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Friday, May 28, 1999 I'm just curious about the Dreamcast and it's Interent browsing capabilities? Will you be able to access America Online, or will it be a specific kind of Internet access? Is there some kind of keyboard coming out for Dreamcast or can you use the one from your PC? Either way I have a Dreamcast reserved and am very excited about the release of it. Just curious on the previous stated questions. There probably isn't any info on it yet, but just in case, I thought I would ask. Thanks in advance. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Since AOL is a custom service provider, you will not be able to use
its services using the Dreamcast. You will however be able to log-on
using any normal ISP (netcom, erols, etc) as well as WebTV. Much like
the Netlink, a Dreamcast keyboard accessory should be available at
launch.
Hope that helps, Future Saturn Games
I have just been reading your internet site, a very enjoyable and well written site. Keep it up! Do you know of any future Saturn games due? Can you suggest a good cheap supplier of import Saturn games? Look forward to hearing from you. Many Thanks Fernando Mosquera
Replies: The only notable Saturn game coming out that I can think of is Street
Fighter Zero 3 from Capcom this summer, other than that, it's all pretty
much rubbish.
As for cheap import games, well, just try the retailers I have in the
links page (http://www.seganet.com/links.html).
Later, My Take on Things
If you want my opinion, I, personally, think that you are doing a damn good job. You keep people informed about Sega and everything that revolves around the Dreamcast. I don't really think that you need to change anything on your site. I like it the way it is. You have been doing a great job since day one. Keep up the good work, everyone appreciates it!!!! Sincerely, P.S. Dreamcast kicks major BUTT!!!!! This is, of course, coming from someone that has played a DC before and owns just about every system made by Sega. On the DC, I got to play Sonic Adventures and Power Stone.(both are very awesome games) Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Power Stone and Sonic Adventure, I sense that you have good taste
when it comes to games... Dreamcast query
How ya' like tha new position? Hope it's doing you right. Anyway, enough with the small talk, let's get down to business. Well, I bought a Japanese Dreamcast (yeah!) and it came with a modem. I tried to hook up with the service in Japan only to find out that the number has been changed. Two things: * Do you know or do you know anyone that knows that new number? * When the U.S. version is released and a Dricas web site is made here, can i register and use the japanese modem on the U.S. web site? Hope you can help a brotha out, cause I'm stressin at tha moment! thanks a lot Fernando Mosquera
Replies: -Don't know the new number or how to register the DC for online use
anymore. I wish I did, because I never bothered to do it the first time
around. DOH!
-Well, you'll have to the get the USA browsing software to work on
the Japanese Dreamcast first. Have fun trying to defeat the Dreamcast's
territory lock out! TRU
Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Question, DC
Ok quick question from one of your most loyal readers. I know for a fact that Sonic Adventures music is being changed (I read the latest gameFan). So I must ask you whether or not the music will suck. I loved Sonic's music in the past and thankfully didnt have to see what happened to Sonic CD (I heard the music sucked). Also anyword on who will be doing voices for the cast of Characters. They need to make Sonics, Knuckles, and Tails voices kool or I will be upset. Who cares about Big E102 and Amy (I know I don't!). Oh by the way if Sonic has Urkels voice u can expect to see the death of Douglas Simmons on the News, because I will shoot myself!! a Loyal Reader, Doug Simmons P.S. why do u let Sega-Otaku talk smack about you guys?? They were saying all these mean things about how u guys sucked at E3 and shit. You cant just stand around and let them bust on you!!! You gotta fight back. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: GameFan got confused I'm afraid, they took the information about the
Sonic Adventure Remix album and mistook it to be about the actual game
soundtrack. The American version of Sonic Adventure will have the same
music as the Japanese one!
No word on specific voice actors for the English-language SA, but
from what I heard of them at E3 they sounded fine. No Urkel sounding
Sonic at least.
Thanks for writing in, Wednesday, May 26, 1999
Constructive Criticism
Hi Fernando, What is right:
I think it's important to cover what is working now because when you
start looking for ways to improve, there is always the danger of
throwing the baby out with the bath water. First, I like the informal
style. I personally don't believe in "objective Journalism" and when I
see someone posturing as giving an objective review, I always get
suspicious. The informal style lets the readers like me get to know you
and the rest of the staff as people, and that gives you more
credibility. For instance, I know you like racing games and I know you
play a lot of them so when you like a racing game that means something.
Also, I know that you generally don't get hung up on frame rates and I
know that you hate it when people get off topic on your web page (like
when the PSY news came and when people sent you reviews of TPM movie.)
This information gives helps us see where you are coming from when you
talk about news and games. Finally, the informality keeps your site from
becoming just another site that has screen shots and mpg files and
people seek your opinion on games just because they like and trust you.
Second thing that is right, screens that you can click on to enlarge
and links to pictures. This speeds up load times a lot. I have a 56K
modem, but I usually can only connect at about 28K so the faster the
load times the better.
Third thing that is right is daily updates. It seems that many fan
sites fall of the face of the earth. Consistent updates are key to
keeping people coming back.
Wish list:
Frames: Sega-Dreams has a pretty sweet format for links and frames. I
don't want Seganet to be Sega-Dreams but the way you navigate the site
is a big plus and it doesn't seem to slow load times. However, I realize
the speed may be due to the coder because Dimension-S has frames and it
takes forever to load.
When you put links to additional pictures, make sure there is an
original title for each one (not pic 1, pic 2 etc.), because when it is
updated, I don't want to go through the list and load pictures I've
already seen.
Exposure to more of the staff. I enjoyed hearing stories like the
gonzo papers from David Smith, and the other editorials from the other
staff members. I would like to see more of that. It doesn't have to be
insightful, just human interest stories. I am thinking of the way GFO
has weekly columns from it's staff, I always read those for the same
reasons I always ask my friends, "What's new?" when I see them. Knowing
you don't like to get off topic like they often do, and knowing that all
of your staff do this as a hobby and not as a living, weekly columns may
not be practical. Perhaps, the week in review could be passed around a
little bit, I noticed that David Smith did a week in review of the
usenet, that is the kind of thing I would like to see more of. I also
want to hear more of Greg Mitchell's snarly attitude. :^ )
More original stories. I know that you are now going to be working
for Gamers Republic and you will have more leverage so I hope this
problem will take care of itself, but I would like to see more
interviews with developers about games in progress.
Well that is about it. As far as your concern with racing to be the
first up with the latest screen shot, that was more important when the
future of Sega was in question, but now it's not such a big deal. I
think the emphasis should be in being complete Sega coverage, not first.
