bias - slant; one sided inclination; leaning; swaying impulse; influence. We openly admit that Shin/Sega Force is biased (positively) towards Sega and it's products. However, the media loses a lot of credibility when they claim to be unbiased (especially towards Sega) as we know this is not true. In other words, they lose credibility when claiming to be unbiased when in fact, they are quite biased. Just read the DFP Quotes and you'll see a small example of the constant negative bias the media has for Sega. If you notice a distinct difference between an article written by a DFP and Shin/Sega Force with regards to the same subject, then you know their negative bias and our positive bias exists.

capable - able; gifted; having the power to accomplish. The single best description of Sega software, hardware and program teams. DFP's spend a lot of time trying to tell you what Sega systems are not able to do. Unfortunately for them, they lose credibility when Sega continually proves them wrong. For example: 1) Genesis doesn't have a hardware scaling function but it was easily achieved through the software prowess of Sega programmers; 2) Saturn doesn't have a hardware light source shading function but it was also easily accomplished, etc., and the list goes on...)

choice - alternative; power to select; a conscious decision. This is one power that Sega Fans hold high. The ability to choose if, when and where one buys software and hardware. This power has been granted by Sega and Nintendo (and others) for years in the video game business. A conscious decision that all game players should endeavor to keep.

comp - short for compensate; to make up for; counterbalance. What you need to do when you read DFP articles. That is, you need to "comp(ensate) for the source". For instance, you read an article that rates any Sega game a "6". You would "comp(ensate) for the source" (a DFP) and therefore, depending on which DFP it is, you may have to add "2" points to the score in order to get the real score; "8". Another example,  a DFP rates a PSX game and comes up with "9". You would "comp(ensate) for the source" (a DFP) and therefore, depending on which DFP it is, you may have to subtract "3" points from the score in order to get the real score; "6". Many gameplayers have been doing this for years, only now you know just what it's called.

consistent - constant; almost always the same; faithful, expected or regular.  There are a lot of constants in this world.  The video game world has no shortage of them either.  For instance, Sega faithfully makes superior software and hardware.  DFPs never miss an opportunity to diss Sega.  Even though Sega is hailed for excellent software, they almost always seem to get a bad wrap when it comes to hardware.  Sega has earned fan loyalty due to their consistent ability to provide gameplayers with unsurpassed fun.

credibility - worthy of belief; trusted opinions; power based on the trust of others. This is what the mainstream media is supposed to develop with its constituents. However, when you realize that they have a double standard and are full of hypocrisy, it becomes difficult to take their statements at face value. As a result, many gameplayers (even those who aren't Sega Fans) must comp for the media in order to get the story reasonably close to reality.

cynical - seeing the more unworthy motive in others; admittedly skeptical of others. What a Sega Fan becomes quite often after reading a Dark Force Publication's (DFP's) articles regarding Sega or encountering someone who is under the influence of the Dark Force. Many people insist that it's impossible to enjoy Sega hardware and software -- this drives (among other things) many gamefans to a cynical attitude.

dead - no longer alive; extinguished. A truly dead console fits one or more of these criteria:

• You don't own or want the console in question.
• You don't play the console in question.
• You don't buy any more games for the console in question.
• You don't attempt to inform yourself about the console in question.

As far as some people are concerned, a console is "dead" as soon as it isn't #1, or isn't popular, or doesn't have 5 new games a week, or they don't like it (anymore), or advertising is scarce, or renting is hard, etc...  We believe this is a narrow minded attitude which doesn't account for millions of gameplayers who continue to enjoy a given console way after its retail popularity is extinguished.  Therefore, what's "dead" to you, may not be dead to someone else and vise versa.  The media has described the Saturn as a "dead" console since at least August of 1997. What I don't understand is why they have to keep reminding us that they think it's dead?  Our memory is not that short...

