Taking a break from Xanadu, I'm looking at a book from a seasonally published series in Japan called simply "Game Reviews" (ゲーム批評). Mine is from Spring 1995. Here are a couple of notes:
- They give props to the PCE-CD for being the first CD system and introducing voice, animated scenes, and other things. However, they criticize the core system as having mostly "lightweight" material.
-NEC talks about giving the PC-FX expansions that will enhance it to the same extent that the CD system enhanced the PCE. "Expansion" is a word that comes up again and again. Yet, when pressed, the rep admits that there are no concrete plans yet for anything. The writer even assesses that the expandability built into the system might explain why it costs more than the PS1 and Saturn even though it's not as powerful.
- NEC and the writer spend a lot of time emphasizing the relationship to the PC-98 series of computers. Note that this was the sunset period for that system, as the "Windows running on a box of thrown-together parts" approach was set to take over. NEC says vague things about the PC-FX being a bridge to or a distilled version of some of the multimedia experiences on the PC-98.
- The NEC rep says that he hears gamers suggest using popular (licensed?) characters/franchises to sell the system, however, there were apparently anime-games on the Duo which fans clamored for but then did not buy in large numbers. Therefore, they are going to focus on originality more, and he gives Battle Heat as an example.
- They're still talking up the PC-FX's FMV capabilities like it's something that really sets it apart. Talking about the potential for making actual games, the rep mentions mixing FMV with board games.
- Current sales are 70,000 systems sold, although that's in a different section and unsourced. The NEC guy says they haven't manufactured very many systems yet, so please don't compare sales numbers. That might be a lie, because in 1994, NEC said they expected to sell 800,000 systems in the first year.
- The NEC guy kind of admits that they put out a system because they sort of had to, since everyone else was, too. The writer later compares this to what happened with the Supergrafx.
- In a later discussion section that's only among writers, they open the PC-FX discussion with "Is anyone buying this thing?". They point out that with all the talk of PC-98 connectivity/development kits and things, they feel like they don't really know what this system "is" yet. They also say frankly that it seems like NEC is half-assing everything. (Indeed, compared to what I see in the sections about the Saturn and PS1, the PC-FX seems to have no direction. Rather, it's a promise of a unique direction in the future.)
-Team Innocent is "hard to control, and the characters and backgrounds don't blend well." "It obviously takes influence from Alone in the Dark, which was on the 3DO among others, and is an improvement of the idea."
- Battle Heat has "unappealing characters" and is missing many important components of a fighting game.
That's about all!
It's a really good book, though. They talk about the 32X, 3DO and Jaguar, as well as all kinds of things related to the direction of video games. 1995 was quite a year in gaming history, and you can definitely sense that reading this.
Topic: PC-FX in March 1995 review book (Read 1437 times)