I want a Sega site where I know they leave no stone unturned and when I
only have time to visit one site, I visit that one because the only
thing that I would gain from visiting other sites is more opinions. That
having been said, you need to get a preview of Bizarre Creation's
"Furballs." They now have a ton of shots available and it looks pretty
neat.
I hope this helps. Keep up the good work. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Thank you for your helpful comments, I'm glad that you're enjoying
SegaNet. That said, let me attempt to address your wish list:
Frames: I've never been a big fan of them, if for no other reason
than that I've never worked with them. I can see how they would help in
making navigation of the site easier, I guess a lot of you guys are sick
of hitting that back button on your browser by now!
Staff Exposure: I'm all for it! The thing is, these guys only have so
much time to sit down and work on writing content for the site. Greg has
a full-time job and David has a lot of things going on as well; I'm 100%
open to all forms of staff contribution and I encourage the guys to
write what they want, when they want, and how they want. Maybe the lazy
summer days will help Greg and David find the free time they need to
contribute a little something extra.
Original stories: I hear you loud and clear... I'll see what I can
do.
Thanks again for writing in, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
BTW, how about bringing back contests in order to encourage readers to submit Reader Reviews and Editorials? It sucks that someone would have to be teased into contributing to the site, but its a war for the eyeballs of the web surfers out there. Why not get Sega or some of your contacts to contribute some goodies as prizes for those who submit the most detailed "Power Stone" review, or the wackiest gaming anecdote? I'd like to get me a copy of that playable "Carrier" preview you got at E3, you lucky bastard! (JK). Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Sad to hear that Nick is taking Mack off the air, I guess you can
start moving on with your life now. Anyhow, I do understand that in
general SegaNet is thought as "Fernando's Sega Site", it's unavoidable,
considering I do the bulk of the work around here. It's hard to find
staff members who are willing to devote as much time to the cause as I
am, so the "crew" atmosphere never grows. I thought some headway was
being made with Patrick, but as soon as he established himself as an
equally fanatic member of the site, he left for gaming-age. Crap.
Contests will return, just as soon as American Sega product starts
being released. Until then, I won't be able to get companies to sponsor
them, since gamemakers don't give out Japanese product. And no, you
can't have my playable Carrier, it requires a system disc to play
anyhow.
My dry text must mean it's time for me to take a nap,
How Unreal is a LAN/cable hookup?
I haven't heard much about DC Unreal. Has it been confirmed? A no-show at E3? A title like that (or Quake II, or Tribes) could really make the internet concept a monsterous success--more so than a Sega Rally or a R2R. Why? FPSs rule the online world. Also, will there be a lan/cable networking device coming out anytime soon that will let us have some serious fragfests minus the annoying ping rates of a 56k modem? If Sega doesn't capitalize on this, I'd think some enterprising 3rd party would jump in. What thinkest thou, oh Lagi-san? Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Lots of FPS have been rumored to be heading to Dreamland, including
just about any game using the Unreal engine, Kingpin, and others. Since
nothing has been 100% confirmed as of today, I'm going to have to hold
off on an answer. With all of these rumors, I'm almost positive some PC
FPS will make its way to Dreamcast eventually.
Sega has said that a ethernet adapter would be something they would
consider for the American market, but have yet to officially announce
such a device. Wait and see my friend. The Future
Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Feedback
2) Speaking of dates, everything on your site should be dated. Especially the previews. Telling us about Geist Force is nice, but it is very pleasing to know when this information was added, almost as useful as anything else that could be in a preview. Date everything. 3) Your toolbar seems a little skewed, like where you actually click for "Previews," etc. doesn't line up exactly with the word, "Preview." Not a big problem, but annoying. And some questions: 4) FGNonline pulled an underhanded move on Monday (5-24-99), during its reportage of new ad campaigns for Sony and Sega. First up was Sony's coverage, and the writer of the article carefully listed every single channel, company, and tv show Sony would associate with. They then offhandedly finished off with Sega, saying something along the lines of, "oh, yeah, Sega. Some sites or something are going to do some stuff, and maybe Sega will have an ad in a newspaper or something." I sent them an email pointing out the MTV stuff and the movie ads Sega is supposed to be preparing, along with the other stuff I couldn't remember off the top of my head but have heard about. Surely, I said, a site like yours could have found this information. Anyway, my question is: I couldn't find this information on your site. Yes, yes, I know it's not really important, but where is it? 5) What is all this hubbub over Ready 2 Rumble? Every site keeps praising it, and at first I couldn't understand, because boxing games have not been very impressive to me. Then Greg Mitchell compares it to one of the all-time greats, Punch-Out. Is this comparison valid? Is this game really good? How does it play? Is it some sort of 3D fighter? 6) What are the latest figures for DC's sold? 7) Please offer your thoughts on our shot at Lunar 3 in the US. How hard would it be to change the name to Ranul 3 or some such, and slap a big sticker on the front, "from the makers of Lunar?" 8) Please give your impression of future Panzer Dragoon games. Are we in serious trouble without an intact Team Andromeda? 9) ...and of course, the all-important Phantasy Star V? And who could we email to petition this? 10) Please keep putting quality J. M. Vargas Saturn reviews on your site. I am hoping yet for a review of Crystal D's excellent FMV movie/rail shooter, Solar Eclipse. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: 2. Not a bad idea, but it might be a bit of a pain to implement
design-wise. I'll look into when doing the eventual re-design.
3. It's all Dave's fault, make him do it! Hehe.
4. Twas posted in the big Friday E3 press release update:
http://www.seganet.com/news/051499n.html.
5. I wrote a big story on R2R, read it here:
http://www.seganet.com/news/051999f.html. It's basically an arcadish
boxing game, with full 3D freedom of movement, lots of quick twitch
gaming, and strategy all rolled into one. Great fun.
6. Last I checked it was in 600-700k zone, the thing is struggling in
Japan I'm afraid.
7. If WD doesn't do Lunar, it won't happen. The only other way would
be for WD to sell the Lunar rights to another company, and we know
that's never going to happen. You see, WD doesn't just own the rights to
the Lunar name, but to the artwork, characters, and everything else as
well.
8. Getting information out of Japan is difficult, so I really have no
clue what the real story behind the makers of Panzer Dragoon is. I know
a bunch of them have moved on, but Team Andromeda was huge when it was
making PD games, so for all we know it could still be somewhat intact.
All it takes is the right vision and a large amount of resources...
9. Petitions don't make games like PS V happen, especially when it is
a decision that must be made in Japan. Sorry.
10. If he sends them, I'll post them! DC "MUST HAVES"
Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Out of PS, SC, SA, and NFL, I say get Sonic Adventure and Soul
Calibur. Power Stone and NFL 2000 will probably end up being good games
as well (Power Stone I know is lots of fun), but they are just a notch
below Sonic and Soul Calibur.
