a magazine. Magazines that carry discs can cost as much as double the price of other magazines without them, even if these magazines have more pages. The "free" label serves as a dissuading factor in retailers stripping discs
766:
damaging the credibility and reputation of the magazine. In several instances where viruses were spread this way, publications expressed that while the contents of the media were scanned by anti-virus software, the virus wasn't detected as the virus was too new. In 1998, cover discs released by both
649:
and
Amstrad Action put full versions of software, usually games on their covertapes. These games, provided by distributors from a list of games with lesser commercial value, are also often found in budget range labels, and can range from older but highly regarded titles to unknown titles with little
765:
Software added as covermount to computer magazines may sometimes not be secure. A fast-spreading medium, computer magazines can output over 10,000 discs in a matter of days. Although discs are thoroughly scanned and carefully assembled, there have been cases of discs being distributed with viruses,
603:
had one or more floppy disks with demos of upcoming games, but the fragility of the media and the increasing size of demos made publishers turn to compact discs, which were cheaper to produce, more resistant to damage, and had over 300 times more capacity. CDs became the most common storage media,
757:
and selling them separately. To prevent theft of the discs from the magazine covers, retailers sometimes remove the discs anyway, keeping them behind the counter to be given to a customer upon purchase of the magazine.
434:-related "partware" magazines (magazines aimed at collectors which build up to a complete set over months or years) have been launched in recent years, with covermounts containing episodes of the subject show (such as
887:
374:
magazines: while the printed version had the code explained, the disk had the code ready to be compiled without forcing the reader to type the whole listing into the computer by hand.
423:
Magazines are also including non-storage media like toys, games, stationery sets, make up, cross stitch kits and whatever the publisher believes will help the sales of their titles.
284:. The name comes from the method of packaging; the media or product is placed in a transparent plastic sleeve and mounted on the cover of the magazine with adhesive tape or glue.
748:
Software publishers, both then and now, are often against the overuse of putting software on the covers of magazines as they see it is deflating the value of software.
479:
was released in 2010, in
Belgium, under the same circumstances, with the same happening for the album with other publications across Europe. Pop rock band
908:
302:
were pressed onto 7" floppy vinyl (known as "flexi-discs" and "flimsies") and mounted on to the front of the magazine. The weekly pop music paper
847:
1057:
420:
Apart from magazines also newspapers have discovered the covermount and started to add compact discs to their publications.
1030:
555:, as well as albums in which you would have to send a token to the NME in exchange for the covermount release, including
292:
Audio recordings were distributed in the UK by the use of covermounts in the 1960s by the fortnightly satirical magazine
141:
741:
measures. If a buyer tries to apply a patch or update, there is a high chance of the game not recognizing a covermount
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113:
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shortly before the rights on it were due to revert to him, something about which the artist was not best pleased. The
240:
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63:
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In addendum to viruses, glitches may be present in cover media that have an adverse effect; In 2004, an issue of
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used to distribute full versions of unknown commercial software, with a beginners' guide in the printed version.
591:
The initial purpose of covermount discs was to distribute demo versions of video games. Initial magazines, like
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709:
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98:
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and other (usually free) content. One of the first covermount games to be added as a covermount was the 1984
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49:
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and or audiovisual media) or other products (ranging from toys to flip-flops) packaged as part of a
967:
525:
have also had a long history with covermount releases, from the influential cassette compilations
939:
799:
722:
717:
473:, a record company representative, to decry this practice as 'covermount culture'. His new album
200:
87:
1144:
392:, covermounts on computer magazines never caught on. Instead, popular Finnish magazines such as
737:
Games redistributed by covermount occasionally have problems if the originals were fitted with
299:
855:
459:
was known for offering studio albums free with various newspaper publications. His 2007 album
990:
877:
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542:
399:
308:
issued audio recordings of rock music on similar 7" flexi-discs as covermounts in the 1970s.
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371:
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8:
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shelf space. Some games or expansions were released exclusively on cover media, such as
134:
823:, a magazine contained entirely on disk rather than a disk attached to a paper magazine
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466:
363:
344:
315:. In the United Kingdom computer hobbyist magazines began distributing tapes and later
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995:
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was the first to be given this treatment, in the United
Kingdom, in partnership with
456:
643:
The trend of offering full versions appeared in the mid-80s, when magazines such as
385:
on the cover, the first full computer to be included as a covermount on a magazine.
