|
|
Googleshng - January 27 '99- 1:30 Eastern Standard Time
I'm tired and a tad bummed out tonight since
it turns out Larry Niven was doing a book signing right near here but I found
out to late to go. Therefore, I'll just hand the intro over to Xenochick.
Xenochick: Well, Xenochick here. It's great to be here right now, and it's pretty fun
to read these messages actually. I'm getting a kick out of this first one,
here! About myself? My dream in life is to become a writer, more famous
then Steven King, in science fiction, and I play 3 instruments. My absolute
favorite game is Xenogears, but I guess you could tell that from my jokes
and letters I've already sent in. Okay, on with the mail!
|
|
|
Locke in 3D!
|
I remember a long time ago(somewhere around the time before FF7 was released or
about the same
time). That either Square or Sony(I forget which) made a small clip
showing how Celes, Locke and Shadow from FF3 would look rendered in 3D in
a battle sequence. I can't find this clip anywhere, you know where I
can find it?
Thanks!
|
|
Xenochick:
The picture you're talking about is in the FFA instruction
manual. But if you don't own the game and don't want to spend 50 or so
bucks to buy it for just a picture (which no one can blame you for:) ), you
can probably find it off a web sight. Go to Hotbot and browse for FF6. I'm
sure something'll come up.
Googleshng:
I believe you're thinking of something else.
The weird little battle clip you refer to is right there on my hard
drive, but that does me no good here. I'm pretty sure it's on RPGamer
somewhere. Try FF6 propaganda or that weird little random FF related
stuff section.
|
|
|
|
They do sell well
|
Dear Goog (professional and original!),
I'm writing in response to those anti"save-the-world" rants. I want to
keep this short so I'll summerize. Why should square (or any other
company's) game designers care about some shmuck gamers in America.
They'd ignore a direct e-mail form any one of us if their servers
actually sent one through to somebody "in charge". Complaining is one thing, but
expecting a change because we said so isn't going to cut it. Every time
a new FF comes out it outsells the last one. To any logical thinking
mind, this means the formula is working!!!!!!!
Why do we go buy every Final Fantasy the minute it hits the shelves(or we
have enough money?) Because Final Fantasy games are good quality games.
They entertain us and seldom disappoint us.
Sure, they're all about saving the world, but we still buy them telling
the corporations WE WANT MORE! You want to be heard? Stop purchasing
those games that you know will disappoint you. Stop purchasing FF
games.... I dare you.
Cereal Experiments Alex DG
This message was funded by....
Fred's bar and
Viewers Like You
|
|
Xenochick:
I agree. People complain about how FF7 and FF8 suck, how they
were the worst games to ever exist, but what games have sold the most copies
this last century?
Googleshng:
True, established companies are doing just
fine using the same plot structure all the time, and there's nothing
wrong with that. Although, on the off chance (actually I know there's
several) that a starving artist type development team just getting
their sea legs is reading this, they might be open to trying a downscaled
plot rather than defeat the evil guy trying to take over the world.
I mean, even if you love Rocky Road you still get the occasional
craving for vanilla right? Variety is always good.
Oh, and another thing. I'm pretty darn sure Pokémon holds the
title as RPG with the most sales, and you don't save the world in that
do you. 8)
|
|
|
|
Chrono Cross spoilers! Run!
|
... clearly you might want to disregard this message if you want to
remain 'in the dark' about the naming scheme of Chrono Cross, but if
not...
"Anyhow, for starters, Chrono IS in the game. As as a few other
characters from the original. He even talks. I think. It was something
in Japanese, but I took it for talking. And as for Chrono Cross, it's
both an item, and a spell in the game, both of which seem to heavily
include dimension swapping, or 'crossing'. I think I read somewhere this
will be a new series from Squaresoft, with CC being the first in many to
come. I think that could be very nice, as long as they know to avoid
such pratfalls as before, such as 'lets reinvent a new world, with new
characters, and no connection to the previous one'.
Le sigh...
WT
|
|
Xenochick:
I'm isolating myself... I refuse to read this!
Googleshng:
I don't blame you. I just kinda skimmed it.
First off, let me publicly thank you for warning me because I aspire
to know NOTHING about CC aside from the character designer until the
momment I start playing it. Anyway, there you have it. The reason
Chrono Cross is named what it is. Hey, cool, I was right!
|
|
|
|
Fly me to the Mystic Moon
|
Hey Googs & Xenochick
I've got a few questions for the resident Xeno-goddess. First question,
what is up with the episode V thing? Second what does the computer screen
say during the intro, e.g., the red print the keeps scanning over an over
once Deus takes over the ship? Third, what is the latest info on the planned
sequel?
Romulus
|
|
Xenochick:
The red writing in the introduction of Xenogears says "You shall
be as gods." The Episode V... is a bit confusing. My own interpretation of
it is Square tried to compress an entire series into
a single game. You know, how Fei and Ellys former lives connect up, along
with how Deus was created. At least that's how I understood it.
As for the sequal to Xenogears, I don't know if they're even making one.
The last thing I heard about it was Square kept cutting it's budget for
FFIX, but that could be just a rumor...
Googleshng:
Yup. I basically agree. I interpret the
Episode 5 bit as a way of leaving themselves prequel potential.
There's no real way to have a Xenogears following the first, but
you could easily cram in four before it. Although there's nothing
but rumors at this point.
|
|
|
|
I am Alf and Omega
|
To Genderless Dude and Xenochick,
I have a couple of Xenogears related questions.