Aside from Sonic, there's really no outstanding adventure game due
out for Dreamcast. Perhaps Blades of Vengeance from Crave will fill the
void, though it's more of action-rpg.
It's going to be an amazing second half of the year for gamers, the
amount of quality Dreamcast titles due out is unbelievable. Just about
every game coming out for the console is worth at least renting!
Site Critique
Your news is very timely. You include a lot of screenshots and video (for my money, I could always use more video; it's a better indicator of a game's quality than static shots, and I have a T1, so downloads are not a problem.). The format of the page is simple but attractive. Server speeds seem to have improved over, say, 3 weeks ago. The writing style is solid: it's good English, casual, but not too many dumb jokes (these ruin many a fan site), and avoids overhype. A site dedicated to one platform has to avoid sounding ridiculous by saying things like all other platforms suck or the like. You succeed here as well. I'd like to see more reviews. With 70-80 import titles available, many of which have a chance at domestic release in the future, as well as the inevitable device that will allow Dreamcast owners to play imports, I'd like to know more about some of these titles. Does anyone on the staff have a Japanese Dreamcast? Alright. So I guess I did have a few comments. By the by, I am a Net idiot. Anything more complicated than a browser exhausts my genuine internet knowledge (though I fake it well enough). However, I am a writer. I have a degree in English (but not journalism) and I'm presently working on my doctoral dissertation. I also have a side project that I've been writing for the past 3 years to increase the entertainment options of (pen and paper) role-players and fighting game fans. My point is simply that if you need writing assistance on anything, I'd be interested. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Reviews: right now just Marcus and I own a Japanese Dreamcast.
Patrick has one as well, but he left the staff. As for Dreamcast
reviews, I think the staff and reader reviews cover most of the major
games. Writing a review takes a long time, so I usually default to
letting Marcus doing it, as he seems to enjoy it (not to mention he does
a damn fine job). Whoever told you that there are 70-80 import Dreamcast
games available is sadly misinformed. I've never bothered to count, but
I feel pretty safe in saying that there are at most 30 Dreamcast games
out in Japan. If you believe there are 70-80, please feel free to send
me a list of the games you think are available in Japan.
Writing assistance? Hum, sounds interesting, what exactly do you
mean? If you ever wish to contribute an article/review/whatever, just
e-mail it and I'll throw it up - I'm open to reader contributions!
Thanks again for taking the time and care to write in,
Tuesday, May 25, 1999
Star Wars on DC
Star Wars Trilogy Arcade is comeing to Dreamcast in November for $54.99. Thats according to a game release list from Chips & Bits Inc.There are also some other surprizeing games contained on this list.Check it out at www.chipsbits.com Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Sonic Adventure American Voices
Thanks, Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Are there going to be lightguns for the DC when it get released in the USA?
Back to my question not only didn't Sega have them hooked up at E3 there is talk that they won't be bringing them out in the United States. I feel that that is a real shame because those game are incredibly boring without them. Could you imagine playing the original Duck Hunt with your controller, let alone fast paced games like Virtua Cop and HoTD. It just isn't the same. I need to know how much truth there is to this because I may end up importing the Japanese version for my Japanese system. However I have a Sony TV and I am afraid to with the incompatibility problems some are reporting. I don't want to get stuck with an $80 game and light gun and not be able to use it. So I need to now if the light guns are coming out in the US or not. I greatly appreciate it. Thanx for your time, and keep up the good work. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Website Feedback
1. Pictures: Some websites have thier thumbnails set up better. You guys have them all lined up in a vertical row and sometimes seems to take a while to load. 2. Was only disappointed once with the website's coverage. And that was during E3, i have to admit u guys were outdone by another sega site. So I guess you could say I do get impressed with the site that gets the news out first. But you guys are still the first place I go to everyday. And well thats it, lol. I'm glad you guys became part of the Gamers Republic team. Thats my favorite magazine out there. As always keep up the good work! P.S. I loved the article about what launch games are the ones to get. With so many launch titles out there, it helps to read the opinions of Seganet. But skipping Sonic Adventure??? hehe. Hello! Fernando Mosquera
Replies: 2. Yep, I admit that our live E3 coverage didn't come together well
at all. I guess our post-E3 coverage was okay though, right?
Yep, Greg is a nut for not recommending Sonic Adventure, I think he
was violated by a blue hedgehog in his youth or something...
Review Comments
-A comment and a question- I must say that I love your website and wouldn't change a thing, but might say a word of advise for the future. Many sites that review games fall into one of two slots from what I can see. Either they are in someone's pocket like IGN/PSX and come up with reviews that are completely out of touch and overly positive about games that deserve the knife or they are like videogames.com who don't like anything (perhaps to avoid appearing to be be in someone's pocket) and one can't get a clear picture about any game; good, bad or indifferent. One site, and magazine that has transcended above these problems is Gamefan. There reviewers take everything into account from frame-rate to fun-factor and don't get caught up in hipe. They gave the only review of "Dead or Alive"-PSX, for instance, that had the guts to say it wasn't perfect. They objectively rated the game's good and bad points in a way that really gave the gamer a good idea of what it was like to play the game. May advice is to be objective and look at a game from several points of view addressing good and bad points with equal attention. Also: Do you know if Dreamcast will be S-Video compatible? With Playstation, I had to hunt high and low to find an S-Video cable, but it was sure worth it. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: -The DC does have an S-video cable, it also has a VGA box that allows
you to hook the console up to a computer monitor for even better image
quality! More Feedback
So you made me feel guilty about never contributing any feedback and now I'm forced to reply. I'm so ashamed. I have your site bookmarked and it's a daily visit, right up there with NGO as far as I'm concerned. Whether or not you consider this a compliment is up to you. I rather like the design, and the writing is done well. Your coverage of E3 stomped the shit out of anything NGO had to offer, or anyone else for that matter. Your not afraid to call Bernie a moron when he deserves it, and will bash Sega when repeating mistakes. Although you most likely have little to do with it, being father to the Media Page and UK:R can be seen as nothing but a good thing. Right. The good stuff gone, now why you suck so badly and deserve to
die.... But feel free to include more subtle and or dry humor without fear of several hundred mails all reading "I d0nt get it". The delete key was made for a reason. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: I'm glad that you enjoy the site for the most part, and hey, you even
liked our E3 coverage! Heh. I'm sure the media page and UK:R will be
happy to hear that you enjoy them (perhaps you should write them an
e-mail too), though I hardly think of myself as the father of either.
UK:R has been around longer than SegaNet, and the Media Page was founded
by Laine on my request.
