First off, thanks for even looking - and apologies for the long post, but I'd appreciate your help.
(This is my first topic started, so please if I cross any lines, let me know ASAP and I will fix it.)
As some of you may know, Shining Force is a series of RPGs of the Sega Mega-Drive (or Genesis) and the Sega Saturn that began with Shining In The Darkness - released on March 29, 1991. The main series consisted of a strategy RPG that plays in a similar fashion to games like Fire Emblem, with a variety of characters, classes and storytelling that evolved as the gaming medium grew and matured.
Unfortunately, at some point after the Japanese release of the 2nd and 3rd installments of Shining Force 3, the main development team Camelot backed out of anymore games. This demise was only hastened by the subsequent failure of Sega's console descendants.
Since then, a small but thriving community has been maintained by Moogie at Shining Force Central, a community that I am glad to call myself a member of, that focuses on the continuing appreciation of what I personally feel is a milestone in gaming history.
So why did you need to know this?
Well, after years of prodding from the community, and countless emails regarding any future prospects for the series, we have yet to make any progress and a special date is coming up - the series' 20th anniversary.
As a show of affection to the series, Moogie of SFC has started a campaign to send Camelot a package for the 29 March 2011 containing letters of general affection, a big birthday card and a link to the youtube page set up to tell them how much we love them.
Now, I realise that of the 12 people to read this, chances are only one has played the game, but I needed to tell someone.
I love these games so much.
I was born in March, 1990, into a young family that enjoyed games. My parents played D&D, and so the Shining Series was a big deal to them when it came out. As a result, my parents and their friends came over on certain nights a week to play this game together - a habit they maintained for years to come. This exposure to these games helped, along with my mum, to teach me to read and write to a decent level by the age of 3 which, in turn, enabled me to complete my first solo playthrough of Shining Force 1 by 4 - something I still do on a regular basis.
This, understandably, has left me filled with lots of fond memories regarding this series as one of the first 'Shining Babies' as it were.
I fully intend to write a letter to Camelot thanking them for helping make me into the person I am today, making a video for the campaign and composing a few tracks of music remixes to post on OCRemix that I can give to Camelot too.
If anybody else here shares any these feelings towards any games, I personally would really appreciate it if you could help win back something I care for deeply with Love - even if it's just a tweet, or if you go out and support this act of affection with abandon, I would be honored.
So thanks for reading (if you got this far), thanks for trying (if you didn't) and thanks for even considering visiting the campaign's links below. But most of all...
Thank You Games, for bringing me the wonder of Shining Force, enriching my life forever!
Much love and appreciation,
Ian Fraser
http://twitter.com/ShiningForceSOS
http://sos.shiningforcecentral.com/
(This is my first topic started, so please if I cross any lines, let me know ASAP and I will fix it.)
As some of you may know, Shining Force is a series of RPGs of the Sega Mega-Drive (or Genesis) and the Sega Saturn that began with Shining In The Darkness - released on March 29, 1991. The main series consisted of a strategy RPG that plays in a similar fashion to games like Fire Emblem, with a variety of characters, classes and storytelling that evolved as the gaming medium grew and matured.
Unfortunately, at some point after the Japanese release of the 2nd and 3rd installments of Shining Force 3, the main development team Camelot backed out of anymore games. This demise was only hastened by the subsequent failure of Sega's console descendants.
Since then, a small but thriving community has been maintained by Moogie at Shining Force Central, a community that I am glad to call myself a member of, that focuses on the continuing appreciation of what I personally feel is a milestone in gaming history.
So why did you need to know this?
Well, after years of prodding from the community, and countless emails regarding any future prospects for the series, we have yet to make any progress and a special date is coming up - the series' 20th anniversary.
As a show of affection to the series, Moogie of SFC has started a campaign to send Camelot a package for the 29 March 2011 containing letters of general affection, a big birthday card and a link to the youtube page set up to tell them how much we love them.
Now, I realise that of the 12 people to read this, chances are only one has played the game, but I needed to tell someone.
I love these games so much.
I was born in March, 1990, into a young family that enjoyed games. My parents played D&D, and so the Shining Series was a big deal to them when it came out. As a result, my parents and their friends came over on certain nights a week to play this game together - a habit they maintained for years to come. This exposure to these games helped, along with my mum, to teach me to read and write to a decent level by the age of 3 which, in turn, enabled me to complete my first solo playthrough of Shining Force 1 by 4 - something I still do on a regular basis.
This, understandably, has left me filled with lots of fond memories regarding this series as one of the first 'Shining Babies' as it were.
I fully intend to write a letter to Camelot thanking them for helping make me into the person I am today, making a video for the campaign and composing a few tracks of music remixes to post on OCRemix that I can give to Camelot too.
If anybody else here shares any these feelings towards any games, I personally would really appreciate it if you could help win back something I care for deeply with Love - even if it's just a tweet, or if you go out and support this act of affection with abandon, I would be honored.
So thanks for reading (if you got this far), thanks for trying (if you didn't) and thanks for even considering visiting the campaign's links below. But most of all...
Thank You Games, for bringing me the wonder of Shining Force, enriching my life forever!
Much love and appreciation,
Ian Fraser
http://twitter.com/ShiningForceSOS
http://sos.shiningforcecentral.com/