Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 39 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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////// ~Issue #39 - www.DreamcastWeekly.com~ \\\\\\
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\\\\\\ Sega X - http://www.segadreamcast.net //////
\\\\\\ Sega 2000 - http://www.sega2000.com //////
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o> Please scroll down to Editors Comments for the start <o
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======| ABOUT THE MAGAZINE |==============================
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Any DC questions can be sent to Steve@sega2000.com and
questions about this magazine by just clicking reply.
Our forum is at http://sega.shoptok.com/boards/695
For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the
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With over 300 archived News Articles and the greatest game
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----------------- www.totalvideogames.com ----------------
Our domain name for DC Weekly is provided thanks to Total
Video Games, the UK's premier video games magazine up-dated
daily, and The Junction, the best place for Teens to chat.
------------------ www.the-junction.com ------------------
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======| EDITORS COMMENTS |================================
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The future of Dreamcast Weekly is looking the brighter
than ever these days. We go to over 13,000 gamers, and have
an interview with Ozisoft this week, (plus a small interview
with Bernie Stolar thanks to Sega X, so the American gamers
don't feel totally left out). Then over the next few weeks,
we might have another interview, we'll have extensive play
tests of both Metropolis: Street Racer, and Furballs from
Sega X. A special interactive section is coming up next week,
along with a long awaited contest (for our 40th issue).
Along with the Ozisoft interview this week, the other
huge feature is a Trickstyle preview. Believe me, this
IS one awesome game! Internet play, VMS mini games,
graphics to really impress your friends, and is already
being hailed as the new Wipeout for Dreamcast. Plus it's
coming to America this September!
Finally, we have a small fact sheet on the official Dreamcast
magazines for America, Europe and Ozisoft in the letters
section, and new cheats for House Of The Dead 2, Virtua
Fighter 3:TB, and Aero Dancing.
~ Tails (Editor)
O Page 1 - Cover Story O
O Page 2 - The News O
O Page 3 - Red Hot Rumors O
O Page 4 - Importing O
O Page 5 - This Weeks Letter O
O Page 6 - Preview O
O Page 7 - Tips & Cheats O
O Page 8 - Sega Trivia O
O Page 9 - Best Of The Web O
O Page 10 - Credits & More O
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "Which of Sega's consoles had a
secret game hidden in it?"
-- This Weeks Sega Trivia
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> Ozisoft Interview
>>>> Written By Tails
This week we had the chance to interview Lisa Bora, the
Dreamcast Marketing Manager at Ozisoft.
DC WEEKLY: Please tell us a little about your role in Ozisoft?
LB: I am the Dreamcast Marketing Manager at Ozisoft. Ozisoft
has employed an entirely new team to manage the launch of the
Dreamcast in Australia/New Zealand. The team comprises of
myself, Simon Alty who is the Joint General Manager of
Ozisoft, Steve O'Leary who reports to me and is the Dreamcast
Communications Manager and also there will be a Dreamcast
Product Manager on board. This is a total team of 4 at Ozisoft
dedicated to making Dreamcast a success in Australia and New
Zealand.
We then have an existing "Dream Team" that work with us in
making sure we achieve our objectives for Dreamcast - they
comprise of our advertising agency - BAM SSB, our sales
promotion company - SMARTs, the Official Dreamcast magazine
through EMAP , our soon to be announced ISP and several other
integral members of the Dream Team.
My specific role is one of responsibility for the entire
launch and life cycle of Dreamcast and to ensure it is a
success both from a marketing and sales perspective in
conjunction wit our sales team and retailers. I am also
responsible for managing the "Dream Team" to ensure we are
all working hard at making Dreamcast a success.
DC WEEKLY: What were your first thoughts when you saw the
Dreamcast in action?
LB: I first saw Dreamcast before I even joined Ozisoft and
knew that I had to be a part of its launch in Australia and
New Zealand, so I am lucky I got the gig ! Not only is it a
leap ahead in terms of gaming experience with the graphics
and frame rate but also due to its online capabilities.