The mailbag is a mixed bag, I figure I should respond to most of the
e-mails and delete the few that catch me in the wrong mood/are just
insanely pitiful. I'd like to think that by printing the bad e-mails I
would discourage folks from submitting equally crap e-mails, seeing as
how they run the risk of having their trash posted for all to see.
Doesn't seem to work though... Site Critique
First off the most recent coverage of E3 was ok, if your site was the only one I visited I would have been very happy with the coverage. Too often I returned to your site and found that most of your stories I have already read to death, and other stories I had read were no where to be seen. There could have been more movies, higher quality, and perhaps 2 or 3 different level of captures for the same movie. I would have spent the time to download a Ready to Rumble movie that ran at an extremely high quality just to be in as much awe as you were sitting in front of the montior at E3. Instead I had to look at a still photo and watch the movie to imagine what it must have been like. Ok, I rate you ahead of the pack when it comes to your E3 coverage, but I still think it could have been much better. The movies, well no other site does it, but it would be nice if you did. How great would it be to watch Ready to Rumble @ 640 x 480 ? or 30 fps ... Interviews, your site lacks the initiative to go out there and poke around at developers, publishers, and whomever else could contribute worth while reading. Which brings me to the inconsistency of the page. It seems the site falls into a drought once in a while and doesn't provide the information that one is used to. At times I get the feeling you are bored with the site, and it does show in the writing. Lately though things have been turning for the better, and it seems that everyone who contributes to the site is now writing with E3 lifting their emotions. Unfortunetly I know E3 hype will die, some will get bored and the next upward swing will probably come around the launch of the Dreamcast. Which all brings my point of inconsistency to light. All of this has nothing to do with the amount of news that flows, it has to do with the writing of the news that you offer, and how it at times seems rushed and uninspired. My suggestions, you offer the same products as many other sites, so you need to offer a better product. SEGANET should offer something that other sites do not on a consistent bases. (Good attempt with the rec.sega updates). How about high quality movies, more interviews, and a bit more get up and go out there and FIND news even if there is little there. I work in a similar business as a TV News Cameraman. If there is no news I make no money. So on a slow day i'll take a trip and find the news, because it is always out there. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: -The thing about movies is that I try to find a happy medium between
quality and file size. Ideally I could three versions of each movie, a
low-bandwidth, a medium bandwidth, and a super-high bandwidth edition.
Sadly, my time is limited when it comes to capturing movies so I end up
compromising. The movies I posted for E3 were done with high enough
quality that you should be able to zoom up to 640x480 and still get a
good image.
-Consistency: you're right, there are times when I'm tired, I have no
interest, and I rather be doing something else. Life is like that,
things happen, especially when working on a project that has been so far
been a "spare time" activity done for little pay. There's only so much I
can give, and like everyone else I get worn out. Thankfully, E3 and my
pending move to LA and Gamers' Republic has picked up my spirits
resulting in more inspired writing. Though, there will still be times
when the update is rushed and uninspired, because there are days when
life outside the site takes priority.
-Lack of news: I'm not quite sure about this, I basically report
whatever comes up. Sometimes, there just isn't anything going on, I'm
not afraid to admit that. I guess I could do a bit more work to write up
"feature" news on slow days, but then again, I tend to use slow days to
rest from the grind of doing the site.
Well, thanks again for writing in, More and more FEEDBACK!
You asked for feedback , you got it ! 1) I know this might sound a little crazy after the E3 incident with sega-otaku , but their site has something seganet defenitely should have as well...If you go there and it's been updated and you go read the first story , you can simply go to the next story without going to the main screen again. This is a great feature ! Any loyal visitor of seganet is going to read all the items anyway , so you might as well make them do it a bit faster. This will come particularly in handy when connection is slow and there's all whole week of news on the main page. That way , you don't have to reload that page every time. I know that after a few times , it's completely stored in the cache , but you' got to admit it will make things a lot faster and easier... 2) I live in Europe so , it would be great to have some Europe specific news once and then...Like some details about the European launch and stuff. I know this might be difficult , but there are bound to be many readers who will find this information interesting and usefull. You have to remember that , unlike the US , Europe is a lot of countries and what happens in one doesn't necessarily happen in another , so it's difficult for people in smaal countries to have accurate information of what SEGA is doing in their country ( ok , that last part is asking too much , I know it , but more Europe related news would really be appreciated ) 3) This one is completely beyond your power , but it occasionaly happens that the server is down and it happened quite a few times in the last months , so please do something about that ! I know it's not your fault or anything , but it's annoying and not-so-loyal readers are just going to get their information some place else and that's just a shame. 4) Style could be a bit more casual at times , but not too much. Not like what's happening at Chupamedia... I'm very sorry to say this , but they're constantly drifting farther away from what it's all about in the end : SEGA . 5) Although news is always updated nicely , the other departments of the site should get the same kind of attention... When was the last time a FAQ was added ? And if you don't get any from your readers , a) make them yourselves or b) go get them from some other site. If someone is looking for a FAQ and he/she doesn't find it at your site , that person is just going to get it from another site. Save that poor guy the trouble ! What's more , you should gradually be turning seganet in a regular bible for SEGA fans and the way of doing so , is by having the most information about everything SEGA related of the entire web. 6) If you have a lot of new pictures of some cool new game , why not zip them all in one file for readers to download ? The same goes for MPEGs : zip them please !!! I just hate it not being able to see every new MPEG because it takes too damn long to download them all... 7) Speeking of MPEGs , you should make a new section which contains nothing but the archive of every single MPEG ever on seganet. It's can take a while if you want to see some old movie and you don't know the exact date at which it appeared on seganet. An MPEG section would be THE solution. 8) This one has nothing to do with the site or something but Sonic Adventure NOT a must-have ?!? Are you kidding ? That game just kicks the crap out of everything else ! Even the mighty VF3 , Power Stone or HotD2 have to bow their heads with deep respect and admiration before the awesome Hedgehog... OK , that's a bit exagerated , but still... a SEGA fan who DOESN'T like Sonic ???? I think there are only five of those on the entire planet :) Sonic is definitely THE must-have of the launch. Don't pay too much attention to this last one , it's 100% subjective ; I just had to say it. That's it for now , if I think of something else , you'll read it soon enough Fernando Mosquera
Replies: 1. That's a really good idea, when the site gets a re-design I'll be
sure to try and implement that. Of course you could always plug in the
proper letter to get the next article (052499a.html, 052499b.html, and
so on).
2. I try to cover Europe when something happens, but it's difficult
for me to do so from the USA. UK:R does cover the European scene, but
they're a bit too light-hearted to be taken seriously. Perhaps a proper
European news affiliate will surface...
