The web sites are booming!!!!
When I first got into the Internet and using a personal computer, my interest was mostly with using it to play games and perform routines with educational software. Things didn’t start to get exciting until America Online was introduced. This brings the beginning stages for me and where I started out.
Fastforward to a more modern time, I’m browsing through the Sega Force or Shin Force, for the uninitiated. A bounty of content and elaborate details about much prized Sega memorabilia. I was always fascinated with this site and especially because to me, all life really was and is about GAMING.
I really enjoyed the shin force, and I used it as a valuable resource for news and information, hell I even went as far as becoming a staff member and contributing even some of my own content, which now that I think about it, I cannot even remember whether I even contributed anything or not? whatever the case, I really liked the Shin/Sega Force. So, with that, it’s my great pleasure to get to ask the webmaster himself some questions and get his feedback.
I’ll answer most of those questions……..
Q. what got you into sega?
A I became a Sega fan for life by going to arcades in the 80s and realizing how many amazing games were created by them. Games like Buck Rogers, Zaxxon, Turbo, Shinobi, After Burner, and Golden Axe we’re always among the most popular at local arcades. The Master System release in 1986 was a match made in heaven, with Sega hardware and software in one neat package.
Q aside from your fandom of sega, what enticed you into building and making a webpage? why did you think to make the shin force?
A Sega/Shin Force was inspired by my opinion that too many video game magazines didn’t match my view of Sega. I thought it would be a great way to commune with others that appreciate their originality and creativity.
Q you seem to have a lot of interest in airplanes, where you ever in the air force?
A I love everything about airplanes, but I never served in the military. I grew up playing with airplanes, making model airplanes, visiting aircraft museums, and attending airshows regularly. All flying games are of instant interest to me, beginning with the original Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC).
Q what do you suppose would rebirth sega? is it even possible?
A My vision of the rebirth of Sega is not probable, because it would be Sega making its own modern console and supporting it with awesome software. That dream died with the Dreamcast when Sega discontinued it in 2001. If there was an avenue of rebirth, it would probably involve being purchased by Microsoft and kept as a second party exclusive developer.
Q how did you learn to code and design web sites? any formal education or schooling?
A I used Netscape Communicator to produce HTML, which featured a WYSIWYG interface that made website creation accessible to everyone. No formal training necessary, just a creative idea and the desire to see it through.
Q what kind of music do you like?
A My go to music genre has always been Heavy Metal. I grew up on Iron Maiden, Rainbow, Loudness, Earthshaker, Motley Crue, Accept, Grave Digger, and Yngwie Malmsteen, to mention a few.
My first ever Sega webpage
Q Would love to hear about any other sega web sites or anybody else who was doing something like yourself at the time. Really hash this out and give us information on what the web scene was like when you first started doing your web page.
A The web scene in the 90s was young and growing by leaps and bounds. There were a few sites I would visit daily to see the hottest video game news, which I would compile into news articles for Sega Force. Honestly, people would constantly ask for web link swaps, and I almost always agreed. Sega/Shin Force had enough impact to gain the attention of some companies like Sega and Tecmo. For example, Sega gave me access to their media FTP and Tecmo sent me a pre-release version of Dead or Alive 2 (Dreamcast). The best part was knowing that like-minded gamers were finally getting what they craved: a Sega biased view on video games. Fast forward to current times. I’ve been covering Sega for 25 years and will continue to do so, mainly on social media, until it no longer gives me satisfaction. I don’t do this for popularity or profit — I do this because I want to share Sega fandom with others. We also have a couple of international correspondents on Facebook that provide occasional content. The main focus is outlined as follows: we specialize in Phantasy Star, Sega, Xbox, and retro gaming.
That about wraps it up. I am very grateful to Shin and the FORCE for giving us all a whole of courage and inspiration in a dark cold and depressing world. Is it getting close to fall yet?
For those interested, please consider checking out:
http://shinforce.com/index.htm
