Stuart Campbell (blogger)

In 1988, Campbell won the UK National Computer Games Championship's ZX Spectrum category, having been a runner-up in the Scottish heats earlier that year. The event was organised by Newsfield Publications and the National Association of Boys' Clubs, with sponsorship from video game publisher US Gold.{{cite journal | title=The National Computer Games Championships | author=Staff | journal=Crash | date=November 1988 | page=14 }} In late 1989, US Gold and Computer and Video Games magazine sponsored a team of UK players, which included Campbell, to take part in the European Video Games Championship at the Salon de la Micro show in Paris. The UK team won, beating out the French and Spanish competitors.{{cite journal | title=Champ-iooons | journal=Computer and Video Games | date=December 1989 }}

Using the prize fund from the first two competitions—£1,000 of computer hardware and US Gold software—Campbell was able to set up an independent videogame fanzine, Between Planets.{{cite news | title=World of Between Planets | last=Campbell | first=Stuart | url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/bp/planets1.htm | access-date=26 May 2010 | publisher=World of Stuart | page=1}} Campbell maintained contact with US Gold's PR department, ensuring a steady stream of review material for the fanzine. Campbell's PR contact was also able to convince Ocean Software to send new games to the fanzine for review. With the cachet of legitimate journalism these contacts conferred, Campbell and Between Planets{{'}} co-founder Simon Reid were able to convince other video game publishers to send them free review copies of their games. The fanzine ran to four issues; Campbell had sent issue three to Future Publishing, which hired him as a full-time staff writer for the Amiga games magazine Amiga Power.{{cite news | title=World of Between Planets | first=Stuart | last=Campbell | url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/bp/planets2.htm | publisher=World of Stuart | access-date=26 May 2010 | page=2}}

Campbell contributed to Amiga Power magazine from January 1991, before the magazine launched in April of that year, to May 1994, being promoted to various positions and culminating with deputising as its editor for ten issues between June 1993 and April 1994. Despite regularly professing his love for titles such as Rainbow Islands and Sensible Soccer, and compiling "top 100" lists, he is perhaps better known for his unreserved and often highly disparaging critiques. In 1993, he awarded the game International Rugby Challenge two marks out of a possible hundred, declaring that the Bosnian War was "Not nearly as bad."{{cite journal|title=International Rugby Challenge Review |journal=Amiga Power| issue=26| year=1993|last=Campbell|first=Stu|page=32}}

Issues 27 to 36 of Amiga Power have subsequently been cited as belonging to "The Stuart Campbell Era".{{cite web |url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/index.html |title=The Stuart Campbell Era: "You useless cretinous morons"| work=AP2|first=Jonathan |last=Nash|publisher=Dspace.dial.pipex.com|access-date=2015-04-15}} Campbell remained at the publication until issue 39,{{cite web|url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/issues/AP39.html| title=AP39 |work=AP2| first=Jonathan |last=Nash|publisher=Dspace.dial.pipex.com|access-date=2015-04-15}} which is considered part of "The Jonathan Davies Era" in the chronology of AP.{{cite web|url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/issues/Jonathan_Davies_Era.html| title=Jonathan Davies Era |work=AP2| first=Jonathan |last=Nash|publisher=Dspace.dial.pipex.com|access-date=2015-04-15}}

In 1993, the magazine had to issue an apology during the Cannon Fodder Controversy after Campbell remarked "Old soldiers? I wish them all dead."Chris McCashin, Daily Star, 23 November 1993 A few months later Campbell left Amiga Power to work at Sensible Software, the producers of the game.{{cite web|url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/dissent/purple_reputation_eater.html|work=AP2|title=Dissent: Purple Reputation Eater|publisher=Dspace.dial.pipex.com|access-date=2015-04-15}}

