__________________________________________________ / \ /_______> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <________\ ////// \\\\\\ ////// ~Issue #40 - www.DreamcastWeekly.com~ \\\\\\ \\\\\\ ////// \\\\\\ Sega X - http://www.segadreamcast.net ////// \\\\\\ Sega 2000 - http://www.sega2000.com ////// \\\\\\ Media Site - http://media.seganet.com ////// \\\\\\______________________________________////// \______________________________________________/ o> Please scroll down to Editors Comments for the start >>> SPOT THE MISTAKES! A few weeks ago, I saw a huge list of mistakes in movies. It made be think, almost every game has bugs too. But some are actually pretty funny! The other day I discovered the first level in Sonic Adventure (set on Earth) actually has 2 suns in the sky! Both on opposite sides of the sky. Strange huh? Lots of people know about the Virtua Fighter 3 boat stage too. When Taka (the sumo) stands on the edge of the rafts, he'll actually cause the whole stage to sink! Wow! Anyway... if you've spotted any mistakes, or bugs, this is your chance to send them in! The games don't have to be new, or even on a Sega console. Any video, or PC game would do. Lets see if we can come up a list of funny mistakes too. >>>> Please send them to me at Webmaster@sega2000.com ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| CONTEST |========================================= ---------------------------------------------------------- Want to win one of 4 official VMU's (VMS to importers) come this September? Sure you do! It's easy to enter too, in fact all you have to do is go to a webpage and enter your e-mail address... http://server.com/WebApps/mail-list-subscribe.cgi?id=21100 It's a mailing list, but I won't be sending anything out. The list will be deleted after the content, so your address won't be given to anyone else. Only Dreamcast Weekly subscribers may enter, and multiple entires are automatically deleted. On the 25th of June 1999, we'll send an e-mail to notify the 4 winners. When you receive it, please reply to send further details (your address). Then in September, a free VMU for your country is on it's way! Good Luck! - Tails ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| COVER STORY |===================================== ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>> What Kind Of Person Are You? - Part 2 >>>> Written By Steve Recently, I received an email about my editorial on biased gamers. I thought this one was great, but it was also long. Much too long for the Mail Bag. Anyway, read his letter, and read my response. Hello, Steve. My name is Robin Toledo and I have just read your editorial about biased "gamers" and their place in the video gaming industry as consumers. I liked the editorial and really compelled me to write to a fellow Sega fan (you, of course) and express my feelings toward people like your friend "Butch" and American gamers as a whole. First things first. I have been reading your site off and on and think that it is a VERY GOOD Sega site...congratulations. Second, please know that I am a video game lover, but first and foremost I am a vehement Sega fanatic (or fan boy). I own three Saturns (1 US, 1 US-modded, 1 Japanese), three PS's (same as Sat but possible fourth because all of them seem to be skipping...aaaaargh!!), N64, Genesis w/Sega CD and Power Base converter (for SMS games), Turbo Duo, SNES, and of course the Dreamcast...not including hand-held machines. Note that I am not rich, just foolish with money. Now that that's out of the way, let me express my feelings to you, a fellow Sega fan, about American gamers and the industry: I STRONGLY believe that Americans are a whole bunch of idiots when it comes to video games. And it is people like your friend "Butch" that perfectly represent the typical American gamer...don't even deny that because you know that its true. Now I don't mean that ALL American gamers are idiots, after all, there are a FEW Sega fans or, as you put it in your editorial, informed gamers (I'm probably wrong, but something like that) in this great country. I put most of the blame on the blind American consumers on the Saturn's dismal performance here in the US. Yes, Sega's advertising was quite scarce compared to Sony's bombardment of television, radio, and whatever means of advertising you can think of, but Sega isn't the multi-gajillion dollar company Sony is, and they certainly don't have the resources to advertise even half as much. In my opinion, Sega's advertising was pretty excellent for what they could do...remember the Nights TV ad, how about the Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop, Fighting Vipers, and the Sega Rally TV ads, or the naked lady spread they did in the magazines? These ads were killer and yet, no one seemed to pay attention or care. Why? I have two, maybe three reasons I can think of, let me list them: 1) What kinds of games appeal to these zombied-out American gamers? The