The Spot 073001
The Spot 073001
By Shane Satterfield
It's Monday, and the only thing that can make me happy is answering questions from you, our insightful and intelligent readers. Getting my hands on a finished copy of Devil May Cry wouldn't hurt, either. You know the drill. You send in the questions and I do my best to answer them. It's simple, really. Send your questions or comments by clicking
07/30/2001
Strategy Games Dying?
Is it me or have strategy games been fading from the spotlight? I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers Final Fantasy Tactics.
-Roshanda Williams
I don't know if you can say that they're fading from the spotlight, because they were never really in the spotlight on consoles in the first place. Strategy games are still a mainstay on the PC, so if you're into this genre, head on over to GameSpot PC and start hunting. The main problem with strategy games on consoles is that it's difficult to configure the controls. There just aren't enough buttons. Pikmin for the GameCube is an interesting take on the genre and it remedies some of the control issues, so you might want to check it out when it's released on November 5. The last really good strategy game I remember being released on consoles is Ogre Battle 64. It's cool that you mentioned FF Tactics. A lot of us on the staff think it was the best of all the 32-bit Final Fantasy games. But boy is that game hard.
Game Sales
Hello. Do you know where I can go (Web page, etc.) to find out how many copies a video game has sold? I am always curious to know how well a game fares from the retail standpoint. Thank you.
-Anonymous
Funny you should mention that. If you haven't noticed, we haven't had the console sales charts for quite some time. That's because The NPD Group, the number-one source for weekly game sales figures, was recently bought out and has quit distributing the list for some odd reason. Instead we get quarterly sales figures in the form of a press release. We're working on getting new charts, so please bear with us.
FFXI Broadband Support
Will there be an Ethernet adapter for Final Fantasy XI? I'm wondering because I don't want to hog the phone lines at home.
-Chris W.
Considering Final Fantasy X takes advantage of the PlayStation 2's HDD hard drive, it's practically a given that Square's online RPG, Final Fantasy XI, will include broadband support.
PS2 RPGs XI
Hello, I am just wondering, what new RPGs are coming out for the PS2 besides Final Fantasy X and XI ?
-Anonymous
Yes, there are plenty of PlayStation 2 RPGs on the way. Here's a quick list: Legend of Legaia II, Shadow Hearts, Xenosaga, Grandia X, Okage: Shadow King, Jade Cocoon 2, and Final Fantasy XII. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Legion: Legend of Excalibur are both strategy games with RPG elements.
MGS2 Speculation
After the E3 trailer of Metal Gear Solid 2, which I saw at the official Web site, some questions really bothered me, and since you have been having mail problems I didn't get those questions answered.
In the E3 trailer in the end it shows a ninja with a Japanese katana and then Snake says, "Who are you?" while putting up a gun on his face. And the Ninja figure says, "I am like you, I have no name." Well I put on Metal Gear Solid for the PS, and when Snake beats Ocelot, the cyborg ninja comes and cuts off his hand. Then Snake says who are you and the ninja replies the same thing you hear in the MGS2 E3 trailer. I heard two more phrases from the first game in the MGS2 trailer. So is Kojima trying to trick us to see if we played the first game?
Is it true Revolver cut off Liquid's hand and replaced his missing hand?
Is Vulcan Raven back? I saw his shadow in some pictures.
Someone's shadow is lurking on the McFarlane MGS2 toys page, but this guy has a stinger or a tail of some sort. By any chance do you know who this is?
-Anonymous
Giancarlo is more than down with the Metal Gear story line, and he's taken some time out of his day to supply a definitive answer.
Giancarlo responds: There's some speculation that the Solid Snake you're looking at in Metal Gear Solid 2 is in fact a clone of the Metal Gear Solid Snake, who might have died because of the Foxdie drug. In fact, there's a line from the recent E3 trailer that says, "Solid Snake did die. But he's also here." So, Snake seeing the Ninja and what looks like a silhouette of Vulcan Raven are side effects of being a clone of the previous Snake. It may seem far-fetched, but like the commentary on nuclear weapons in the previous game, this might be Kojima's way of addressing the potential dangers of human cloning.