3. Completely understandable, and probably even more annoying for us
than it is for you. Hopefully the new server will continue to run as
well as it has the last week.
4. Funny you should mention Chupamedia, as I had a talk with them
today. I basically told them it was time to re-focus on their original
goal, hopefully they will do just that.
5. You want more FAQs and cheats eh? Fair enough, I'm currently
working on a solution to this problem; expect to hear something on the
matter by the end of the week.
6. Zipping up JPEG and MPEG files does not reduce file size. MPEG and
JPEG are compression schemes themselves, meaning you can't really make
the file any smaller without reducing the quality.
7. Actually, that was what the Media Page was supposed to do when it
originally started. Of course, it didn't quite work out that way, did
it? I'm not quite sure what the solution to this is now, I'm too
overloaded to embark on such a project at this time. I'll keep it in
mind though.
8. Sonic Adventure is a must have, just not for Greg it seems. To
each his own. SN Comments
I've been reading Seganet for quite some time now. The one thing I really enjoy about the site is the quality of the content. You generally refrain from posting single paragraph "news" articles like some sites, and anything that doesn't merit it's own headline goes into the "News Shorts" section, which is what these other sites break down and post as headline articles. Let me explain, my jargon may not match everyones similarly. By "headlines" I mean articles which have individual links from the front page. I'm not sure what you call them, but I'll use the terminology that makes sense to me for now. What would I like to see from Seganet? I'd like to see more information on the *other* Dreamcast games. I'm not interested in Powerstone, Shen Mue, or the 2000 Sports games. I'm interested in Frame Gride and Maken X. I'm sure there are other smaller titles which may appeal to other "niche" gamers. Good examples of site's that feature(d) news like this would have to be TK's Saturn Page (when it was running), Playstation Gamer (before the webmasters blatant Sony bias ruined his content), and Anime Playstation. All of those sites featured great coverage of all the obscure games that would have otherwise fell through the cracks, while also devoting a bit of space to the popular titles for their respective systems. I'd like to see Seganet make moves towards offering coverage like that. I don't know how. I'm certain it would require a great deal of effort to track down or translate the info from Japanese gaming sites, but if you could find a correspondant capable of acomplishing this, it certainly would be a great addition. Eidolon Gaming was another site that used to have a great foreign correspondant (about a year to two years ago), and then the site went down the tubes. Maybe some polls ala UK:R or the Street Fighter themed Gouki's Page of Whatever. Instead of letting a contributor glow about what titles he enjoys, let gamers vote for what titles they are looking forward to when the DC launches. Enabling gamers to see what other gamers are enthusiastic about and deciding from there what they should purchase/play. Hmmm. . . The other features seem pretty much taken care of, although some of the reviews would be better left by the wayside due to lack of content. Overall I enjoy the site. I'd just like to see a lot of juicy obscure tidbits. Oh yes. . . Another thing before I forget. The whole Famitsu reviews kick everyone seemed to be on for a while there. That was an interesting idea, giving US gamers and idea of what the Japanese gamers thought, publishing the scores given to the games. However it became too common for a lot of sites to simply post "Famitsu gives Sonic Adventures XX score". How about getting the reviewers comments on the titles translated as well? All the sites out there doing this and not one would translate the commentary? It really got annoying after a while. What in particular do the reviewers like? Seems more important overall. Well. . . Those are my ideas. I wish I could assist, but I can't read/translate Japanese to save my life. I hope the input helps though, coz I'd like to see Seganet stay on top of the game. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Thank you for writing in, let me see if I can make some sense of your
critiques!
-Niche coverage: I try my best to provide it when I have the
information available to me. There are times when things just get too
rough, especially when it comes to Japanese intensive games such as
Frame Gride. That game is insanely difficult to get a handle off...
It's funny you should mention Maken X though, as I thought I have had
decent coverage of the game. Several news stories, a preview, and a nice
E3 write up. Perhaps I'm not making the information easy enough to find?
Any ideas as to what I could do?
-Polls: I'm not a big fan of polls as they can generally be
interpreted ten million different ways. They usually end up saying
nothing of value. That's why I have the mailbag, the forum (down for
now), and reader reviews - to allow you guys to say something at length
about how you feel.
I'll do my best to find reasonable ways to implement your
suggestions, What to Buy?
I attended the E3 show as well and found that sega had one of best showings. They definitely have a powerful launch line up. I agree with most of your titles that you have chosen as must buy's and rentals for the launch but I think I going to put NFL2000 on my must have list as well. Two things bothered me though. First, I noticed that you do not have Blue Stinger on your must have or rentals or future must haves for that matter. Although the game,s camera needed work I feel Activision will do a good job at repairing this. They did a good job with Tenchu and I have no reason to believe that they can't work their magic with this title.( And no I do not work for Activision). The second thing that bothered me is that you put your help the purchase list now when the system will not becoming out for a few months yet. Time enough to fix some mistakes but granted not enough to change gameplay altogether. A follow up must buy list in August would be greatly appreciated and would make the choices more exact. In closing I will visit your site daily as I have found your E3 coverage for the Dreamcast the best. You even helped me discover a game in which I missed when I was there(Toy Commander). Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Considering I didn't write the "What to buy" article, you're probably
addressing the wrong person, but what the heck (I've fwd your e-mail to
Greg Mitchell)!
Okay, I guess Blue Stinger should go on the rental category then, it
really is worth experiencing!
Funny you should mention a follow up article, as I have plans for one
once the system is closer to release. Greg just wanted to get out his
version while the games were fresh on his mind from E3.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Monday, May 24, 1999
E3
Well it looks like that Sega has passed their first test in the US market with a kick @ss E3 showing. Sega really had me going for a while I thought the modem would not be included at 199.99. Thank you Sega for coming to your senses and including the modem. Well from all the video I have saw and the opinions I have read the DC had many many great games at E3. It is looking more and more every day that Sega will not only have the strongest launch lineup ever but the best first year lineup ever. It looks like Sega has learned from their and Nintendo's mistake that you need a strong sports line up to be #1 in the US. Sega's most important titles to a strong foot hold in the US market NFL2000 and NBA2000 look like block busters if they have good game play will sell millions of DCs. If these 2 games even just play a little better than the NFL and NBA games on the PSX I can guarantee that Sega will break all sales records for a first year console. I have atleast 10 friends whose deciding factor on the DC will be the sports games(NFL2000, NFL Blitz, NBA2000 and Ready to Rumble). Sports games here in the US are like RPGs in Japan they make or break most systems. Besides the sports games there were a lot of kick @ss DC games. SC, MSR, Ecco, Hydro Thunder, Toy commander there are to many to mention. Boy are we in for a treat come 9/9/99. Sega rocked E3 and is ready to lay the smack down on the big N and Sony. I love system launches they are so damn exciting. The only bad thing about E3 is I get to see all these incredible games but can't play them for another 4 months I hate the be teased. I am looking forward to all your post E3 work this week it will kick @ss. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Teased eh? You need to become part of the press, we get playables
after E3! Jaleco and Midway were the nicest companies of the show,
letting us take Carrier, Ready 2 Rumble, and Hydro Thunder back to the
office. Big thanks to Ken Gratz at Jaleco for the assist!