DFP - Dark Force Publication. A media source which is under the influence of the Dark Force. Therefore, a DFP takes every opportunity to concentrate on and publish negative articles about Sega while minimizing and/or ignoring anything positive which could forward Sega's position in the market. This is not a blanket statement for every article they write or all media sources. Now, this does not mean you can not gain knowledge from DFPs -- quite the contrary. All you have to do is comp for the source. However, you run the risk of being misled or misinformed if you don't know how to (or that you should) comp for the source. 
     The DFPs have called off the dogs while the Dreamcast is the only next generation console available. For obvious reasons, this action (by them) is practically mandatory. However, it is our belief that the attitudes will go back to normal once the PSX2 finally comes to market.

Dark Force - A mysterious inexplicable power which controls many mainstream media sources and others; it commands those in its grip to do everything in their power to put Sega down. Basically, an unknown energy which seeks to destroy Sega and its Fans. Check out the DFP Quotes and DFP Comix for more info.

Dark Force Publication - see DFP.

deter - convince to abstain from; discourage; frighten. This is the mode of operation of the DFPs regarding Sega and its products. When reading DFP articles about Sega, one often feels discouraged from purchasing Sega products unless one has thoroughly researched the products in question. One would think the mainstream media is a good source of true information (as in 99% of the time), but they spend too much time convincing people that Sega is not worthy. Hence, we have the need to comp (see above definition) for the source.

Dreamcast - see Uberconsole.

DWSC - Disenchanted With Sega Club. A group of people who own Sega merchandise and feel like they've made the wrong decision in its purchase and/or are not satisfied with its support in general. Of course, this can and does occur naturally.  However, this state of mind (obviously not all) can sometimes be attributed to the DFPs consistent attitude towards Sega merchandise. After all, if you don't know that Saturn has over 300 American games, can do transparency, and does gouraud shading, etc..., then your main source of factual information (DFP's) has to be at least somewhat responsible for your lack of knowledge.

fact - thing known to be true or to have occurred. It's a fact that the Saturn has more RAM than the PSX. It's a fact the Saturn's hardware can not do arbitrary polygon transparencies, but it can do flat background transparencies of nearly infinite sizes and software transparencies. If the media would be more forthright about Sega and its products, then there wouldn't be so many people that get the facts wrong. For instance, when the media gets the facts wrong or misrepresents opinion as fact, some uninformed readers can form incorrect opinions based on those bogus "facts". Which takes us back the one of our main slogans: "Information is KEY".

force - strength; power; measurable influence to action. Nobody forces you to like or accept any console, company, publisher, programmer, game or opinion as being the best. It's up to you to inform yourself and then (hopefully) make informed decisions based on your knowledge. I know it can be difficult to inform yourself about Sega and its products, especially if you don't want to hear the "it's dead" and "it's no good" party line the mass media seems to cling to. They may be able to convince the ignorant to stay away from Sega by omitting (the positive) and magnifying (the negative), but the informed decision resides with you alone...

Gamefan - hardcore gamer; hardcore gameplayer; a hardcore player of all games; especially Sega games. Gamefans always buy what they want based on their ability to enjoy it, not necessarily its popularity or lack thereof.  Gamefans can appreciate all software and hardware based on merit alone.

Gamer - someone that plays video games.  The following detailed description was authored by the ever intelligent, most hardcore, Metal Gear X -- or MGX for short.
     There are many terms to label someone on his or her level of gaming skills/knowledge/appreciation for the hobby. The following is not meant to be “the way it is”, just the way I look at it. Neither is the following info “set in stone”. I’ll be the first to admit that I am speaking in general and maybe even “stereotyping”. And of course for every rule, there is an exception. = ) I have also left out a few sub-levels that I believe exist like “technical gamers” and “old school gamers”. I look at it like this:

