Sega CD Reviews Site Now Open!

Due to the unusually large number of requests on my SUPER-NES.COM web site, I've decided to start a sister page with Sega CD reviews. So far I only have one review up, which is for the Working Design's game Vay, but I can promise you that many more will be coming soon. I'm working on the review for Popful Mail as we speak and it should be up tomorrow. Keep checking the site to see if the game you're looking for is on there and if it's not, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email with any requests you might have. Hope you enjoy the site!

Click on the Sega CD logo to visit the new site!

For Nintendo Wii to be successful...

I thought it might be nice to sit down and come up with three things that each console manufacturer needs to do in order to make their console successful. Today we’re looking at the Nintendo Wii and what Nintendo needs to do to close the gap between them and Sony that’s gradually grown over the past two console generations. Keep in mind, these are just my random thoughts on the situation, and if you have any comments, please feel free to post them or email me. Don't worry, I can take it.

1. The first thing Nintendo is going to have to do is convince gamers that the new type of game control they’re bringing to the table is viable and functional. You can’t just show someone waving around the Wii remote and expect people to accept it at face value. You have to show that not only is this new type of interactive control fun, but that there will actually be games that put it to good use in a non-gimmicky way. E3 was a great start in proving that the new style of control actually worked quite well, but most casual gamers weren’t at E3 and many don’t even know what went on there. This is where marketing is going to play a very key role in showing the world what this new control system is all about and convincing gamers that it’s something they just have to have.

2. We know that the Nintendo Wii is going to be priced at under $250. In fact, many sources point to a $200 price tag, although that might be being a bit too optimistic to me. Either way, we know the Nintendo Wii is going to be more than half the cost of Sony’s Playstation 3 system and that’s something Nintendo needs to focus on when they begin marketing the Wii to consumers. Let gamers know that not only are you getting a great new system with one of the most innovative controllers ever created, but they’re also getting all of this at a bargain price. It might even be a good idea to keep the Wii games priced at under $50 as yet another way to up-end the higher cost of the PS3 system and games. As I’ve said before, make all of these gamers and parents that go to Walmart take a look at the prices of the PS3 and Wii side by side. I can promise you that $600 PS3 price tag is going to look much worse when it’s sitting next to the Nintendo Wii’s $250 price tag.

3. We know that Nintendo is planning on making many of the classic 8 and 16-bit games available for download via their “Virtual Console” function on the Wii, but Nintendo needs to really make sure that this function isn’t just a forgotten aspect. Nintendo needs to make as many classic titles available as possible in order to make their Virtual Console stand out up against Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. Having locked up both Sega Genesis titles as well as NEC and Hudson’s TurboGrafx-16 titles, Nintendo is in an excellent spot to turn the Virtual Console into a really outstanding all-in-one classic gaming machine. But for that to happen, Nintendo is going to have to offer up more than just first-party titles and needs to make a serious play at getting as many third party 8 and 16-bit titles as they can muster if gamers are going to take the Virtual Console idea seriously. The Virtual Console has all the makings of being a real ace-in-the-hole for Nintendo and their Wii console if it’s done right.

For Playstation 3 to be successful...

I thought it might be nice to sit down and come up with three things that each console manufacturer needs to do in order to make their console successful. Today we’re looking at the Sony Playstation 3 system and what Sony needs to do in order to keep their lead in the console race this upcoming generation. Keep in mind, these are just my random thoughts on the situation, and if you have any comments, please feel free to post them or email me. Don't worry, I can take it.

1. Sony needs to make use of the momentum they’ve built up after leading the past two console generations. They’ve established a solid reputation among gamers, not to mention a lot of game series that have become synonymous with the Playstation name. Like they always say, you’re the king until someone knocks you off the throne and so far no one’s been able to do that. Sony just has this knack for keeping quality titles rolling out at a steady pace, and they also always seem to have a counterpunch when another game company releases something big. Sony’s obviously learned a lot since they got into the video game hardware business and they need to rely on that experience in order to keep the pressure on the other two console makers.