DC Questions
1.)I was wondering if more Dreamcasts will be reserved than they will send to the U.S.? I was told that they will only ship 100,000 DCs to the U.S. and if over 60,000 have already been reserved, will there be enough to please everyone? I don't want to be knocked off the reserve list if they don't have enough. Is that possible? 2.)I already reserved my DC and Sonic, but which other games should I reserve? I am planning to go back in to the store soon and reserve a VMU and another game. NFL Blitz 2000 is on my mind right now, but what is your opinion on a great game at launch? 3.)How is the whole modem deal gonna work? Do you have to use Sega's server? How much will it cost to get connected? What else can you tell me about it? 4.)Final question! How hard will it be to get any games or accessories for the DC after Sep. 9? How long will it take to ship more DCs and stuff to the U.S. after the first shipment on Sep. 9? Will it be as easy as it is now to go to a local store and pick up a Playstation or N64 game? Or will they be limited? Thanks 4 your help! Fernando Mosquera
Replies: 2. One more game? There's so many, it really depends on the kind of
games you enjoy. If I were you I would get a second controller and get a
nice two-player game, so your buddies can enjoy your new console too.
Any of the fighters (save MK Gold) or any of the sports games (save QB
Club 2000) are good bets - I recommend Ready 2 Rumble.
3. It should be open ISP, so any dial-up should work with it (except
custom services like AOL). Other than that, it's all too vague to go
into it right now.
4. I'm sure all stores will have plenty of Dreamcast stock, but if
you're that worried go ahead and reserve everything at multiple stores!
Eee Three
Ahh, what a wonderful show, E3 was. Reading through David's LARGE article on his experience of E3 made me whimper like a small child, as I will probably never see E3 (*note to self: get a college degree in journalism, and work for a major videogame magazine.*) Here are some random thoughts of the show: 1. Sega Rally 2: This game shall be mine in the fall. Network play, many cars ect., ect. (BTW: How fast does it take a Dreamcast to dial up a connection?) 2. Soul Caliber: Not a real big fan of Namco's fighter, but if this sucker plays better than the arcade, this will most likely be in my hands this September also. 3. Playstation 2: Heh, I didn't hear much from big bad Sony. Where are you and your 75 million polygons hiding now, huh? 4. Working Designs: Well, I guess ol' Victor wants nothing to with Sega. Tis a pity. Sources tell me that a new Lunar game is in works, so now who is going to translate it. Mr. Ireland (or Sega), it's time to kiss and make up. 6. Nintendo: Nintendo who? 7. Castlevania: Resurrection: I was really hoping this game would be in 2.5D format. KONAMI USA DOES ANOTHER COCK UP. Castlevania is not meant for 3-D. I own the N64 game, and it's alright, but it pales in comparison to other Castlevania titles. Lets just hope those were FMV shots. Overall-it wasn't very exciting, and I didn't really hear what I wanted to. The modem at $199 is very nice. But I would like to speak to Sega of Japan: I WANT PHANTASY STAR 5! Yes! This game, if made, would probably beat out Final Fantasy. Remember: Phantasy Star 5 Fernando Mosquera
Replies: More E3
E3 was a blast! It was quite evident that Sega owned the show. All of those pics of dreamcast games I've seen prior to e3 do not do the Dreacast any justice. You have to see the games in motion in order to truly see how awesome the DC will be, but of course, you already knew that. I'm a big racing game fan and I was expecting Sega Rally 2 to be at the show, but seeing it in network play over the modem, I almost soiled my pants! The game is too cool! It only took one test drive before I was hooked. Internet play reminds me of the good old days of the genesis and xband, I hope the DC can recapture those feelings. Well, how was your e3. I didn't see you at the show, heck, I don't even know what you look like. The only person that I recognized at e3 was Bernie Stolar, Mr. Sega of America. It looked like he was busy with his goons, so I was only able to take a quick picture with him, shake his hand, and say thanks before he was on his way, but he did seem like a nice gentleman. As for networking, since I didn't know anyone there (and almost everybody's badge were flipped over) and all of those Dreamcast units begging me to play a game, and the occassional pokemon plush give aways (got me 7 pokemons), my networking was nowhere to be found. I must have checked it at the door and it's a shame too, I made a pretty resume and all. Yeah, I meet Mr. Stolar and could have striked up a conversation, possibly try to land some sort of internship, but then again I was dressed in black adidas shorts and wearing a hostess twinkie t-shirt. Wow, rubbing elbows with Dave Halverson, aka E. Storm (if my memory servers me right). After he left GameFan, it started to suck. ECM is cool, but come on. After finding out that Halverson is running the show at GR, I will soon have A GR subscription. Good luck this summer at GR. Aldo Figueroa Oh yeah, Best game of the show. . .NFL2000, but needs a new play call interface. I don't want my opponent to see my plays, unless this is where the VMU comes into play, Hmmmm. . . Best arcade game. . .Dance Dance Revolution Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Glad you enjoyed the show, it must of really been a blast not having
to worry about meetings and crap - just playing the games! As for
networking, I guess you have to dress a bit more formal and have
business cards handy to do that sort of stuff. My E3 was fine, I
detailed it in the various write ups, really don't have much more to say
about it than what I have already put online.
Seven pokemon!? Holy crap, you must of been around the Pikachu-mobile
24/7! Damn you, you pokemon hogging beast! Oh well, pokemon will never
beat my VF puppets.
Yeah, Dave's GameFan nick was E. Storm; he's a cool guy and he knows
how to run a proper games mag. GR is really well done, sort of like the
old GameFan will more mature writing and some semblance of English
grammar and spelling.
Until next time, Two Q's
I'm going to make this one short: Why do you now call the mailbag Lagi (you probably said this before but I've been out of it for a while.)? What is a "Set Top Box" and why is it hated and feared? Congratulations on your recent move to GR. Best Regards, Fernando Mosquera
Replies: -I call the mailbag Lagi's Lair because I really love the Panzer
Dragoon series and Lagi is the dragon from the game. My video game
nickname has always been Lagi, and I wanted to implement it into SegaNet
a bit. Plus, it aided in the move to two separate mailbags (Lagi's Lair
and Ask Klepster). Of course, Ask Klepster is no more.