Campbell returned to the pages of Amiga Power as a freelance contributor during its final few months in 1996, writing several more reviews and features. He also continued to contribute to the online version of Amiga Power, known as AP2, which was set up by former writer Jonathan Nash after the magazine's closure in 1996.{{cite web|url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/index.html| title=Credits: Dim the lights and chill the ham|work=AP2| first=Jonathan |last=Nash|publisher=Dspace.dial.pipex.com|access-date=2015-04-15}} He wrote for Teletext's videogame section Digitiser from 1996 to 2001, as well as its short-lived online successor Digiworld with Kieron Gillen, Nash and Paul Rose,{{cite news | url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/01/08/player-verses-player-coin-opera/ | title=Player Verses Player: Coin Opera | last=Gillen | first=Kieron | author-link=Kieron Gillen | website=Rock Paper Shotgun | date=8 January 2010 | access-date=26 May 2010 }} and was Features Editor of the videogames trade magazine CTW (Computer Trade Weekly) until its closure in 2002. He wrote regular gaming columns for men's magazines including Esquire, The Face and Front{{cite web|url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/world/sections.htm|title=Wear Your Jacket With Pride! – or don't wear your jacket at all|website=worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com}} throughout the 1990s. He was also a resident gaming expert, alongside former Amiga Power colleague Dave Green, on the BBC technology television programme Don't Read the Manual{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/aug/21/broadcasting2|title=It's tough at the bottom|date=21 August 2001|work=The Guardian|location=London}} (presented by Lindsey Fallow{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} and Rajesh Mirchandani), appearing{{cite web|url=http://www.ntkmart.co.uk/images/manualfeb.jpg|title=Don't Read the Manual image|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040807140347/http://www.ntkmart.co.uk/images/manualfeb.jpg|archive-date=2004-08-07|date=7 August 2004}} on most episodes of the show in 2001 and 2002.

Campbell's writing has influenced current video games writers, including journalist and Marvel Comics writer Kieron Gillen.{{cite web|last=Gillen |first=Kieron |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/02/18/barnett-gary-penn-was-my-lester-bangs/ |title=Barnett: "Gary Penn was my Lester Bangs" |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |date=2008-02-18 |access-date=2016-02-03}} John Walker also cites Campbell as an influence,{{cite news | url= http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/07/31/an-intermission-the-adventures-of-sexton-blake/ | title= An Intermission: The Adventures of Sexton Blake | last=Walker | first=John | author-link=John Walker (journalist) | website=Rock Paper Shotgun | date=31 July 2009 | access-date=26 May 2010 }} calling him a "constant conscience and inspiration". Gillen said Campbell was "the world's sharpest critic of arcade games",{{cite news | url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/12/18/wot-i-think-space-giraffe/ | title= Wot I Think: Space Giraffe | last=Gillen | first=Kieron | author-link=Kieron Gillen | website=Rock Paper Shotgun | date=18 December 2008 | access-date=26 May 2010 }} the long-running newsletter Need to Know said he was "Britain's Best Games Journalist",{{cite news | title=Need To Know 2 April 1999 | author=Staff | url=http://www.ntk.net/index.cgi?b=01999-04-02&l=264#l%20Need%20To%20Know%201999-04-02 | date=2 April 1999 | publisher=Need To Know | access-date=26 May 2010 }} and Wired described Campbell as "the UK's foremost authority on computer and video games".{{cite journal | title=Untitled | author=Staff | journal=Wired | date=February 1996 | page=91 }} Keith Stuart, gaming editor of The Guardian, said in 2016 that "I would not be doing this job if it weren't for [Amiga Power] – I wanted to write like Stuart."{{cite web|url=https://soundcloud.com/romaudio/the-amiga-power-reunion |title=The Amiga Power Reunion by Read-Only Memory | Free Listening on SoundCloud |publisher=Soundcloud.com |access-date=2016-07-18}}

Campbell left Amiga Power to work at Sensible Software and during 1994 and 1995 he oversaw the development of the Amiga and PC games Cannon Fodder 2—for which he designed all but around 10 of its 72 levels—and Sensible World of Soccer. Campbell built upon his contributions with references to popular culture, particularly the Scottish indie rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. He later remarked that he was especially pleased when players had: "worked out solutions that I hadn't even thought of. I love games where you can outsmart the designer and get away with it."{{cite web| title=The Making of Cannon Fodder 2 |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2007/09/28/the-making-of-cannon-fodder-2/#more-336 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun|date=28 September 2007 |last1=Gillen |first1=Kieron }} Previously and subsequently, Campbell designed original games for various other formats including the ZX Spectrum{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekpub.cgi?regexp=^Scorpion+Software+1$ |title=Scorpion Software [1 |publisher=World of Spectrum |access-date=2016-02-03}} and PC, one of which is a freeware pinball game themed around the Sex Pistols film/album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.

