Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 53 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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/_______> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <________\
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//// ~ Issue #53 - www.DreamcastWeekly.com ~ \\\\
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\\\\ Sega X - http://www.segadreamcast.net ////
\\\\ Sega 2000 - http://www.sega2000.net ////
\\\\ Perfect Zero - www.perfect-zero.com ////
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o> Please SCROLL DOWN to Editors Comments for the start <o
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======| ABOUT DREAMCAST WEEKLY |==========================
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> DREAMCAST QUESTIONS: Please note because of the huge
amount of mail I get personally, I can't reply to all the
Dreamcast questions sorry. Please send your questions to
Rob@sega2000.net
As he does a great job on our mailbag. Thanks.
> For past issues please visit www.dreamcastweekly.com
> For the best import games, visit the shop we're proudly
sponsored by... WWW.EXTREME-IMPORTS.COM
> For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the
Premier Video Games Site http://www.totalvideogames.com
With over 300 archived News Articles and the greatest game
reviews. Up-dated throughout the day with everything!
----------------- 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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Well this week our cover feature is about the Console Wars
heating up. With the announcement of the PS2, and rumors
of the X-Box, how will Dreamcast stand next fall?
For our preview we have Vigilante 8: Second Offense, and
cheats... well they include fat teams, star teams, slow
motion, and squeaky voiced announcers for NFL 2K!
The rumors section is a must see this week, as Sonic 3 (yes
you read right might be coming to Dreamcast!), and Steve
reveals new Dreamcast games, such as Prince of Persia 3D,
Die Hard Trilogy 2 and lots more.
Also as you might have noticed, last week the Sega X-tra
section got forgotten (oops!), and makes it's debut this
issue.
Finally, because of exams (oh joy!), I won't be able to
produce DC Weekly next weekend. After that though all things
will be back on-track, and we're still working on that
surprise in a few weeks. Until then, Happy Gaming!
~ Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)
> Dreamcast Questions to Rob@sega2000.net
.oO Page 1 - Cover Story Oo.
.oO Page 2 - The News Oo.
.oO Page 3 - Rumors Oo.
.oO Page 4 - Importing Oo.
!NEW! .oO Page 5 - Sega X-tra Oo. !NEW!
.oO Page 6 - Preview Oo.
.oO Page 7 - Cheats Oo.
.oO Page 8 - OUR SUPPORT SITES Oo.
.oO Page 9 - Credits Oo.
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "Will there be an all out battle
next fall?"
-- Console Wars Heat Up - Cover Feature
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> The Console Wars Heat Up
>>>> Written by Tails
With the announcement of the Playstation 2, and rumors
spreading fast about Microsoft's X-Box, the console wars
are certainly heating up! Will there be an all out
battle next fall?
The Dreamcast launch was even better than even Sega
themselves imagined, and is all but confirmed to be
THE must-have-item of Christmas '99. But while that
is certainly great news, the question on most gamers
minds is, will this success last?
The original Playstation is arguably the console that
brought video games into the mass market. It was powerful,
had some excellent launch titles changing many people's
opinions on video games (Wipeout in particular), and
of course heavily advertised.
Now it's at the $99 price point, with over 300 titles, and
has become a house hold name not unlike the VCR. The
Playstation 2 has even more power than Dreamcast, packs a
DVD drive for movies, is backwards comparable, and you can
bet Sony will whip up a storm of advertising.
So does that mean Dreamcast is doomed to die in the fall
of 2000? No. If you ask me, Sony has lost the plot. (heh,
yes now this sounds more like it's written by a Sega fan).
No seriously, the first point being the Playstation 2 just
isn't original. The name it's self must of taken Sony's
R&D months to think up :) It only has 2 controller ports
(why?), few changes to the controller it's self, and the
memory card just holds more, nothing else new there.
Aside from the graphics (which by the way clearly aren't
15 times better than Dreamcast as was previously thought
from the specs Sony released), and the DVD drive, what's is
there to get gamers excited?
The Dreamcast packs a 56k modem, giving full internet
access, and of course the VMU (pull it out of your pocket
and there's certainly a feeling of "Wow, what's that?" in
the air). I doubt the Playstation 2 will have anywhere
near the impact of the original, and doubt Sony realize
that.