196:
708:
graphics, where the player throws grenades at Dutch players, following the loss of
414:
340:
489:(their fourth studio album). Other artists known to release covermount albums are
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55:
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as a storage medium. The cassette was in the end replaced by the compact disc.
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CD), covermount demos only began appearing in 1996, with the official Sega and
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The covermount practice continued with computer magazines in the early era of
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Covermount from computer magazines, they contain both demo and full products.
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grew, so did the importance of having a strong covermount. Others, like
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adding covermounts in the form of sampler for promotional uses, using
829:, a jewel case sized music magazine that came with a CD in each issue
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378:
324:
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370:. The distribution of discs with source programs was also common in
207:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
76:
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745:, as they are often reprints and lack the copy prevention sectors.
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though the term "covermount" was not in usage at that time. The
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publications. Since nearly all 8-bit and 16-bit consoles were
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stated caused the malware to become a "widespread threat". A
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381:
magazine brought the concept full circle and attached a free
948:. No. 25. Dennis Publishing. January 1988. p. 17.
1052:
616:
878:"Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper's free Prince CD"
848:"Reviews of Speccy Games Based on Real Life Personalities"
409:
Adding audiovisual media as a covermount has started with
678:
522:
502:
304:
27:
Storage media packaged as part of a magazine or newspaper
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760:
994:. No. 90. HHL Publishing. May 1992. p. 64.
974:. No. 14. emap Images. November 1989. p. 8.
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101:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
730:), the last game developed by the company for the
356:Most magazines backed up by large publishers like
1166:
1113:"Important Notice regarding the August (#27) CD"
670:. As access to internet gaming websites such as
638:
807:-based magazine, had a glitch where the user's
319:with their publications. These disks included
1100:. Virus Bulletin Ltd. August 1998. p. 3.
1080:. Virus Bulletin Ltd. August 1998. p. 2.
1121:. No. 29. Next Publishing. p. 10.
778:were infected with the Marburg virus, which
790:cover disc in 2002 contained the AutoStart
483:too released a covermount album, which was
398:offered subscribers access to an exclusive
64:Learn how and when to remove these messages
909:"Oldfield attacks Tubular Bells giveaway"
694:made several games for distribution with
241:Learn how and when to remove this message
223:Learn how and when to remove this message
161:Learn how and when to remove this message
1138:
1136:
582:
578:
252:
1110:
362:included a covermount CD or DVD with a
14:
1167:
1060:from the original on January 31, 2021.
1042:
1040:
1033:from the original on December 6, 2002.
607:Covermounts came late to the world of
511:to cover-mount 2.25 million copies of
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1011:
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875:
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172:
99:adding citations to reliable sources
70:
29:
1037:
761:Problems with covermounted products
471:Entertainment Retailers Association
24:
1056:. CNET Networks. January 2, 2002.
1006:
811:was wiped after executing a demo.
25:
1196:
752:Price of covermount storage media
45:This article has multiple issues.
1145:"The Hidden Risks of Demo Discs"
1048:"MacAddict issues CD-ROM caveat"
177:
75:
34:
1143:Goad, Libe (December 3, 2004).
1104:
1084:
890:from the original on 2024-06-29
615:-based (with the exceptions of
86:needs additional citations for
53:or discuss these issues on the
1064:
978:
968:"The One: Final Frontier Disk"
960:
932:
901:
869:
840:
13:
1:
1111:Mansill, Ben (October 1998).
833:
639:Full product covermount discs
402:via modem, and later via the
1072:"Anti-CIH-pating the Future"
917:. 2007-05-08. Archived from
662:Populous: The Final Frontier
501:and Soulwax. In April 2007,
350:The Thompson Twins Adventure
7:
1025:. New York, United States:
876:Allen, Katie (2007-06-29).
852:Speccy at the Movies/People
814:
203:the claims made and adding
10:
1201:
287:
388:In other places, such as
368:open-source applications
1185:Video game distribution
800:PlayStation Underground
723:Sensible Train Spotting
268:) is the name given to
588:
300:Private Eye recordings
258:
1180:Software distribution
991:Amstrad Computer User
586:
579:Demo covermount discs
543:The Chemical Brothers
256:
95:improve this article
1175:Magazine publishing
1092:"Marburg Follow-up"
1029:. August 13, 1998.
