Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 121 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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D R E A M C A S T W E E K L Y M A G A Z I N E
~~ Issue No. 121 Feb 18th 2001 ~~
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-- Editors Comments Page 1 --
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> Dreamcast Weekly is best read in the Courier New font.
> Our website will return soon, at a brand new address.
> For daily game news, over 300 Prima Fast Track Guides
online, codes, downloads, and contests every day, be sure
to visit Primagames.com Prima is the #1 source for game
strategy in the world! - http://www.PrimaGames.com
> Thought of the week: With thousands online playing PSO
right now, how long will it be before someone proposes
through the world of Phantasy Star Online? It's happened
in other internet RPG's :)
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-- Editors Comments Page 1 --
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Well this is the last week you'll open your mailbox to read
Dreamcast Weekly... but don't worry, we're not going
anywhere! From next week we're changing names to Sega World
Weekly, and while we'll continue to cover the Dreamcast,
in the upcoming months we'll begin coverage of Sega games
on the Playstation 1 and 2, and Gameboy Advance.
Later this year as the Nintendo Gamecube and Microsoft
X-Box get closer to release, we'll expand further to cover
Sega games on those platforms too.
This issue we start a huge feature on the history of video
games, reveal the release date and new characters in Sonic
Adventure 2, and have red hot rumors on a Panzer Dragoon
sequel!
It's an exciting time for any Sega fan, and wether your
looking forward to the new 2D Sonic on the GBA, the rumored
Panzer Dragoon Saga title on PS2, or of course the great
upcoming Dreamcast sequels like Daytona USA 3, Phantasy
Star Online 2, Sonic Adventure 2, and Shenmue 2, we'll be
here to cover them all.
Also this week we begin a search for someone who wants to
write, or actually draw, for our magazine. Fancy drawing
videogame comics for an audience of 40,000? See page 3 :)
Until next week then, Happy Gaming, and we hope you look
forward to the future as much as us,
- Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)
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|| C O N T E N T S ||
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|| 2 - Cover Story ||
|| 3 - Job Opening ||
|| 4 - News ||
|| 5 - Red Hot Rumors ||
|| 6 - PSO Clan - Update ||
|| 7 - Prima Games Corner ||
|| 8 - Question & Answer ||
|| 9 - Our Support Sites ||
|| 10 - Credits ||
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HOT QUOTE this issue: "Exactly ten years after the original
Sonic game was released on the Genesis, and ten days after
the new Sonic game due out for the Gameboy Advance, Sonic
Adventure 2 is going to hit Dreamcasts world wide"
-- SA2 Release Date & New Characters - Page 4
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-- Cover Story Page 2 --
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<<.>> The History Of Videogames: Part 1
-- Written by Graham Parker
Now in this new Millennium, with our 128-bit polygon
pumping online DVD playing monster consoles, it's time to
take a look back at how video games began, and how they
grew into what we know and play today. After all without
Pong, Mario Tennis would never exist. You'll learn how the
concept of playing videogames was created, what the true
first game was (hint: it's not Pong), and which game
brought in an unbelievable $500 million in 1983. But even
before the TV had been invented, the history of video games
started all the way back in 1889, over one hundred and ten
years ago!
Fusajiro Yamauchi, who is the great-grandfather of Hiroshi
Yamauchi , the current Nintendo president, decided to
create a company to destitute Japanese "Hanafuda" playing
cards in Kyoto. Meaning "Flower Cards" in English, they
could be used to play a variety of games, and were
originally meant for export. But in 1902 Yamauchi began
manufacturing the cards in Japan, and from them on things
all fell into place. The cards proved very popular in
Japan, and in 1933 he created a partnership, called
Yamauchi Nintendo & Co. The word Nintendo coming from an
ancient Japanese proverb meaning, "work hard, but in the
end it is in the hands of the gods".
Well the gods must have smiled down on Yamauchi Nintendo &
Co, because their success continued as the years flew by.
In 1950 one twenty three year old Hiroshi Yamauchi became
President of the company, and changed the name to Nintendo
Playing Card Co. Ltd a year after. But while Nintendo is
indeed the oldest gaming company, they were still far from
being the face of videogames many know them as today.
