RPG Classics Mailbag

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Good evening everyone and welcome to yet another edition of the RPGClassics Mailbag, this week's topic was "What are you thoughts on the current console war ?" Well, before we get started off, let me see if my associates are ready.... 984, ready ? Kagon, ready ?

Yeah. Ready. Rar.

Nyar.

You know, being called associates makes me think we're part of the mafia. I don't know why.

But we aren't a part of SK's mafia...

Well, wasn't you who said that Maquiladora was part of some group..... no wait...... I was way off

No. I said Maq was a non-Mexican owned Mexican business. Big difference.

Indeed, but he's still our Utopian leader.

Anyways..... our first reply comes from solbandgus, let's see what he wrote fir us...

I think that it'll be rather dominated in many areas by Sony, since they have more games of all types, that and Nintendo and Mircosoft are VERY hard pressed to match the selection of titles. As far as RPG's go, Sony will continue dominating like it has since FF7 came out for it.

The guy is right, whereever Square goes nowadays, success follows.... right guys ?

Not necessarily DG. Cconsidering none of the major RPG producers went with Nintendo back on the N64, Sony does have an advantage. However, more are beginning to side with Nintendo as seen with some of the games being released on the GBA.

Kagon, are you aware FFX sold over 5 million copies since it got out ? If that ain't success, I don't know WHAT is....

I'd say MQ was a success because of, um, uh...

I am, but give the other systems time. Sony won't rule forever- especially now that Square is also working for Nintendo.

Square's main interest is for the GBA... Anyways..... who gets the next reply ?

I believe we have a reply from Kero Hazel.

Psst. If you guys include this letter in the mailbag, I'll give you each a soundtrack.
*watches DG's eyes light up*

Heh.... as long as you don't give away mine :P

Soundtrack, eh? Find my AO:LoE ST yet? What's that? No? Psh. No Mailbag for you.

Pass the DQ6 Orchestral OSV this way please...

Mine !!

For now... er... anyways...

Oh, we are allowed in now ?

Yep

All we need now is that Paper Cut guy..... I still didn't get to fry him...

ANYWAY, it seems Kero has found a loophole in our topic. Let's proceed.

Bleh, bad loopholes...

So, the topic is, "What are your thoughts on the Console War"? Hehe... I'm going to take advantage of your ambiguity, since you didn't specify WHICH console war! Ahahaha! Wondering who's gonna come out on top in the battle between PS2, Xbox, and GC -- who cares? We all know the best console of all time was the SNES, which 0wnz0rz all these newfangled systems any day of the week. It was truly the golden age of gaming, where old-school gameplay met some of the greatest graphical and sound hardware ever conceived. In 1991, we saw remakes of our old favorites like Zelda and Castlevania take on a whole new depth. And just five years later, we had more eye and ear candy than we could handle -- yet the games stayed good, and had the gameplay to back up their flashy 3-D effects.

*Holds a Flag with SNES written on it*

Never owned a SNES so I can't really speak from first-hand experience.

!!! Infidel!

Hey, I'm just an old-schooler at heart, can you blame me ? :P

No, but we can blame Cid.

Yes. We blame Cid for everything. Communism, Drunkness, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand...

Who ???

The Austrian guy whose death pretty much sparked WWI, DG.

Sorry 984,. I'm not fammiliar with European history

Heh, no worries, anyways...

I'd blame Cid for Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Waza Banga's rise to power, but that is such a cool name that I can't.

But I suppose I should make at least some comment on the current Console War. I think it's silly. These days, so many games are ported to multiple systems, you won't even be able to tell 'em apart after a year or two. So go out and buy one of them, and if your favorite game ends up getting released only on a competing console, remember... there's always emulators.
^_^

Emus are good... for older consoles only

Or for some of the more recent ones like the N64 and PSX. I haven't had any luck though due to my absurdly out-dated computer.

Yeah. Still no Saturn Emu. Also, multiporting games is pretty beneficial for we the gamers since we usually don't have to buy a new system whenever we see a game we really like.

Hey, it gave us a chance to try out cool games like Live A Live and Bahamut Lagoon that we wouldn't be able to play otherwise, so emulation is good

Yeah. Emu is really good for the older systems and for those of us that never owned a SNES. :P

Especially Bahamut Lagoon... urge to go play it now... rising.