It really is more than just gaming and is a real entertainment
devise and is the first product that I feel is taking us
into the era of Digital Entertainment. The amount of support
that Dreamcast is getting from developers and third party
publishers also proved to me that everyone believes in the
Dreamcasts strengths above any other gaming platform in the
market.
DC WEEKLY: What are the main points about Dreamcast you
plan to market?
LB: Obviously we want to promote an entirely new brand
called Dreamcast so we are investing heavily in
establishing brand intrigue and loyalty. Obviously its the
games that sell the console and with Sega's ongoing success
and reputation as the best games developer this is something
we will be conveying aggressively.
We have 2 messages really, the main is that it is the best
gaming console graphically, frame rate wise, and also the
great games lineup it will have both for single and
multi player. We also have a really strong secondary message
and that is why do you really need a PC anymore. Most people
buy PC's to play games, access the internet and email, you
can do all of that on your Dreamcast.
DC WEEKLY: Who are the target audience your aiming for?
LB: The target audience for Dreamcast will be quite diverse
because of the consoles abilities and its games. From a
pure next generation gaming experience we are targeting
a predominantly male audience, core age being 16-30 years
however with games now an integral part of peoples
lifestyle its more about your lifestyle and attitude than
your age when it comes to gaming. Certain games such as
Sonic Adventure will bring the appeal of Dreamcast to a
younger audience and others like House of the Dead 2 will
appeal to an older market.
The online abilities of the Dreamcast also makes it a
perfect marketing opportunity for family's because it can
be positioned as a cheaper alternative to a second or even
first PC in the home. Why do most people buy PC's ? - do
play games, access the internet and email. You can do all
of that with your Dreamcast for $499 rrp rather than
spending $2000-3000 on a good PC.
DC WEEKLY: How many people will be working on marketing the
Dreamcast in Australia and New Zealand?
LB: Within Ozisoft Australia I mentioned above that we have
4 people dedicated to Dreamcast, New Zealand will benefit from
this as everything we do in Australia takes New Zealand
into account. Ozisofts New Zealand current operation will
also handle Dreamcast both from a local marketing and sales
focus.
DC WEEKLY: What would be your favorite media(s) for marketing?
LB:We will be marketing Dreamcast quite aggressively
particularly in the lead up to Xmas since this is an
important retail period for Dreamcasts success. We will be
targeting all mainstream media which we feel is important
in terms of getting the Dreamcast message across to as
many people as possible. This will be in the form of TV
usage, cinema, radio, print and online.
DC WEEKLY: What do you think of advertising in Cinemas?
LB: The previous company I used to work for was Village
Roadshow so I naturally love cinema's and its advertising but
irrespective of my past I believe that cinema advertising is a
very effective medium visually, you have a captive audience and
our target market frequents the cinema's regularly.
DC WEEKLY: How do you think things changed at Ozisoft since
the days of the Saturn?
LB: Ozisoft has changed significantly since Saturn in many
ways. Firstly it was Sega Ozisoft then, now we are Ozisoft
with Sega having a minority shareholding vs majority, on top
of that Ozisoft was recently purchased by Infogrames and now
Infogrames has a 62.5% share of the Ozisoft business.
Additionally in this last year Ozisoft certainly has been a
major force in the interactive industry with unbelievable
success with games such as Shane Warne Cricket, Toca Tourings
Cars , Tomb Raider etc.. So all of that has meant that
Ozisoft as a company is very unique and benefits form
strength in third party distribution of products across all
platforms, also benefits from the publisher intelligence and
resources of Infogrames and most importantly in my opinion is
representative of Sega in Australia and New Zealand.
Many people have critiqued Ozisoft in the past regarding
Saturn, Saturn was not an Ozisoft problem it was a Sega
problem internationally - there was minimal third party
support, game development issue and minimal marketing
focus up against the competition of Sony.
This time we have a great piece of hardware, more games
than any other console release in the past, great third
party publishers and developer support and we are investing
heavily in marketing the machine, internationally and
locally.
