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Googleshng - March 28 '02- 11:00 Eastern Standard Time
Hey look! Nothing to keep me from getting this done tonight! I can just
kick back, relax, and wait for my guest to finish answering!
Googleshng - March 29 '02- 3:00 Eastern Standard Time
Oh SMURF! Talk about getting distracted! Looks like I'll be racing the
sun tonight...
Kamikaze: Looks like all of you get me for another week, how special! I got my new computer built in the past week so the divine wind will be
merciful this week. Oh yea, go buy Stupid White Men by Michael Moore. This book is a bestseller because it speaks the truth, so go check it out.
There ain't much else to say, so onward!
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Just what I need tonight...
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Hey Goog.
Quick note before I ask some questions. There is no Fire Emblem for the N64. Only Famicom, Super Famicom, and now Gameboy Advance (just a VERY short time ago).
1. Since you don't have a job (like me) how do you feel about RPG merchandise? Mostly soundtracks and any other things that come out. Do you like buying soundtracks (if you like the music) or are you just in it for the games? I like OSVs and stuff but considering the price for a few of them I have to think twice sometimes; I can get games for the same price, sometimes two.
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Kamikaze:
Sheesh, I can't even get a hello...
1.) Hey! I have a job! :P I'm not big into RPG merchandise or soundtracks, but I did get the Xenogears OSV. It is kinda pointless
if I can get a game for the same price, but if the music rocks my world I would invest in it.
Googleshng:
Didn't think there was an FE on the N64, glad to hear I was right. Anyway, I don't know how it works for
you, but for me, no job=no money=I can't even consider buying game soundtracks. I probably would if I
had enough money, but hey, if I have enough one I'd buy the materials to build a giant maze-like castle,
a dedicated T1 connection, and a large enough portion of Pocky stuck to get unlimited free Pocky which
I would compusively eat non-stop until my heart exploded like in that experiment had a button it could
press to stimulate its own pleasure center. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah. Soundtracks. They're
spiffy. Games are spiffier, because they have that whole soundtrack and a game to boot!
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2. How does the public get companies to re-think about what games to bring over? And I don't mean where Square says they won't bring a game or collection over, then does it about half a year later. Example: a game is announced for Japan, and later on the American division says it won't bring the game over. Any successful way to get the company to release the game in a timely manner? Ogre Battle 64 is a good example. Took forever to finally come out.
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Kamikaze:
2.) A good way to let companies know you WANT a specific game is to write into them. One person isn't enough though, so use the
Internet and create some kind of online petition. If they can be convinced there is a sizeable market for the game (even if there
isn't a large one anyway) then you can bet the game will be brought over. Now for them to get localization and translation right,
that's a whole other problem...
Googleshng:
How to avoid having companies not translate games: Live in a time period after 1997. How to avoid games
taking so long to translate: Start a grassroots movement to cut back on the amount of text in games.
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3. What RPGs do you think will be worth while? Arc Collection is finally out, or will be (I think, haven't checked anywhere to make sure it actually arrived). But other than that I can't think of ANYTHING coming out soon. All I can think of Xenosaga and stuff, which is anywhere near. And if anything is coming out soon I don't know enough about it to consider buying it.
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Kamikaze:
3.) If you have a GBA, I would suggest Breath of Fire 2 and Tactics Ogre. If you haven't picked up Golden Sun that is
highly recommended. As for the other systems, I'm kinda clueless as I don't have a PS2 and the GC is still a desert.
Googleshng:
Arc's not out yet, and I actually know why, more on that later. So, counting Arc, out of the next 10 RPGs
slated for release, the only ones that look all that great are Arc, Lost Kingdoms, and MMBN2. Lost Kingdoms,
formerly known as Rune, seems to be a combination of two of the most addictive nerd-magnets in the last
decade. Phantasy Star Online, and Magic the Gathering. Now if only they could work The Sims in... you
know, you run out of MP and hear "Weeee! Nana! Abookiebookie-booo!!!"
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4. Why, WHY, did Square buy the rights to OB? I love the OB series, and I like Square, but do we really need this? You have any specifics on this? Did Quest sell the rights, did Square suck Quest into the company? Although if they maintain the charms of the series I won't have a problem, so everyone will have to wait and see.
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Kamikaze:
4.) I don't know the specifics but Square saw a chance to make more *gasp!* money and took it. They're doing what any other
company would do. Now as for the direction the series will go, let's hope Square doesn't bastardize it by pumping it full of eye
candy.
Googleshng:
The problem with stories like this is that they get written from tiny little uninformative press releases.
As soon as the next Ogre Battle game starts being created, this stuff will get answered, but no sooner.