2. You have to really impress gamers to entice them into throwing down $300 or $400 for a game system, but to get them to drop 600 Washingtons, you’ve got to blow them away. And that’s exactly what Sony is going to have to do in order to sell their $600 console. One only need take a look at the tech demo Sony was using of Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy VII remake to see that the Playstation 3 is a console to be reckoned with. After watching that there was no doubt left in my mind that the PS3 was going to be everything it was touted to be and then some and clearly the most powerful game console ever created. But that’s not going to be enough to bring the sheer number of gamers that Sony is going to need to continue their lead in the console race, so they’ve got to keep these visual masterpieces coming and at a steady enough pace to make sure no gamer gets away without seeing the sheer power of the Playstation 3 system. Because that’s how you sell a $600 game machine.

3. Last but certainly not least, Sony needs to get their online gaming service up and running and it needs to be at least as good, if not better, than Microsoft’s Xbox Live. Online gaming is really beginning to take off now that most internet users have moved up to broadband connections. Microsoft has used their Xbox Live service to great success and Sony needs to make sure they too capitalize on it as well. It also wouldn’t hurt if they released some of the more difficult to find Playstation 1 games on their online service as a download. Any little bit will help to steer more gamers to the Playstation 3.

Coming Tomorrow: - "For Nintendo Wii to be successful..."

For Xbox 360 to be successful...

I thought it might be nice to sit down and come up with three things that each console manufacturer needs to do in order to make their console successful. I'm going to start with Microsoft's Xbox 360 console. No, I'm not playing favorites, I just picked them out in random order with Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii to follow, one each day. Keep in mind, these are just my random thoughts on the situation, and if you have any comments, please feel free to post them or email me. Don't worry, I can take it.

1. First and foremost, Microsoft has to find a way to hold on to the Xbox 360 owners they’ve gained by getting out of the gate early this generation. You don’t want to see many of your 360 owners moving over to the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii systems come launch. How do you do that? You keep your Xbox 360 owners happy by continuing to release top-notch exclusive titles, one coming to mind being Halo 3. You have to convince your fan base that Xbox 360 is every bit as good as Playstation 3 or Wii, and if you can do that, you’re going to be fine. That, however, might be easier said than done come November.

2. Stick with your strengths. Microsoft knows that they have the best online gaming service in the world at their disposal, not to mention the highly popular Xbox Live Arcade that’s been getting raves from gamers everywhere. We know that both Nintendo and Sony are planning to have online gaming services of their own for their upcoming consoles, but Microsoft has been at it a lot longer and should have the upper hand in this area, at least for the time being. November might be an opportune time to add a nice, big surprise to the online service or Xbox Live Arcade in order to soften the blow of the upcoming PS3 and Wii launches. After all, you can’t have too much of a good thing, now can you?

3. Can you say “Price Drop?” November might also be a great time to drop the price of your Xbox 360 consoles by, let’s say, $50.00. The more price difference you can put between you and Sony’s Playstation 3 the better. Not to mention getting a little bit closer to the much lower price tag of Nintendo’s Wii system. I mean, you’ve got an attractive console and online service, why not make them even MORE attractive by making them a bit more affordable, especially right at Christmas time. It’s going to be little things like this that might make all the difference in the world when parents and gamers start deciding which console to invest in this holiday season.

Coming Tomorrow: - "For Sony Playstation 3 to be successful..."

My Zelda Top 10

Having been a Zelda fan since the original on the NES was released, it was tough to put these guys in order, especially #1 and #2. It was a close call, but I gave the nod to Link to the Past simply because I've played through it more times and it came first. I'm sure I'm going to get some fun responses after I gave the #3 spot to the ugly step-child of the Zelda series, Zelda II: Adventures of Link, but it's one of my all-time favorites, so sue me. Know one thing, every Zelda game on this list is top shelf and a must own if you're an RPG fan.

---->1. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - SNES
---->2. Legend of Zelda: Ocarine of Time - N64
---->3. Zelda II: Adventures of Link - NES
---->4. Legend of Zelda: Windwaker - Gamecube
---->5. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - GB/GBC
---->6. The Legend of Zelda - NES
---->7. Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - GBA
---->8. Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - GBC
---->9. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - N64
--->10. Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - GBC

Forgotten Favorites - Vay

I used to have an RPG web site that I spent a lot of time on, and it began to get a lot of traffic. One particular point of interest was the message board I created for the site. I got the chance to talk with many rpg fans over the 2 years I had the site going. Then one day I got a game in the mail. It was a Sega CD rpg called Vay and it had a small note taped to the plastic case that said, "Thought you might like this one!" I tried finding out who sent it, but I still to this very day, 5 years later, don't know who sent me this game. Not only is this one of my favorite rpgs, it's also the game that turned me on to the other 3 Sega CD Working Designs rpgs. So whoever sent me Vay, I owe you big time.