Next... the price, and the other 2 consoles...
Well first of all I think there's going to be room for 2
winners this time around. One will be Sega, and one will
be either Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. No that isn't
the most biased statement you've ever read, let me
explain why...
This time Sega has the mass market product, it's cheap,
it's got plenty of games, new and cool additions, and
the support of most 3rd party's.
The other 3 consoles are almost double the price (by
fall 2000 I imagine the Dreamcast will be even cheaper
too). Sure they can play DVD movies, but that's where
the market splits.
I can picture parents buying little Johnny a Dreamcast,
as they would of a Playstation, but what about a huge
$400 machine? I don't think so! Specially when it looks
like an old VCR from the 70's (sorry, that just had to
be said, heh).
What I can see is the parents buying a Playstation 2
for themselves, to watch DVD movies. It's an extra
feature that it plays games. When I heard from a source
at the recent retailer show (the E3 for retail managers)
that this is in fact what Sony are planning for a
marketing strategy, it confirmed my thoughts.
Same with the X-Box, and the Nintendo Dolphin. They are
going to split the market, and Sega will slip in under
them. No one is challenging Sega, as a cheap mass market
machine.
The Dreamcast will be the next "Gameboy" if you will.
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> Shenmue Delay
Yes it's happened. Shenmue has been delayed until the
Spring of 2000.
It was made official today with a statement on their
website, explaining how complex the game is, and the need
to improve many sections of it. Apparently there's some
major changes being implemented, however no more details
were given.
Well this is indeed a sad day, however it would of been
even worse if Sega released a bugged version this month.
>>>> Emerald Dreams Issue 2 Out
The next issue of the online magazine about Sonic, is
out now! http://www.sega2000.net/edreams/ is the address,
and it's certainly worth checking out. Even if it's to
just look at the cool drawings!
>>>> VMU Football
The first of Sega's downloadable VMU games went online
early this week.
Dubbed "VMU Football", the mini-game takes only around
10 seconds to download, but takes up a whopping 111
blocks of your save space. Now I'm really looking
forward to the 4X VMU.
The computer goes on defence, and it's your job to run
down the field avoiding getting hit. Anyway, by now you
could be playing it, as it's available for download on
the Dreamcast Network.
>>>> Sega Sets New Targets
Unless you've been living in a galaxy far far away this
month, you'll already know the US Dreamcast launch has
been a massive success. Sega have sold a whopping 500,000
units in just the first 2 weeks.
Now Sega have (abliet un-officially) set higher targets
to reach, from their previous goal of 1.5 million units
by March 2000. Sega agrees that at this rate, they will
sell 1.8 million units by the end of the Christmas season.
Sounds like a Christmas hit on the way to me!
>>>> News Shorts - Written by Chris Tang
Compile announced that they have canceled the developing
of the Dreamcast adventure title Girl R. Wah.
Sega's Sonic Team is rumored to be porting their Naomi
music game Samba de Amigo to the Dreamcast. Also rumored
is that they are working on a special Maraca controller
for the Dreamcast which will release with the game.
Sega will release their popular mech fighting game Virtual
On Oratorio Tangram for Dreamcast on December 9 for 5800
yen. A Dreamcast Twin Stick controller and Fighting Cable
(a cable that allows you to link together 2 TVs, 2 DCs and 2
copies of the game) will be released simultaneously with
the game.
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======[ RED HOT RUMORS ]==================================
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Welcome to the rumors section of Dreamcast Weekly, each
week we'll keep you upto-date with the latest rumors going
around. Written by Tails.
>>>> Sonic 3 On Dreamcast! - Written by DC.IGN
This was just added to DC.IGN, and I have to say, very
intresting!
According to a very reliable source of ours in Japan, Sonic
Team has begun development on Sonic The Hedgehog 3 for the
Dreamcast! As our source told us, "basically Sonic 3 on
Dreamcast will be an enhanced version, similar to Sonic
Adventure, with a lot more".
At the moment, it's not yet clear whether Sonic 3 will
remain a 2d title, or if Yuji Naka has plans to drag the
game into the third dimension. From what our source told
us, we get the feeling Sonic Team is opting for the latter.