Once upon a time, or in 1951 to be more exact, a German
born man named Ralph Baer was given the task to "build the
best TV set in the world." He thought about the idea, and
as modern cell-phone companies have done, wanted to add a
little game to the machine. Unfortunately for that company,
the managers rejected the idea.
The next big name in the history books was David Rosen.
After the US Korean War, he continued to live in Japan, and
founded a company named Service Games in 1954. Two years
later, David began importing "mechanical coin-operated
games", along with photo booths from America, all of which
proved very popular among the US military bases in Japan.
Thus another step forward for the emerging industry was
taken.
By now you're possibly thinking, "Where's Pong?". Not yet
sorry, but this next man came very, very close in October
of 1958.
Mr Willy Higinbotham, a physicist who worked at the
Brookhaven National Laboratories in New York wanted a way
to stop visitors to his labs from getting board. So he
created a tennis style game displayed on an oscilloscope (a
what? an electronic instrument producing visible
representations of rapidly changing quantity... erm… some
sort of screen) After several improvements, he finally got
it running on a 15 inch screen, and displayed the game for
two years in the New York labs. Unfortunately as not many
people got a chance to see the game, history didn't take
much notice of Mr Higinbotham and his revolutionary
invention.
Skip ahead three years to 1961, and the first game that
really caught peoples attention, called Spacewar was
created. An MIT student, Steve Russell, programmed the
early game on a huge mainframe computer, called the Digital
Programmed Data Processor-1. Obviously being forty years
ago the graphics were very limited, but crowds from all
over MIT still flocked to have their turn on the game. Two
players would battle it out with space ships, trying to
blow each other up with their torpedos and avoid being
pulled into the sun. Spacewar was quite literally, one of
the biggest steps in videogame history. However Steve
Russell doesn't take all the credit for building one of the
first games, saying, "If I hadn't done it, someone would've
done something equally exciting if not better in the next
six months. I just happened to get there first."
Wether or not that's true, he had certainly inspired people
to develop ideas of their own, and one player, Nolan
Bushnell, saw it and pictured an arcade filled with
computer games just like these. It was nothing more than a
dream back then, but imagine what he would of thought if he
could look into the arcades of today. Probably didn't
imagine it being quite so noisy, but on we go...
Ralph Baer (for those who are getting mixed up with all the
names here, he's the guy with the task of making the
greatest TV ever) and his ideas on TV games, finally got
the funding from a new company, Sanders Associates in 1966
to develop one of these games. He produced a simple chasing
game first, followed by a table tennis game. After
patenting his TV device, he then built an arcade version of
Spacewar, the game Nolan Bushell created, but unfortunately
didn't patent himself.
By this point people had a device they could plug into any
TV set and play a version of Spacewar till their hearts
content, or their controller breaks, which was
unfortunately a regular occurrence back then.
It was also in 1966 that David Rosen had his first game
called "Periscope". It became a worldwide hit, and had
"SEGA", a shorted down version of his original companies
name, "Service Games" stamped all over the cabinet. Around
this time Rosen expanded his company by selling Sega to
Gulf Western Industries, but continued on as CEO himself.
Later during 1971, Nolan Bushnell continued with his dream
of arcades, starting with Computer Space, another version
of Spacewar. The company he was with, Nutting, made a
futuristic arcade cabinet to contain the game, packing a 13
inch black & white screen. The public however didn't take
very well to Computer Space, finding it too hard to play,
and ultimately only 1,500 copies of the machine were
produced.
So the next year, Bushnell decides to leave Nutting, and
starts his own company, Atari, along with a man named Ted
Dabney. Interestingly, the original name for Atari was the
truly bizarre Syzygy, but a roofing company already had
taken that name.
Now Atari had been created, we reach the end of the first
part in videogame history. But next week we continue, with
the creation of Pong, the first home consoles, a classic
machine that's still sold to this day, and one game that
was far too violent for 1976, and was swiftly banned. Plus
you'll discover Nintendo's original name for Mario, what
the funny meaning of "Donkey Kong" is, and what game caused
a mass coin shortage in Japan!
To be continued...