Vay is pretty much considered the ugly step-child of the 4 Sega CD rpgs released by Working Designs. To be fair, it would be difficult to live up to the Lunar series no matter how good an rpg it was, so following on the heels of Lunar Silve Star Story wasn't an easy thing to do. Vay is a very standard turn-based rpg, that might not be the prettiest thing to look at, but underneath that medicore visual exterior is an absolutely outstanding rpg. Many have complained that the game is too difficult and that there is just entirely too many random enemy encounters, but you have to give the game a chance. You are required to level up a lot in this game in order to have a chance against the difficult bosses, and the high number of enemy encounters helps you do this. If you're a fan of Final Fantasy or the Lufia series, do yourself a favor and track this game down. It's a game any rpg fan should have in their collection.

Forgotten Favorites - Mickey's Castle of Illusion

For my nineteenth brithday, my grandparents sent me two Sega Genesis games. I got Alisia Dragoon and Mickey's Castle of Illusion. Needless to say, I was really excited about one and had a nice laugh about the other one. Can you guess which one? The funny thing was, Castle of Illusion turned out to be the game that I played all weekend long instead of the game I had originally wanted with Alisia Dragoon. I guess that's why you should never judge a book by its cover as Castle of Illusion may be a Mickey Mouse game, but it's one of the best platformers you can get for the Sega Genesis.

Castle of Illusion is your typical platformer with plenty of running, jumping, and swinging from vines. Simple play control and well laid out levels abound in this light-hearted side-scroller. Each world is extremely bright and colorful and features plenty of classic Disney characters. At the end of each world you get to fight a boss that will generally insight a laugh or two before it clobbers you. The game has several different difficulty settings so gamers of all ages can enjoy this game, and on hard, the game will offer even the most battle-tested platformer fan a solid challenge. If you've never played Castle of Illusion or perhaps dismissed the game because you thought it might be too cheesy or easy, pick up a copy of the game and give it a play through. You'll be glad you did.

PSP August - Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins

Don't forget that the new Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins game is coming out for the PSP in Japan on August 3. This will mark the first new 2-D Ghosts & Goblins game in over a decade. I've played a preview build of the game's first two levels and it's chock full of everything any Ghouls fan could possibly want. It's also got some of the most silky smooth animation and dynamic special effects you've ever seen in a G&G game. Take my word for it, if you're a G&G fan, you MUST own this game. If you can wait a month until September 5th, you can grab the US release, but for those of you out there who just can't wait, you can click on the logo and preorder your import copy of the game from Play-Asia. It's win/win either way.

SEGA: Where did it all go wrong?

After the video game crash of 1984, you'd have been more likely to find Jimmy Hoffa than any company willing to take a chance on the video game market again. Then two arcade game giants, Nintendo and Sega, decided that maybe video games weren't done just yet. Both companies released their home game consoles onto the US market in 1985, but it quickly turned into a one-sided race with Nintendo snatching up an enormous amount of third-party game support leaving Sega with only a few tiny leftovers. Nintendo's NES system went on to become one of the most successful video game systems in history and single-handedly jumpstarted the video game market back into action. Sega may have been down, but they were far from out. Four years later Sega got a jump on Nintendo and launched their 16-bit Sega Genesis system in the US and it quickly jumped out in front giving Sega a much-needed head start in the next gen video game wars. Sega's Genesis would sell quite well, but eventually Nintendo got their Super Nintendo system out and with several exclusive hit titles on their hands, the biggest one being a near arcade-perfect port of the hit arcade game Street Fighter II, it didn't take Nintendo long to catch up to Sega in console sales, and before it was all said and done, Nintendo had once again taken the lead in the console race. At this point, whether out of desperation or just purely bad judgement, Sega began making a series of mistakes that would ultimately lead to their undoing in the console hardware market.

