Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 70 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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/_______> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <________\
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//// ~ Issue #70 - February 20th 2000 ~ \\\\
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\\\\ Sponsored By www.PrimaGames.com ////
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\\\\ www.DreamcastWeekly.com ////
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o> Please SCROLL DOWN for the Editors Comments <o
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====| DREAMCAST WEEKLY INFO |======== www.PrimaGames.com =
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> To ask questions, please click Reply to this message,
only be SURE to include "Q&A" some where in the Subject.
We regret we're unable to personally reply to each e-mail,
but the best questions will be selected weekly and printed
in our Q&A page.
> For daily game news, over 200 Prima Fast Track Guides(tm)
online, codes, downloads, and contests every day, be sure
to visit Primagames.com. Prima is the number one source for
video and computer game strategy in the world.
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> For past issues visit http://www.dreamcastweekly.com
> For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the
Premier Video Games Site www.totalvideogames.com With over
300 archived News Articles and the greatest game reviews.
Up-dated throughout the day with everything!
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> 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 |============= www.PrimaGames.com =
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Are you connected to the Internet with your Dreamcast?
You'll need to be to enjoy online games such as Chu Chu
Rocket. If signing up with AT&T and the monthly fee's are
what's putting you off, this weeks cover feature could
help (for those who live in America at least, sorry for
everyone else, me included).
This week we look at 2 totally free Internet Service
Providers that work fine with your Dreamcast, and don't
display adverts while your surfing the net.
Making the news in this issue is a new bigger, better
and MP3 playing VMU from Sega, more details on Half-
Life, and the low down on DreamEye, the new digital
camera for your Dreamcast.
Also worth noting is an all new 4-wire Mod Chip featured
in this weeks "Into The Web" page, right below the rumors
on NFL 2K in Europe.
Finally you might notice Prima Games is now the sponsor
of Dreamcast Weekly. For those who haven't heard of them
before, they are the people behind those big guide books
you can buy. They also have a top quality website online
which Sega 2000 is affiliated with.
Until next week then, Happy Gaming everyone!
~ Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)
.oO Page 1 - Cover Story Oo.
.oO Page 2 - The News Oo.
.oO Page 3 - Rumors Oo.
.oO Page 4 - Into The Web Oo.
.oO Page 5 - Prima Games Corner Oo.
.oO Page 6 - Cheats Oo.
.oO Page 7 - Q&A Center Oo.
.oO Page 8 - OUR SUPPORT SITES Oo.
.oO Page 9 - Credits Oo.
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "Sega this week revealed that a
new VMU is in development, that will play MP3's amongst
other new additions."
-- Sega's New VMU - This Weeks News
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====| COVER STORY |================== www.PrimaGames.com =
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>>>> Free Internet Access For Your Dreamcast
>>>> Written by Tails
As the age of online Dreamcast games draws ever closer,
those of you not yet connected to the net with your console
may be wondering about signing up. With bigger and badder
games coming later this year (Quake 3 Arena just to name
one), and your fast 56k modem sitting ready built in to
your Dreamcast (ok go on laugh all you want cable owners,
but 56k ain't that bad), the only thing that's probably
holding you back are the monthly fee's.
In particular if you already have a PC connected with AOL,
the thought of another set of fee's just for your Dreamcast
isn't too attractive. But what if you could use a Free
ISP (Internet Service Provider) with your Dreamcast? Bring
on Chu Chu Rocket I'd say!
While there are plenty of free ISP's in America (and none
here in New Zealand, sob sob) many won't work with the
Dreamcast because of problems signing up or are at least
complex to get setup. These companies below however have
all been tested by gamers and do work.
The first step to getting free net access is to choose
which company your going to go with. We've checked out
each site and list their high and low points.
The second step is putting the information into your
Dreamcast, and is detailed further down.
>>>> www.worldshare.net
1) What's the catch with their Free access?
Unlike others, with Worldshare.net there aren't any adverts
while you surf the net. So how do they make their money?
Each month you have to complete a survey which will be
e-mailed to you. I've seen one of their surveys, and it
asks 12 questions, none of which are personal. The sample
survey is available here...
http://www.worldshare.net/members/sample_survey.htm
The answers are used to help the companies that
pay for your net access create better products and
services. WorldShare also donates 5% of what their
advertisers pay for your access, about $1.00 per month,
to a charity of your choice.
2) Do they actually say you can use the Sega Dreamcast?
No, although you can simply select Windows 95/98 when ever
asked which system your running, and they do say how
their service will work with WebTV, so they wouldn't have
any problems with using a Dreamcast.
3) How long can I spend on the net each month?
You have unlimited access to the internet.
4) Are there any set-up fee's or hidden costs?