• Level 1 – The Weekend Gamer – Someone who plays games once in a while, maybe Tetris at work and You Don’t Know Jack with friends on the weekend. And there’s nothing wrong with being a Level 1 gamer.
• Level 2 – The Mainstream or “Casual” Gamer – Someone who shows a lot of interest in the hobby and enjoys playing video games. This could be anyone from the Pokemon loving grade schooler to the guy at the arcade that “really likes playing House of the Dad 2”… maybe a little too much. And there’s nothing wrong with being a level 2 gamer, in fact there is something “pure” about it. The mainstream isn’t at the point where they care about Nintendo’s/Sega’s/Sony’s financial situation in Japan. They don’t know what tri-linear filtering is or what it does for a game. They don’t know codenames for development kits. Sometimes I wish I could just not know a lot of the stuff that I know and be a “casual gamer” again. :-)
• Level 3 – Fanboys™ – I’m almost tempted to list Fanboys at Level 0, but I have to admit that Fanboys™ are Fanboys™ because at heart, they like to play games (most of them anyway). They like to think that they're "hardcore", but for lack of maybe experience or intelligence, they just don’t have what it takes. Fanboys™ are usually gung-ho for one company and refuse to see the good in any of that company’s competition. Fanboys™ are uninformed and easily influenced by the media. Their source for “media information” is usually questionable and they will lose a fact based argument with a level 4 gamer every time. I despise confident Fanboys, but I know where they’re coming from as I was once at this immature level. Anyway, on many occasion, one must pass through level 3 to get to level 4. : )
• Level 4 – The Gamer – I don’t consider someone a gamer just because they have mad skillz or because they are mega-informed on the hobby or spend a lot of money on it. It takes a combination of what I listed at the beginning of this post – skills, knowledge and an appreciation for the hobby. You may not have the skills to beat every game on the planet, that’s OK. You may not have the money to import every game from Japan, that’s OK. You may not know everything about the industry and that’s OK too. I’m sure that with practice, I could beat 99% of the games that I play; I just don’t have the time to do so anymore. I don’t have the money to import every single game from Japan that I would like to. Heck, I can’t afford to buy all of the English games that I would want to. And I certainly don’t know everything about the industry (who does?), but I try to keep myself informed with the facts. I consider my self and people like me to be “true gamers”. We enjoy playing games because they entertain us, not because they’re #1 on Videogames.com top 10 lists. We buy consoles because they have games we want to play, not because they render 7 quadrillion micro polygons a second. We all have our own opinions on what’s good and bad for the industry, but we all agree on one thing – VIDEO GAMES RULE! I reserve the term “hardcore” as a compliment or way of paying respect to someone I view (for one reason or another) as an especially cool “gamer”. And yes, gamers are allowed to have favorites. My favorite game company, I’m proud to say, is SEGA.

happy - glad, content; joyful, lucky; fortunate, prosperous. What a Sega Fan becomes when he/she realizes that those who are under the spell of the Dark Force will probably never be able to enjoy games like Phantasy Star, Sonic, Shining Force, Fighters Megamix or Shining the Holy Ark -- unless they join the Sega Force.

hardcore - solid; vigorous; robust; bold; shrewd; innermost belief; central way of existing.  If you enjoy Sega products, then chances are you would characterize yourself as a hardcore gamer.  After all, pick your favorite reason (or any, for that matter) not to be an owner of Sega products and you (being a hardcore gamer) probably think it's ridiculous.  Of course, hardcore gamers most likely enjoy all games and consoles based on individual merit -- nothing else.

hardware - consisting mainly of CPU(s), circuit board(s), wires, power source(s), RAM, ROM, disk drive(s) and control devices. This is what utilizes executable program code (software). Usually having many built in functions such as scaling, color palettes, gouraud shading, etc...  If you want to play Sega software, you need Sega hardware first. In the hands of capable programmers, hardware and software can overcome many obstacles (e.g.: Sega CD, Saturn, 3D Pad, RAM cart, etc.). Remember this: "The hardware must be at least as good as the software it plays"...

hypocrisy - assuming of a false appearance of virtue; insincerity. This is what you'll get if you read about Sega in many of the mainstream media's (a.k.a. Dark Force Publications or DFP) articles. An ongoing attitude regarding Sega going back at least as far as 1988. For example, every DFP made absolutely sure you knew that Sega CD games could, on occasion, take a while to load. However, it's rarely noted (and hidden well when it is) that some PSX games can take an eternity to load!!! This double standard must be known.