660:, or the expansion
568:Ally Pally Paradiso
345:computer wallpapers
264:(sometimes written
609:video game console
589:
537:, mix albums like
467:The Mail on Sunday
455:American musician
377:In November 2015,
364:Linux distribution
259:
188:possibly contains
940:"Moley Christmas"
702:Sensible Massacre
692:Sensible Software
415:compact cassettes
383:Raspberry Pi Zero
341:operating systems
251:
250:
243:
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190:original research
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16:(Redirected from
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854:. Archived from
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726:(related to the
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739:copy protection
732:Commodore Amiga
720:qualifiers) or
706:Sensible Soccer
653:Moley Christmas
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548:Beat up the NME
411:music magazines
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508:Mail on Sunday
469:. This caused
428:United Kingdom
404:World Wide Web
313:home computers
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945:Your Sinclair
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921:on 2012-03-19
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858:on 2001-11-08
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558:Capital Radio
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550:
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529:
524:
520:
519:
518:Tubular Bells
514:
513:Mike Oldfield
510:
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505:licensed the
504:
500:
499:Calvin Harris
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495:Peter Gabriel
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186:This article
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112: –
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106:Find sources:
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84:This article
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57:
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1118:PC PowerPlay
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943:
934:
923:. Retrieved
919:the original
912:
903:
892:. Retrieved
883:The Guardian
881:
871:
860:. Retrieved
856:the original
851:
842:
798:
796:
785:
779:
773:
769:PC PowerPlay
767:
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721:
712:against the
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594:Amiga Format
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486:Radio:Active
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474:
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462:Planet Earth
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454:
449:The Prisoner
447:
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435:
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359:Linux Format
357:
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333:applications
327:versions of
317:floppy disks
310:
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293:
291:
272:(containing
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261:
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117:
110:"Covermount"
105:
93:Please help
88:verification
85:
61:
54:
48:
47:Please help
44:
809:memory card
697:Amiga Power
635:magazines.
633:PlayStation
553:Fatboy Slim
551:, mixed by
541:, mixed by
539:NME Dust Up
372:programming
335:, computer
295:Private Eye
266:cover mount
213:August 2010
151:August 2010
1169:Categories
1155:Ziff Davis
986:"Feedback"
925:2011-11-03
914:Music Week
894:2024-06-29
862:2007-06-01
834:References
437:Dad's Army
432:television
395:MikroBitti
366:and other
262:Covermount
197:improve it
121:newspapers
50:improve it
1127:1326-5644
1022:CNN Money
1000:0952-3049
954:0269-6983
787:MacAddict
781:CNN Money
685:PC Format
629:PC Engine
613:cartridge
600:ST Format
563:The Clash
379:The MagPi
325:shareware
282:newspaper
201:verifying
56:talk page
18:Coverdisk
1058:Archived
1031:Archived
888:Archived
815:See also
775:PC Gamer
673:GameSpot
667:Populous
587:Demo CDs
278:magazine
274:software
972:The One
716:in the
710:England
700:, like
621:Mega-CD
430:, many
426:In the
390:Finland
337:drivers
288:History
195:Please
135:scholar
1125:
998:
952:
827:Volume
805:CD-ROM
718:USA'94
704:(uses
573:BAD II
545:, and
457:Prince
137:
130:
123:
116:
108:
1150:eWeek
728:hobby
714:Dutch
481:McFly
476:20Ten
329:games
142:JSTOR
128:books
1123:ISSN
1053:CNET
996:ISSN
950:ISSN
803:, a
792:worm
772:and
664:for
623:and
617:Sega
565:and
531:anD
491:UB40
323:and
321:demo
114:news
679:IGN
676:or
656:in
627:'s
625:NEC
619:'s
597:or
571:by
561:by
534:C86
528:C81
523:NME
515:'s
503:EMI
452:).
446:or
400:BBS
305:NME
280:or
199:by
97:by
1171::
1153:.
1147:.
1135:^
1115:.
1094:.
1074:.
1050:.
1039:^
1019:.
1008:^
988:.
970:.
942:.
911:.
886:.
880:.
850:.
794:.
743:CD
734:.
575:.
497:,
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406:.
353:.
343:,
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59:.
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211:(
193:.
164:)
158:(
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149:(
139:·
132:·
125:·
118:·
91:.
66:)
62:(
20:)
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