As for the other questions, yes, Revolver Ocelot did take Liquid Snake's arm and graft it onto his arm. If you also noticed from the E3 trailer, Revolver Ocelot says to Snake, "It's been a while, brother." It's been indicated that the arm "comes alive," essentially changing Ocelot into Liquid Snake. And the guy you see in the last silhouette on the McFarlane toy line is rumored to be Solidus Snake, the 43rd President of the United States according to the Metal Gear timeline.
Again, it's all speculation at this point, so we won't know the real answer until the game is released this November.
EA on the Xbox
Are all the EA sports games coming out for the Xbox...I heard about Madden 2002 but it's never on the site and how about FIFA 2002, Knockout Kings 2002 and NBA Live 2002? Not to mention the collegiate versions of the sports. The only game that I see is NHL 2002. Can you give me some info regarding EA sports and the Xbox? Thanks.
-John
EA is fully supporting the Xbox, but there are a few games on its roster you will have to wait a while to see. For instance, FIFA 2002 will hit the PS2 and GameCube this year but won't be coming to the Xbox until next year. NBA Live will be released for the Xbox next year, but if you're looking for Xbox hoops in the near future, you're going to have to wait until Sega drops NBA 2K2. EA is also releasing F1 2001 for the Xbox. Sorry, no word on Triple Play, Knockout Kings, NASCAR Thunder, or Tiger Woods yet.
Wrasslin' Monopoly
I was wondering if the WCW and ECW wrestlers will be in the new WWF games? (EX-Raw is War, Smack Down 3, etc.)
- pHoTeK
Considering wrestlers from the WCW are already being worked into the story lines for WWF broadcasts, it's safe to assume that they will be in future WWF games. The ECW is an independent league, so I doubt its wrestlers will be included in a WWF game.
Eidos on the GameCube?
Hi, I have three questions for you:
1. Is it possible to put a hard drive in the GameCube like the one for the PS2?
2. Do you know if Eidos is making games for the GameCube?
3. What does the primary system interface for the GameCube look like?
Thank you for answering.
-Waddley Perrier
Yes, the GameCube has an expansion port on its bottom that would allow a hard drive to be attached. I doubt it will happen, though. Nintendo seems more intent on pushing the SD Digicard Adapter for storage. We haven't heard a peep from Eidos concerning its GameCube support. The company has always supported Nintendo consoles in the past, so the chances of it making games for the GameCube are high. No one's seen the interface for the GameCube, but if a game is inserted into the drive, it boots directly to the game after a brief boot-up sequence that lasts about a half second.
Akira
Hey, I heard that they're making a game based on the Japanese anime Akira. Do you guys have any info on the game? Anyway, keep up the good work on the site, it kicks a**.
-Hector Disdier
It's under development by AIA USA, a relatively small development house. Nothing has been stated regarding the game except that it will follow some of the plot developments found in the anime. The game wasn't shown or talked about at E3, so I would guess that it won't see the light of day until sometime next year.
PS2 Money Pit
Hey Spot. Dig your site and it is nice to have a place to interact with. My question is this: I hear comments about the PS2 being so hard to develop for. Well I'm confused as a PS2 owner I have been very happy with the quality of some of the games that have been released and are soon to be released. Are developers losing money on some of these titles? Or is the install base of Sony making up it?
-James Nicholson
A lot of companies lost money on the launch of the PlayStation 2 because so many games were available but the console itself was in short supply. Now that developers have completed engines for PS2 games and have shed some of the research and development costs associated with the platform, it should be easier to make money off PS2 games from here on out. The only downside is that once most small third-party developers finish an engine for a console that's difficult to develop for (N64, PS2), the graphical quality of its games generally stays the same until the console's demise.
Where's Ninja Gaiden?
What has become of the Ninja Gaiden sequel that was planned for the PlayStation 2? I kept hearing how it'd appear at the Tokyo Game Show, or at E3. Is it honestly being worked on at all? I mean, we've been hearing talk about it for at least two years now, and I don't recall seeing even one screenshot. Not even some kind of teaser shot. I miss Ryu...sure there was Dead or Alive...but it's not the same. I'm just afraid that with the shift to 3D, some of Ninja Gaiden's charm will be lost. While I'm whining, I'd also like Tecmo to make a home port of the Ninja Gaiden arcade game...just for my sake, if not for the sake of every other gamer who looks back on the late '80s arcade scene with fond memories. Oh yeah, and Namco, please make a sequel to Splatter House, or at least release a collection of the series. And Taito, shouldn't you guys be making some awesome Bubble Bobble sequel for the PlayStation 2 or something? Yeah, so anyways, bring back Ryu...the people demand it (or at least one person does).
