Unseen Interviews: DRX from Hidden-Palace
16 Sep 2008
[Interview by Xavio]
Xavio hasn’t updated a lot the last time, but no worries folks, the one and only Xavio is back – WITH AN INTERVIEW!! How great isn’t that? I was trying to contact Borman from Past To Present / Superior Version, but he was far to little on his computer (so we’ll have his interview for another time) and I decided to contact DRX from Hidden-Palace.org instead. God Bless that guy, now I’ll get an A+ in English. Anyway, let’s go down to business.
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TEH EPIXZ INTERVIEW WIHT TEH L33T ADMIN
<Xavio> Hi DrX! Thanks a lot for this interview, we know that you probably have better things to do than reply to our questions, but we’ll try to be as fast as possible. :) Would you like to introduce yourself and your site to our readers?
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<drx> It’d be a good idea, I don’t think that many people know me. My name is Luke Zapart, I run a website called Hidden Palace, devoted to preserving lost video games and video game development history, among other things. Oh and don’t worry, I have enough time and cans to spit in them.
<Xavio> When did you get the idea to open a site for unreleased stuff? Why did you start the site?
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<drx> I started it around the time when I started being fascinated by game prototypes and lost levels, features, etc that are sometimes present in them. I was planning to find prototypes and release them to the public, and I needed a place where I could do that. So I made a website. Initially, I was mostly concerned by Sonic the Hedgehog prototypes, but the craze soon expanded to many other games and consoles.
<Xavio> Why do you think that developers never release any information about beta-games?
<drx> Various reasons. Sometimes legal (usually only the owner of the IP is allowed to do anything with it; the single developers, who are sometimes eager to share, are bound by contracts, NDAs, and even without that, there’s still a risk of losing your job over doing these things), sometimes moral (some developers object to public display of in-development, buggy versions or information). Sometimes it’s because the company doesn’t care (this is very common, and so forth)
<Xavio> Is there any released games that has “changed your life”?
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<drx> I don’t think any games changed me directly, there aren’t that many philosophical games. But I do think the countless hours playing various games since my childhood affected me one way or another.
<Xavio> Yeah, even if Rayman 2: The Great Escape actually sucked for me I still enjoy it more than any DS game I’ve ever had. It’s a weird effect.
<drx> Oh boy, Rayman 2.. i almost ate my hair because of that game, it was so frustrating :P but I did finish it.
<Xavio> How do you look at the sub-gaming community – the Beta lovers?
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<drx> First of all, I don’t like the term beta, it’s overused and it’s mostly used incorrectly (beta means an almost finished product with minor bugs to iron out, in most instances). The community is nice, there are many people out there who help find stuff and preserve it, though there are far more ‘ROM leechers’ than helpful people, but I’m not really concerned about that.
<Xavio> Okay, shall I use the word OMEGA lovers? Hey… that actually sounded nice.
<drx> Well, prototype is a term I use, though some argue it’s inaccurate as well.. but it’s less harmful in my opinion
<Xavio> Isn’t beta and prototype really the same word?
<drx> nope :P beta is the last stages of a game, when all features are done and the only stuff left are the bugs to be fixed
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<Xavio> How do you see the relationships between the various “beta gaming” websites? Are they competitors or collaborators?
<drx> I don’t see them as either, many users go to several of those communities.
<Xavio> So they are like friendly rivals?
<drx> I guess, but like I said. I’m not concerned with communities too much.
<Xavio> I’ll take that as a yes. Have you gotten any information that’s not been shared to the public before?
<drx> Yes, some information/material I get cannot be shared with the public for various reasons, in order to be preserved. I had to sign a couple NDAs before.
<Xavio> Why does it feels like I talk to a FBI-agent?
<drx> This information is confidential. I can’t comment on it. I kid, I kid.
<Xavio> You do? Sure no one from Lost Levels is behind you snapping up our secret information?
<drx> I doubt it, I’m paranoid ;)
<Xavio> What do you think about U64?
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<drx> I think it’s interesting. It has a lot of material in one place, and you guys get a lot of publicity, which is always a good thing. You seem to have a lot of energy – you post videos, you grab screens. The more, the merrier, they say.
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<Xavio> Where do you get all those infos that you share on Hidden Palace?
<drx> Developers, journalists and prototype games.
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<Xavio> Ah well, I think that was all.. Anything you’d like to add before we quit?
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<drx> Well, greetings to all unseen64 visitors. And look out for future unreleased game releases from Hidden Palace
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[Interview by Xavio]
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