N-Sider does not hold any responsibility for anything Dean Bergmann says, does or thinks. Any complaints of his actions may be directed to his inbox. Or, for a more interactive complaint, make a post in our OT Forums. Now that we've dispensed with that, here's this week's Q&A.
Just because you guys got yelled at by a couple of people, it doesn't mean you should cut out all of your jokes. As lame as they were, some of us liked hearing them. Keep up the good work
-Jeff
Brenden: We've learned quite quickly that we can't please everyone, no matter how hard we try. The only thing we're aiming for is the pleasing of our readers. If you guys are happy, we're happy. Last week, we decided to cut the crap entirely. This week, we're hoping for a little bit of a mix. Hopefully we'll find the right level of moderation.
Dean: Personally, I don't care who we please or who we upset, just as long as we can have fun writing a roundtable section. Hell we've been doing this for almost two years now, I think its time we relax a little.
Jason: Yeah, I was laughing a lot too until I realized that its probably not as funny when youre on the receiving end. However, I think its safe to say that none of us really meant to insult the reader. Wellwith the exception of Dean that is. He really meant it. Dont worry though, we gave him a smaller office because of his rash comments*cough*. He also didnt get paid for those weeks either..I hope you learned your lesson Dean.
Brenden: Dean's been getting paid? What the hell am I still doing waiting for that bread and water that was promised!
Irate Static Stick: Quiet you.
Brenden: Yes sir.
Hey, The last Q and A was great. Hey, sorry for the outburst in my last email. To be honest, you guys really are funny, what bothered me was how you guys (mostly Dean actually) would insult the writers of the questions. Anyways here are my questions: (1.) You guys really changed the site from N-Sider to X-Sider? What the hell? Please explain what the $#%$ that was all about... (2.) Is the artist "Min", really Min Keiiii Kwon from Cozy Paper dot com? (3.) Please get those damn galleries up! At least let me see some of Dean and Chad's fanart... After all, THEY don't have personal sites where they post up their art. (4.) There is a rumor going around that Bill Gates is homo. I personally think it's true... Can you guys confirm it? (5.) How are Gamecube sales doing at this point? Perhaps as to the X-Box...
-Drew
Cory: Well as it seemed to baffle a ridiculous amount of people, I'll just be blunt. It was April 1st. As such, it was an April fools joke. Ha ha funny funny, and all that rubbish. The way I see it, though, something like that is much more responsible than putting up fake yet believable news. I know of a lot of people who got pissed off when they found out that the things they were so excited about were all lies. What a stupid holiday!
As for the galleries, it seems that a lot of our artists have... disappeared. I'm sure the situation will be resolved soon enough, but until then you'll just have to hang tight. This is also likely the reason that N-Universe has taken so long to materialize... but I fear I've said too much.
Lastly, the GC/X-box sales. From what I hear, the X-Box was selling better than the Cube since its launch, but the most recent week of sales put the Cube out in the lead again. I'm sure one of the other staffies will elaborate, as well as feild the rest of your questions.
Dean: If you don't like me... Well... I'd tell you to do something but that'd insult you.. Damnnation, anyways to answer your questions:
I) As cory said, it was my April 1st fun, I had fun, I really didn't tell anyone I was doing it either.. muhahah.
II) No, Its Min Rho, of N-Sider :P
III) The galleries will be up soon, our artists have sorta fled to get lives, myself included.. And i do have a personal site, found here.. but no art :P
IV) Who knows, I have a video of him rocking back and forth in a seat during an interview, but due to no bandwidth here I can't post it.. its quite funny.
Hi everyone! I'm thinking of buying a TV with progressive scan, so I can properly enjoy Eternal Darkness. I would really appreciate your advice! I'd like to know your recommendations. Also, do I have to buy any extra cables(component,etc)? Thanks..
-Marian
Jason: Hey, if you have the cash to spare then I say go for it. If you play with progressive scan you have the ability to play with 60 frames per second on certain games. Remember though, just because the game looks better, it doesnt mean it will play better. What it does mean is that you get an added bonus to enjoying a great game. Graphics are really just the icing on the cake when it comes to games, so remember that when you start eyeing your wallet. You will need component video cables for the progressive scan experience though. I would buy one if my human body didnt require food.
Well thank God you fixed your Q&A. Anyway you guys hear any rumors going around about the GCN? What about Ninja Guiden?
-The Great Saiyaman
Brenden: I've yet to hear of a game called Ninja Guden! Ha! See? He spelled it with a 'u' ... so I made fun of him? ... sorry, forgot about the moderation thing. Anyway, I haven't heard anything about the game lately. As far as I know, it's still not coming to GCN.
Cory: All the rumors I've heard are contradictory. Some say X-Box, some say GameCube, some say freakin' Nuon. I'd wait for an official announcement before I jump to any conclusions.
Anthony: I hope GameCube owners get both the new Ninja Gaiden and Rygar. But I will purchase both games no matter what system they come to.
Dean: The QA was broken? Oh I didn't notice, I thought we just had really whiney readers.. I musta been mistaken. HA ha.. ha.. oh my.