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-- Job Opening - Comic Artist Page 3 --
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<<.>> Job Opening
As we work on an HTML design for Sega World Weekly, we're
also looking to add more original content to our magazine.
Hence now we're starting a search for someone who would
like to write a weekly comic, poking fun at videogames, and
getting a laugh out of the latest titles.
This is a chance to have your work read by 40,000 people
world wide, but there are some drawbacks. For starters this
isn't a paying job, but this is something you can put down
to experience and in your resume. Also you'll be expected
to meet weekly deadlines, coming up with an original and
funny comic to feature in each issue.
You'll need some experience in drawing, to play a wide
variety of games, and to keep up-to date with the latest
gaming topics and news. But most of all you need a sense
of humour!
Applicants should create three original videogame related
comics and attach them as .jpg or .gif files to an e-mail
including details about yourself. Try to keep them short,
three or so frames each would be best, and you don't have
to rush them...
You have three weeks, until March 11th before we require
every application in. So it gives you chance to think of
some original and funny gaming comics. We suggest trying to
come up with a comic each week, as a sample of the
deadlines you'll face if you get the job.
Please Email applications to madcow@ihug.co.nz
Thanks
Graham Parker
- Editor
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-- News Page 4 --
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<<.>> Sonic Adventure 2 Release & New Character!
Exactly ten years after the original Sonic game was
released on the Genesis, and ten days after the new Sonic
game due out for the Gameboy Advance, Sonic Adventure 2 is
going to hit Dreamcasts world wide on June 21st 2001.
Also this past week ReSaurus revealed their next line-up
of Sonic action figures, and surprise, there's two brand
new characters from Sonic Adventure 2!
Thanks to Figures.com for covering the Toy Fair 2001, they
took the photo of Rouge and Shadow, two new additions to
the Sonic family below...
-- http://www.figures.com/archives/images/73/23573.jpg
Now if you remember back to mid last year, during talks
about a sequel to Sonic Adventure at Sega's San Francisco
HQ, details on new characters were rumored.
We were told to expect evil twins to Sonic & Tails, along
with a girl bat named "Nails" and a dark shadowed version
of Sonic. But not only that, there would be evil Chao's in
addition to the return of the normal ones. These new evil
Chao's would be black and have devil shaped tails.
Finally other characters included a big several eyed
monster, a very angelic human looking girl that floats,
and a flying dwarf that looks kinda like Sonic.
Interesting stuff, and given that it's now been proved
right with the girl bat, although named "Rouge" instead of
"Nails", it seems very likely we'll also see all of the
above mentioned characters in SA2.
<<.>> £99.99 Dreamcasts!
After America and Japan received huge price drops for the
Dreamcast console, now Europeans can enjoy the same. The
Dreamcast is now retailing for £99.99, just twenty pounds
more than Sony's PSOne. Now all that's left is for Ozisoft
to announce a similar price for Australia and New Zealand.
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-- Red Hot Rumors Page 5 --
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<<.>> Sega's PSOne Games and a Panzer Dragoon Sequel
-- Written by Graham Parker
This summertime several classic Saturn games will make
their way to the PSOne, but until April Sega are keeping
tight lipped on just which titles will get converted. Never
the less, rumors are suggesting Sonic Jam could be one of
the first.
Then for some other consoles, a sequel to Panzer Dragoon is
heavily rumored. In an interview last Monday with GameWeek,
Sega of America's VP of marketing and communications,
Charles Bellfield was asked about a Panzer Dragoon sequel.
Charles replied, "We don't have a Panzer Dragoon port
slated for PS One, I can tell you that." Well providing it
isn't for the Gameboy Advance (heh), could we see a 128-bit
Panzer Dragoon title in the near future? Only time, and
perhaps the upcoming E3 show, will tell.
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-- Phantasy Star Online Clan Page 6 --
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<<.>> Dreamcast Weekly: Phantasy Star Online Clan
-- Weekly Update #3 by Graham Parker
With our website coming back online again soon, our PSO
Clan is going to really take off. You'll be able to see a
list of all the members, and what time, and where, they are
usually on.
