He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Well, after a sabbatical that wasn't totally my idea (I elected to take a break until I got my personal life back in order, but I didn't exactly plan for it to get totally harfed, y'know...), I return to the GIA letters page, ready and rarin' to go.

In my absence, Brian Glick has been handling the letters for me (thanks, Big Lick), so give him a hand. Of course, whilst I've been away, there's been much activity at the GIA HQ. A server switch, a near-crash, a bunch of news stories (I wanna know what WD's mystery RPG is, though), and a recruitment drive. May we live in interesting times...

Well, enough blather. It's time for me to get back on the job letters-wise, so send letters to me or die in horrible agony. 'Kay? :)

Kudos to Dietrich for catching the Talking Heads ref (someone else did, and is mentioned at the bottom 'o the column). We're not just about R.E.M. here at GIA. We champion all washed-up pop bands equally!

As for Dragonfire, yes, this was previously the home of the UOSSHP, which later became RPGamer. Being hosted there is, I suppose a return to old stomping grounds, but two things to keep in mind. First of all, we've got to host GIA somewhere, and having it at Dragonfire makes our lives *really* easy, since we're all familiar with the protocol, rules, and admin. Low hassle with server = more time to work on doing site content = Good Thing.

Secondly, we're all quite mad already, so what's the big problem? Now if you'll pardon me, I've got a diseased hamster to scrape off my eyelid...

Well, I once asked AV why GIA was highlight-proof, as I have a nervous habit of highlighting random text while browsing the web, and my inability to do so with GIA drove me insane. His answer spanned about sixty pages of scrolling text, give or take. From this, I gleaned the following pearl of wisdom: it just does. I can't explain why, since I'm not really sure myself. All I know is that it's a basic facet of GIA's HTML design, and cannot be changed, lest the entire site turn into a giant monkey or something. We wouldn't want that, would we?

Ah, the Game Enhancer. I've seen the advertised, but have never plunked down the money for one. Thanks for the PAL tip, Caven (I'll avoid the obvious pun this time). Anyone else have any testimony about Game Enhancers, perchance? Any problems with them? Anyone think they're the cat's meow? Spake unto the masses.

Okay, here goes the Big Letter of the Day. Sometimes I wonder if GIA could really use a proper Editorials section for this sort of thing... maybe a Debate area, where people can post (moderated) debates about gaming issues in an intelligent manner (naturally). Actually, reader poll: what feature do you think GIA really, really needs in order to kick ass with a bit, steel-toed boot? What do we lack most? I can't guarantee immediate results and/or gratification, but I'm genuinely curious.

Now, onto CyberThor's letter. In some ways, I sympathize with him: Xenogears, especially since it lacked a text speed control option (which I consider essential for any text-heavy game), got *really* tedious sometimes. When I heard about Working Designs' cutting of spoken dialogue in Rayearth, I was initially really annoyed, until I thought about what that sort of thing would do to gameplay. Imagine playing FF6 on PSX, and every time you speak to someone, you hear that telltale CD whirring noise, as a voice cheerfully tells you that Zozo lies to the west for the zillionth time. That'd get REALLY obnoxious, really fast.

Nonetheless, I'm not sure the problem lies so much in having too intricate a plotline, but rather in the waning of some basic gameplay functions. Text speed controls, to my mind, are essential. I read pretty fast, and waiting around for text isn't what I play games for, especially since there's usually a better option. Likewise, an option to skip spoken dialogue and/or FMV sequences should be mandatory: if you don't want to see it for whatever reason, hit Start or Select or some other button. Not a button that's easy to hit by accident, but leave open that option. Little things like that can make replaying games a lot more fun, but not hamper gameplay the first time through.

Beyond that, we get into broader sweeps of game design. I, for one, do not miss the days of endless random encounters, but neither do I appreciate their tedium being replaced by endless, albeit often cool-looking, FMV or long dialogue scenes. To scale back this trend, I'd like a raised emphasis on non-linear storytelling. Instead of explaining every niggling plot detail explicitly as a mandatory event, make the players seek out some plot danglers and character details. More side-quests, more hidden scenes. The obsessive types will seek them all out and have a richer experience, but those who don't want to know where Lance's scar came from, or where Pidge's family comes from can simply play the main plot and enjoy it. Putting minor plot points into optional areas makes the mandatory scenes leaner and meaner, and while it'd be tough on a developer, I'd really like it as a player. I'd like that freedom of exploration to apply not just to gaining Seekrit Item #5, but to plot and characterization as well.

Whew. Okay. That's my thoughts. Responses...?

In perhaps a moment of insanity, I decided to post this letter. Not, however, in its entirety. You see, I'm using this as a case study of what I do and do not allow in letters that are sent here. Granted, I fail to see how discussions of Bomberman can prompt much I'd need to censor (for one thing, the guy's not exactly anatomically correct), but the point should be made clear. So here we go: first, I do allow swearing, within reason. We're not toddlers here, neh? Second, a little seedy innuendo never hurt anyone, nudge nudge wink wink, so no problems there. Really, my only criteria for censoring a letter are when something serious and blatantly offensive is put in there for no reason at all.

For example, "Robotrek is utter crap, I can't believe anyone likes that game. It's just so LAME!" is just fine and dandy. "Robotrek is crap! Allan, you like it you must be GAY! GAYGAYAGAY!!!!!" is not. (That's a real letter, by the by.) Granted, I trust most of you letter-writers out there to be civil and mature and all that, but it's worth restating: you can get away with a lot 'round here. Just don't start into personal attacks, or I lower the boom. Simple.

From the way you describe it, your SNES just doesn't have the little lockout tabs that most SNESes do. Ergo, there is nothing preventing the Japanese carts from sitting snugly in your cartridge slot, so you can play 'em just fine. This may have been a feature of early-run SNESes, but I'd have to ask Nintendo about that, I guess. Sort of moot, though. So just enjoy the games, Robindra. :)

Saturn, actually, is has declined significantly in recent days. It is not, however, the reason for Nintendo's poor market share in Japan. The 3% figure (which is pre-Zelda, BTW) is for the N64. The N64's primary strengths, software-wise, are in sports and multiplayer action games. They are weak on RPGs. These traits are the antithesis of the Japanese market, which prizes just the opposite, so the N64 has been soundly trounced over there. Nintendo does, however, hold a big chunk of the Japanese market with the good old Gameboy (24% or thereabouts). Amazing little thing, isn't it?

What this boils down to is a) Nintendo's emphasis and focus on the American market is and will continue to grow, since that's where their support and market appears to be right now, and b) expect the big N to push the Color Gameboy REALLY hard in Japan, so as to keep solid their presence in the Japanese marketplace.

Anyone that has really recent (i.e. post-Dreamcast launch and post-Zelda 64 release) information on the market shares in Japan and/or domestically is encouraged to contribute or provide pointers to more info.

Andrew Tamoefolau also sent in a letter, proving his coolness off by knowing that the music quote was from Talking Heads ("Once in a Lifetime" is the song, by the by). What was especially cool, though, was the quote in his .sig file, which I think is insufferably cool.

"Everybody thinks of changing humanity

and nobody thinks of changing himself."

Leo Tolstoy

Well, it's good to be back, it's good to be bad, and with any luck at all, I'll be getting my mitts on Rayearth tomorrow. Bloody Canadian shipping. Still, it's not all bad: at least I've got my looks, hmm? Oh, and book recommendation for the day: Skinny Legs and All, by Tom Robbins. Very, very odd, and well worth taking a look at if you're in the mood for something on the strange side. Ciao for now, then.

- Allan Milligan