In 2007, Campbell was interviewed by UK-based PC gaming blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun. He discussed his transition from journalist to game designer, and the difference he saw between the two professions:

"The pace took some getting used to – compared to working on a magazine, development goes at a crawl... Otherwise, it's pretty similar. In both cases you're a group of young men doing a fun creative job in a fairly small and close-knit team, and then going to the pub quite a lot. You do get a much broader perspective from working on mags, though, because you see so many games – as a developer you're naturally quite narrowly focused. You have to make a conscious effort to stay aware of the outside world, which is probably why [Cannon Fodder 2] is so full of cross-cultural references from music, movies, comics and the like."

Campbell was director of developer Herosoft, which in November 2010 launched "Free-App Hero", an aggregator application created to help consumers find the best free games available for iOS.{{cite web|url=http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/05/monetising-apps-lessons-learned-in-the-ios-wilderness/| title=Monetising Apps: Lessons Learned in the iOS Wilderness |last=Campbell|first=Stuart|date=6 May 2013|publisher=Lifehacker}} Despite a positive critical reception – the app was described by Pocket Gamer as a "very useful tool",{{cite web| url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Free-App+Hero+/feature.asp?c=27664| title=Free-App Hero sweeps in to save you... money| first=Anthony|last=Usher|publisher=Pocket Gamer|access-date=2015-04-15}} by The Guardian as "a bargain-hunter's dream"{{cite web|author=Stuart Dredge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2011/jul/22/app-reviews-google-plus-sky-go-pirates |title=App Reviews: Google+, Sky Go, Sid Meier's Pirates! and more | Technology |work=The Guardian|location=London |date=22 July 2011 |access-date=2016-07-18}} and by Cult of Mac as "a fantastic app tracker" which the site placed "at the top of our must-have apps list"{{cite web |url=http://www.cultofmac.com/81697/this-weeks-must-have-ios-apps-free-app-hero-google-translate-pillboxie-more/ |title=This Week's Must-Have iOS Apps: Free-App Hero, Google Translate, Pillboxie & More! |publisher=Cult of Mac |date=2011-02-13 |access-date=2016-07-18}} – the project was not a commercial success and has now been removed from the App Store.

Campbell was a founding member of the campaigning group FairPlay,{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/10/02/video_games_biz_hits_back/|title=Video games biz hits back at rip-off claims|first=gamesindustry biz 2 October 2002|last=at 11:41|website=The Register}} which led a week-long boycott of videogame purchasing in late 2002, in protest at what it regarded as the artificially high prices of games.{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/10/01/dont_buy_computer_games/|title=Don't buy computer games for a week|first=Tim Richardson 1 October 2002|last=at 07:26|website=The Register}}

In 2003, FairPlay switched its attention to the slot machine industry, attracting coverage in the broadsheet{{cite web|url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/fairplay/fruit/ind.jpg |title=photo |publisher=worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ |access-date=2020-03-05}}{{cite web|url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/fairplay/fruit/sos.jpg |title=Photo |publisher=worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ |access-date=2020-03-05}} and tabloid press.{{cite web|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-102900506.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210072314/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-102900506.html|archive-date=2017-12-10|title=Not a Chance; Payout 'Rip-Off' on Fruit Machines; Software Puts Curb on Jackpots |work= Daily Record |location=Glasgow, Scotland|date=10 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/fairplay/fruit/dr.jpg |title=Photo |publisher=worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ |access-date=2020-03-05}} As a spokesman for FairPlay, Campbell explained how the majority of fruit machines would cheat the player by offering "gambles" which had no chance of success, ensuring the player lost whichever option they chose.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2979142.stm | title=Just how far off is that jackpot? | first=Mark | last=Ward | date=8 July 2003 | publisher=BBC News | access-date=15 September 2018 }} The campaign succeeded in having a warning from the Gaming Board of Great Britain (now the Gambling Commission) added to the front of all subsequent machines which exhibited this behaviour,{{cite web|url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/fairplay/fruit/breakthrough.htm|title=Cheating Fruit Machines|website=worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com}} although it was unsuccessful in having the practice outlawed entirely.{{cite web|url=http://www.fairplay-campaign.co.uk/fruit/news.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612065207/http://www.fairplay-campaign.co.uk/fruit/news.htm|archive-date=2008-06-12|title=Cheating Fruit Machines|date=12 June 2008}}

{{main|Wings Over Scotland}}

Campbell launched Wings Over Scotland in November 2011 with the stated aim of providing a "fair and honest perspective on Scottish politics" with a pro-independence slant,{{cite web|first=Stuart|last=Campbell| url=http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/one-pound-for-wingsland/ |title=One Pound For WingsLand|publisher=indiegogo}} after he "got fed up of just shouting at the TV when Newsnight Scotland was on".{{cite web|url=http://www.spreaker.com/user/michaelgreenwell/scotindypod_20_rev_stu_campbell|title=ScotIndyPod 20: Rev. Stuart Campbell|last=Greenwell|first=Michael|year=2013|publisher=Spreaker.com|access-date=2015-04-15}}