Sincerely,
Grandmaster Centipede
P.S. In the aftermath of several school shootings, a video game entitled Splatter House wouldn't really fly very well, would it? Heck, at this point, a company like Namco can't even release a light gun unless it's neon pink and shaped like a banana...
We all want a new Ninja Gaiden. One of the suits at Tecmo announced Ninja Gaiden for the PS2 during a financial report, but as it turned out, the platform hadn't been determined. Tecmo ran a poll on its Web site last month asking which platform fans of the Ninja Gaiden series wanted the next game to come to, and the GameCube won in a landslide. Whether that means it's GameCube-bound is still a matter of speculation, but we should find out at Space World next month. While we're asking Tecmo for new games, I'll throw Super Tecmo Bowl for the GBA into the hat.
PS2 Downloads
Hello,
I won't be buying the $145 or so...PS2 hard drive, so I have a question. Will I be able to download new rosters, trades, etc. from the Internet and save them to my PS2 memory card, as I was able to do with Sega's Dreamcast VMU? I noticed the PS2 memory card doesn't go in the controller, so this could make a difference. It would suck to have to buy a hard drive just to download rosters. Hopefully you can just get the dial-up/broadband adapter and download the rosters to your memory card. Thanks.
-Lamar Spear
No, you won't have to buy the hard drive to download small files like roster upgrades. If you want to download large files such as new levels and characters, it's a different story.
MGS What?
Hey, it's your old friend JB. Just wondering when you're getting more info on Prisoner of War (working title) for the PS2. Any information would be helpful.
-JB
We haven't heard anything about it since last March when we posted
Old-School
You have the best gaming site, with the best and most consistent review scores. I think you should also put reviews of classic games on your site. Maybe Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles; Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, World; old Mega Man games; and so on. It would be awesome to read what you guys thought of them. Thankz.
-CheeseMan 2K1
Actually, we've been putting up gamespaces for old-school classics over the past few months. You'll find gamespaces for Sonic the Hedgehog, Metroid, and many more. You can even review them yourself using our reader review feature.
TMI
1. When a modem for the PS2 will be out, will it plug in or will I need a new PS2 for the modem?
2. I was wondering. Now that the DC is almost gone, what should I buy now? A GameCube or an Xbox?
3. Is there a Sonic game planned for the PS2?
4. Do you like Sonic Adventure 2?
5. I want to buy a Game Boy Advance. But in Rayman Advance, for example, is the music\sound like the PS\PC versions'?
6. Can I play Sonic the Hedgehog Advance with four friends with one cart?
7. Why do you call some games action and not detail them like: action-adventure, action-shooting, and action-fighting? Because I thought Silent Scope was action-fighting, but it was shooting. I hate shooting.
8. The rumors say that there will be a Skies of Arcadia 2 soon. Or something like that. Is it true?
Thank you Shane!
-Anonymous
I don't usually answer lists of questions, but since you've asked some good ones, I'll make an exception.
1. You can buy either an internal or external modem, and you won't have to buy a new PS2 to use either one.
2. Buy the console with the most exclusive games that you're into.
3. We haven't heard which platform is getting the next Sonic, but it will likely come to all three.
4. I like Sonic Adventure 2, but I'm also disappointed with it. The Sonic and Shadow levels are amazing, but the rest of the levels (Knuckles, Robotnik, and so on) stink. The camera is absolutely atrocious throughout the entire game. and I would say it lacks polish, if anything else.
5. Nah, the music is inferior to that of the PlayStation and PC versions, but it's still quite good.
6. Sega hasn't announced how the multiplayer aspect of Sonic for the GBA will work.
7. We're working on adjusting our genre classifications right now. But I find it hard to believe that you were shocked to find a game with the word "scope" in the title was a shooting game. It wouldn't hurt to read our previews for games, either.
8. Sega announced that is currently in the design stages of Skies 2, but its platform has not been announced and it won't be released for quite a while.
Whew!
Online Gaming Overseas
Hey, how's it goin'? First off, I just gotta say how awesome this site is...it's truly the best VG site on Earth. OK, so my question is this: What's up with Age of Empires II for the PS2? I read some stuff about it before and it said it had a 3rd quarter release date, what's up?