There are no set-up fee's, although if you don't fill
in their survey each month, they will invoice you $19.95
for that month's Internet usage.
5) Can I leave at any time?
Yes there are no commitments to using their service, and
you can leave at any time.
6) Can anyone sign up?
You must be over 18 to join, and live in America.
>>>> www.isps-free.com
1) What's the catch with their Free access?
There isn't actually any catch here. They have been
giving out free internet access without adverts or
such for 4 years now.
However they do say at some stage they might send
out a short survey regarding your interests so they
may target their email ads to you. Then you may receive
about 3 email ads per week. At this time they don't
send out anything.
2) Do they actually say you can use the Sega Dreamcast?
Yes they mention it works with the Dreamcast along
with many other systems, although they don't provide
any support for problems with getting it working with
your console.
3) How long can I spend on the net each month?
In a way unlimited. You get up to 100 hours each month,
before your disconnected until the beginning of the
next month when you get another 100 hours. Although
they are more than welcome to you having multiple
accounts, so when 1 runs out you can switch to another.
This may turn out to be a hassle for those who know
they are going to spend more than 100 hours on the net
each month.
4) Are there any set-up fee's or hidden costs?
There are no set-up fee's or extra costs.
5) Can I leave at any time?
Yes you can leave at any stage.
6) Can anyone sign up?
You must be over 18 to join, but unlike Worldshare.net
they support most of Canada, not just America.
>>>> Putting The Information Into Your Dreamcast
To sign up use one of these address's...
1) http://www.worldshare.net/signup.htm
2) http://www.isps-free.com/quick.htm
You must find out all the important dial-up and e-mail
account information, then enter it into your Dreamcast's
Browser options while off-line. Next connect, and your
Dreamcast's Internet access should now be running
through your new free server.
1) Signing Up With Worldshare.net
First enter the month and year you were born in, making
sure your over 18 years of age. Second enter your Zip
Code, then click the "Free Service" button.
Next follow these steps...
1. Jot down your local access number from the list at
http://www.worldshare.net/phonelist.htm.
2. Jot down the User ID and Password (case sensitive!) you
chose during registration.
3. Go off line with your Dreamcast, and enter the options
menu.
4. Enter the access number from step 1 as your primary and
backup access numbers. Then enter your user name prefixed
by "i.wshr." and password (case sensitive!). (User name
example: i.wshr.yourID if you chose yourID as your User
ID.)
5. Copy the e-mail information into your Dreamcast's
options screen.
6. Go back online with your Dreamcast.
2) Signing Up With Isps-free.com
It's recommended that you print out this page of
instructions, and then signing up at this page below,
https://reg.freewwweb.com/cgi-bin/signup.cgi
Enter your information and make your way through the
sign up process. Then return to the first page, or
your printed instructions, and enter the right information
into your Dreamcast's Internet Options.
>>>> Any Questions?
If you have any questions about getting online with your
Dreamcast, given that New Zealand hasn't gotten the
browser yet, I'm not the best person to ask.
For further questions about the ISP's themselves however,
these FAQ's may come in use...
http://12.30.88.135/members/signup/non-memberfaq.htm
http://www.isps-free.com/faq.htm
We also suggest asking on one of many Forum's around the
net, as your almost certain to find people who have gotten
it to work.
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====| NEWS |========================= www.PrimaGames.com =
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>>>> Further Details On Half-Life
While the Dreamcast version of Half-Life will be a PC
port at heart, there are many planed additions that
were announced this week.
For starters all the characters will be rendered in a
higher resolution than in the PC original, and will
have a much smarter A.I. Along with new levels built
specially to make use of the Dreamcast's graphics, new
weapons will be available, along with a brand new training
mode.
>>>> Bigger, Better, and MP3 Playing VMU's
Sega this week revealed that a new VMU is in development,
that will play MP3's amongst other new additions. This
means they will have much more space than the small "200"
block models on sale today, and will hopefully have a
better battery system.
You can listen to music through headphones connected to
your memory card. Playing MP3's on the same batteries as
the current VMU uses however will no doubt drain them at
an alarming rate. We'll keep you updated as more details
are released.
>>>> Power Stone 2 Release Date
The release date for the 4-player Power Stone 2 has been
announced by Capcom Of Japan. The game will go on sale
from April 27th 2000. No dates for other countries have
been given yet, although expect it to be just a few
months after Japan's.
>>>> DreamEye Digital Camera
Sega have given out the final specs on the Dreamcast's
digital camera due for release this June in Japan.
The camera can be used for making video phone calls, to
taking pictures and then sending them over e-mail. All
images are saved as .jpg files, meaning PC's shouldn't
have any trouble viewing them, and the file size should
be small.
The resolution depends on what your using the camera
for, but ranges from 640x480, to 320x240 and 160x120.