DC WEEKLY: There's an awesome line up of games hitting the
Dreamcast, how do you plan to promote these? Do you get a
share of the $100 million Europe and America got?
LB: I cant disclose what our marketing budget will be but
it would be safe to say that it is considerable and
reflective of the type of investment it is getting in Europe
and America in relation to Australia's size against these
territories. Just like the US and Europe our marketing
budget is based on the sales potential in our market.
DC WEEKLY: With just less than 4 months to go now until the
launch, when will the big promotions begin?
LB: We are currently reviewing the marketing activity with
our Dream Team and will be disclosing details soon. There
will be activity pre launch followed by much greater activity
at launch so that consumers can buy the product there and then.
DC WEEKLY: Is there any goals Ozisoft have in particular with
the Dreamcast?
LB: A certain number of units to sell perhaps? This is
something can't disclose I'm sorry but we are going in
aggressively with the objective of selling as many units as we
can in the lead up to Xmas an beyond into the next Xmas before
any new competition arrives in the market.
DC WEEKLY: What do you think about bringing back the Sega
newsletters from the Mega Drive days?
LB: I dont know of these myself but Steve will be sending out
weekly Dreamcast emails giving anyone who is interested updates
on Dreamcast.
DC WEEKLY: Finally, do you have any messages for our readers
(apart from "Buy a Dreamcast!")?
LB: I think that message is a good one so yes everyone please
buy one! I noticed in one of your weekly emails that you
commented on the BT and SOE "free internet access " offer
and how you hoped that Ozisoft would provide a similar deal
here in Australia. I just wanted to highlight that things are
naturally different in Europe because consumers are billed
for call costs based on the time online which can be very
expensive, so they just don't pay a subscription fee.
In Australia we have flat fee call structures. The ISP's in
Europe can therefore provide this "free" element because they
will make their money based on the call costs. In Australia we
will be launching our strategy soon which will involve a
duration of free access which equates to more than you buy
the Dreamcast for and then there will be a subscription cost
component.
DC WEEKLY: Thanks for taking time to talk to us Lisa, and
good luck for the upcoming months. I guess all I can say now
is, Bring on September!
LB: Thank you !
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> Bernie Stolar Interview
Attending the recent E3 show, a friend of Sega X's (Pat
Narvaez) who is a store manager at Babbages in Oregan, managed
to sit down for a brief chat with Bernie Stolar. Speaking to
him about Geist Force, Sega Rally 2 and more, Stolar
revealed his thoughts on a number of issues concerning the
American Dreamcast launch.
Pat: So has Geist Force been canned? It's not on the floor
and no one at the Sega booth seems to have a concrete answer,
which is why I'm asking you. I have 27 reservations for the
game at my store, so what should I tell my customers?
Stolar: Geist Force has been canned.
Pat: Why?
Stolar: Well, graphically it was where we wanted it to be, but
gameplay wise, I didn't feel it was good enough, so I bit the
bullet and cancelled it. It was difficult for me to do that
since it was my own project.
Pat: I'm sure it was in the companies best interest. What
about the rumors going around that Sega Rally 2 will be a
pack-in now that the modem has been confirmed? The reason
I ask is because there is no release for SR2 but you have
said it is confirmed for launch. So what's the deal?
Stolar: Sega Rally 2 will not be a pack-in, but we have some
other ideas.
Pat: Now that the modem is being included with the machine,
are you worried that some of the launch titles or after-launch
titles may be delayed for internet capabilities, such as
Slave Zero?
Stolar: I'm not too concerned, but you're right, Slave Zero
is no longer a launch game. It's slated for November, but
that's the only title that has been pushed back.
Pat: Last question. From a retailer point of view, what can
I tell customers about what will be coming in the box? Other
than the standard setup and the modem, will there be any
thing else like a demo CD or the Internet software bundled?
