We’re finally working with parity with Nintendo Power Magazine with our current NextGene Recap, covering March of 1998.
Cover: Ultima IX is on the cover, promoting an exclusive preview.
Industry Interview: We have Brian Moriarty of MPlayer getting interviewed on the future of online gaming. At this time, MPlayer is still in a strong place, in the sense of comparisons with other multiplayer services. This is pin part because they’ve switched to an ad-supported model, Brian also gets into the need to build a community that has space for people outside of hardcore gamers. There’s also discussion about the lack of high-speed internet causing issues (with Moriarty suspecting that developers would have to design for 28.8 modems for “the foreseeable future” – which looks stupid in hindsight, before you consider that things were moving very fast around this time, so “the foreseeable future” was fairly recent.
They also bring up the need for better mics for voice chat, which is definitely the case (something that continues into the 21st century, in varying forms – whether they’re not sensitive enough, or far too sensitive).
News: NEC is unveilling the new generation of the PowerVR graphics processor. More significantly, we have a description of the Dreamcast (still codenamed Katana), including a description of the controller (including the VMU and it’s mini-game capability), and the console’s OS. Also, Sega of America is laying off 30% of their workforce (showing that our current wave of layoffs in the game industry is sadly nothing new – since this is a massive wave of layoffs in advance of a console launch).
Rumors are indicating that the PS2 is going to be backwards compatible – NextGen is describing this as a liability. On the one hand, I get it it – nobody’s done this with consoles at the bare-metal level before. The most we’ve gotten is the Master System adapter for the Genesis. The PCs have been doing backwards compatibility for over a decade now, not to mention that the PS2 is a massive leapt forward from the PS1 (nevermind the DVD drive). This isn’t a liability and it’s not going to split the market – something that history is going to bear out.
Movers & Shakers: We have a write-up on Gathering of Developers (G.O.D), and Colin Campbell is skeptical that a co-operative collective could succeed at selling the games their makers a create – a rather conservative (also possibly Big-C Conservative) take. GOD does end up falling apart – but not until after being bought out by Take-Two.
Joyriding: We do have some stuff of note this issue, as we have a discussion of Quake 2 multi-player games, and with it – GameSpy, which at this time is working as a server browser and a matchmaking tool, as well as a map and mod download manager.
Retroview: We have a look at the rise of arcades in the US, behind Pong, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Ms. Pac-Man.
How to Get a Job in the Game Industry: As the title says, we get some information on how to get into the Game industry (as of 1998). Basically, the article goes into each of the various entry-level positions, how much they pay (again, as of 1998), the skills they will provide to you, and the avenues for advancement. I will note that they’re not considering “just start making your own games” as an option – digital distribution isn’t the viable avenue for putting out your games it is now. We also get contacts for a whole bunch of companies (which is spectacularly dated, as we have not only companies here that no longer exist, but undoubtedly some of these companies have changed offices or people at those companies either aren’t there or have moved to different positions and possibly have different phone numbers).
Ooh, we have an ad for Grand Theft Auto, which may be doing something of a spin on the poster for The Usual Suspects.
Alphas (Previews): We have our cover article, with an in-depth preview of Ultima IX – the conclusion of the Ultima saga (originally meant just to be the end of the Avatar saga, but Richard Garriot’s departure ultimately meaning more than that). Going from the preview, the game is intended to have very immersive environments (looking, at the screenshots, comparable to Morrowind, but a decade early). The article includes an interview with Richard Garriott. Garriott discusses developing the online culture of Ultima Online (which very much was a first).
On the other extreme, we have a preview of Sega Rally II, including an interview with Tetsuya Mizaguchi & Kenji Sasaki. This includes some discussion of the potential for networked gaming cabinets for arcade games (which is something that we do get later – combined with networked online leaderboards for games).
There’s a preview of a space -sim that is promising that it will let you get out of the cockpit & explore space stations called Millenium Four. As near as I can tell, the game never came out. Hudson is working on an N64 mecha fighting game called Last Legion VX. It does come out under the title of Last Legion UX, but only in Japan.
For the PS1, we have a preview of Tonba (currently called Ore Tonba), bringing the caveman platformer back. Then there’s a bunch of titles from Square, like Bushido Blade 2, and the action game Soukaigi (which is actually an action-RPG, developed by Yukes – you know, the Smackdown people) – which also only came out in Japan.
Appropriately enough (considering that the remake came out rather recently), we also have a preview of Star Ocean 2.
The Way Games Ought To Be: Lotta questions about Artificial Life. Kinda surprise nobody’s tried to dig that one up lately (looks pointedly at Peter Molineux).
Finals (Reviews): N64 leads off this issue, with 2 games thatI’ve already covered in Nintendo Power Retrospectives – Aero Gague, Robotron 64, and Wayne Gretzsky’s 3D Hockey ‘98.
On the PS1, we have Dragon Ball GT (well there’s your problem) Final Bout, which gets roasted (justifiably – it’s GT), on the other hand, we have Resident Evil 2, which gets 5 stars. Honestly, if I wasn’t zombied-out, I might pick up the remake – RE has been the only zombie media that I’ve consistently liked. Micro Machines V3 also gets a solid review.
The Saturn has a port of Kenji Eno’s Enemy Zero (RIP Kenji Eno, and RIP Shane Bettenhausen’s interview with Eno on 1up). There’s also a Saturn Port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter (which, as a 2D fighter, is right in Saturn’s wheelhouse).
The PC has Westwood’s Blade Runner as an adventure game (which generally gets a pretty good review). There’s also Activision putting out a Heavy Gear game, as they lost the Battletech license, and went with another mecha miniature wargame series to adapt to a mecha simulator. The reviewer bemoans the lack of comparative worldbuilding, but the tabletop game was relatively new by the time this game came out, so Activision doesn’t have as much already prepared material to work on. However, the elephant in the room is Quake 2, which (justifiably) gets a very good review).
Before we go to letters, we get an ad for the Long Beach GDC, which also takes a shot at E3 in Atlanta.
Letters: We get a letter asking for Latinx representation in games (something that is still an issue 25 years later). We also get a discussion of why RPGs and puzzle games are more popular with women, and they point out the lack of excessive fanservice in those genres.
Next month – Metal Gear Solid!
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