We'll begin with mistake number one. After NEC had some minimal success with their CD-ROM gaming add-on, Sega obviously saw the potential in using the CD medium with it's much larger storage capacity and CD-quality audio capabilities when they decided to develop a CD-ROM attachment of their own. Sega released the Sega CD attachment for the Genesis in 1992 but forgot one tiny detail. The games for it. Unless you wanted to grab Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch, there wasn't much early on that would make anyone actually want a Sega CD system, especially one that cost a whopping $300. In fact, Sonic CD was one of the few marquee titles that actually saw a release on the Sega CD system, unless you were an RPG fan and managed to get your hands on the four Working Designs RPGs released later on in the Sega CD's lifespan. In truth, the Sega CD was a half-assed attempt by Sega to add a little life to their Genesis system, but the sad part is, Sega wasn't finished.

As if a failed attempt at adding a CD attachment to the Genesis wasn't enough, Sega decided to add yet another attachment, this time a processor upgrade, with their 32X in 1994. The promise with this new attachment was more memory, better graphics, and faster gameplay. In keeping with true Sega form, however, there was once again little game support to take advantage of this new device and it failed almost as badly as the Sega CD system did, especially with developers. In fact, many of the games were so rushed in order to be ready for the Christmas release of the unit, that some games were missing levels from their counterparts, and many would just crash for no apparent reason. Needless to say, Sega's mistakes were not only beginning to mount, but they were getting more devastating financially as well.

I've always found it funny that Sega was one of the main leaders in bringing 3-D gaming to life in the arcades. So I find it especially troubling and ironic that they created a new console and didn't put nearly enough emphasis on 3-D architecture, even knowing that newcomer Sony was planning on centering their upcoming console around 3-D graphics. Instead Sega rushed out a new 32-bit console, even going so far as to launch it a month and a half earlier than it's street date, and then priced it $100 more than the already more powerful Sony Playstation system. It didn't take gamers long to take a look at their current gaming magazine and see side-by-side comparison screenshots of Toshinden for the Playstation up against a pitiful looking Virtua Fighter game for the Saturn to send consumers running to the Playstation. If ever there was a nail in the coffin for Sega it was the Saturn system. Although the system did see some outstanding games released for it, it just was too little too late for a company that had pretty much made their last mistake in the console market.

Sega had one last gasp, and that was the release of their Dreamcast system in 1999. This was an extremely well-designed and powerful system, and it was basically everything Sega needed to get back on track in the console race. Unfortunately, not many third-party companies were developing games for the system with Sega's recent track record, and even those that did weren't seeing very much in the way of sales, especially with much of the gaming market anxiously awaiting Sony's Playstation 2 system that promised to be much more powerful than even the Dreamcast. It didn't take long for Sega to realize that their time had passed and that changes had to be made. Soon after that they announced that they were throwing the towel in on the Dreamcast and starting to develop titles for other competing systems. Although it was quite sad to see Sega get out of the hardware market, it's worth noting that they've had quite a lot of success in bringing their amazing franchises, both old and new, to various other game systems. And who knows, maybe we haven't seen the last Sega game console just yet after all. Stranger things have happened.

Why this Playstation fan is getting a Wii

I've never been what some might call a "fanboy" at all. If it's a good game, I don't really care what system or company produces it, I'm going to own it. Simple as that. I owned an NES and Sega Master System. Then I owned a Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, and a Super NES. But in 1996, when Sony introduced their Playstation system, I was at the Montgomery Wards store at 8am to grab one. Even though no one in the store had a clue what I was talking about, I somehow managed to talk a clerk in the electronics department into going to check in the back where she finally came out with a Playstation system. I don't think I had been that excited about a video game system since the Super NES was released. I had high hopes for the Playstation, and now 10 years later, it's exceeded any expectations I had for it and then some.

It's been fun watching Sony take the lead in the video game market over the past 10 years, and I've even been happy with the success Sony's first portable game system, the PSP, has enjoyed in a normally Nintendo-dominated market. But there's always been a part of me that's been sad watching Nintendo, a company I grew up on, slowly falling back in the console market. Naturally, the Playstation 3 has easily been one of the most anticipated game systems I've ever seen over the past couple of years. And despite the $600 price tag bombshell Sony dropped one everyone at E3, I still believe it's the system to beat. Yet I find myself quite a bit more excited about Nintendo's upcoming Wii system for some reason. Is it just that part of me growing up that wants to see Nintendo storm back in the console market, or is it the Wii's creative and innovative new type of control that's won me over like it has many others?

