Well, it looks like the Vent may have been totally, completely, 100% wrong a while back, when he stated unequivocally that Sega was not going to abandon the Dreamcast, and was certainly not going to start cranking out games for the PS2. He refers, of course, to a story in a Japanese newspaper that stated Sega would cease manufacture of Dreamcast consoles at the end of March, channeling its resources instead into developing software for other platforms, including GBA and PS2. At this moment, the Vent is simultaneously trying to get his foot out of his mouth, wipe the egg from his face and avoid eating the noisy, black bird that has just entered the room and perched on his dinner plate (no, it did not say "Nevermore." It's a crow, not a raven. You know, from the saying ... Oh, forget it.)

Or is he?

Editor's Note: The Vent was out of contact this morning when Sega of Japan officially confirmed these rumors.

We'll just do a quick hit on this one, folks -- as of late Tuesday night (Pacific US time) this rumor has yet to be verified by any reliable source. The Japanese press, unfortunately, is not a reliable source. In fact, if the Vent remembers correctly, the Asahi paper is the one that originally reported on the rumored Sega/Nintendo merger a few weeks ago.

So, despite the fact that Reuter's and similar news outlets have jumped on the story, there is still no guarantee that it is actually happening.

Which leaves us with the question "Well, is it likely to happen?" The answer to that, amazingly enough, is "it definitely could." Sega has issued a statement about the rumor, which says simply that it doesn't comment upon rumors. Now, while this is clearly not a confirmation, it isn't quite a vehement denial, either. Remember how firm and definite it was in denying the Nintendo rumor? Next to that, Sega's cryptic response to this rumor (and a Daily Radar phone call to the US publicity agency) seems a bit suspicious.

The bottom line is this: Sega needs help. This has been an amazing year for Dreamcast software, but when a game like Jet Grind Radio sells like a doggie doo sandwich on burnt toast, your company is going to have trouble. Sega clearly knows how to make one great game after another, so it makes sense to investigate platforms with a greater installed base (or at least the potential for one.)

So that's that. Will it happen? Yeah, probably. Has it already happened? Maybe, maybe not. On the bright side, while this is surely saddening news for Sega diehards, imagine how great Sega's games will be on some of the newer hardware systems. Space Channel 5 (6?) on Gamecube? Shenmue on Xbox? Jet Grind 2 on PS2? Sounds great to the Vent.

The good letters just keep coming, so we'll have another pretty huge letters section this week. First of all, thanks to all of you who've written in regarding the Nintendo suit. However, this issue is a tad too close to home (not to mention legally dangerous) for the Vent to address here. Thanks again. Anyway, we'll start instead with this week's "Most Flattering" award-winner, which actually went to the main Radar mailbox, but which the self-indulgent Vent can't help but reprint.

I would just like to ask that the Vent be moved from the Sony section to the Main section. The author(s) of the Vent seem to take all sides of every issue and shouldn't be left sitting in the Sony section. Many readers will miss these well-written articles because they never go to the Sony section. I don't own a PS2 nor plan on it, but I think there is some great journalism going on.
Maurice C.

Thanks very much, Maurice. As Daniel replied, ol' Vent is loyal to Sony Radar, both because they took the chance on the column, and because they sign the paychecks. This really isn't a bad thing -- those of you who care about the column still know just where to find it. But your request is nonetheless incredibly flattering. Look -- Vent's blushing. Awwww.