And I still say, even if no changes are made to the style of the game, Square would have a really hard
time marketting the sucker.
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5. Why the hell does FFXI have to be online? That's stupid. Call it Final Fantasy Online then. That's not a question, just a comment.
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Kamikaze:
5.) I agree wholeheartedly.
Googleshng:
Calling it FFOnline would A- Cause less fans to freak out, and B- Cause less people to buy the game.
Of course, the number of people who will buy it based solely on the fact that it's called FF11 is larger
than the number of people who hate the concept, so there you go. What's scary is how big the overlap between
the two is.
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6. Did Aegis already go to San Jose to show off his game? If not, got any updates?
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Kamikaze:
6.) ............
Googleshng:
There, and back again, and he'll tell you all about it Monday.
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7. I know you like the PS series. Care to point out what you think is good about the series? I never had a Sega, and before the SNES died off I use to be a huge Nintendo fanboy.
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Kamikaze:
7.) I was a huge Nintendo fanboy too so I'll let Goog answer for me here.
Googleshng:
I was all for Nintendo back then too, because there was no noticable competition from anyone. Luckily,
my cousin ended up getting an SMS so I had all the bases covered. Anyway, the original Phantasy Star
brought the following concepts to the console RPG:
Having a party.
Huge detailed animated monsters.
A world that wrappped around if you kept going.
Multiple worlds.
Getting snazzy vehicles to help explore those worlds.
The ability to talk to monsters.
Fetch quests.
Anime cutscenes (well, the still-image based equivolent).
Anything I forgot that wasn't in the original Dragon Warrior.
Pretty darn impressive for an 8-bit game, and the graphics and sound were astounding for the time too,
oh and it's by the same team as Skies of Arcadia, so it has that same Just Plain Good thing going. More
important than any of that though, one of your characters was a talking house cat. And I mean character
character, not a mascot like Nall or Cupil or Puffy.
The rest of the series meanwhile is spiffy mainly just because they're set in the same setting with various
returning characters.
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8. You mentioned some higher resolution thingy or something on the SNES, and how FM3 was the only game to use it. What's FM3 and what's the enhancement?
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Kamikaze:
8.) FM3 = Front Mission 3 = NOT a Super NES game, but a PSX game.
Googleshng:
Yeah, I meant to say SD3. You know, the game that letter was talking about. Go me. Anyway, it
crammed more pixels onto the screen than any other game on the SNES.
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9. Warcraft 3 needs to be out sooner! I'm not into computer games too much but I've always liked the games Blizzard makes. They need a Starcraft sequel.
Um, that's it. Bye
Tristan Adnade
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Kamikaze:
9.) Let's hope that Warcraft 3 kicks ass. All this time waiting would suck if the game turned out disappointing.
Googleshng:
Unless everyone in the beta is a total loser, I can't see that happening.
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Woo! More PS talk!
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Sup Goog
I don't remember were I heard this but I believe at one point the Developers of Phantasy Star said that the different pronunciation planets/planet's inhabitants was intentional, something about the names changing over the passage of time. It dose make sence since all the games take place 1000 years apart, anyway just a little food for thought.
mog747
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Kamikaze:
Indeed it does, since English in A.D. 1002 would be impossible for us to understand. Language is always evolving and changing,
just look at the differences in the way people speak today and only 100 years ago.
Googleshng:
That would make sense except that they just swapped Rs and Ls, which you can't do in Japanese because
they're the same letter. I could see the translators doing it though. The bit I was really complaining
about though was the whole Noah/Lutz deal. That got confusing.
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The Future
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Greetings, fellow freaks from the deep.
I have a question(Duh). When does Golden Sun: The Lost Age come out?
Also, why don't you have more information on it? I realize that info probably hasn't come out yet, but can you please tell me when some info would? Thank you. Also, have you heard of any good RPG's coming (not already here) to the US of A?
thanking you much,
-Cloud
ps: do you guys have a magazine out? Have you considered it?
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Kamikaze:
Go for Xenosaga on PS2 or Tactics Ogre on GBA.
I would subscribe...here's my $20 up front!
Googleshng:
Regarding Golden Sun 2: Rule of thumb for dates- If it isn't in our release date database, it hasn't been
announced yet (or someone forgot to add it, but I cut off fingers then, so it doesn't happen often).
In other words, no word yet.
Now, as for an RPGamer magazine, well, it's been suggested by numerous people on numerous occassions,
but tends to be shot down for the following reasons: 1- Costs a lot of money to start up that sort of
thing. 2- We'd have to hire a bunch of new people to help compile things in magazine form. And 3- We'd
have to hire someone to whip up all sorts of artwork every month. Honestly, 3 is part of 2, and they're
both really insignificant compared to 1, but I still don't see it happening any time soon.