Oh no you don't *slaps Kagon with his copy of Bahamut Lagoon OST* This isin't a CD-R.... No !!!! My baby !!! *cries*

It's alright DG, really, now put the OST down...

DG seems very upset... Obviously.

*cries some more* Want me to pick the next reply ? *sniffs*

Sure, if it'll make you stop crying.

I'll get it. DG needs to compose himself.

Whatever works.

*cries some more* Ohhhhh, my poor baby, I'm really sorry ;_;

It appears the next reply is from Green Mage. Hm... Green Magic... Is that like Earth magic or something?

Beats me...

I don't think he even knows.

Green_Mage here! Most people don't consider computers a console, which really is a bummer considering how versital they are. Not only can a computer emulate older systems in order to play their games, it also has a far larger selection of its own games to choose from than every other console combined! I think it's safe to say that the Console which mothered the RPG will be around far longer than any other! Long live the computer!

Wouldn't pencil and paper technically be the console that mothered the RPG?

.......... Computers ?????? THey have RPGs ???? (:P)

Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights *drools*...

Heh, I doubt my below-average comp could run those :P

I laugh at your silly excuse for a computer.

Evil DG, fry him at your leasure

With Pleasure .. FLARE !!

*Runs away*

Finally, I got to fry him...

Play nice now kids.

Well, technically, he ran away before the frying got too much.

Awwww

It was more like you broiled him. Possibly baked.

Anyways..... next reply we have Rirse..... lesse...

First off, hey Kagon, , DG, SG, and my lord of pits, Megaman984 and good job on your mailbag. Anyways, on the topic of consoles, I used to have a distaste for the X-Box and PS2 for a while, but seeing that they are not going to be systems that ended up like the Jaguar, it going to be worth a purchases for all. And while it not going to be as bad as our Sega/Nintendo war, it is going to be good for us consumers in the long run. By the way, I owned a PS2 and Gamecube, and plan on getting a X-Box later on. Well seeya later, and even so he not owned by you, punish Ozzie.

I don't think we even have Ozzie's contract so no can do there.

Forget X-Box..... Stick with PS2 and GC, get a GBA too while you're at it :P

Yes, the GBA owns your soul.

Kagon : Has TOG possesed you already ??

Yes... can't let... go...

I dunno. I'm sort of being tempted by the XBox. Not enough to buy it yet, but still...

984 : GBA beats X-Box :P

Especially since it has Tactics Ogre Gaiden, Golden Sun, and many other nice games coming out.

In some areas, yes, but still... Shenmue 2...

Ohh

Why should we just stick to one console instead of seeing the good in all consoles?

Some consoles just don't have much good in them 984.

Like, uh, the Virtual Boy? :P

Yes, like the Virtual Boy.

I still want a Virtual Boy 50+ hour RPG.

I think you'd go blind before you could beat it.

Remember, I have shades.

Obviously.

Heh

...Point taken. DG, want to grab the next reply?

Ok, this one is from Deedly

Playsation 2 has won for the most part. Not to say the other consoles arent good but they came too little too late. By the time they came out the PS2 had a lot of games and add to that the backwards compatability with the playstation games which where also extremely popular, and you see why it won. Plus the PS2 also had awesome sequels to awesome games.

By the way, when will you be ready to have guest mailbags?

Yes, the PS2 did have the advantage that it came out first. Guest mailbags? Er... not for probably a very long time.

Well, the old hosts can host if they want to, probably. New guests, not yet.

Right, and the GBA offers backwards compatibility, so Sony's not alone As for guest mailbags....... don,t count on it, sorry :(

We're actually still to early in the game to see who has truly won. Remember, the old PSX's console war lasted for about 5 years. This one is about 1-2 years old.

Yes, but the N64's lack of support didn't help it much

That and alot of it's games seemed to be marketed for younger children.

That too

Heh. True. I still don't think the winner will be as clear cut as Deedly makes it seem.

Agreed

Nope, it probably won't be too clear.

Energon, get the next reply.

Fine... Fine... I've just given up on fighting back now... Hmm... Looks like it's that Helen person again.

Oh goody !

What are you so happy about ?

Well... it's a lady for one...

Point taken :P

Okay, okay, I'm prone to completely forgetting about certain aspects of things, I.E, the Divine Church. Eh. Thanks for wishing me a happy birthday, by the way - it's more than what I got in real life. But I'll not rant on that.

No problem Helen =D.