Re: Anti-Bill sentiment

I disagree. I don't think it's crazy to miss some great gaming because you dislike Microsoft's practices.
Should one always make all purchases in a [moral] vacuum?
I think everyone, whenever their $ are supporting anything, should be giving at least slight consideration to what effect their support has, on society, on exploited workers, on the environment, on technology, etc.
Microsoft has held technology back from what it could be right now... has killed many a great innovation by various means, often unethical means. They desire to extend their control (and therefore their deleterious effects) endlessly, from the OS, to servers, to PDAs, to "standards," to applications, to development tools, to e-commerce & the wired world (.Net initiative), to Internet access (MSN), to owning content (buying up exclusive rights to artwork, media, etc), to TV/cable (considering giving it away free to suck people into their interlocked world of products), to digital convergence (TV, movies, home video, entertainment, computing), to smart-cars & smart-houses, and to gaming.
I think if they succeed at all this & the other plans they'll doubtless be hatching, the world, and technology, will be much less than it could be, and much less open, vital and innovative. Therefore, I wish to support them as little as possible in these efforts, and I encourage others to lessen their support as well.
Are you going to miss the world's only great, exclusive gaming experience by passing up on X-Box? No.
And as much as we all love games, as much as many people make their living at it or would like to, is gaming really SO important in the grand scheme of things that it's worth pursuing it with tunnel vision, and ignoring all the negative effects you will be encouraging by tossing more $ Microsoft's way?
Most of us love, and benefit from, competition in all things commercial, including gaming. Microsoft is anti-competitive. Their extended influence can only reduce competition and vitality in any industry they try to buy their way into. Therefore... don't help them do it.
Jason K.

Have it your way, Jason. The Vent's attitude toward Microsoft (and the "competition directly equals innovation, and Microsoftian dominance equals stagnation" argument) is well documented (remember that whole Netscape thing?) and to revisit it would be unproductive. Suffice to say he'll be there as long as the games are. And if you think about it, Microsoft will surely lose money on the consoles themselves, so if you really want to hurt the company, buy the system and never buy a game for it. You'll be taking money directly out of Microsoft's pockets.
But seriously, if this is the type of thing you feel strongly about, go for it. The Vent admires that conviction. However, is supporting the Xbox really that different than using a Microsoft PC game, a PC that runs Windows or any Windows-based game? If you think so, then maybe the Xbox really isn't for you.

Hey Vent,
I'm one of those people who hates everything Microsoft does, simply because they're Microsoft. That's not crazy, because frankly most Microsoft products have at least a couple of other hate-worthy qualities anyway. The one thing I'm not is stupid. I may hate Microsoft and everything they touch, but my PC has Win98 installed because that's where the games are. I'll take a similar attitude toward the Xbox. If there are enough good games that aren't available on other systems, I'll buy one. Some people may consider this hypocritical. I consider it to be a derivation of one of the oldest Man Rules in the book: Just because you don't like a woman, doesn't mean you can't have mind-blowing sex with her.
Cheers,
Greg

Back when the Vent was a swingin' single college bachelor, he would have responded with something like "Hell, yeah! Awesome analogy, dude!" and taken a swig from his brewski. However, since he is now married, mature and goes to bed earlier every day, he must remind you that women are not objects, and the act of intercourse is a sacred thing that should only be shared between two people who are deeply committed to one another. (Hi, Honey). However, he must admit -- that analogy is friggin' bulletproof.

Here's another problem with the Xbox for you to ponder...
Its built-in hard drive. Anyone know what happens when you put a hard drive close to the floor? Anyone? It sucks up dust, carpet fiber and pet hair. This eventually leads to hard drive failure. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't really pop the cover and replace the hard drive. So, this all leads me to ask one question...
Where do I sign up to take the test to become a Microsoft Certified Xbox Technician?
Peace Out!
Freak In!
Bryn B
P.S. I'm damning the Xbox. I just won't purchase one until EA Sports puts out Rugby for it!

You're waiting for Rugby? Hope you're feeling very, very, patient. Good point about the hard drive, though. People replace the motors in their PSOnes all the time, but it isn't considered a simple procedure. Do any of you Venters out there know if the drive is easily replaceable?

Dear The Vent
In response to your request for reader-suggested Xbox weaknesses, I think one of its strengths may also in the long term turn out to be its greatest weakness -- DirectX. Just because the system is "easier" to program for, in my opinion does not necessarily result in better games. Because there is already a programming architecture in place, this means that developers can only write to the strengths of this architecture; they can't get near the bare metal of the hardware as with PS2. This may help people to churn out pretty games quickly at first, but in the end I think we'll be left with the limitations of DirectX stopping developers from using the full potential of the box's impressive specs.
Paul F

Hadn't thought of that one. Excellent point.

Howdy there,
I'm curious about the space issues you mention. How are you even limited on space. I would think if you wanted to do a 50-page column devoted to all the letters in your bag then you should be able to get to them all. Unless it's a time thing. Then I suppose I understand.

