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The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The highlights
In the pantheon of Sony Online Entertainment's flagship EverQuest franchise, there is a whole family of MMOs gathered around the table every evening. There's Papa EverQuest, looking a little wrinkled and worn but also radiating fame and authority. Next to him is Mama EverQuest II, a powerful matron of entertainment if there ever was one. They look proudly down the table at a bassinet where Baby EverQuest Next lies, cooing as it grows into the future generation of this family. Then, in the next room over is a cabinet. The cabinet is locked. Inside that cabinet is a weird abnormality that certainly looks like a member of the family, but he hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time. He subsists on the scraps of an aging console and the fading loyalty of fans, hoping against odds that one day he'll be allowed out for a stroll or something. His name is Cousin EverQuest Online Adventures, the EQ MMO nobody mentions. EQOA is a strange abnormality in SOE's lineup. While it was one of the very first console MMOs and heir to the EverQuest name, it was quickly eclipsed in both areas by other games and left alone. Yet, against all odds, it continues to operate on the PlayStation 2, eight years and counting since its debut. This month the Game Archaeologist will crack open that cabinet and give this interesting MMO a few weeks of attention and care. I think it's about time, don't you?
NG:Dev.Team keeps the Dreamcast and Neo Geo going with GunLord
NG:Dev.Team continues to keep both the Dreamcast and Neo Geo in a state of near-life, with the "Eurostyle" (think Turrican) platformer GunLord. Featuring "9 stages of exciting 2D game play with over 45 unique enemy types," GunLord will be released on Neo Geo MVS cartridge (the format used in Neo Geo arcade machines) in December, with Dreamcast and Neo Geo home system releases following in 2012. You might not think you need a new run-and-gun on your Neo Geo ... but you may just change your mind when you see the trailer.
XBLA in Brief: NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, Sega Bass Fishing, Space Channel 5 Part 2
With our review of Orcs Must Die! already up, it's time to take a look at this week's other XBLA releases, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2. In other words, we have two old Dreamcast games, and one game that's trying to make you remember old games. There are new Xbox Live Arcade games released every week. We realize that our readers are busy, attractive people, and may not have time to download and examine each and every new XBLA game. You've got busy, attractive person stuff to do, after all. Not to worry though, because we've done the work for you, downloading every single trial game and giving you a taste of what to expect. Watch XBLA in Brief every week to see which games deserve a closer look. When you have the time, of course.
The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: True Fantasy Live Online
As an extremely amateur historian -- and an extremely attractive archaeologist -- I've always been fascinated with the "what ifs" of gaming's timeline. What if Blizzard had pulled the plug on World of Warcraft during development as it did for Warcraft Adventures? What if Hellgate: London had a lot more time and resources before it launched? What if North America had embraced the free-to-play model much earlier instead of the subscription model? What if Shawn came to his senses before he hired me? Life would've been a lot better. Or worse. That's the problem with counterfactual history: We can make educated guesses, but we'll never really know. While it's sad to see MMOs shut down due to underperformance, it's especially maddening to contemplate MMOs canceled before they even made it to the starting gate. In a new periodic series here at The Game Archaeologist, I'm going to look at a few of the "what ifs" of prematurely terminated MMORPGs. And to kick us off, I'm tackling probably one of the most frustrating, painful subjects that still linger amongst potential fans. I'm talking, of course, of True Fantasy Live Online, the game that could've shown the true potential of console MMOs. Or, y'know, not.
Handheld Dreamcast systems go on sale in Japan
Under most circumstances, our answer to the question "Should I buy a Dreamcast" is yes. If you don't have a Dreamcast, you should buy a Dreamcast. If you already have a Dreamcast, what if your Dreamcast breaks? What would you do then? Not play Plasma Sword, that's what. But when that Dreamcast costs ¥38,000 ($469), we must be more reserved with our recommendations. That's the price PachimonTV gives to this handmade portable Dreamcast unit, shipping next month in Japan. We'll leave it to you to decide whether or not that's a fair price for the ability to play Shenmue on the go. At the very least, it's a more elegant portable Dreamcast solution than the infamous Treamcast.
Sonic Adventure and sequel get 20th anniversary soundtracks
The soundtracks to the Dreamcast's Sonic Adventure games are being re-released in Japan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first game's arrival back in 1991. The track listing isn't the full version of the soundtrack, evidently, but the first disc will have the classics, including the "It Doesn't Matter" theme as well as "Open Your Heart." The Sonic Adventure CD is due out on May 18, with Sonic Adventure 2 following on June 22. CDJapan will be selling both for about $27, and Amazon Japan also has preorders available. Ah, the memories -- we can almost feel that giant killer whale smashing up the pier behind us.
Sega does its part to help Japan with gear auction
Delivering another fine example of the industry pitching in to help Japan, Sega is auctioning off a Yakuza track jacket, a Dreamcast hoodie and a ton of neat stuff, all of which you can see after the break. All proceeds go to the Red Cross, so you can dress like a geek but still feel like a champ.