Using flash memory, up-to 31 shots can be saved, and
the camera doesn't have to be plugged into the Dreamcast
to work. Using 2 AA dry alkaline batteries in a
battery pack, you can take the camera anywhere. The
batteries will last for taking around 300 photos.
The weight of the Dreameye unit is about 62g, while the
battery pack is 28g without including the batteries.
Finally the accessories that it comes with include a
connection cable, microphone unit, microphone, stand,
application disc, instruction manual, and the battery
pack.
No price has been given yet, or details of releasing
the unit outside of Japan.
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====[ RED HOT RUMORS ]=============== www.PrimaGames.com =
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Welcome to the rumors section of Dreamcast Weekly, each
week we'll keep you up to-date with the latest rumors going
around.
>>>> NFL 2K In Europe?
While it was previously thought that Sega of Europe had
decided against converting NFL 2K to PAL, it seems things
might not be so final. Apparently they are still deciding,
and one possibility is to wait until NFL 2001 is complete,
which looks like it may include online play. We'll keep
you updated if any news makes it's way out.
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====| INTO THE WEB |================= www.PrimaGames.com =
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>>>> Game News & Sega GT Movies
Well the Sega GT movies are coming, and if you were
disappointed by the Quicktime movies some other sites
posted (personally I love MPEG movies oh so much more than
Quicktime), NextGenVideos's downloads shouldn't be missed.
News this week on their site includes something really
strange about Shenmue, where Sega tells gamers in Japan
not to call the phone numbers used on Shenmue in real
life! hehe. They also have details on the DreamEye
digital camera, and how you'll be playing MP3's though
your Dreamcast in the near future.
Why are they featured in Dreamcast Weekly? Because the
movies are quite possibly of the highest quality on the
net, that's why. If you haven't checked them out yet, now's
a good time to start.
www.NextGenVideos.com
>>>> Lik-Sang Update
O New 4 Wire Mod Chip:
For just US$18 you can order Lik-Sang's newest Mod Chip,
which uses just 4 wires. You can order by credit card
using their partner site http://www.dc-modchips.com
While I haven't tested any Mod Chips out myself, if your
looking to play import games without any problem filled
Swap Tricks, you'll need this.
O Sega GT Out Now:
Yes the game is finally out in Japan, and Lik-Sang have
plenty of copies for US$58.
www.Lik-Sang.com
Lik-Sang don't pay Dreamcast Weekly in exchange for writing
about them each week, after the great feedback we've had
for our readers about them, we just believe they are the
best importer on the web.
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====| PRIMA GAMES CORNER |=========== www.PrimaGames.com =
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Since 1990, Prima Games has been The Most Trusted Name in
Games(tm). Prima pioneered the strategy guide market and
continues to push the edge of game strategy with insightful
and helpful content in every Prima Official Strategy Guide(tm).
Prima publishes guides for every platform, and will be
supporting the latest game systems, including Sony's
PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's "Project Dolphin." Click below
to see the entire catalogue of Prima Official Strategy Guides:
Prima Official Strategy Guides
http://www.primagames.com/primagames.ASP?WCI=Titles&WCE=All
If you're looking for quick, easy online help with your
latest game, look no further that Prima Fast Track Guides(tm).
These online strategy guides provide basic game help that
can give you the edge you're looking for. With over 200
titles available, and more coming each week, we're sure to
have a Prima Fast Track Guide that you want to see. Click
below to see the catalogue:
Prima Fast Track Guides
http://www.primagames.com/FastTrack.ASP?WCI=FullIndex
Primagames.com provides daily news updates on new game
releases and announcements, game developments, and other
game industry happenings. With a quirky and irreverent
outlook, "Mr. News Guy" tells it like it is in his own
way. Whether you're a hardcore PC gamer or a casual
console player, you'll enjoy getting your daily game news
from Primagames.com. The link to our main news page is
just below:
Primagames.com News
http://www.primagames.com
And once you get to Prima's homepage, be sure to check out
our Codes, Downloads, interviews, game previews, and our
stellar lineup of Prima Fan Site Affiliates.
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======| CHEATS |===================== www.PrimaGames.com =
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>>>> NFL 2K
O Wayne Gretzkey Message:
Create a player and enter "Wayne Gretzkey" as a name.
Then the message "Thanks For The Memories" will appear
over the player picture section.
>>>> Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix
O All Songs:
At the title screen pick ARCADE MODE. When it says "Select
Play Mode" Go to HARD and press RIGHT on the D-Pad 3
times. Then pick hard and dance the night away. - Submitted
by Jack
O Character and Arrow Select:
At the title screen pick ARCADE MODE. When it says "Select
Play Mode" press the analog pad in any direction to bring
up the character select and arrow select screen.