Actually, even though the net is itself boundless, the Vent has a rough (very rough) target word count that he tries not to exceed. Time is a minor issue, but basically, it's just a matter of not boring everybody to death. The Vent strives to cover every topic from every possible angle, but if it takes 50 pages to do so, who would actually read the entire column? Don't you have games to play?

Okay, this next one is the absolute last letter on this topic that the Vent is going to print.

Here I go on the cranky tip again.
One of the marks of a good writer is being able to write compellingly and convincingly about things that are outside one's own realm of experience, and Barker has never let his own sexual preferences interfere with the portrayal of any of his characters, be they straight, gay, bisexual or... something else. Go and read some of Clive Barker's works. Read Imajica, The Great and Secret Show, Cabal and The Hellbound Heart (on which the Hellraiser movies are based). The underlying theme isn't homosexuality, it's carnality -- flesh and blood, sex and sexuality (heterosexual and homosexual), the body and its mutability, and the material and spiritual worlds and their effects on the flesh. Carnality is a universal, compelling and often terrifying theme, and it's greater and encompasses far more than "mere" sexuality of any sort.
But you're basically right, Vent -- in a game, as in any story, a character's sexuality should only come into play when the overall theme of sexuality or romance is part of the story, and I think it'll be a while before we see either of those themes handled maturely in a videogame. Hiring actual writers to create the story behind a game, rather than leaving it up to programmers, is a good start.
And when Barker said "make the lead character look like someone I'd want to [have sex with]," he probably meant something to the effect of "make him look like Ewan MacGregor, not Arnold Schwarzenegger." You dig? Solid Snake and the male Final Fantasy VIII cast members notwithstanding, there have been precious few male videogame characters that gay men *or* straight women would want to bang.
Mark A.

Good points, Mark (though, based upon the things the Vent has seen, it's more like "make him look like Bo from Days of Our Lives instead of Ming the Merciless." Vent actually only told that story because he thought it was cool of Clive to be that no-nonsense about it.) And now, at last, we've probably said all there is to say about this.

I finally found out the reason for the stupid discussions about which videogame is better, and since it has been bothering me from the beginning of time (or better yet, the eight-bit nintendo vs its sega rival) I will share it with y'all. We can't have them all. That's where all the hatred should be directed at. US$ 300 for a console plus US$ 50 each game (yes, I'm for the PS2) is a lot of money. So either people shut the f*** up and realize that it's just about the games, or I'll throw a "hands across america" campaign for the sharing of videogames and put an end to this crap.
Julio T

Our friend Julio has either stated the most obvious thing in the world, or come up with a compelling philosophical observation. Whatever the case, it is surely all about the games, and if we didn't love 'em so much, we wouldn't fight about it so passionately (and often unreasonably). Finally, please do what he says -- another "Hands" would possibly be tolerable, but the Vent just couldn't handle a videogame version of "We Are the World."

Given the number of Final Fantasy suggestions we've had, it seemed only fair to address Alberto V.'s request for another wrestling game. Daniel, you don't mind, do you?

It is what every wrestling fan hopes for... a perfect wrestling game. Now the power of the PS2, Xbox, Dolphin (i refuse to call it anything else!) allows for the perfect wrestling game. I know it cannot be done but if one doesn't strive for perfection than what does one strive for? The game will have all your basic requirements... CAW... Create your own PPV... ladder matches, hardcore, tag team titles (a VERY important aspect of the game)... a revenge list that automatically writes names of those who make fun of you when you're injured (yes there are injuries so be careful with all the high flying stuff) last the big seller of this game... Create your own MOVE! feature. This will allow all the fans to purchase the game and create about any move... even some from other federations. It is every fan's dream... i call it the CAM (originality is my thing!). hopefully the game will keep people busy till the sequel.
Alberto V.

That's quite a laundry list of features there, Al. Create your own move would surely be awesome, though the sheer complexity of creating your own attack animations -- and the physics involved when you connect with the attack -- would be daunting, to say the least. Still, there are plenty of fans out there who'd love a more comprehensive wrestling game. Daniel, you want to comment here? What would your perfect match entail?