People continue to e-mail in to zondaro@usa.net asking to
be signed up which is great. However, we don't require
people to start over just to add a DCW_ to their names. If
you do start a new character, don't forget to add a "DCW_"
before your name though.
In order to keep together online, we're asking members to
stick to the Ariel ship on blocks 1-5. Show your support,
and preferably use the first available block. All games
with a DCW in the name will be havens for members looking
to level up.
Email zondaro@usa.net to sign up! (although please be
patient this week, he's been feeling sick lately, thanks)
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-- Prima Games Corner Page 7 --
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<<.>> Hi-Rez: The Future Of Sega
- http://www.primagames.com/news/article/2822/
On January 31st, the videogame industry changed forever.
Sega of America hosted an hour-long teleconference on the
end of an era - Sega's exit from the hardware business.
At the above link are the facts - and the future - of Sega.
<<.>> Prima eGuides
- http://eguides.primagames.com/
Streaming video. Interactive maps. 3D VR rooms. Voiceover
instruction. Online training. You haven't seen anything like
this before. Using multimedia goodies like Flash and
QuickTime, Prima's new multimedia training modules will
make you a better player, whether you like it or not. Check
out these tasty free demos while they're still free and
behold the future of gaming guides...
-- Tomb Raider Chronicles
-- Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
-- Tribes
http://eguides.primagames.com/
<<.>> 20,000 Cheats
- http://www.primagames.com/strategy/codes/
Prima Games, the company responsible for those brilliant
strategy guides launch their cheats database... and they
feature more games than you can shake a stick, no a whole
danged tree at!
<<.>> 300 Fast Track Guides
- http://www.primagames.com/guides/pftg.php
Remember, Primagames.com has more than 300 Prima Fast Track
Guides online for you to check out right now. For the best,
fastest, and most up-to-date game strategy you'll find,
Prima's the ticket.
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-- Question and Answer Page 8 --
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Do you have a question for your Sega know-it-all? Simply
e-mail in your questions to Ross at zondaro@usa.net and
look for the answers soon in an issue of Dreamcast Weekly.
We are unable to personally reply to all emails.
Next week: Questions and Answers (just for a change, heh)
>>>> Release Dates up the Wazzoo
Q) Got any info on Project Justice?
- Stanley Rodriguez
Is there going to be a Samurai Showdown for the DC?
- CARLOS PEREA
Will Quest for the Blade Masters or Record of Lodoss War
ever come out?
- Armen Escamilla
Capcom Vs. SNK 2, will it come out for the Dreamcast?
- Sham
A) Project Justice: 03/15/2001
Quest of the Blade Masters: 05/19/2001
Record of Lodoss War: 03/07/2001
No word yet on Capcom Vs. SNK 2 or a Samurai Showdown
for Dreamcast. Chances are not so great for a Samurai
game.
>>>> Arcade Lifestyle
Q) Hi, When I first read the rumors about the DC's "Death"
I thought that cant be true. Surely a console like the
DC is doing great but evidently not. If Sega are now
focusing on games, I take it they will still do Arcade
games, are still going to make arcade boards like the
Naomi 2? Cheers for a good read. - Macfadyen
A) The Naomi 2 is still very powerful, however word is that
Sega is working with Namco on a custom arcade board that
might combine the best parts of the PS2 arcade board
with the Naomi 2. There are still a bunch of games that
are slated for Naomi 2, including Planet Harrier.
>>>> Saving the Empire
Q) Hey, I know that with all the announcements said and
done, the answer to this is probably no, but I have to
ask anyway. You see, I played an AWESOME 'Star Wars
Trilogy' game that had levels based on each movie and as
a bonus, you got to go in a unique light saber battle
with Darth Vader in the Emperor's chamber! Now as I am a
HUGE DC fan the graphics looked awfully familiar, and
looking up a the cabinet I found out why "By: Sega!"
Will Sega release this on DC? Man that would be great!
Thanks! - IndianaYankee
A) Nope, due to some licensing red-tape by Lucas Arts we
will never see SWT on Dreamcast. Your best hope is that
in 15 years when you are older you will be able to buy
a used cabinet and enjoy the game in the privacy of your
own home.