Stolar: I'll make an announcement on that in about a month
(smiles)
>>>> Shenmue Delayed
The release date of Sega's Shen Mue Chapter 1: Yokosuka has
been postponed from August 5 to October 28 in Japan.
Sega is planning to start a big Shen Mue campaign in Japan,
first on June 24, Sega will be giving out 100,000 copies
of a "What is Shenmue" video tape for people who purchased
a Dreamcast or any DC software in Japan. Secondly, starting
on August 1, a playable demo of Shenmue for DC will be given
away when you purchase a Dreamcast or any DC software.
Between September 9 to October 27, when you pre-order a copy
of Shenmue, you will receive a specially made Shen Mue souvenir
for free. - Dreamcast.net
>>>> Surprize Launch Title Announced!
Here's the press release for the new launch title announced
for America...
Red Storm Entertainment Inc., today announced further
expansion of the popular Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six franchise
by signing a deal with Majesco Sales, Inc., who will develop
and publish a version of the game for the Sega Dreamcast.
The game will be released simultaneously with the
eagerly-anticipated system, making it one of the first
titles for the new platform.
"We are pleased to announce that Majesco Sales, Inc. will be
publishing Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six for the Dreamcast platform,"
said Morris Sutton, CEO of Majesco Sales. "We are extremely
excited to be introducing this dynamic game to the Dreamcast
market and are pleased to be working closely with Red Storm
Entertainment in the development."
The game, which is based on the story concept by popular
writer Tom Clancy, centers around team Rainbow, an anti-terrorist
task force operating under ultimate government secrecy. This
multi-national team is called upon to rescue hostages, disarm
bombs and gather intelligence to bring down the world's most
deadly terrorists.
"Dreamcast is a fantastic format for Rainbow Six," says Dick
Wnuk, Red Storm Entertainment Executive Vice President of Sales
and Marketing. "We are looking forward to working with Majesco
to broaden our fan base for the Rainbow Six franchise."
>>>> Toejam & Earl 3: Bad News Folks!
Toejam & Earl is one brilliant series of platform games. So
when I heard Toejam & Earl 3 was coming soon (the first two
games were all the way back on the Mega Drive), I was really
looking forward to it.
But, the latest news from them is, it's coming to Playstation
2 first. Which means a Dreamcast version, if any, will be
awhile away. Here's the news from their website...
"We're working on bringing you ToeJam & Earl III for most
platforms. We've been in discussions this with several
publishers, but have not yet closed any deals. The first
version should be for the Playstation 2."
"Thanks to all our fans for the tons of email. You've
provided encouragement and lots of ideas about how to bring
our favorite dynamic duo of funk back with style. If you
want something specific in the next version of TJ&E, or if
you have strong feelings about which platform we should
focus on first, let us know. We love to get your input.
We'll update this page again when we know more."
Anyone who'd love to see Toejam & Earl 3 on Dreamcast, you
could let them know by e-mailing them on Comments@TJandE.com
Wouldn't it be great over the modem too?
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======[ RED HOT RUMORS ]==================================
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Welcome to a new section of Dreamcast Weekly, each week
we'll keep you upto-date with the latest RUMORS going around.
>>>> Light Gun - Quake Style
Ever wanted to play a shooting game such as Quake using a
gun? Well now it looks as if you can do just that. Thanks
to the innovative digital pad on Sega's official lightgun,
plans according to our sources are definitely underway.
For example, if you were playing Unreal using the gun,
you'd be able to walk around using the pad, switch between
weapons with the B button, while being able to fire at
enemies using the trigger, all in real time.
We've been pondering over how well Sega would support one
of their best peripherals for the Dreamcast, so we're
relieved to see that they're more than serious in
providing the software for it. Right now, it seems as if
this could be the move to change the shooting genre as we
know it. At the moment, plans are still being kept top
secret for which games may utilize this special feature,
but we'll keep you fully informed on any new developments.