While the news of Sonic Adventure 2 would have perhaps
been better, we're certainly not complaining about Sonic
3 on Dreamcast! Sega has yet to make an official
announcement on the matter, but we're expecting some
solid details on this some time next week.
>>>> New Dreamcast Games - Written by Steve
I just received news from Jeff Gardner, who attended a
corporate get-together in Nashville recently, and 4 new
games were announced, as well as some hot rumors. The
games confirmed are:
Prince of Persia 3D
Shadowman
KISS
Gundam
Fine titles to add to the Dreamcast lineup indeed. In
addition, the following games were rumored to be coming
to Dreamcast:
Metal Gear
Die Hard Trilogy 2
Field And Steam Fishing
Unfortunately, the Konami rep refused to give a solid answer
on Metal Gear coming to Dreamcast. Also, Fox Interactive
said they would like to capitalize on the success of the
high sales of the Dreamcast light gun and House of the Dead
2. "They need another gun game for that system, this could
be one of them," said a Fox representative. We'll bring
screens and more info of the upcoming games soon and let
you know if any rumored games will indeed come aboard.
>>>> Zip Drive For Resident Evil?
There was a rumor early this week about Resident Evil: Code
Veronica being the first game to the use the Zip Drive.
However that has turned out to be a mis-translation, and
the game won't make use of the new drive.
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======| IMPORT-ANT MATTERS |==============================
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__________________________________________________________
E x t r e m e - I m p o r t s
www.extreme-imports.com
www.extreme-imports.com
______________________________________________________
|| ||
|| We'll keep you upto date with the latest news on the ||
|| importing scene - Tails. ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| >>>> 4X MEMORY CARD - PRE ORDERS OPEN ||
|| ||
|| The new memory card stores 4 times the amount of a ||
|| normal VMU! It doesn't have a screen, but can link ||
|| to your PC. Sending files over the net and storing ||
|| them on your hard disk is finally a reality. Pre- ||
|| Order now for October 5th - AUS$69 each (US$45). ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| >>>> AUS$399 FOR A DREAMCAST - AROUND US$199 ||
|| ||
|| Now you can import a Dreamcast for the same price as ||
|| it will retail for... or if you live in Australia or ||
|| New Zealand, cheaper than it will retail for! All ||
|| the details are at www.extreme-imports.com ||
|| ||
|| >>>> IMPORTING A US DREAMCAST ||
|| ||
|| Extreme Imports are stocking the US Dreamcast along ||
|| with the Jap version from now on. The system comes ||
|| with one controller, demo disk and 56k hardware ||
|| modem. We'll be selling the system for $499AUD - ||
|| includes a step down converter (240~220V - 100~110V) ||
|| for European and Australian customers. Games will be ||
|| no more than $99AUD with a high possibility of ||
|| $89AUD or less. ||
|| ||
|| To pre-order, please visit our website. ||
|| ||
||_____ooo000ooo www.extreme-imports.com ooo000ooo____||
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======| SEGA X-TRA |======================================
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Welcome to the first edition of Sega X-tra! Thanks to Tails,
we have been able to offer our readers over at our site an
opporunity to check-out a few of the hot pieces from over
the week. Whether it be new screenshots or a hot controversy,
you'll find it here. Tonight we've got a review of Pop n Music
2, vids of Vigilante 8, new screens of Metropolis, and a bunch
of other things. --- Sega X Editors
Pop n Music 2: Find out if this newest music game "rocks" Dreamcast:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/reviews/japanese/popnmusic2_01.html
Set for October, Activision and Luxoflux release a handful of
new movies for Vigilante 8: Second Offense:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/092899_vig8mov.html
How's Sega doing in the US? GOOD! Click here to find out just
how well:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/092999_dcsales.html
Sales are hot, so Sega ups the ante on the projected number of
DCs to be out by X-Mas:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/092999_segasales.html
Oh yeah dear friends, even the stocks are on a rally:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/092899_dcstock.html
Bizarre releases more shots of its rocking racer, Metropolis:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/100199_metroshots.html
... and! Last but not least, Mike Bess wraps up the week
with his Editor's Notes:
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/100199_ednotes.html
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======| PREVIEW |=========================================
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>>>> Vigilante 8: Second Offense
>>>> Written By Sajed Ahmed
What happens when you put three 70's automobile gangs into
a relatively restricted space? You get the mayhem and malice
of Activison's Vigilante 8: Second Offense. The original V8
took Twisted Metal head on and held it's own, according to
most circles. The sequel takes that same gang based, highly
explosive gameplay to the next level on the Dreamcast console.