perpetual, useless, and unimaginative sports games being chucked at us from such garbage developers like EA, Fox, Acclaim, 989 Sports and so forth. Also, senselessly violent games like Mortal Kombat, Bio-Freaks, and all of the sickening First Person Shooters like Doom, and Turok. And if its racing games, its usually Vigilante 8, Twisted Metal, Need for Speed, Test Drive, Cruisin'USA (that pile is a million seller!!) or other "racers" that emphasize more on car crashes more than actual racing. Now, out of all the games listed, do you notice something here? Besides most of them being 3-D games, they are all non-Japanese games. Informed gamers know that the best games come out of Japan (look at your friend, "Butch", who thinks that Crach Bandicoot is better than Mario or Sonic). Sure, there are a few non-Japanese games that are actually good, but the great majority of them are utter crap (Twisted Metal, Warhawk, Rogue Trip, the PS WCW games, Killer Instinct, the PS Contra games, etc.). And yes, a few Japanese games sell well here, but these games are always ultra-hyped up like they were the next Star Wars movies or something (well, almost). Take note that these games littered the PS and on a lesser extent, the N64...and if you look back, the Saturn didn't have as much of these American made turds than its competition. The Saturn was all about quality gaming, yet it failed miserably because people here wanted crap (yet, they don't know or would deny that). To further prove my point, just look up the NPD Group's monthly Top Twenty Selling Games list and you'll see that usually, only 4-6 games that make the list are Japanese and are the only ones worth playing. My bottom line is that American gamers have horrible tastes in video games and DO NOT deserve to experience any games from Japan. 2) Americans don't care about Sega anymore. Let me prove this by slightly contradicting myself for a moment. I recently stated that in order for a Japanese game to commercially "make it" here, it needs to be HYPED UP like hell. Well, Sega really promoted Nights with those cool TV and magazine ads and yet, it didn't generate any kind of excitement among American gamers. Same thing with Virtua Fighter 2, Sega Rally, Fighting Vipers, etc. So what went wrong? I believe the fact that most of Sega's games concentrate a helluva lot more on gameplay than on flash turned (or turns) off American gamers. Flash meter check: the Tekkens/Toshindens/Mortal Kombat 5 vs. the Virtua Fighter series; the Ridge Racers/Need for Speeds/Test Drives vs. Sega Rally/Daytona; the Bloody Roars vs. Fighting Vipers; and so much more. Guess which ones were more popular and sold more... As Sega fans and informed gamers, you and I know that Sega is not about flash but solid, solid gameplay experience (even the gorgeous Model 3 games lack any kind of flash, which is a good thing...keep it real). Let me get to the heart of this e-mail. With those reasons why the Saturn failed (American gamers are morons, and that they don't care about Sega) out of the way, let me tell you why I don't want the Dreamcast to ever exist here in the US (since that seems a little too late, I should've just said,"fail even worse than the Saturn"). Yes, as the DC's release in this side of the Pacific looms ever closer, Sega fans are getting excited...maybe even a few non-Sega fans. Not me. With Sega releasing the DC in this country, they are making it avialable to your friends like "Butch". You said that "Butch" upset you when he made his remarks about the DC "sucking" and that it would die upon the PS2's arrival. How would you feel if you saw this annoying dingelberry (spell check?) with a Dreamcast in his room and all of a sudden proclaiming himself to be a "hardcore" Sega fan? I don't know about you, but this would absolutely make me sick! You see, us Sega fans, who have stayed loyal through Sega's darkest days, have had to put up with crap like "Sega sucks!" from people like your friend. I believe that only loyal Sega fans in this country deserve to have the Dreamcast...NO ONE ELSE! These PS and N64 loving zombies deserve to be stuck with their trash. They blew it with Sega by ignoring the great Saturn, now they should suffer by not having the chance to own something as awesome as the Dreamcast. Sure, it would be bad business, but please read on to the next paragraph (I know this letter is getting long winded, but please read on). I STRONGLY believe that Sega Enterprises Ltd., instead of wasting a hundred million dollars trying to make the DC look inviting to an idiotic and undeserving group of consumers who don't care, they should invest that money in concentrating on the Japanese market. One thing Sega of Japan can do with that money is to hire even more top-notch Japanese developers to make great, great Japanese games for the DC. Think of the possibilities of having a new DC Shinobi game (hopefully 2-D), or DC sequels for Streets of Rage, Astal, Castle of Illusion, Golden