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Hey wait, is there a question in here?
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You know I was going to buy the GBA when I won $110 at the Casino in Hull (it's $109 here in Canada) but I firgured "Ahhh, Golden Sun isn't worth buying a system." Now a semi-New FFT, the BoF series (this was before, but I like 3 the best anyway), and the PS series! Unbelievable.
If Sega could just port Shining Force 1 and 2 to the GBA my four favourite games series' (in one way or another) would be on it. I'm ecstatic (SP?).
Oh, my question that you can't coroberate but could voice your opinion on is; Do you think THQ will add a run button to PS1, 2, and 3? Because - coupled with the extreme difficulty - that is the reason I can't get back into PS2 (I sadly never won it, I got lost on the Dezo space station [is it called the Shire? hehe] because I refused to use the walkthrough/hint book that came with it [all this at age 7, jeez I was hardcore even back then]).
Sorry for the length, but I beleive I've made some good points. By the way, the GC is $300 in Canada, maybe the guy in today's column was referring to the Canadian price. He shouldn't complain though, my PS2 went defective 1.5 years after I got it and had to pay $450 for a system I allready bought.
TRice
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Kamikaze:
So buy it already! If you don't have the money, get ahold of me. I can loan shark you some, I'll have to break your legs as
collateral though...
A run button seems standard now in RPG re-releases. Write into THQ and tell them to take an extra 5 minutes to implement a run
feature. Heck, I think I'll do that myself!
Such talk about PS2 makes me rethink about wanting one. I'm sure my GC or GBA could be baked in the oven and still come out a
'rockin. Nintendo makes 'em tough!
Googleshng:
THQ is co-publishing games with Sega. Sega's still handling all the development (unless they're
outsourcing it to some 3rd group which companies tend to do with ports). Anyway, point is they're not
the ones you'd want to throw notes to. I would agree that PS2 and 3 could use a run button though.
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Corrections on things I didn't get wrong...
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1. As for characers with facial hair, the old guy, can't remember his name, from FF5 had one. In FF6, Cyan had a moustache. In FF7, Barret had a beard, and I think Reno may have had a goatee. Cid had stubble. In Chrono Cross, I think several chaacters did, although the only one I remember for sure is the pirate guy with his Cyan-esque 'stache. Guildenstern in Vagrant Story had a goatee as well. -Lots- of people in FFT, too, including Dycedarg and Orlandu. In FFX, I think all or most of the Ronsos have beards in addition to their fur...
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Kamikaze:
1.) The old guy in FF5 is Galuf.
Googleshng:
Yes, like I said, there's characters with facial here in practically every RPG out there, so I don't see
where that guy was coming from.
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2. Technically, many "original releases" -are- ports, of the Japanese game. I don't think that's what he had in mind, though.
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Kamikaze:
2.) Umm, yup...
Googleshng:
No, those would be translations. A port involves a change of system.
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3. What are your thoughts on FFXII? Being directed by Matsuno, you think it'll be a VS-style medieval setting? And, do you think they're going to revamp the battle system and everything again?
So long and thanks for all the fish,
Ashfield
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Kamikaze:
3.) If I get a PS2 I'll start thinking about FFXII. In general though revamping battle systems in RPG series is a good thing as
it keeps each game fresh and different. Of course if the battle system is botched (FFVIII) then we all raise hell. ;)
Googleshng:
You know, as soon as Square starts trickling out info on any FF game, I'm up to my neck in discussion
of it, so I'd rather not get an early start on it honestly. Still, 11=Generic fantasy, so 12 most likely
won't be.
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Letter I couldn't forward for some reason:
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I was just wondering if ANYBODY has any freakin' clue when Arc the Lad will actually be coming out. I mean, I can understand the designers having some troubles, and having to delay it for a while, but it's been almost an entire year!! Even Lunar: Silver Star Story didn't take that long, and it has about the same amount of discs and extras as Arc.
The last I heard, it got pushed back to April 9th (I live in California, by the way, in case the east coast already has it), but that's almost laughable now.
If anyone knows of a concrete release date, please email me.
Thanx
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Googleshng:
A- Lunar did NOT have the same number of discs as Arc. B- The designers of the Arc the Lad trilogy finished
up like 2 years ago. The translators have been done for the last few months. All these short delays lately
come from the game being caught up in Sony testing for some odd reason, so if you insist on biting heads
off, you know whose to aim for now.
That said, the current date range is around the 11th-18th of April. Yes, I know, it's annoying. Now for
the Quicky I couldn't forward for some reason!
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