Joyswag: Dreamcast Collection, soundtrack vinyl and 'Still Thinking' hoodie
How does one pay tribute to such a great console as the late Sega Dreamcast? With cool swag, of course. To celebrate the company's final console -- and the release of Dreamcast Collection -- Sega manufactured a limited run of the title's soundtrack on vinyl. This snow-white record was intended only for Australia, but we got our hands on a few to give to you (because we kinda, y'know, like you). Some really sharp Dreamcast hoodies were also made. They're zip-up, with orange hood lining and draw strings, plus an embroidered Dreamcast logo on the front and the Dreamcast swirl above the words "Still Thinking ... " on the back. Four lucky readers will win a package consisting of one soundtrack vinyl, one sweatshirt and one copy of Dreamcast Collection for Xbox 360. Head past the break for the full contest rules, and good luck!
Dreamcast Collection now on Steam(cast)
If you'd like to play Sega's Dreamcast Collection without actually collecting any boxes, you can do that now. The four-game compilation is now available for PC download through the Steam service, for $29.99. It was released as an Xbox 360 disc on February 22. You can also purchase the games individually, if you're only interested in one or, perhaps, have enough copies of Crazy Taxi in your house. Each of the four games is available for $8.99 each. So for the price of a pizza, you could have the wonderful Space Channel 5 Part 2. Go ahead and get that pizza too. You deserve it!
Alter-Ego: DCUO's console conundrum
With the first month of DC Universe Online now in the past, the time has come for that all-important MMO decision -- is the game worth renewing? For some, the answer is no. The first major patch still has not dropped; it's meant to offer us many fixes and the new content we've been told is coming. Some players have hit the level cap and aren't interested in leveling alts or doing endgame content. Whatever each person's reason may be, the shine is wearing off for some. Meanwhile, Hal Halpin, President of the Entertainment Consumer's Association, recently wrote a piece that presented another reason that some may not be renewing: Console gamers are feeling that Sony Online Entertainment has been less than open about the game's being locked to a single account. Many are upset about not being able to trade DC Universe Online in for another game now that their free month is up. His reasoning? "The problem, of course, is that console games are sold and the ownership conveyed, along with rights." There's only one flaw in that statement: This isn't anything new -- not even on consoles.
Dreamcast Collection gets dreamy pre-order bonus vinyl Down Under
Though we still lament the all-too-early demise of the late, great Sega Dreamcast, its maker lets us know from time to time that our unending loyalty does not go unrequited. Case in point: the pre-order bonus item for Dreamcast Collection in Australia. It's a silver record (an ancient audio storage media made of vinyl) containing songs from Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5: Part 2 and Crazy Taxi in a sleeve that looks like a Dreamcast. Pretty cool, right? Pretty collectible, too, no doubt. The Sega Europe Blog has a bunch and intends to give them away in an upcoming contest. Hopefully, foreign fans will get a shot at them -- hey, we can dream, right?
Dreamcast Collection puts four whole games on PC and Xbox this Feb.
The "Dreamcast Collection," first spotted on GameStop in November, is official. Sega announced the disc-based collection today, and we're a bit disheartened to see that it's exactly what we expected, because what we expected was pretty sad. The collection contains Crazy Taxi, Sonic Adventure, Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2 (all with "enhanced graphics"). In other words, the Dreamcast Collection is composed of just the four totally random games that have already been released (or announced for release) on PSN and XBLA, burned onto a disc for Xbox 360 and released digitally on PC. We suppose it could be good news for PC gamers who weren't going to have access to the games otherwise. The Dreamcast Collection will be available on February 22 in North America and February 25 in Europe. Pricing has yet to be confirmed by Sega, but GameStop's original listing showed $30, which would at least be cheaper than purchasing all four downloadable versions of the games separately. Yay?
Gaming's first-person history lesson: 1958 to 2008 edition (video)
There's just so much to love about this video, described by co-creator Florian Smolka as a university video-project from Munich. In a little over four minutes, we're given a first-person tour of console gaming from 1958's Tennis for Two (played on an oscilloscope) through late 2008's Rock Band for Xbox 360 (using a Guitar Hero drum set, but hey, nobody's perfect). Not every console gets a mention -- apologies to Atari Jaguar and 3DO apologists -- and it unfortunately stops before new hotness Move and Kinect get a nod, but that should in no way deter you from setting aside a handful of minutes to watch. Be sure to note the passage of TVs, too, and remember fondly the CRTs of your youth. Unless you grew up with LCD flatscreens, you lawn-lounging whippersnapper, you. Video after the break.
Android Dreamcast emulator nullDCe gets early video preview, still a work in progress
Never underestimate the power of Dreamcast to live on long past its intended expiration date (which, if you ask Sega, would have been around September 2007). The final flagship console from the Haus of Sonic is survived by a multitude of emulators propagating across a multitude of platforms... and well, here's another. Drk||Raziel has posted some videos showcasing the work in progress of nullDCe for Android (on what we make out to be a AT&T Samsung Captivate). The footage ranges from buggy (Soul Calibur) to pretty smooth (Crazy Taxi), but again, no one's calling this a finished product. See it for yourself after the break.