-Set top box is the term given to devices that sit on top of your
television. The thinking goes that said devices can play games, movies,
music, browse online, educate you, make you toast, clean your room, and
wipe your ass. Devices like this fail because they try to do too much,
never doing one thing particularly well (see CD-I and 3DO).
Thanks for writing in, The Media
You'd think we'd at least be able to agree that video game guns are permissible. Is Doug Erickson serious when he says that we might not get the DC gun? This would be extremely upsetting. J. M., (By the way, what the Hell is your first name? Who's sjvargas?) if you agree with my Constitutionally-protected rights (to own guns and keep them in my house and kill people with them if they break in), I will shed my own blood to see that your Constitutionally-protected rights (to watch gay anal sex interrupted by a chainsaw wielded by a satan-worshipping goat who sodomizes and dismembers everyone in the room) go unmolested. I tend to agree with punishments for selling pornography to children or pedophilia of any kind, actual or pornographic, but everything else is legal and should be. So are we agreed? I want my Sega gun! Let the industry rate the game MA-17. I don't give a crap, just gimme, gimme, gimme. We should let the idiots know that we have a bipartisan commitment to liberty. Stupid bureaucrats. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Er, anyhow, during GR's meeting with Sega, we asked about the HOTD 2
guns and they told us they would be released as soon as the game made it
out. The reason they weren't at E3 was too make sure the mass media
didn't make Sega's new console to be a killing simulator.
Random Questions
1. My friend went and played Dreamcast on the weekend and he told me that the controller has two slots for a VMS. Does it really? If so, why? 2. Will the Dreamcast system come with a VMS? 3. Speaking of the VMS, what is it really called? I've heard it called VMU, VMS, and VMA. Which one's right? 4. Will there be any Star Wars games for the Dreamcast. I'd like to see Star Wars Trilogy Arcade or the new Episode 1 game on Dreamcast. 5. Which games can be played on the Internet? I know Sega Rally 2 can but what about the other games? I'd sure like to play Virtua Fighter 3 with my friends over the Net. 6. Another friend of mine said that Dreamcast would come with free Internet access. I think he's joking but I'd just like to make sure. There, you see?! I managed to write a letter without sounding like a phsycopath. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: 2. The Japanese Dreamcast doesn't, but that doesn't mean the USA or
European versions won't. It's up to Sega, though keep in mind that
nothing has been said officially regarding the matter.
3. VMS and VMU both work; the USA version was changed from VMS to VMU
due to a copyright matter. It is also called a PDA by some people,
referring to personal digital assistant.
4. Nothing announced.
5. Ready 2 Rumble announced the feature in its original press
release, Red Dog is also scheduled to have it, as is Sega's online RPG
"Frontier". As the announcements come, I'll post them in the news.
6. Free Internet service has been confirmed for Europe, though
nothing of that sort has been announced for the USA. I expect SoA to
hook up with some ISP to offer at least a month of free service though.
Arcade Stick
Fernando Mosquera
Replies: I saw Star Wars twice, I paid the first time, got in for free the
second (friend had an extra ticket). It's good for what it is, but it's
far from great. Too many annoying points to go over in here, I'll leave
the Star Wars talk to the hardcore wookie fans. A life or death question...
Fernando Mosquera
Replies: How working at EB keeps me sane
I am also Dreamcast mad, and it suits me down to the ground to be in the kind of position to tell people about the joys of Dreamcast. This however, leads me to my next point regarding PlayStation and it's utter dominance of the current market. Having access to the EB release schedule I am seeing a severe amount of Playstation games being put back until September. What worries me more is the fact that a lot of people are going to along with this. People seem to be cursing Sony for these delays, with magazines stating that the games are being put back for more "playtesting" and maybe even some "gameplay tightening". Now I know as well as the next person these games will be shoved in a cupboard until pressing time, but as I said; people will just go along with it. Being strung along by Sony is as natural to these people as maybe, supporting PlayStations ten year down the line if for example Sega hadn't pushed all 3 companies into the next generation. Not to worry though, I have talked a good amount of Playstation owners into the forthcoming Dreamcast consoles, with reserves being placed and so forth. The amazing pricing(yes, even in Europe), free modems, amazing graphics and even greater games courtesy of Sega. I will continue to support and shit-talk Sony. P.S. I am the elusive Mark Coyne from Total Control's lettering. Oh and 'Playstation owners don't hate Dreamcasts, they just hate the way we're goin' ta love it!' Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Sega Ads
Hardcore Sega loyalist ..in da hooouse!! I want to thank you guys on a awesome coverage of E3 99. Though you & a couple other sega sites praised & declaired Sega da man of the show, other "big' name sites said different! Namely the once non- biased haters Next Generation just ignored the Sega Dreamcast. All them bastards talked about was a bunch of vaporware in Nintendo's Dolphine & PS2. All day everyday. There caught up in the HYPE just like videogame, gamepro, ect. Yes im calling out names!! But no matter what they right & print they cant hold the Dreamcast down. Only Sega will determine the rise or fall of the dream machine. To be honest with you the everyday gamer still has not heard of the Dreamcast. And that is a good thing cause the HOSTILE TAKE OVER will just jump at them in june/july. But Sega is playing its cards right so far. Price, 15 titles at launch, modem included, microsoft's name on the system will sell systems alone. But the key, and I repeat the key will be no doubt the way they spend those valuble 100 million dollars. They must go back to there roots and make the system "COOL" and make every thing else suck. Remember Genesis the coolest system in the universe and SNES the kiddy, sorry system. Them fully supporting the MTV Music Awards on 9/9/99 is the best move ever. But they must target more than just MTV, like promote the fuck out of it on mondays ( WCW & WWF) non stop, FOX tuesdays & sunday nights, WB & UPN (I know there cheat to get commersal time on). And also make side deals like, cereal boxes, can foods, you know ...crazy shit like that can make the dreamcast a house hold name. And with the commersals I here there will be 5 different ones. If so they should do it like this. 1. (game) Give Sonic Adventures a 15 to 30 sec. commersal to himself. He's there main man. 2.(game) NBA 2000 & NFL 2000 ( together ) promote those two all over the FOX & CBS Sunday football games, & TNT basketball when the seasons starts. 3.(system) Dreamcast, all they need to say about this monster is that it pumps 128-bits of brutal mayhem, while showing the systems controller, and logo, show all the first & third party games threw out the commersal. 4.(modem) Plain and simple, let the world know its internet capable & you can play against others all over the country. 5. Not a commersal but a very important idea. This is not a rip off but similar to the playstation commersal. At the begining & ending of every commersal always but the Dreamcast name & swerly orange logo on it, with a theme of some sorts. Hey we all know when we hear that damn sony thump we all know automatically it's a PS game. And as for the other 2 companys, sega just needs ignore them roody poo jabroni's. Just FOCUS on themselves and the Dreamcast will be just fine. Also got a couple questions: 1. Will Bill Gates & Microsoft help promote the Sega Dreamcast at launch? His no life ass can sell a millon systems by just saying to the public " go buy the damn thing" and the people will do it. 2. The prices of the games? EBWORLD is full of it, they dont really know, there just asuming $49.99. Sega better pump out some $39.99 games if they plan to sell alot of software. Sonic, VF3tb, & a couple others should be less than 40. 3. Any word on the third party developers that are releasing games at launch on how they plan to promote there games out side of printing ads in game magazines? I just pray NAMCO does Soul Calibur the way they did Tekken 3. Cause Soul Calibur is the....as you say the KILLER AP that will sell systems alone, as well as Sonic if Sega promotes him right. 4. Whats your opinion on Electronic Arts already giving full support to the PS2 and basically saying the hell with Sega? You know theres no loyalty no more in the videogame industry. EA sports & Sonic alone destoyed Nintendo. And now there Sonys little girl friend. F U EA F U!!!!!! Shit..... I should be Sega's marketing man. Im a f'ing genius. What you think? You know you can smeeeell what im cookin!!! Fernando Mosquera
Replies: 1. Microsoft hasn't stepped up so far to actively support the
Dreamcast outside of gaining PC developer support. Maybe they'll push
the online/Web TV angle of the machine.