And something that has been bothering me for a while is this. I'm 21 and in the US Army, I am currently stationed in Germany. I have a German ISP. How will this effect my PS2 online gaming? I was stationed in Korea from 1998-2000 and playing DC online wasn't a problem. I guess the whole "AOL" thing scares me. There's a lot of us soldiers who love video games more than anything, and we usually get screwed big time because of AAFES getting games 2-3 weeks past the release date and magazines getting to us late also. Thank you very much for your time.
-Rodney McEwen
metalimak@hotmail.com
No Rodney, thank you for defending our country. I appreciate what you and your fellow soldiers do to keep freedom ringing. As far as Age of Empires II is concerned, Konami sent us some screenshots in April, and we haven't heard a peep about the game since. I'm thinking that Microsoft may have something to do with it. We haven't heard official word from Sony, but if your ISP worked for the DC, I would imagine it will work with the PS2 as well. I'm sorry to hear that you get mags and games late, but at least you get your daily GameSpot fix at the same time as everyone else.
PS2 Game Damage
Hey guys,
I recently bought a PS2 and went to buy a vertical stand. When I was buying it the guy at the register told me some people brought back the stand because it was burning a whole in the PS2 CDs. Does this happen when you stand the PS2 up vertically? Well thanks for your time.
-John
Yes, it does. We never play our PS2s in a standing position. We've had a few games ruined by playing it that way. Sony says it's the vibration from the drive motor and that using a vertical stand should remedy the problem. But I wouldn't take the chance.
U R Bias!
I know you love video games and I love them very much too. I don't care about specs on consoles, just the games on them. But you obviously have hatred or some dissent toward the PlayStation 2. I have been monitoring your responses to the other video game lovers who write letters to you. But come on, if you gonna tell someone off about how much you hate the PS2 or how much "developers are feeling blue" developing for it, tell the damn truth. Don't cloud your feelings, say it out Shane: You hate the PlayStation 2 and are in love with the Xbox. You're not gonna fool me or the other people who visit videogames.com every day.
-Sam Donttell
The funny thing is, as soon as I finish reading a letter like this I will read 10 more that say I hate the Xbox and the GameCube. I do "say it out." I don't pull any punches in The Spot, and I would hope that our readers would respect that I'm giving my honest opinion. I'm not the one complaining about the PS2. Developers are. All I'm saying is that if developers had done some research instead of jumping on the console's bandwagon, they wouldn't be frustrated and angry right now. They would also be able to complete games in a reasonable amount of time, which means more games for us, the video game lovers.
Controller Conundrum
Can the N64 controllers be used for the GameCube?
No.
Playing Movies
Hello there. My question(s) is why does Square keeps using the same name (Final Fantasy) but all the games are different? And another thing, is it just me or do any of your editors just hate RPGs where you take turns hitting each other (is that turn-based?). Because I don't see why people like it. The Final
Fantasies games would be so much better without it.
-Liquid snake
No, you're not the only one who hates turn-based RPGs. If you haven't noticed, most of our RPG reviews are given to freelancers because most of us don't like to play them anymore. I haven't played a new RPG since Final Fantasy VII. Obviously, there are still a lot of people who enjoy RPGs, but I prefer a more interactive experience. I would rather play a game than watch it any day of the week.
Vagrant Sequel?
Oh great Oracle of all things video gaming, lend me your knowledge! Any word, sightings, or news of a Vagrant Story 2 in the near future? Vagrant Story remains one of my all-time favorite adventure-RPG sagas (and it sports one of the greatest soundtracks to ever grace a console game). Let me add that your Web site simply rocks! Thanks for all the info and coverage, and keep it rollin'!
Winky-Dinky-Do
Nope, no news on the sequel to Vagrant Story yet. Despite being critically acclaimed and one of the best RPGs ever, the game sold like crap. Apparently, some of the employees at Square who worked with the game were fired. It's a shame that RPGs seldom do well unless the words final and fantasy are included in their titles. Why do you think FFX is about to be released?
New Releases Explained
Why'd you put the Outtrigger page up under new releases without a review?
-walrus
The new releases page is automatically generated based on a game's release date. Our review is up, however. You can check it out by clicking new trailer.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
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