- Submitted by Jack
O Select Vs, Double, Couple or Single Play Option:
At the title screen pick ARCADE MODE while holding down
the "B" button. - Submitted by Jack
O Unlock Little, Mirror and Hidden Modes:
At the title screen pick ARCADE MODE. Select any play mode
(easy, normal or hard). Now at the song selection press the
analog pad in any direction then do the following to unlock
the different play modes: To unlock "Hidden" press U,D,U,D,U,
,U,D To unlock "Mirror" press L,R.L.R.L.R.L.R To unlock
"Little" press L,D,R,D,L,D.R.D,U You can then toggle them on
or off by pressing left or right. - Submitted by Jack
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====| Q&A CENTER |=================== www.PrimaGames.com =
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To ask questions, please click Reply to this message, only
be SURE to include "Q&A" some where in the Subject. We
regret we're unable to personally reply to each e-mail,
but the best questions will be selected weekly and printed
here.
>>>> Another Keyboard Playable Game
Just before we get into this weeks Q&A, thanks to many of
our readers that said Soul Calibur is also playable with
the Dreamcast's keyboard.
>>>> Dreamcast Viruses & More
Q) 1. Can the Dreamcast catch viruses? I've heard of
especially written Windows CE viruses that have
effected many palm tops recently. Is this something
Sega have prepared for?
2. Will the DC version of Half-Life have multi-player
bots?. And if so how many will the DC be able to
handle alongside 4 human gamers? A friend tells me
that Perfect Dark on the N64 will be able to handle
8. Surely the DC would be able to handle at least 2
times that amount.
3. Has the amazing up-and-coming PC god-sim "Black &
White" been confirmed for the Dreamcast?
- Solid_Ichelma
A) 1. No, while Palm Tops can be effected yes, the
Dreamcast doesn't have anything that viruses can
write to (no hard drive).
2. Not enough detail has been announced about Half
Life yet, although there's some other Dreamcast
enhancements included in this weeks news.
3. Black & White has indeed been confirmed, but no
release date has been given. The only details are
that Lionhead Studios has passed the conversion
duties onto another developer.
>>>> How About A Different ISP?
Q) Will there ever be other ISP besides AT&T? I will not
change my AOL account. If so how soon? Thank you and
keep up the good work. - Dark3k2
A) This weeks Cover Feature on free ISP's may help.
>>>> What's With The Zip Drive?
Q) I was wandering what makes the Dreamcast Zip Drive
worthwhile. Why would I ever want to buy one if they
are released in the United States? - Joe
A) If you've seen the current additions to Sonic Adventure
you can download onto your VMU, you'll know they aren't
exactly great. Because of the limited space in the VMU,
downloading new levels of games or entire demo's for
example certainly isn't possible. With the Zip Drive
the space required shouldn't be a problem as was with
the VMU. In fact you won't need your VMU for anything
other than playing mini-games, as the Zip Drive should
provide more than enough saving space.
Another addition to games might be the ability to
create your own levels, or perhaps you can design cars
paint work on racing games, or download what other's
have created.
I think the Zip Drive will open many new possibilities
for your Dreamcast console, and greatly improve on the
download-able additions to games.
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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...
>>>> Sega X - www.segadreamcast.net
Plenty of news added every day, including a IRC Java
chat room where you can chat about all the latest Sega
topics.
>>>> Sega 2000 - www.sega2000.net
Returning soon :)
>>>> 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.
>>>> Perfect Zero - http://www.perfect-zero.com
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.
>>>> 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,
and even Fan Created Games, this is your one stop Sonic site.
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
This site contains hundreds of links for anything a gamer
might be interested in, no matter what format, including
some game specific links.
>>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
Now the Dreamcast is out in Australia, and after SegaDC.co.nz
closed, this should be your first stop for news down under.
The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at
www.dreamcastweekly.com :) The site includes the history of
the magazine, back issues, and more. Then in the future...
who knows, hopefully we'll be a print magazine one day
(Hint hint to any publisher that may be reading this :) )
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====[ CREDITS ]====================== www.PrimaGames.com =
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O Editor: Graham Parker "Tails" - Webmaster@sega2000.net
Thanks to all our support sites above, along with our
sponsor, PrimaGames.com, all for helping make Dreamcast
Weekly as big as we are today!
>>>> http://www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Our Official Website!
>>>> http://www.PrimaGames.com - Our Sponsor
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Copyright 1998-2000 Graham Parker - Madcow@ihug.co.nz
Written and edited by Graham Parker. No parts may be
copied without prior permission. Otherwise I'd be forced
to send out my goons... Ok so I don't have any goons, but
copying is just mean... very mean. There, that should
scare everyone off :)