Yeah. No problem.

Don't worry about it, sweets

I think DG's turning into the Ladies' Dragon. Leon Phelps, watch out. Leon Shinryuu is moving in.

LOL

I'm speechless after that 984.

Good.

Heeeeey...

Joke... So... Bad...

Bwahahaha !!!! I liked it

Shut up :P

Bad joke for a bad villain, I guess.

;_; Meanie

Console wars, console wars.... I couldn't give a flying cow about it, really. Not that I can, of course - in Australia, the games that MATTER to me almost never come here anyway, thus there is no purpose in buying a new console. Besides, it gets annoying to wander into a message board (or some such) and see rabid PS2 fanboys insult Nintendo fanboys, and vice versa.

I think I'll leave it at that as most people's entries will be more interesting than mine this time around.

Heh Fanboys, hate em :P

Yeah... just so annoying.

Hey, watching fanboys argue is about as entertaining as die-hard Republicans and Democrats arguing over politics. Neither side will give in to valid points made by the other side, so it's fun to watch the sheer stubbornness of them both.

:P So true

Of course, I'm saying Fanboys make valid arguements, so there goes my statement. :P

Heh.

Ah, our next reply is by none other than LZFFSMOG..... let's read on, folks

This is LZFFSMOG.....again! Astounding that I managed to reply again! Anyways, there is only one thought that enters my mind when I think of the Console War, IT BE GOOD! The customer benefits from such a war of companies. They benefit in three ways, one the prices, two, the quality, third, the gimmicks. First, the customer benefits from price. As the companies compete, they constantly lower their prices, meaning the customer, you and me, pay less for the games and systems we love. Second, we benefit from the quality going up. Since the price competitions keep the price about the same for all three of the systems, the only way for one company to have an edge is to have a bigger and better game/system. Note that I'm talking about the games when I say bigger, and am not referring to the freakishly large X-box controllers. Third, the gimmicks. The other way a company can get an edge, is to put in gimmicks, like a 1 in 10,000 chance of winning a new car or a free game/controller with purchase of a system/game. In conclusion, the Console War IS A GOOD THING!

Hey hey! That's Capitalism at its finest, LZFFSMOG. Good ol' competition.

Heh, well, people will benefit from the Console War.

Yes, many consoles have dropped their prices considerably (especially PS2 at 200$)

Yeah, already under half its starting price.

Hey. Competition works.

Yes.... makes me wanna buy one for FFX and FFXI...

FFXI, online... meh...

I think it will r0x0r, wait till it gets released

That's the subject for another Mailbag. In fact, a Mailbag done WAAAAAAAY back by Macc, so let's move on.

Oh, we still have 1 reply.... 984, do the honors ?

Well, our last Reply is from sue doan. Or HoserDelita. Whatever she wants to be called.

The console war is how it's always been:What ever console has FF is winning. PS2 is far ahead compared to the others. The price drop in GC might make it a little closer but once PS2 drops they'll be far ahead

HoserDelita

P.S X-box was out of the war long ago

X-Box isn't out just yet. It's too early to say that.

Hmm..... it's not always FF that sells, for example Zelda : Ocarina of Time sold the N64

It doesn't help when only one game sells though.

And Sonic sold the Sega Genesis.... right ??

Sort of. I'd like to think the other good games helped. :P

But for PS and PS2, FF7 and FFX are clearly it's biggest successes

I dunno. GTA3 seems to be a bigger PS2 selling point right now.

984 : Has GTA3 sold over 5 million copies ???? :P

Possibly. If it wasn't banned in half the countries of the world. :P

Yeah, that doesn't tend to help sales at all.

Agreed

Obviously.

Well, think we need a topic for the next 2 weeks?

Obviously

Obvi... D'oh! My word... ;_;

Well, that always does help.

I dunno. We should have a free-for-all Mailbag sometime just to let people rant. Might be fun.

That'd be... frightening.

Well, here's an idea. Take any RPG out there. FF, BoF, SoA, RS3, DW, Hyldide, you name it. Now, make it into a movie. Who would you cast in the various roles, and why?

Well, John Goodman might make a good Mudo...

I HEARD THAT!

Now, before we go any further, I'll have to give a shout-out to the FFC Message Board that helped to come up with the idea. Remember, send in Replies to the RPGC Mailbag Team.

DUBOL FUJJ C- POWER CONVERTERS!