Next Generation Issue 47

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

• Sega Dreamcast (import coverage)
• Sony PlayStation
• Nintendo 64
• 3DO
• PC
• arcade
• online

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(The following is loosely based on this issue's table of contents, with select issue excerpts included. Magazine accurate text formatting (lower case headers, etc) purposefully retained. (Notes) and bullet lists are added for clarity.)

(This issue includes an inbound, six-page Electronics Boutique catalog labeled 'November 1998.')

NG Index (one page; this resource is not listed in this issue's TOC)

The secret of Namco's success
Few things represent Namco's success better than Reiko Nagase, star of the Ridge Racer series. In fact, PlayStation wouldn't be the powerhouse platform it is today without Namco titles like Ridge Racer and Tekken to give it a boost. In this rare, behind-the-scenes look, Next Generation talks to the people who make the games and learns exactly why Namco is so damn good. (see NG Alphas feature)

Analyzing

Intelligence

(Original news articles along with regular, recurring news features; one page each unless noted. While original news stories regularly included related sidebars, unrelated sidebars would often be used to fill space as well - these are noted.)

PlayStation Emulation Raises Questions
Could this change the future of emulation - and games? (two pages; includes 'Nintendo Releases RAM Expansion' sidebar)

Fair Play
Are women playing games? Yes, and you may be surprised where.

What If Zelda Slips?
As Nintendo 64's most important launch approaches, top brass at NOA remain confident.

Celebrating Atari
Atari-philes show up to pay tribute to the company that gave birth to the industry.

Game Music Takes A Step Forward (sidebar)

Ultima Suit Gets Serious
Fans will have their day in court. (includes 'PlayStation's Future?' sidebar)

(Recurring news features; 1/2 page each unless noted:)

New Bits (running footer bar; capsule news stories)

Datastream (mini-sidebar; number related news and trivia)

Talkback (mini-sidebar; developer and celebrity quotes)

Profile (mini-sidebar; developer profile; Eric Fredricksen)

In the Studio (sidebar; development news; Hudson Soft, Atari Games, Psygnosis, MicroProse)

Tracking (approx. 1/4th page; 'Keeping tabs on the latest peripherals')

Movers and Shakers (misc. business news by Colin Campbell)

Arcadia (misc. arcade news by Marcus Webb)

This month in history (approx. 1/4th page; milestone videogame events during the month of November)

NG Japan

Big In Japan
Next Generation reports from the Eastern front. (two pages; a collection of articles and sidebars:)

• Curiouser and curiouser... (Pen-Pen Tricelon)
• Who's in the house? (Biohazard Nightmare theme park attraction)
• Minitalk: Spikeout Producer Toshihiro Nagoshi (interview)
• Neo Geo Pocket Revealed (sidebar)

NG Software

Alphas (game previews, sometimes presented as part of a themed overview or interview; one page each unless noted:)

(Next Generation's game previews often varied in scope and size. Smaller previews were usually traditional in presentation, while larger previews often incorporated developer commentary. The largest previews were typically presented as a themed article (focusing on a development studio, accessory, etc) previewing one or more titles and were often accompanied by an interview (noted).

• The Secret of Namco's Success (developer overview; six pages; includes 'R4: Ridge Racer Type 4' (PS) preview with 'A Namco Time Line' running sidebar)
• Driver (PC,PS; two pages)
• Destrega (PS)
• Sonic Adventure (DC; three pages)
• Legacy of Kain: Soul Reavers (PS; two pages)
• RC Racing (PC,N64,PS)
• Army Men 3D (3DO)
• Star Wars Trilogy (arcade; three pages)
• Interstate 82 (PC)
• Jeff Gordon Racing XS (PS; three pages, including one page 'An Interview with Jeff Gordon')
• Silent Hill (PS)
• Shadow Company: Left For Dead (PC; two pages)
• Lionhead Studios (developer overview; five pages with focus on 'Black and White' game preview; includes Peter Molyneux running sidebar interview, one page 'Satellites Of Love' (Steve Jackson and Mark Webley interview))