Jason: All my rumors point to GameCube as the platform, but I definitely wouldn't start selling the farm just yet. GameCube is starting to pull in more and more support, yet even now PS2 usually gets many of the first cuts. You want to hear another rumor? Dragon Warior on GC. Is it the truth? Only time will tell.
I have a few questions: 1) The Phantasy Star Online GameCube pack? Is it going to have a new colour, or Sega characters on it?? 2) Can you guys/girls give me some info on the new Capcom games for Nintendo like Cas Ra and Glass Rose? Also, when was the last time Capcom ever did exclusives for another company? 3) Is there any site that has very detailed information about GameCube, PS2, and Xbox also while comparing each to another(hopefully an honest site) 4) Are there any good sites who are good at keeping info up-to-date about the other two consoles?(I work at a gaming store, just need better info for them as well). 5) Has Atlus given any clue to games goming to the cube at all?...Persona anyone? 6) Can you guys/gals list a more in-depth company profile...with all of Nintendo's "new" added game developers? Thanks for answering all my questions. Hope for a good response soon.
-cc sloat
Anthony: Atlus has remained tight lipped about its GameCube projects. I would love a new Persona and Snowboard Kids though.
Brenden: 1) It will probably have the Sega characters in it, but at this point, I'm not sure. 2) I haven't heard anything new lately on either game. Capcom has developed plenty of Playstation and Playstation 2 exclusive games. There's a lot that comes out of the company. 3/4) There are plenty of sites out there. We link to them all the time. 5) Anthony answered that one easily. 6) I'm not sure if anything's in the works for a new developer profile. Then again, with this site, you just never know. I'm pretty sure that we should have another personnel profile coming sometime. Your best bet would be to wait and see what comes. We've always got something cooking, but with E3 quickly approaching, we've got our thought processes in other places.
What's the value of the GB printer nowadays? Or to be specific, would it be worth a good used game in a trade? Something like Majora's Mask or Perfect Dark maybe.
Brenden: I own a GB Camera, which I had tons of fun with. Especially the music editor. I never owned a printer though. I'm not too sure how valuable it would be right now, probably much. Personally, I wouldn't trade either of those games for it, but that may just be me.
Jason: Who knows what kind of value that actually has at the store now. In fact, some stores could probably care less about carying the thing now. I wouldn't trade games in for it though. The pictures you take are really low resolution and are of a very select amount of colors. Really, it's limited and made for just fooling around with pictures. A GBA version of this thing would really take off though, so cross your fingers.
Here's another hair-brained idea I picked off of another site. An editor @ NGenres is calling Winter 2002 the true GCN launch. This half-baked, half-credible idea is written by a looney, but somewhat makes sense. Read the article and let me know if you think this is credible. You can find it here.
-Almighty Space Cobra
Cory: "And that is why nobody likes you as a person. Oh, but they do, you say. I am popular, you say. I doubt it, or you wouldnt be reading about Nintendo on the Internet. Loser."
Haha, that article was great. The author may be completely out of his gourd, but still. As for this fall being the Trojan launch, it could definitely be interpreted that way. An awful lot of big-name games are coming, and it sure SEEMS like it would make a great metaphorical launch lineup. But was it on purpose? Pfft, no way. I think it just so happened that all the games were wrapping up in this particular timeframe. Blame it on the alignment of the planets, blame it on that mischevious little troll who delights in toying with your mind and stealing your placemats, but don't blame it on Nintendo.
Brenden: "You might remember standing in line, sheepishly explaining the whole thing to your gameskeptic girlfriend, shelling out the ciz-ash, etc., etc., but none of the matters."
Indeed. Anyway, assuming that all of the games he mentioned fall into their predicted timeslots (which of course, is not a given), he could very well be correct. I don't think he can go as far as saying that all of these games are nearing completion and are merely being held back. While games are held back to fit into certain spending-favoured time frames or to space out games, I highly doubt they would be held back that much. Overall though, he does make a good point. If all release dates stay true, that's a lot of great games coming out right before Christmas.Hey N-Sider, I'm new at this question thing but hey, here's my question: is the 'Cube gonna end up ultimatly like N64 by being kid orientated and meant for kindergarteners? I mean, no real good action games are coming out yet and look what they did to the new Zelda game. Please enlighten me.
-mik
Brenden: You know, over the years, I've developed a way of thinking when it comes to the whole "kiddy debate". Here it is... I'm an 18 year old gamer who enjoy Nintendo's kiddy games. For that reason, I went out and bought a kiddy console like the GameCube, just so I could play Nintendo's kiddy games. So what can you expect from Nintendo's kiddy console, the GameCube? More and more great Nintendo kiddy games.