- Matthew Langan
>>>> Dreamcast Network Rumors
According to reports in the Japanese press, SOA may be
looking to telecommunications giant AT&T in helping build
their US Dreamcast Network. Sega of America plans to make
the DC Network a huge part of their marketing and
advertising campaign for the console, and having a telecom
giant like AT&T would only help sell their online gaming
plans.
However, these reports remain unconfirmed as Sega of
America is yet to make any official announcement on this.
We will stay in touch with SOA and bring you the latest.
- Sajed Ahmed
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======| IMPORT-ANT MATTERS |==============================
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>>>> JUNE Special Deal
o BLUE STINGER - Save $20
o SONIC ADVENTURE - Save $20
You can pick up those games for $79AUD each (the normal
price is $99AUD), which comes out at about $50US. This is
only open to Dreamcast Weekly readers. You can order now
from www.extreme-imports.com
>>>> Dynamite Deka 2
Dynamite Deka 2 is now in stock, and Extreme Imports have
a hi-quality video ready for you to download.
http://www.digitalsea.net/extreme-imports/movies/deka2.mpg
>>>> Psychic Force and Manaco GP 2 Price Lowered
Both Psychic Force and Manaco GP 2, have been perminately
been reduced to just $89AUD each.
***********************************
* http://www.extreme-imports.com/ *
***********************************
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======| LETTERS |=========================================
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>>>> The Dreamcast Magazines
A very common question this week has been about the official
Dreamcast magazine's coming this September. Here's a little
fact sheet about them for you...
- There will be 3 official magazines, from America, Europe,
and Ozisoft.
- Each will come packed with a Demo CD.
- They will all launch around September 1999.
- Imagine is the American publisher, while EMAP will be
handling Ozisoft's. Europe's publisher hasn't been announced
yet, but it's almost certainly going to be EMAP again.
- Incase your worried about being biased, since it is an
official Sega mag, the American editor said, "Sega has
absolutely no say in the content of this magazine. We
are editorially independent."
o> New Forum Online: http://sega.shoptok.com/boards/695 <o
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======| PREVIEW |=========================================
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>>>> Trickstyle
>>>> Release Date: September 1999 - USA
>>>> Written by Matthew Langan
Already hailed as the Dreamcast's Wipeout, Trickstyle from
Criterion Studios is shaping up to be one of the most
anticipated titles on Sega's machine this year. Being
published by Acclaim, the emphasis is to race high above
futuristic cityscapes on state of the art hover-boards.
You can choose from up to 9 different characters in the game,
including Angel, Brad, King, Mia and Shin - all of which vary
in age, sex and surfing style. With at least four different
hover-tec boards to choose from, you can compete in various
different championships, starting off with the Pro-Tour, where
you'll visit stadiums such as the Velodrome and Tokyo Skydrome.
Graphically, Trickstyle is just amazing. From the
articulately stunning backgrounds to the astonishingly
detailed racers, this game visually oozes of class. Coupled
with a plethora of different background actions, including
planes, trains and people, followed by fast action packed
gameplay, you've most certainly got yourself one hell of a
game to show off to friends.
Along with 16 gameplay modes including Championship,
Versus, Time Attack, Bomb Tag, Fox & Hounds and Stunt
Challenge, you definitely won't be running out of things
to do quickly. As aforementioned, at least two players
will be able to compete against one another via a split
screen, but for Internet players, up to 16 people can
participate at once! Better yet though is that the Visual
Memory will also come in to action, as players will be
rewarded with mini games after each area has been completed.
While there's still quite a lot to find out about
Trickstyle, what has been revealed thus far is enough to
sell this game alone. Currently due out for a September
release, there's no doubt about it that Criterion
Studios' debut Dreamcast title will certainly be one to
watch.
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======[ TIPS & CHEATS ]===================================
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O If you've discovered a secret on a Dreamcast or O
O Arcade game, and would like to share it with the O
O world, please e-mail me on Webmaster@sega2000.com O
>>>> The House Of The Dead 2 - Import
Rocket Launcher:
On the menu screen, hold START then press UP, DOWN, LEFT,
RIGHT, B. A gun shot will confirm the code.