>>>> The Oldest Question Ever
Q) I've never played Nights because I never owned a Saturn
but in Sonic Adventure there is a Nights pinball game.
I was wondering how Nights could have anything to do
with Sonic? Thanks! - Steven j Thacker
A) Nights was a really cool game that only mostly hardcore
Saturn owners could get into (Yeah!!!! - Tails). The
same people who made that game also created Sonic
Adventure. I've been hearing rumors of a sequel, what
system it ends up on is still up in the air.
>>>> Thought of the Week: The Two Points
Hi, I have seen on message boards that people are
confused. I am too, but this is what I think. Dreamcast is
not dead. Have you seen the release list? We still have
Shenmue 2, Sonic Adventure 2, etc.
Sega won't port those titles to other platforms. They
have also said that they will continue producing games for
Dreamcast for the next 18 months.
1. Gamers that bought a Dreamcast console will still have
great titles in years to come.
2. Sega will stop loosing money, since they loose money
on the Dreamcast console, not on games. That's why
they want to make a cheaper solution for themselves.
Still we have 18 months for sure, and hey, if Sega's
economic situation is getting better, maybe we will even
have more time! - Tailzo
The man, the myth, the legend? - zondaro@usa.net
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-- Support Sites Page 9 --
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Dreamcast Weekly goes out to over 40,000 gamers every week.
How did we get so many people signed up? With the help of
these websites, that's how.
<<.>> Sega X - http://www.segadreamcast.net
A website with plenty of news, and always the latest game
reviews, but also a IRC Java chat room where you can chat
about all the latest Sega topics. Sega content for each and
every day.
<<.>> DC-United - http://dc-united.com
The Premiere Dreamcast Community, DC-United.com gives you
the ability to view members online, build your own
homepage, send messages, read in-depth reviews, and much
more. DCU Network Members are also eligible for various
monthly prizes.
<<.>> Absolute Sega - http://www.absolutesega.com
One of the first Sega sites out there with the most up to
date news every 24 hours, 7 days a week. Absolute Sega is
not jus famous for it's news, but also it's reviews and
previews. Want to talk about games, then go to our forums
or you can talk in our IRC chat room.
<<.>> PSY Online - http://www.consolereviews.net
PSY Online is a multiformat reviews website specialising in
the Sega Dreamcast console. With 24/7 updated news, forums
and chat, its a great place to hang out for Sega fans.
<<.>> System Zero - http://system-zero.com
As game music goes well beyond the beeps and bleeps of the
past and into the soundtrack quality tracks we hear today,
Perfect Zero becomes one of THE most important sites for
game fans. Hosting hundreds of MP3s from different games,
turn up those speakers and click that link.
<<.>> The Next Level - http://www.the-nextlevel.com
The Next Level is a multi-platform gaming magazine focused
on current and upcoming next-generation systems. We provide
up-to-date news, in-depth reviews, reader reviews,
intriguing editorials, and more.
<<.>> Future Gamez - http://www.futuregamez.net
What ever console your looking for, Future Gamez have them
all. From Dreamcast to GameCube, and X-Box to Playstation
2. So get your news, reviews, previews, and more at Future
Gamez, and stay on top of all systems.
<<.>> The Sonic Zone - http://www.suneet.com/soniczone/
Updated daily with a HUGE amount of Sonic content that is
sure to blow you away! From Fan Fiction to Chatting, and
even Fan Created Games, this is your one stop Sonic site.
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-- Credits Page 10 --
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O Editor: Graham "Tails" Parker - Madcow@ihug.co.nz
O Question & Answer: Ross Fisher - Zondaro@usa.net
O Red Hot Rumors: Michael Monahan - Mikelad1@aol.com
O Red Hot Rumors: Paulo Santos - Paulo@sega2000.net
<<.>> http://www.PrimaGames.com/ - Our Sponsor
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Copyright 1998-2001 Graham Parker - Madcow@ihug.co.nz
No parts may be copied without prior permission or correct
credit where due. There should probably be a pile of other
legal lines here, but please just play nice and don't
steal, lol! Thanks for reading Dreamcast Weekly!
We salute our upcoming alien overlords!
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