What I'm trying to say is, you can label the games kiddy or not, it really doesn't matter. If you don't enjoy Nintendo's games, then don't buy a GameCube! If you enjoy playing them, then don't deprive yourself of something enjoyable and do so!Cory: Gah, the N64 was in no way meant for kindergarteners. But I'm not gonna start up on that now, lest I end up with 8 paragraphs of pure rant. Simply put, Nintendo is pushing for more mature software on the Cube. Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime, and the RE franchise are definitely examples of this. Plus, I have the feeling that some of Nintendo's other in-house developers may be working on some mature first-party games, but we'll have to wait until E3 to see what that's all about. Bottom line - the GameCube will still skew slightly to the family audience, and have all of the happy characters found on the N64, but there will certainly be more support for dark and mature titles. Mark my words.
Jason: Oh, Ill enlighten you alright...(*grumbles*). Like Cory, I will try as best I can to not blow up because of this issue. First off, the N64 was never actually a little kids play thing. The system had a fair amount of mature software, and games for people of all ages as well. Are you too cool for Mario? Looking at the GameCube lineup, you will see that it is littered with diversity. All the different genres in the rainbow are sprinkled carefully among the months of this year. If you need something more mature, look no further than gems like Eternal Darkness or Resident Evil. You want something more lighthearted? Go Mario and Zelda all the way. In this regard, there truly is something for everyone on the system.
Is there any word on a GameCube rally-racer like Gran Turismo? Besides Burnout?
-Clue1882
Anthony: Well Gran Turismo is more of a simulation racer and Burnout is much more arcadey. The term rally-racer refers more to four wheel off-road/on-road rally cars. The GameCube is receiving several rally racers like Championship Rally, Rally Simulation, Race of Champions, and rumored conversions of Colin McRae and V-Rally 3.
Shigeki Miyamoto Jr: I will make this magical game for you and it will be innovative for the whole family to enjoy.
Angry Yamauchi: GET OUT STUPID!!!
Shigeki Miyamoto Jr: Oh great. Old man Yamauchi spotted us. Stryder Kensett let's get the f*** outta here!!
Quick question guys, In your opinion, when do you think PSO Ep. I & II will hit U.S. soils. To be honest, this game is pretty much the only reason I bought my GC in the first place and I understand it comes out in Japan sometime in July (Final version that is). I know Ver. 1 for DC localized very fast, just over a months time to be exact. Think Episode I & II will share a similar fate or will it be like Ver. 2, multi-month coupled with delays.
-LindaH776
Anthony: Honestly. Sometime this Fall.
While looking through my collection of SNES the other day, I noticed a game called "Lester the Unlikely." I played it for all of ten seconds and was shocked this idea ever got past the initial stage of development, which I'm sure was at a bar on a cocktail napkin. Its about a comic book collecting dork who is at the wrong place at the wrong time and now the fate of the world rests on him. One of the buttons makes him push up his glasses. It's worse than it sounds. Could you tell me who developed and published this game? If they're still around, I'm going to make sure and avoid anything they make. Mistakes like "Lester the Unlikely" cannot ever be forgiven, under any amount of circumstances. Great job re-doing the QandA, I can finally read them without having to skip over sections.
-Jeremiah
Jason: Funny you mention that game. I remember playing that one back in the day and was actually slightly amused by it. Its probably because I spent more time laughing at how incredibly geeky he actually was instead of concentrating on gameplay. You think the designers should have been shot for that game? You should really (not) try out games on that system like The Tick then. I would rather stick needles through my eyes than play that game for another second. *cough*
Will G4 the game channel be on the normal cable networks or will I have to pay money to add the channel to my cable service? Just thought you videogame know-it-all's could tell me or tell me where to go to find out. thanks
-hamby
Cory: Not sure, but my gut instinct tells me that it'll be one of those satellite-only channels. An all-video-games channel panders to a fairly niche audience, and not many cable companies will be all that keen on picking it up. At least, that's the way I see it.
In your last mailbag somebody asked about Too human. Jason replied that it would come earlier than 2yrs if it used the same engin of ED. I thought I read somewhere that ED is in fact using a modified engine of Too human. Could you clarify that please?
-Adrian
Cory: Eternal Darkness is indeed using a modified version of the Too Human engine. I suppose you could say it's the other way around, since ED is coming out first, but the main point is that the two games will be derived from the same engine.
Jason: Sorry about the vague comment. Let me try and clear this up a bit. Eternal Darkness is using, as Silicon Knights likes to put it, a modified Too Human engine. However, a game is much more than just the core graphics-handling engine. So while creating Too Human, you can bet on your GameCube that they never went as deep with the coding as they are going with Eternal Darkness. Essentially, once Eternal Darkness is completed the libraries of routines for things such as animation and memory management can be ported to the Too Human engine. This saves time since these routines would have needed to be coded again. Remember how Majoras Mask used a modified Ocarina of Time engine? By doing so they were able to change all sorts of things yet get the game out the door at a much faster pace. However, by no means am I being specific in saying less than 2 years. It could be as long as 2005 before we see another Silicon Knights game.
Q&A By: Brenden Petracek, Jason Nuyens, Anthony JC, Cory Faller and Dean "Send me your hate mail" Bergmann. With special appearances by: Irate Static Stick, Shigeki Miyamoto Jr. and a very angry Yamauchi. MIA: Glen Bayer.
Send your questions for next week's Q&A!