>>>> Aero Dancing - Import
Extra Options:
Enter TASCAS as a name. Select the "Special" choice on
the options menu to access "HUD", "Cockpit", and "Player
Assist" options.
>>>> Virtua Fighter 3:TB - Import
Alternative Intro Music:
To get the hidden, remixed music during the introduction
to the DC VF3tb, press the Start button on both 1st and
2nd player joysticks/controllers when the "Sega" logo
loads up in the beginning. Keep the Start buttons pressed
until you hear the alternative music beginning to play.
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======| SEGA TRIVIA |=====================================
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>>>> Weekly Sega Trivia
>>>> By Alex
O If you have any questions you think could be printed, O
O feel free to e-mail Alex on Alex@sega2000.com. Thanks. O
1: What was the first master system game?
2: What does SEGA stand for?
3: What was the first level of the first sonic game?
4: Who is carved onto the wall on 777 speedway in Daytona?
>>>> Answers
1: After Burner
2: SErvice GAmes
3: Green Hill Zone
4: Sonic!
5: hehehe... there was no Question 5! Sorry, yes I've
probably had too much sugar today :)
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======| BEST OF THE WEB |=================================
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There are sooooo many Sega sites across the web, wouldn't
it be great if one place listed the most interesting bits??
Presenting the "Best Of The Web" section...
o> New Forum Online: http://sega.shoptok.com/boards/695 <o
>>>> Sega X - www.SegaDreamcast.net
Plenty of news added every day, and the best coverage of
the US Launch details you'll find anywhere.
>>>> Sega 2000 - www.Sega2000.com
Sega 2000's new news system means our staff can put news
online any time of the day, and from anywhere in the world.
>>>> Media Site - http://media.seganet.com
A brand new design, and what a design!! You have to see this!
They have the biggest collection of video game mp3's, video's
(including some Saturn video's you've probably never seen
before) and more. Also don't forget to vote for your favorite
staff member.
>>>> Dreamcast.net - www.Dreamcast.net
Updates daily, to keep you up with the latest on all things
Sega.
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
Our newest support site and provides hundreds of links for
anything a gamer might be interested in.
>>>> SegaDC - www.segadc.co.nz
Updated daily with lots of news, a forum and more, this is
a must see site for any Sega fan.
>>>> www.videogames.au.com
The newest supporter of Dreamcast Weekly, and a site with
a great design. Be sure not to miss this site!
>>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
Dreamcast Australia has gone undercover to find out the
latest in release dates, prices and titles for the
Australian Dreamcast launch. Add in some of the best
previews, reviews, news and other info and this is one
hell of a site. Have a look.
>>>> The Sonic Zone - www.suneet.com/soniczone/
Updated daily with a HUGE amount of Sonic content that is
sure to blow you away! From Fan Fiction to Chatting to
Cheats and even Fan Created Games this is your one stop
Sonic site. You can now send online postcards too!!
The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at
www.dreamcastweekly.com :) We've got the history of the
magazine, daily news and plenty more. Specially if your a
webmaster, there is lots of great information about how
you can be involved as well! Then in the future... who knows,
hopefully we'll be a print magazine one day :)
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======[ CREDITS ]=========================================
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O Writer: Graham Parker "Tails" - webmaster@sega2000.com
O Co-editor: Steve - steve@sega2000.com
O DC Questions: Please send to - Steve@sega2000.com
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Official Website!
o> New Forum Online: http://sega.shoptok.com/boards/695 <o
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Copyright, 1998-9 Graham Parker - WEBMASTER@SEGA2000.COM
Written and edited by Graham Parker. No parts may be
copied without prior permission. I would have to send
out my group of highly trained thugs otherwise, who will
have a tea party with you until you crack and your mind
turns into jello... MMmmmmm.... Sweet Sweet Jello....
hehe.
Oh and finally...
-----------------
Maybe I should change that stuff just above one day, that's
been there for soooooooooo long...... Nah...