Milestones (screenshot preview galleries with gallery caption; approx. 1/2 page each unless noted)

• Powerslide (PC)
• Shadow Madness (PS)
• Perfect Dark (N64)
• Bloodshot (N64)
• XG2 (N64)
• Jet Force Gemini (N64)
• Fighter Squadron (PC)
• Centipede (PS,PC)
• Urban Chaos (PC)
• Taisho: Total War (PC)
• Akolyte (PC,DC)
• Carmageddon 2 (multi)
• Everquest (online)
• Blue Stinger (DC)
• Hired Guns (PC)
• C3 Racing (PS)

(sidebars (one or two screenshots each) with caption:)

• Beavis & Butt-head (PC,PS)
• Area 51 Site 4
• Twisted Metal 3 (PS)
• Quarterback Club '99 (N64)
• War of the Worlds (PC)
• The Reap (PC)
• Knockout Kings (PS)
• Bomberman World (PS)
• ODT (PS,PC)

NG Special

Moments in time
The history of the game industry is dotted with pivotal events that were seemingly insignificant at the time. Here are the moments when things were never the same again. ('Moments of Truth;' 10 pages; historical milestones:)

• 1980 - Pizza Delivery (Pac-Man's inspiration)
• 1972 - Liar Liar (Nolan Bushnell's stretching of the truth)
• 1985 - Dial "M" For Molyneux (Molyneux's rise to fame thanks to a wrong number)
• 1981 - The Birth of Mario (loss of Popeye license results in Donkey Kong IP)
• 1954 - The Genesis of Sega (origin of Sega)
• 1991 - The Stab in the Back (advent of PlayStation)
• 1982 - The Odd Couple (origin of MicroProse)
• 1983 - The One That Got Away (Atari passes on NES)
• 1976 - Valentine's Day (early Apple)
• 1984 - The Slam Dunk (advent of celebrity endorsements/licensing with Dr. J)
• 1989 - Blocked (Tetris legal drama)
• 1993 - GameGate (Senator Liberman)
• 1990 - Doomed To Success (rise of shareware model thanks to falsified fanmail)
• 1993 - The Myst Opportunity (Myst's contribution to PC gaming)
• 1979 - Party of Four (advent of Activision and third-party development)
• 1985 - Mort D'Arthur (rise and fall of Infocom)

Talking

Jim Whims
He helped launch Nintendo in the U.S. in 1986, then did the same for Sony in 1994. Now an independent venture capitalist, Jim Whims has a few things to say about the looming console wars. ('1999 Season Scouting Report;' five page interview)

Rating

Finals

(With issue #43, Next Generation expanded its review section to include a number of featured reviews - each typically one or two pages long - along with its traditional reviews (usually 1/3rd page in length). Import reviews are noted with 'Japan' below.)

(One page each unless noted:)

• Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (N64; two pages)
• Spyro (PS)
• Rainbow Six (PC)
• NFL Blitz (PS)
• NFL Gameday '99 (PS)
• Madden NFL 99 (PS)
• Warlords III: Darklords Rising (PC)

(Approx. 1/3rd page each unless noted:)

• GT 64 (N64)
• Virtual Chess 64 (N64)
• Batman and Robin (PS)
• Devil Dice (PS)
• Heart of Darkness (PS)
• Megaman Legends (PS)
• Team Losi RC Racer (PS)
• Trap Gunner (PS)
• WWF Warzone (PS)
• Nam (PC)
• Redline Racer (PC)
• M.A.X. 2 (PC)

The Gamer's Guide (two pages; collection of past game review scores for N64, PS, online, PC)

Corresponding

Letters
Why do we give our readers a couple of pages every month to spout off? Simple: if we didn't, they'd hunt us down and kill us. (reader mail; two pages)

NG Retroview

He's Everywhere
Never heard of Michael Katz? He worked for Coleco, Epyx, Atari, and Sega - check it out. (retro coverage; one page)