PRICE: I know the Playstation 3 is capable of things, hardware-wise, that are just not possible on any other console. And having the Blu-Ray drive built in is yet another strong bonus. But $600 is still a hell of a lot of money to spend on what is still essentially a toy. That's one thing that seems to keep popping up in my mind more often than anything else is knowing that this holiday season I can spring for a Nintendo Wii, four or five games, a larger memory card, and still only spend in the neighborhood of $600 compared to $950-$1000 for a comparable Playstation 3 system. That may not be a big difference for some, but for me it's quite a step up. I also think it's going to affect a lot of parent's decisions this holiday when they are standing in Walmart staring at the Playstation 3 price tag next to the Nintendo Wii price tag. And judging from hearing many people talk on various messageboards, the price tag is going to be the Playstation 3's single biggest hurdle in the upcoming console race no matter how good it is.

CONTROLLER: Here's an idea. Let's take basically the same damn controller we've been using since the original Playstation days and use it yet again! Okay so let's borrow a little bit of Nintendo's idea with the motion sensing technology and squeeze that in just for good measure. That seems to be Sony's thinking. First they show us the boomerang controller that looks like something from Lost in Space, and then they just scrap that and once again rehash the old DualShock controller one more time. Nintendo, on the other hand, is sort of re-inventing video game control and completely changing the way we're going to be playing video games this generation, and maybe from now on if all goes well. You can't tell me that you watched those E3 Wii demos and didn't get at least a little excited. Now that we know that this whole concept actually works as well as it's sounded for the past year, it would seem that Nintendo has really hit on something here judging from the record-breaking lines at E3 just to get a go at that controller. If anything intrigues me about the Wii the most, it's definitely this aspect.

GAMES: I've always had a soft spot for Super Mario and the whole Nintendo gang. I guess that's the main reason I've owned the N64 and Gamecube even though the Playstation and Playstation 2 have taken over the majority of my console gaming over the past decade. Now with the prospect of playing all of these titles with an entirely new type of play control, it seems to have really sparked my interest in the Super Mario, Zelda, Kirby, WarioWare, and even Metroid series all over again. That or maybe I'm just tiring of Tekken, Metal Gear, and Rachet & Clank. It's a tough call, and maybe it's just a phase that I'm going through. Maybe things do happen in phases and I'm just coming back into my Nintendo phase again. Either way, after watching videos of Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Metroid on the Wii, I can't wait to get my hands on them this holiday season, which is more than I can say for most of the Playstation 3 titles I saw at E3. And don't even get me started on the prospect of the Virtual Console and being able to download and play tons of my favorite 8 and 16-bit titles. Maybe now I can finally pack up many of these systems I have connected in this fire-hazard of a gaming rig I have here.

Okay, maybe I'm still pissed about the $600 bomb Sony dropped on us at the E3 show. Or maybe I'm tired of Sony rehashing everything, especially that damn DualShock controller. Okay, the controller design was good, we get it, but it's time to move on. Hell I would have even taken the boomerang controller, as it was at least different! I have to be honest, I'll most likely own a Playstation 3 at some point. I'm still a Sony fan, and there are still games that are going to appear on the system that I'll want to play. But my love of Sony and their gaming products is beginning to dwindle a bit, and I'm sure there are many other Sony fans out there that feel the same way. It's time Sony get their collective s*#t together and bring back the magic they had with the original Playstation and Playstation 2 systems. I have no doubt that people will shell out $600 for a game system, but they at least want something new and exciting for that gaming buck. Until then, it's going to be a Mewii Christmas for me and many others.

Forgotten Favorites - The Lost Vikings

I remember reading a lot about The Lost Vikings in EGM magazine in the months before its release. I remember how excited I was about the game, at least until I found out it was more of a puzzle type game. That's when my excitement began to dwindle. In fact, I had all but decided not to buy the game after that, until one day I walked into Toys R Us and saw the game sitting there on the rack. I combed the entire Super NES game row trying to find something else to buy, but there was just nothing there I really wanted or didn't have. I finally gave up and just bought The Lost Vikings game, and it turned out to be one of my all-time favorites.