V8: Second Offense on the DC looks noticibly better than the
N64 and Playstation version, as the developers, Luxoflux,
tried to take full advantage of the Dreamcast's abilities
to produce stunning water and fog effects, and the trademark
flare effects. Other Dreamcast features include a sweet new
four player mode (Activision is looking into an online
mode, but that is iffy because of the lack of readiness of
the DC Network's online play), Jump Pack support, and new
characters and options.
Vigilante 8: Second Offense also improves on the original with
a more complete gameplay system. There are new camera settings,
ten new characters, and new powerups -- allowing the player to
pick up add-ons like hovering capabilities or snowmobile rails.
Luxoflux has also included some unlockable characters and
options to make V8: Second Offense that much more entertaining
and deep. However, the sequel still maintains those same
destructible environments and over-the-top characters to
sustain the unique fell of the V8 universe.
The game takes place in twelve unique battle arenas with
hidden areas, cars, power-ups, and weapons scattered
throughout. New vehicles include a garbage truck and a
futuristic space vehicle.
The story of V8: Second Offense goes as follows: after being
thoroughly defeated in the original game, Slick Clyde the
evil leader of the Coyote gang decides to change history.
Using a time machine he goes back to correct what went wrong,
namely his gang losing the original V8 showdown. That brings
us to V8: Second Offense, where the battle begins anew (or
old, however you look at it).
Vigilate 8: Second offense looks to follow up on the success
of the original game. With the four player action, possible
online mode, and a ton of new characters and weapons,
Activision's DC title could pull out a repeat performance.
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======| CHEATS |==========================================
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>>>> NFL 2K
O Super Star Team:
In the Cheats menu option, type in SUPERSTARS. You will
now be able to play as the Sega Sports team, whose players
are the developers of NFL 2K, as well as former SOA chief
Bernie Stolar. In the Cheats menu option, type in SCRAWL
to change the appearance of text in the game.
O Squeaky Announcer:
In the Cheats menu option, type in SQUEEKY to make the
announcer's voice sound squeeky and high-pitched.
O Fat Team:
In the Cheats menu option, type in LARD to make all the
players fat.
O Slow Motion:
In the Cheats menu option, type in DEDMAN to change the
game speed to slow motion.
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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...
>>>> 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.net
Sega 2000 has grown a lot lately, and one section that
really has... is reader reviews. Sega 2000 is THE place to
send your reader reviews. Don't forget to send in your Top
10 Most Wanted games either.
>>>> The Next Level - www.the-nextlevel.com
The Next Level is a multi-platform gaming magazine focused on
all current and upcoming next-generation systems. We provide
up-to-date news, in-depth reviews, reader reviews, intriguing
editorials, and more.
>>>> Sega Next - www.seganext.com
"Live the Dream" World class Sega coverage. One of the
newer websites dedicated to Sega and their Dreamcast on
the internet, SegaNext has quickly emerged as a worthy
competitor. With a crisp clean layout and a healthy
supply of content, this is a must stop for anyone even
vaguely interested in Sega.
>>>> 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.
>>>> Perfect Zero - http://www.perfect-zero.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.
>>>> 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!!
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
Our newest support site and provides hundreds of links for
anything a gamer might be interested in.
>>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
With the Dreamcast launch in Australia fast approaching it
is my pleasure to bring to you interviews with some of the
most important people in the gaming industry. Recent
interviews include Archer Maclean (Awesome Developments -
Jimmy White's 2), Frederick Raynal (No Cliche - Toy Commander),
Trip Hawkins (3DO - Heroes III) and Greg Zeschuk (Bioware -
MDK2). But thats not it, there are several more surprises in
the coming weeks (does Sonic Team sound good?)
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.net
O Co-editor: Steve - Steve@sega2000.net
O DC QUESTIONS: Please send to - Rob@sega2000.net
But please NO tips questions
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Official Website!
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Copyright, 1998-9 Graham Parker - Webmaster@sega2000.net
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.