Axe, or any of the other awesome Sega franchise titles thanks to having a large group of talented developers to make great new games...even original ones. Sure, if Sega abandons the American market, none of these games would make it here, but us Sega fans should be used to that by now with the Saturn. Also, if you are a real Sega fan, you should be informed enough to import games, so what would be the problem? If this ever happens, only us real gamers (face it, MOST PS and N64-only gamers are NOT gamers) would be able to enjoy these great games and leave our American gaming peers jealous and not knowing what to do but sit on their thumbs. This may sound horrible to non-Sega fans, but this is a pride thing for us Sega fans. We and only we deserve to experience the Dreamcast! I must end this e-mail as it is getting longer than long, however, I've enjoyed writing this letter and would like to e-mail you again on the subject of "Sega's image". To finally end this, I would like to say that people like your friend "Butch" should have to place in this great hobby/industry/business. Thanks, Steve. -Robin Toledo Steve's Response: Tails - "This is a pretty big feature! Too big to fit in this issue of DC Weekly infact (we have a 30k limit on our mailing list). Please use this address to read the rest..." http://www.sega2000.com/features/followup.htm "I know some net-magazines do this, let you read a bit then make you goto a webpage to read the rest, but that's not what I had in mind. It's a direct link anyway, so it doesn't go into Sega 2000's hits atall. Sorry about this." ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| NEWS |============================================ ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>> Virtua Fighter 3 & NBA 2000 Delayed In a move that is bound to shock Dreamcast fans in the West, Virtua Fighter 3tb will not be a launch title. After listening to much criticism, SOJ have decided to not only to enhance the graphics, but to add in some extra gameplay modes, one of which definitely is a two player versus option. In other news, NBA 2000 has also been pushed back, as the developers want to ensure that the game will play just as well as it looks. We've yet to be given new release dates for both titles, but October is seeming likely. - Matt >>>> Toejam & Earl On Dreamcast Last week, we reported, direct from Toejam & Earl Productions, that the first version of TJ&E 3 would be on Playstation 2. It seems lots of fans must of e-mailed them about this, because they've posted a reply on their site... "Q: And we quote, "Why the &$%@! would you choose to make the first version of TJ&E III for the Playstation 2? Don't you feel any loyalty towards your old Sega fans?" "Answer: Of course, we love our Sega fans. And we have nothing against making a Dreamcast version... in fact, for many reasons, it would be the ideal platform for the introduction of TJ&E III (internet accessibility, ease of development, ease of porting to the PC, not to mention a strong tie to our old fan base). The problem is that, in the publisher community, there's a real "wait and see" attitude toward the Dreamcast. We assume that's because of the less than excellent record Sega has had in introducing new hardware into the market ever since their success with the Genesis. That, coupled with the announced capabilities of the PSX2 (yes, those remain to be seen), has caused companies such as GT & EA, among others, to watch closely without jumping in with huge development commitments. Bottom line, however, is that we've not made the decision yet. And if we do end up making the game for the PSX2, and it's successful, you can bet we'll create a fantastic Dreamcast version too." >>>> 7th annual Weenie Roast (!) Sega Dreamcast, Flea, Sugar Ray...what the? Sega Dreamcast is set to become the favorite videogame system of the alternative music scene. Sega Dreamcast will be performing live at KROQs (www.kroq.com) 7th annual Weenie Roast -- the coolest alternative music festival in Southern California. More than 18,000 fans and bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, Orgy, Metallica, Blink 182, Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, Live, The Living End, Eve 6, Freestylers, Lit, Lo-Fidelity Allstars and Pennywise will get a chance to play with the ultimate gaming machine and see for themselves what everyone is talking about. For the first time in the U.S., Sega Dreamcast will be giving people a chance to play some of the sixteen titles that will be available at launch for Sega Dreamcast including Sonic Adventure, NBA 2000, NFL 2000, Ready to Rumble; from Midway, Soul Calibur; from Namco and Power Stone; from Capcom. The concert will rock with more than 18 kiosks featuring blistering 128 bit performance and booming 64 channels of audio that only Sega Dreamcast can deliver. Free Stuff: At the event, Sega will also give fans a chance to brag to their friends about playing the new Sega