information - what is told; knowledge. One of our prime slogans is "Information is KEY". For instance, there are too many people out there that own a Saturn and don't even know how many games are out for it in America. Ostensibly, the mass media is supposed to inform you of such things as well as many others. Unfortunately, all too often Sega Fans only see one side of the story -- the magnification of negative aspects and the omission and/or minimization of  positive aspects regarding Sega and its products. That is why it is more important than ever that you inform yourself about Sega. It takes a lot of effort to find reliable, newsworthy, worthwhile information about Sega -- and Shin/Sega Force endeavors to be your #1 source for just that...

knowledge - what one knows; information one remembers. Unfortunately, it's too easy to be misinformed about Sega and its products these days. One's knowledge is only as good as the source from which it came. Hence, Sega Fans spend a lot of time comping (see: comp) for the source in order to get the facts straight. It's a tragedy how many gameplayers don't (or refuse to) realize it when they're being misinformed. The DFPs (see: DFP) garner a lot of respect simply because of their position in the arena of videogame reporting. With the rising popularity of Fan sites it will (thankfully) become more and more difficult for the DFPs to get away with this format of deterring (see: deter) people from Sega -- or whatever else they deem no good.

merit - excellence; worth; quality of deserving; value; virtue; effectiveness.  Hardcore Gamefans buy and enjoy games and consoles based on individual merit.  The beauty of this fact is that what's good for one gamer may not be good for another -- but a hardcore Gamefan can appreciate merit in things he doesn't prefer as well as those which he does.

notion - idea; opinion; belief. This is almost identical to opinion, but I believe there is a bit more conviction behind this term. Many of the notions put forth by the DFPs are contradictory, which leads to our cynicism and the loss of their credibility. For instance, how many times have you heard the media say that Sega should just concentrate on software because they're really good at that. Simultaneously, the notion that Sega's hardware is always inferior seems to have been accepted as fact by many. Well, gameplayers would like to know who's inferior hardware these supposed "great games" are played on!

omit - leave out; neglect, purposely forget, exclude, eliminate, ignore, overlook, or disregard.  This is what the DFPs specialize in when it comes to positive information about Sega.  Unfortunately, this causes a hideous side effect for some people known as "misinformed about Sega" -- which, in turn, may lead to DWSC (see: DWSC).  That's OK though as we gladly tell people the whole truth here at Shin/Sega Force.

opinion - what one thinks about something; judgment. An opinion is true to those who agree with it. An opinion is not necessarily based entirely on fact(s). Opinions can be based on any one or more of the following criteria: bias, facts, emotion, ignorance and knowledge. Everyone has an opinion about video games. It's important to remember that opinions can change and they can be skewed as well. That's why an informed opinion will reap the highest amount of satisfaction you can get.

ostensible - professed, assumed, show, or display.  At one time gameplayers assumed the media was providing most or all the facts about Sega.  After all, isn't their main job to inform gamefans about  games -- even Sega games?  Over time though, Sega Fans realized that this was not always the case.  Therefore, many media sources have professed their intent to misinform people about Sega via omission, bias, and hypocrisy -- for which gameplayers have learned to comp for the source.

proficient - capable of doing something very well; skilled; practiced. Most Sega Fans are proficient at "comping (see: comp) for the source" while most DFPs are proficient at "deterring (see: deter) people from Sega". For instance, reading reviews that search for ways to diss Shining Force III while consistently reminding you that "Saturn is dead" requires a bit of proficient comping to make up for the proficient deterrent. It's simply a matter of converting their opinions to your own scale of opinion...