Yu Suzuki discusses concept for Shenmue 3
James Mielke, formerly of 1UP, tracked down Sega legend Yu Suzuki for an interview, during which Suzuki revealed one of his ideas for the design of Shenmue 3 -- which, just to keep you from getting your hopes up, is still totally not happening. But it sounds interesting! But it's not happening. "Shenmue 3 doesn't expand outward, but inward," Suzuki said, contrasting the expansive worlds of the original games with an emphasis on deeper interaction with the main characters, Ryo Hazuki and Shenhua. In the examples he gave, which were "not actually in the game," your choice of tea or coffee, or answers to hypothetical questions, would affect your relationship with in-game characters. The rest of the two-part interview discusses Suzuki's past creating novel arcade games like Hang-On, the acquisition of 3D technology from Lockheed to develop Virtua Fighter and Virtua Racing, and the long-lost touchscreen arcade game Psy-Phi. "I think it would be good to make it for Kinect," Suzuki mused. "Yeah, maybe I'll make that my next project, although, I should probably make the game a little simpler for the Kinect audience."
'Dreamcast Collection' for Xbox 360 and PS3 listed on GameStop
Coinciding with the PSN release of the Dreamcast's Crazy Taxi, a mysterious listing for a PS3/Xbox 360 "Dreamcast Collection" has been spotted on GameStop. The listing does not offer any details about the unannounced title, except a (likely placeholder) release date of February 15 and a price point of $29.99. We can speculate just a bit based on that price. Since the two existing PSN/XBLA ports, Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, cost $10 each to download, it seems unlikely that Sega would simply dump those two games on a disc and charge an additional $10. That effectively rules out the worst-case, most boring scenario. It could be the set of four announced PSN/XBLA ports, including Space Channel 5 Part 2 and Sega Bass Fishing. In fact, given GameStop's moves toward PSN/XBLA content, it could be a code for downloading the games. But for a definitive answer to the tricky question of "what is in the collection," we'll try asking Sega. [Thanks, Taren.]
Crazy Taxi drivers get an early start, available on PSN today
It's so rare that games come out sooner than expected rather than ... well, the other way around. That seems to be the case with Crazy Taxi. Though the game was initially slated for a November 23 release, it will actually be made available later today on the PlayStation Store for $9.99. Sorry, Xbox Live Arcaders, but your release date didn't get the red carpet treatment -- it's still coming November 24. In fact, Sega has made the pot even sweeter for PS3 owners. If you're a subscriber to PlayStation Plus, you can go ahead and knock $1.99 off the price of the game if you purchase it before November 30. Wow, two dollars? That's cuh-raaaaaazy money. Actually, no, wait. That's perrrfectly saaaaane money.
Space Channel 5 Part 2, Sega Bass Fishing coming to XBLA and PSN
Sega's next batch of high-definition Dreamcast ports (following Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure) is a good reminder of the failed console's eclectic and enduring selection of games. The first has reeled in hundreds of scaly creatures who can only stare vacantly at their captor, mouths agape -- the other one is Sega Bass Fishing. According to Eurogamer, the all-singing, all-dancing Space Channel 5 Part 2 will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in "early 2011," alongside the aforementioned aquatic catch-em-up. Interestingly, Sega has never published Space Channel 5 Part 2 in North America. The Dreamcast version never made it out of Japan, and a PlayStation 2 port -- bundled with the first game as Space Channel 5: Special Edition -- was released in America by Agetec. Overseen by Rez and Child of Eden designer Tesuya Mizuguchi, Space Channel 5 was unique in melding a goofy story with rote rhythm-based mechanics. Part 2 ditched the first game's pre-rendered video backdrops and added instrument battles, impromptu singing showdowns and expanded on the original's catchy, Austin-Powers-in-space music. Update: Screens and art added below. %Gallery-105520%%Gallery-105522%
iPod nano built into Dreamcast VMU
I saw the new iPad nano for the first time this weekend, and though I knew it was small, of course, I was surprised by just how small it was. Despite the tiny little touchscreen, it really is about the size of the old shuffle. In fact, it's small enough to fit inside one of the old Visual Memory Units from the Sega Dreamcast. Unfortunately, the original controls don't work, and because the nano doesn't actually run any apps, you can't play anything even resembling the old VMU games that the extra controller units used to play in conjunction with the old console. But it is a nice little case for the new nano, and of course, it's just dripping with nostalgia. You can find more information and pictures on the maker's website, which is in Japanese. Don't be fooled by the Sega or Sonic pictures, either -- that's the just the nano's photos app showing off. Very cool, though -- I look forward to seeing even more places to install the nano's tiny little touchscreen.
iPod nano modded into Dreamcast VMU, magic meets nostalgia (video)
The iPod nano iWatch? That's so last week. Apple's sixth-gen PMP has found a far better home in one fellow's old Dreamcast VMU (Visual Memory Unit). It takes a bit of work to get the 1.5-inch screen and headphone outlet aligned just right, but when it's all said and done, you get one of the best and quickest homages to old school gaming around. And hey, it also acts as a big plastic fortress to protect your touchy music player. Video after the break.