Dreamcast with pre-stamped postcards that they can send out from the show, posters and stickers featuring the new Sega Dreamcast. ---------------------------------------------------------- ======[ RED HOT RUMORS ]================================== ---------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to a new section of Dreamcast Weekly, each week we'll keep you upto-date with the latest RUMORS going around. >>>> MS Flight Simulator Microsoft's popular PC Flight Simulator might be making the jump to Dreamcast next year. As of yet it's still a rumor, but I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be more. Microsoft are said to be looking for a publisher, and that may well be Sega themselves. Everyone knows Microsoft and Sega have a strong relationship because of the Dreamcast, so it would seem to all make sense. >>>> Dreamcast Shortages - The Bottom Line Rumors have been going around that pre-orders by retailers over in the US, have gone sky-high, and many had to be rejected. But according to a recent NGO article, the earlier reported "Dreamcast shortages" are no longer. Officials at Sega of America say that, "Irimajiri was just very excited after E3," when he said that the company would be unable to create 2.5 million units preordered by retailers. The official continued on to say that, "As of yet, we haven't even taken retailer preorders. Consumer preorders, yes. But not retailer." >>>> Biohazard: Code Veronica Release Date Rumor has it that Capcom is planning to make an official announcement regarding the planned release in Japan of Biohazard: Code Veronica sometime within the next few weeks. Rumors floating around in Japan already suggest the game maybe delayed past December, but nothing has been confirmed thus far. ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| IMPORT-ANT MATTERS |============================== ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>> JUNE Special Deal o BLUE STINGER - Save $20 o SONIC ADVENTURE - Save $20 You can pick up those games for $79AUD each (the normal price is $99AUD), which comes out at about $50US. This is only open to Dreamcast Weekly readers. You can order now from www.extreme-imports.com >>>> Dynamite Deka 2 Dynamite Deka 2 is now in stock, and Extreme Imports have a hi-quality video ready for you to download. http://www.digitalsea.net/extreme-imports/movies/deka2.mpg >>>> Psychic Force and Manaco GP 2 Price Lowered Both Psychic Force and Manaco GP 2, have been perminately been reduced to just $89AUD each. *********************************** * http://www.extreme-imports.com/ * *********************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| PREVIEW |========================================= ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>> NFL 2000 >>>> Release Date: September 9th 1999 - USA >>>> Written by Kevin DuPuy Welcome sports fans to the wide world of Dreamcast. Anyone in the console market will tell you that for a system to catch the eye of the average US consumer, it needs to have a strong lineup of sports titles. Without EA, Sega is picking up the slack to guarantee that their Dreamcast turns into a sportsman's dream. One of the first efforts to make this a reality is NFL Football 2000, Visual Concepts' flashy and unique entry to the ever-popular videogame football market. From what we've seen at this year's E3, the game is shaping up to be a real winner. NFL 2000 has everything you'd expect to find in a new football offering. An official NFL license means that all the teams, logos, and players are included, while every stadium is ready for action and rendered in wonderful 3D. Weather and wind conditions also come into play and are fully customizable. Gameplay remains familiar as well with each button representing a different receiver in a passing play and a unique dodge or juke on defense. A healthy playbook is also ready to be customized for all those coaches in training out there. Sega has consulted a number of NFL team coordinators in an effort to provide the most realistic and thorough selection around. But while on the surface NFL Football 2000 doesn't seem to break any new ground in comparison to the Madden and Gameday games we've all grown to love. Upon closer inspection NFL 2000 manages to introduce a variety of new features and presentation that will surely lure in players. For starters, the long-promised VM play selection has finally become a reality. Using the Dreamcast's memory card unit, players can select their plays or create a personalized playbook with complete privacy. No longer can experienced gamers narrow down their competitor's next offensive or defensive move after months of memorizing each screen. It's a long-overdue feature, but a very nice addition nonetheless. Another unique inclusion is the intensely realistic animation and presentation. Visual Concepts has gone all out with over 1,500 motion-captured animations and physics-based skeletal collision model. What do