PSX - short for Patiently Sapping Xenon.  This is what many gameplayers must do in order to avoid the temptation to have fun with the Uberconsole.  They must patiently sap the xenon gas from their Sony consoles in order to release their anxiety and gain the temperance needed to wait for the forthcoming emotion engine.  By the way, we find nothing wrong with this behavior -- I'm merely shedding light on its existence.

recant - withdraw a statement or opinion. This is what the media occasionally must do since they are too quick to report negative stories regarding Sega. In some very rare instances, statements regarding other companies are recanted as well. Since this is a problem, the media's credibility comes into question and makes it necessary for Gamefans to comp for their statements too.

receptive - able, willing and quick to receive; a philosophy held high by all Sega Fans. One's state of mind upon encountering someone under the Dark Force's grip in an effort to help him join the Shin/Sega Force. The willingness of Sega Fans to teach others the way of the Shin/Sega Force.

Sega - Service and Games. Software and hardware creator; innovator; originator. The foundation of Sega Fans and the Shin/Sega Force. A company which creates superior software and hardware both in the home and arcade. A company which has the largest creative and original program teams assembled on earth. Creator of the largest choice of console systems worldwide. Simply the best label to look for when searching for consistent video game happiness.

Sega Fan - One who knowingly joins the ranks of the Shin/Sega Force. Anyone who plays Sega games because it's what he/she wants to do, not what others (like the mainstream media) tell them to do. This person doesn't give a hoot about fads, which system sold the most, which system has the most games, which system is technically the most powerful, which system has the most ads, which system yields the best high from inhaling its smoke or anything else which has little to do with the enjoyment of game playing. A Sega Fan is not a fair weather fan, but a deep rooted ideological supporter. One who has likely enjoyed decades of Sega's superior software and hardware. Finally, someone who appreciates originality, creativity and innovative game ideas...

Sega Force - A powerful entity which binds all who enjoy Sega; the realization of a dream that began eight years ago. A place where Sega Fans can go to enjoy reading about their favorite hobby. Where anyone can go to learn about Sega -- going all the way back to the Master System days. A haven for the serious gamer, one who is likely sick of the constant negative slant Sega has gotten since the Master System in many publications. A place where we look for ways to enhance your enjoyment of Sega, not deter it. In summary, this is where one goes to learn about and appreciate the "Sega Force".

Shin Force -  A synonym for Sega Force, Shinobi Force, and Shining Force. The ultimate way to inform yourself about Sega and its products. For those who seek the whole truth and nothing but the truth -- plus the occasional irreverent knock on competing consoles, hardcore sarcasm, and just what the doctor ordered in the cynicism department.

software - executable code; a game; an operating system; a programmers creation. This is what Sega is all about. The single best reason to purchase Sega products, especially hardware. In some instances, software can produce hardware functions. Essentially, software has been and probably always will be Sega's trump card in the video game business (e.g.: Dragon Force, Iron Storm, Phantasy Star, etc.).  Remember this: "Software is the real test of the hardware"... 

true - in accordance with facts; faithful; exact; correct. Truth is what the DFPs need more of when it comes to the subject of Sega. Sega Fans don't just want the partial truth, they want the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And why not? It's a reasonable request. Fans of other companies get it nearly all the time. All we seek is the same quality of true information about Sega as the DFPs provide about everyone else. Shin/Sega Force attempts to sift through the bull in order to provide you what you want -- true information. Remember this: "To recant is honorable, but to need to do it semi-often is questionable"... 

Uberconsole (Uber-console) - "uber" is the German word for: over, high, or above. When used in conjunction with console: exalted; raised; elevated; super. Uberconsole (notice, since it's a name, it's always capitalized) is used to graphically describe the Dreamcast's supremacy over anything you can buy in the console market. In other words... the exalted-console; or simply put... Uberconsole is a synonym for Dreamcast. 
     You'll notice that many people use the word "uberconsole" generically to describe other consoles.  This is fine because the generic term "uberconsole" is not the same as the specific name "Uberconsole".  Anyway, I'm sure the media will eventually be able to come up with something original for competing consoles...
     Obviously, some time in the future, when other next generation consoles arrive, a technical supremacy will not be there anymore. However, this nickname will always be associated with Sega's latest wonder-machine -- which, by the way, will always play Sega's Ubersoftware.