2. I heard under $40 as well.
3. Tons of games are coming from Sega and third party near or at
launch, just go back and track them all.
4. EA is content to milk the PSX, N64, and PC; they'll jump on the
Dreamcast bandwagon once the user base hits 1 million. Just wait.
Thursday, May 20, 1999
WSB 2000
Hello my name is Tony
Raso i just have a quick question for you guys...I was wondering if Sega
is going to produce a World Series Baseball title for Dreamcast? if
not...WHY NOT???? World Series Baseball 98 for Sature is still one of my
absolute favorites. If there is any info out there you guys should post
it...if not you guys should post sumthin anyways, like a petition or
email flood to Sega. I bet there are tons of Seganet readers who would
love to play a Dreamcast version of WSB.
Thanks for your time and effort Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Stuff for the Mind
Also, I've heard people talking about how dreamcast isn't really a next-next generation gaming console because all it offers is better graphics. Now a few months earlier I would have argued saying "It'll be the first console to actually have a modem". But now I'm not so sure, I mean if you can get one without a modem, then it just seems that all it does is offer better graphics, and to me, that doesn't seem like enough. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: As you know the modem is now confirmed as being packed-in...
Why are there so many Dreamcast haters?
I would like to straighten up something about a prior e-mail: I AM NOT EVIL! I am just a little phsyco at times. Anyways, I have and account at for the GameSages forums (I know, I have sinned for not using Seganet's forum. Forgive me Fernando!) and I saw a message(er, thread) titled "What is up with all of the Playstation 2 haters?". Um, hey Bob, I think it is the other way around. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DC HATERS? Perhaps because there are driveling Sony fools, who can't see anything beyond a playstation. But let me give you something to ponder. A lot of PS owners are former Genesis owners. I bet ya anything. I was and still am an owner of a Genesis, and I own a Playstation. I don't hate the Dreamcast. These people are living high and mighty. They think the PS is the best. They don't realize what it is like to follow the "underdog". I am very sick of hearing people laugh in the background when I mention good things about Sega. I am sick of store clerks (especially at Software Ect.) being biased towards sony. I am sick of people not liking sega "just because". I am damned sick of it. Here is my assesment on everything: IS THE DREAMCAST GOING TO FAIL?: NO! I wish people would just shut the hell up and get along. Just get along. Dumbasses... Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Sorry to Hear
Capcom sent me a tape with the new Strider on it and all I can say is it must be early. It doesn't look much better than PSX stuff in my opinion. Dreamcast SF Zero 3 is internet ok, but they only mention about how you can use the modem to fight special computer players, not a vs mode. Enjoy your trip and I will try to get a disc, this time I am at the school that never lets me leave early, so it may be difficult. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Strider 2 is running on PSX arcade hardware, hence it looks like PSX
stuff.
Japanese, always in school or at the nudy bar...
Nintendo
I've been thinking closely about this, and there's only one thing I can really see; the rest of the world might not see it this way. But here's my view: I believe the Nintendo announcement will only HELP Sega, albeit just a little. Why? Because until now, Sega's main danger upon the launch of the Dreamcast has been people saying, "Looks okay, but might as well wait for the PS2, as it's coming out next year and it's going to be so much better." Fine, but now, when the PS2 comes out, people will be saying, "Looks okay, but might as well wait for the new Nintendo, as it's going to do this, and that, and this, too...," because Nintendo's launch could follow Sony's by as small of an interval as a couple of months. The way I see it, Sony is now caught in the middle and now Nintendo and Sega find themselves in great positions; Nintendo has a great chance to one-up Sony both on hardware and software right after launch, and Sega has at least a full year to penetrate the market with the Dreamcast, and each day work towards making PlayStation look OLD. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Sony will fail, but the chances of them completely annihilating Nintendo and/or Sega now look a hell of a lot slimmer to me. Those are just my thoughts. Fernando Mosquera
Replies: We'll see come next E3 I suppose! A few things
Something about the controllers reminds me of the PSX and why I didn't buy it in the first place. This 4-button controller is utterly useless for fighting games. Unless Sega's planning to manufacture a DC version of their 6-button arcade controller, the fighting games are going to be one hell of a pain in the ass to play, otherwise it's an ok controller. Oh yes, about those ads...I remember some of the ads for the Saturn and why they just didn't stick to anyone who's not a hardcore gamer. Frankly hardcore gamers should not be Sega's only target, since the PSX sold better because Sony was smart enough to market their machine using very catchy ads (hence the little "Play-stay-tion" at the end of their ads). Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Sega, but I don't see the DC heading in the right direction, at least not until everyone knows how amazing this machine really is...With ads like the obscure one I saw on your site, that's going to be a feat not easily accomplished. I might be presumptuous, but I fear the ads won't do much for the power of the machine. Guess I'll just have to wait and see :-) Fernando Mosquera
Replies: Sega already has a 6-button pad out, it's called the arcade stick. If
the DC |