What are the name of the Three Wisemen of Shevat?
What is Citan's real last name? It is mentioned in The Solaris capital. I
know his real first name is Hyuga, but I can't remember his last. . .hence
the question.
Is this the correct spelling for Solaris' capital?: 'Eterniak'
Thanks for the help. And keep on keeping us all in the dark about your
gender Google.
Graeystone
|
|
Xenochick:
Yippeee! More Xenogears questions! 1) Gasper, Melchior, and
Balthazar. 2)Ricdeau.... wierd, huh? 3)I think it's Etrenank. Anything
else? I live for telling/helping others of Xenogears, it's true!
Googleshng:
Gaspar, not Gasper. Otherwise it's like
Gasper the Friendly Coast. 8)
|
|
|
|
You punk kids with your 3D graphics...
|
Hi, (I not into big introduction like some of your fans are)
I would just like to make this one comment. I believe that people these
day are being self-centered and unappreciative when it comes to RPGs coming
here in the US. Back in the twentieth century (so long ago wasn't it) we
took pride when Squaresoft brought FF4 (2 US) to the States, we cheered when
we heard that Chrono Trigger and FF3 were going to be released here, we were
excited about the fact that Wild Arms was coming also. But now all I here
are people complaining on this column about how FF7 sucks, how FF8 is
unoriginal, that Xenogears was too confusing, I mean the list goes on and on
(and it just not about Squaresoft games, it others also). When I in my 3rd
period class all I hear is "How can you buy that game EGG for Dreamcast it
the sorriest (I know this not a word) RPG every," or "Why isn't Lunar 2 out
they need to hurry up and release it), I mean you get my point. I just
remind them that all these companies do not (I REPEAT DO NOT) have to
release these games in the states. I mean what if the translation for
Chrono Cross goes wrong and Square announces that it not going to release it
here. I mean I hear people screaming from already. Or that Sega doesn't
want to release Shen Mue here do to lack of demand (these are all
hypothetical occasions of course). My point is that people should be
thankful for all the wonderful RPGs that have come out here and stop
complaining about this or that. I mean what kind of would would we be
living in if FF7 (which I believe brought RPGs to the masses) wouldn't have
come out over here? Think about it.
Raf
|
|
Xenochick:
You've got a good point there. I remember back when everyone
felt lucky to have ONE RPG a year. Now, we get dozens and public is upset.
I personnaly loved Xenogears BECAUSE it was so
confusing, different from the average "save the universe, get the girl"
plot. I mean, it followed those lines, but it had different themes and
subplots mixed in it that made it different and set it apart.
Googleshng:
Well, back in the old days, it was a question
of the developers choosing which games to translate based on what they
thought we'd like, just because there were so few of us. Then FF7
caught the mainstream's attention, expanding and diversifying the
US RPG market. So now it's cost efficient for them to send everything
over, allowing us more choice, but we have to put up with people who
never used to play RPGs and don't realize how precious each one is.
In any case, we get more these days, and while people are jaded and
whiney, there jaded whinings now have a better chance of reaching the
developers and making changes. Besides, whining won't make translation
stop. Translation is just a question of money, and it's still comming in.
|
|
|
|
History Lesson
|
I have a question about role playing in general, maybe one of you knows.
Where did it all come from? What was the first video game role-playing game
and the first pencil and paper rpg? I think probably Dungeons and Dragons
for the second, but I have no clue what the first video game rpg was. And
where did the influence come from? Epic poems? Tolkien? Mythology?
Any thoughts on this?
Also, why doesn't rpgamer have any information on the pencil and paper rpgs?
Do either of you play them, and if so, what are your favourites? I think
MERP, Mage, and AD&D are all cool. Actually, I don't think I've ever played
a bad rpg, it all depends on the story teller I suppose. Okay, I'll shut up
now.
Tom Bombadil
|
|
Xenochick:
I'm not too sure about this, but I think the first video game RPG
WAS the first Final Fantasy, and I also heard it was influenced by
mythology. I don't know play pencil & paper RPGs, nor do I know which is
the first RPG ever. Google?
Googleshng:
Well, RPG really means three things. There's
paper RPGs, PC RPGs, and console RPGs. They have a lot in common
but they're basically three different kinds of games. RPGamer was
really established just to cover console RPGs, but a few PC RPGs
slipped on somehow. I believe first it was because there were a couple
console style RPGs on PCs it was felt we should cover, then for various
reasons, a few things slipped on that, honestly, we shouldn't be
covering, but are. More to the point, well, how WOULD we cover paper
RPGs? I mean, you can't take screen shots, write walkthroughs, there
aren't really any character sketches... you know what I mean?
As for the history of the RPG, well, first there's Norse Mythology,
then there's the Tolken books which take all the races and such from
that (except hobbits), then there's D&D which took all it's stuff from
Tolken (who basically invented fantasy), then there's the first PC
RPGs by Richard Gariot (Ultima), leading up to the first two console
RPGs in the mid to late 80s, Phantasy Star and Dragon Quest. DQ came
out in Japan first I believe, but Phantasy Star got over here first,
and I feel I should add is unbelievably more sophisticated, so it's
really a tie between the two as first console. Final Fantasy came out
quite a bit after those but it's the series synonimous with RPG these
days. Plus since Square makes all kinds of Nordic references, it's kind
of a full circle sort of thing. 8)
|
|
|
|
RSS feed
iTunes
