Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. Can't find the reasons for your actions, or I don't much like the reasoning you use. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Games, games, games! Is that all you people ever think about? I swear, if this wasn't a game related column on a game related web site catering to game captivated readers written by a game obsessed writer, I'd think there was a serious fixation issue here.

As it is, I'm considering writing one column entirely on the subtle art of feng shui flower arrangement, just for a change of pace.

Onward.

What's interesting about this situation is what exactly Microsoft seems to want to get out of it - some form of tame developer with proven skill in creating great games, yet NOT a PC game developer. (At least, the rumors so far haven't named any PC developers, and I'm sure they could have had their pick. Heck, many people would have kissed their feet if they'd resurrected Looking Glass Studios.) But apparently all the other acquisition deals fell through except for Bungie, which is a PC developer but which has always supported the Mac and had a few products for various consoles in development.

The fact that they'd be so hamfisted as to absorb another company whole makes me think there's some real credence to the theory that Microsoft has serious external pressure to make the jump into consoles. (Can you say Department of Justice?) True, they've bought many other companies outright in the past before, but that was usually to acquire a specific key product, such as Power Point. Bungie has several very good games, but nothing that I'd consider "must have". (Yes, that includes Halo.) On the other hand, the fact that there have been so many rumors about various acquisition attempt indicates that they wanted ANY game developer, not a specific target.

This also brings up the question of what Microsoft actually thinks Bungie can do for them. Bungie's a solid developer, but unless they were grown so fast they ceased to be the current Bungie, I can't imagine them being the kind of first-party development powerhouse that MS will need for the X-Box. At best they'd be a brilliant second party developer, kicking out superb games every year or so, much like Rare. And while Rare's certainly been helpful to Nintendo, I think we can agree they haven't been much of a substitute for a healthy third-party base. Truly I'd like to see further into Microsoft's twisted corporate soul at the moment, but the future is hazy...

Most of the people who have written in regarding Bungie have been Mac fans outraged that one of their brightest lights might be extinguished forever. On the other hand, it's certainly a refreshing possibility that Microsoft might encourage Mac development. After all, they still have a fairly large stake in the company after the settlement agreement, IIRC.

But I frankly don't see it happening. Microsoft is almost certainly looking for a tame developer to help bolster the X-Box, and maybe the PC. Allowing a recent acquisition like Bungie to target a relatively insignificant platform like the Mac (in Microsoft's view) would just be a waste of cash and opportunity. The quality of games may remain constant, but I'm wary of the idea that the Mac will remain foremost in Bungie's heart.

That topic's not bad, but I'm disinclined to go with it because it'd probably devolve into "Game X was the bestest ever because I say so." However, it might work well if focused better: I expect 2000 to be one hell of a gaming year, and the year end wrap-ups and evaluations will be interesting. Looking back for the single highest gaming moment of the current RPG deluge could be very enlightening.

Check the 5/9 rumor for the specific info. I remember seeing this, but forgot to mention it yesterday, my bad. Either way, this just goes to show how serious Microsoft must have been, if true - Sega, Square, and Capcom all take in tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars a year, meaning they wouldn't sell out cheap. Microsoft is well known for having large amounts of relatively liquid cash at it's disposal, but it still would have been difficult for them to make any of those acquisitions I'd imagine.

I gotta say you folks impressed me a little bit this weekend - I expected to be inundated with raves about how wonderful it was that someone was finally doing a "true" sequel to Crono Trigger, but it was mostly ignored. Perhaps you all sensed, as I did, what a miserable freaking idea this is and stayed well out of the way. Fact is, the only reason I'm mentioning it here is in the hopes of routing enough people over to their page to crash the server, because although I generally think petty vengeance is below a DA, I'll make an exception in this case.

Look, if anything this game should prove something to those wanting a return to the "good old days": you don't. You REALLY don't. What was once wonderful and unique becomes far less so when it gets revisited over and over and over. Any TV show that has tragically outworn it's welcome should make this abundantly clear - take a look at ST:Voyager as compared to TNG, the final few eps of Seinfeld, or even, as much as it pains me to say it, the past few seasons of The Simpsons. This "sequel" is almost certainly damned one way or another, because if it's too much of a rehash or makes too many wish-fulfillment changes to the original, it's gonna desecrate the memory of a truly great game. As for the outside chance that they might somehow get everything right and make a memorable sequel, well, I trust Square to take that chance. I don't trust these strangers.

There's also the legal and ethical side to this. I like a good deal of the fan art and fanfic that gets posted here at the GIA, because it's obviously done in honor of the original games and helps strengthen the emotional attachments you might have to a specific work. This game is NOT in the same spirit, however, it's an outright robbery of Square's characters and work, taken in a direction I don't think the original creators would have agreed with. It'd be a damn shame for Square to crack down on the existing fan community because of something like this, but I fear it's a real possibility.

The bottom line is that even if this game is something you've wanted with all your heart since the moment you first beat Lavos, this is not the right way to go about it. Think on it for a moment, and I think you'll agree.

It's definitely reassuring to know I have such zealous readers, but in this case the concern is misplaced. The folks at TotalRPG were nice enough to provide a neutral ground where Mr(s). Shng and I could meet and discuss things. Much thanks to them.

I thought it came off pretty well, although it probably would have come off a lot closer to my "style" if the interview had been conducted with canned questions via email rather than live on IRC. Yes, folks, believe it or not I get even duller when I don't have time to reflect on these witty rejoinders.

I printed this because I too have warm fuzzy memories of the Marathon series. Well, just the first game, really, but it was a marvel at the time. I remember playing the original Marathon, a game with a plot, characters, relatively complex puzzles and strategy, while my PC suitemates were playing DOOM and getting jazzed over all the blood. The PC is undoubtedly the superior gaming platform, and always has been, but Bungie, for a short while, made the Mac an ok place to be.

Because of my job, I gotta be on Windows, so Bungie on or off the Mac won't make a huge difference to me. However, I was looking forward to Halo on the PS2, although that's definitely not to be. I'm sure Mr. Bill would rather make an FPS where Janet Reno single-handedly shot every Windows developer than give Sony that particular piece of ammo.

Oh well, we'll always have the the Pfhor.

Dunno what to tell you, Steve, because by 5 hours in I was pretty well hooked. If you're having problems with the battle system and getting tired of having to string 20-hit long chain combos together, I can tell you there comes a point when you suddenly figure out how to really fight and everything just starts to click. But between Perfect Dark and CT, perhaps you'd be better off saving Vagrant Story for leaner times. Don't worry, it'll keep.

Closing Comments:

There's this damn commercial that keeps playing on TV down here, that goes "Some say, in the last 50 years they [Chevy trucks] have moved over 10 million gallons of Texas Tradition." What I want to know is, when did tradition start coming in liquid form? And who are these people who haul Texas Tradition around? Most of the truck beds I see down here are empty, and the commercials always have people throwing logs and rocks into their trucks. I just don't get it.

Anyway, for tomorrow let's backpedal a bit. Now that we know Microsoft's going to try and be a serious competitor with the X-Box, by brute force and mega spending if necessary, how does this change your view of the upcoming console wars? With the PS2 revealed as an jaggy-lined system uncooperative with developers, with the Dreamcast about to launch titles like Eternal Arcadia and Ecco, with Nintendo beginning to gear up for Dolphin and Game Boy Advance launches, is that $50 you put down on a PS2 preorder still money well spent? I wanna know what you're thinking. Later.

-Chris Jones, getting no remedy on his TV