Comments made by Campbell in 2012 relating to the Hillsborough disaster caused controversy{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/wings-over-scotland-blogger-slammed-7845782 |title=Wings Over Scotland blogger blames Liverpool fans for Hillsborough tragedy |date=27 April 2016 |newspaper=Daily Record |location=Glasgow |access-date=13 September 2021 |archive-date=13 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913204839/https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/wings-over-scotland-blogger-slammed-7845782 |url-status=live}} by suggesting that Liverpool F.C. fans "were to blame because they, alone, were the ones who pushed and thereby caused the crush". Later Campbell said: "I stand absolutely by the stuff that I've written about Hillsborough".{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13170835.the-bottom-line-dont-particularly-care-people-dont-want-associated-us/ |title='The bottom line is I don't particularly care if people don't want to be associated with us' |last=Hutcheon |first=Paul |date=20 July 2014 |newspaper=The Sunday Herald |place=Glasgow |access-date=4 May 2016 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701170546/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13170835.the-bottom-line-dont-particularly-care-people-dont-want-associated-us/ |url-status=live}}

{{POV section|date=February 2023}}

In May 2020, Campbell lost a defamation case against Kezia Dugdale. Dugdale had accused him of making "homophobic tweets", an allegation Campbell said was defamatory. He appealed the initial ruling in Dugdale's favour to Scotland's highest civil court, the Inner House of the Court of Session, where he lost.{{cite news |title=Wings over Scotland blogger loses Kezia Dugdale 'homophobic tweet' appeal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52819373 |access-date=27 October 2024 |work=BBC News |date=27 May 2020}}

Campbell has been outspoken about his opposition to transgender ideology,{{cite news |title=Twitter bans Stuart Campbell’s Wings Over Scotland accounts |last=Marlborough |first=Conor |date=7 May 2020 |work=The Scotsman |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/twitter-bans-stuart-campbells-wings-over-scotland-accounts-2846210 |access-date=8 February 2023}} and has dedicated numerous blog posts to the subject.{{cite web|url=https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2021/02/18/stuart-campbell-is-a-disgrace-that-has-soiled-our-movement/|title=Stuart Campbell is a Disgrace that has Soiled Our Movement|last=Small|first=Mike|date=18 February 2021|website=Bella Caledonia|access-date=8 February 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2021/05/rise-and-fall-wings-over-scotland|title=The rise and fall of Wings over Scotland|last1=Hames|first1=Scott|last2=Hinde|first2=Dominic|date=18 May 2021|website=New Statesman|access-date=8 February 2023}} In June 2024, Campbell referred to trans people as the "unfortunate mentally-disturbed 0.37% of the Scottish population that doesn’t know what sex it is".{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Stuart |title=Stupid To The Grave |url=https://wingsoverscotland.com/stupid-to-the-grave/ |website=Wings Over Scotland |access-date=29 October 2024 |date=30 June 2024}}

When Campbell was banned from Twitter in 2020, he said that it was an instance of "direct censorship" motivated by the platform's support for "controversial and massively unpopular trangender ideology."{{cite news |last1=Marlborough |first1=Conor |title=Twitter bans Stuart Campbell’s Wings Over Scotland accounts |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/twitter-bans-stuart-campbells-wings-over-scotland-accounts-2846210 |access-date=29 October 2024 |date=7 May 2020}} His account was reinstated in 2022 after Elon Musk's purchase of the platform.{{cite news |title=Wings Over Scotland back on Twitter amid Elon Musk takeover |url=https://www.scotsmanhttps://www.thenational.scot/news/23110023.wings-scotland-back-twitter-amid-elon-musk-takeover/ |access-date=29 October 2024 |work=The National |date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403202836/https://www.thenational.scot/news/23110023.wings-scotland-back-twitter-amid-elon-musk-takeover/ |archive-date=3 April 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://wingsoverscotland.com/ Wings Over Scotland political blog]
• [http://wosland.podgamer.com/ Wings Over Sealand modern culture blog]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Stuart}}

Category:British video game designers

Category:Scottish male journalists

Category:Scottish male bloggers

Category:Scottish nationalists

Category:Living people

Category:1967 births