these technical terms mean for players? It means you'll see the most realistic animations, detailed reaction, and fluid motion of any football game to date. If you tackle a player at his knees he'll crumble and fold to the ground with unreal realism. Trips and weaves are equally as impressive to witness. In addition to this, the graphics engine manages to complement the impressive amount of animation perfectly, with incredibly rich textures and a staggeringly high polygon count. To round out the presentation gamers are treated to instant replays and in-game plays with dynamic camera angles that manage to fit the action perfectly. Everything in this game, from the player animation right down to the rowdy spectators, is done so well you'll think you're watching a real NFL showdown. While the game does shine in a number of areas, it still needs some work before its Fall/Autumn release date. Thankfully, the flaws, such as polygon glitches, clipping, and poor collision detection, are all ones that can be fixed over the course of the next few months, and should hardly be the cause of concern. But with the amazing graphics, impressive gameplay, and realistic AI the game has shown so far, there's little doubt that NFL 2000 and NBA 2000 will quickly put the Dreamcast on the sports map come September. ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| SEGA TRIVIA |===================================== ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>> Weekly Sega Trivia >>>> By Alex & Thanks to Ozisoft NZ for Question 2 O If you have any questions you think could be printed, O O feel free to e-mail Alex on Alex@sega2000.com. Thanks. O 1: Which game had the worst ending ever? 2: Which character did the winner of the first ever Virtua Fighter tournament win with? 3: Where does Lion Rafale come from? 4: What was going to be a Mega Drive and a 32x but never came out? 5: Was it possible to play SMS games on the Mega Drive? >>>> Answers 1: Shinobi 2: Lau - And in true Yu Suzuki style he wrote it into the storyline of Virtua Fighter 2. 3: France 4: Sega Neptune 5: Yes, with the SMS game converter ---------------------------------------------------------- ======| BEST OF THE WEB |================================= ---------------------------------------------------------- There are sooooo many Sega sites across the web, wouldn't it be great if one place listed the most interesting bits?? Presenting the "Best Of The Web" section... o> New Forum Online: http://sega.shoptok.com/boards/695 >>> Sega X - www.SegaDreamcast.net Plenty of news added every day, and the best coverage of the US Launch details you'll find anywhere. >>>> Sega 2000 - www.Sega2000.com Sega 2000's new news system means our staff can put news online any time of the day, and from anywhere in the world. >>>> Media Site - http://media.seganet.com A brand new design, and what a design!! You have to see this! They have the biggest collection of video game mp3's, video's (including some Saturn video's you've probably never seen before) and more. Also don't forget to vote for your favorite staff member. >>>> Dreamcast.net - www.Dreamcast.net Updates daily, to keep you up with the latest on all things Sega. >>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral Our newest support site and provides hundreds of links for anything a gamer might be interested in. >>>> SegaDC - www.segadc.co.nz Updated daily with lots of news, a forum and more, this is a must see site for any Sega fan. >>>> www.videogames.au.com The newest supporter of Dreamcast Weekly, and a site with a great design. Be sure not to miss this site! >>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/ Dreamcast Australia has gone undercover to find out the latest in release dates, prices and titles for the Australian Dreamcast launch. Add in some of the best previews, reviews, news and other info and this is one hell of a site. Have a look. >>>> The Sonic Zone - www.suneet.com/soniczone/ Updated daily with a HUGE amount of Sonic content that is sure to blow you away! From Fan Fiction to Chatting to Cheats and even Fan Created Games this is your one stop Sonic site. You can now send online postcards too!! The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at www.dreamcastweekly.com :) We've got the history of the magazine, daily news and plenty more. Specially if your a webmaster, there is lots of great information about how you can be involved as well! Then in the future... who knows, hopefully we'll be a print magazine one day :) ---------------------------------------------------------- ======[ CREDITS ]========================================= ---------------------------------------------------------- O Writer: Graham Parker "Tails" - webmaster@sega2000.com O Co-editor: Steve - steve@sega2000.com O DC Questions: Please send to - Steve@sega2000.com >>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Official Website! o> New Forum Online: http://sega.shoptok.com/boards/695