The Lost Vikings took the side-scroller, and added an entirely new puzzle element to it. Your objective in the game was to locate the exit at the end of the level and somehow manage to get all three of your vikings to the end safely. Each viking had their own unique set of moves that you would need to make use of, and figuring out how to use them all to get to the exit was quite a challenge in itself, not to mention dealing with all of the enemies and dangers found throughout each level. The levels got gradually more difficult, some downright hard, but you always wanted to keep going to see where the next warp would take you. If you've never played The Lost Vikings, do yourself a favor and track the game down. It's one of the best out there and hard to put down once you start playing it.

My Father's Day present...

My neices both chipped in and bought me this traveling sprinkler for Father's Day so I promised them I would put a little picture of it on here to thank them. In truth, it's actually a pretty nice sprinkler and it will keep me from having to go outside every 30 minutes and move the old broken down sprinkler I normally use. Although video games are an important part of my life, my neices are my biggest and best hobby. Thanks monkeys. Okay, sappy time is over. Back to video games tomorrow. : )

Forgotten Favorites - Phantasy Star

I was perusing the local pawn shop one day back in 1986 when I came across a Sega Master System. Now I was already the happy owner of an NES, but when I noticed that the system was packaged with one of my all-time favorite arcade games, R-Type, I just had to buy it. It only cost me $30, and I got two other games with the system as well, although I wasn't familiar with either at the time. The two games were Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Phantasy Star. I spent the next few days engulfed in R-Type and pretty much ignored the other two games until I finally had enough R-Type and wanted to try the other games out. That's when I discovered a game that would become one of my all-time favorites and really the game that kickstarted my love of console rpgs into high gear. I popped Phantasy Star into the cart slot of that Sega Master System and I don't think I saw daylight for three or four days, I kid you not.

Phantasy Star took the typical "dungeon fantasy" and added an outer space theme to it to create one of the most unique rpg experiences of that time period. While the game sported the standard turn-based combat system, it incorporated a unique dungeon crawling look and feel to the game while introducing more of the traditional console rpg types of gameplay to the mix. The music in the game was also one of its strong points and did a terrific job of carrying the many moods of the game. While the game might look and feel a little dated by today's standards, there are very few games that I consistently still play through to this day more often than the original Phantasy Star. If you've never experienced the greatness of the Phantasy Star series, the original is a great place to start and a true bright spot for a console that was almost completely pushed aside and forgotten due to the dominance of the NES system.

Old School RPG - Phantasie

Back in the 80's, computer role-playing games were getting quite popular among personal computer users. I was one of these particular fans that loved a good computer rpg. Who could forget sitting in front of the computer screen and mapping dungeon after dungeon on graph paper and creating character sheets for all of the characters in your party. Not to mention the countless hours spent rolling and re-rolling your character attributes. Those were the days when graphics and musical scores took a backseat to simple block dungeon designs and text making up most of the fighting action. During the early 1980's, Wizardry and Ultima made up the bulk of the computer rpg market, but a small company called SSI, decided to throw their hat into the rpg ring and did so with a very unique and fun rpg called "Phantasie".

In Phantasie you controlled your party of six characters and explored regions and dungeons in pursuit of fortune and glory. While there were graphical maps of the areas, the majority of the game and its battle system used text to explain the movements and actions of your party, including the battles that took place at random times out in the field. It wasn't anything revolutionary, but Phantasie just had a unique look and feel that made playing it a joy. Not only could you create your characters from scratch, you could also keep rolling their attributes until you got some you liked. Although Phantasie might pale in comparison to many of today's computer rpgs, both visually and musically, you can't beat one of the all-time classics that proved you didn't need flashy cutscenes and orchestrated soundtracks to create a lasting and challenging rpg quest. Phantasie is still to this day one of my all-time favorite rpgs.

Victor Ireland's Next Endeavor

After buying a Popful Mail Sega CD game from Victor Ireland on ebay, the former head honcho of RPG publisher Working Designs informed me that although Working Designs is no more, he's still not finished bringing Japanese RPGs to the USA. To quote him: "I'm not done bringing JRPGs to the US yet. Keep an eye on gaijinworks.com and we should have something more interesting than a placeholder there by the Fall." So for all the RPG fans out there who are fans of Working Designs, at least there's some light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully this new company will be able to bring US RPG fans some fresh new Japanese RPGs for some of the current systems. Click on the Gaijinworks logo to visit the web site, and keep checking it over the coming months to see what might be in store.