Community Interview: TSSZ's Tristan Bresnen Talks 2002

TSSZ continues its extensive news-gathering run in the Sonic community, and after our last interview with webmaster Tristan Bresnen the site has gone from strength to strength. Sonic_Hedgehogs has another chat with Bresnen and discusses the current year and the biggest stories that have impacted the community to date.

TSS: Hey all! Andrew here with my second interview with Tristan, webmaster of www.tssz.com. Click HERE for our first interview, which we talked about his and TSSZ's history, SA2, AoStH, and everything else. So Tristan, give us an update on TSSZ and its new design and so on.

Tristan: TSSZ has taken a more "all news" approach. That's been our main focus since we launched in 1999 and that's something I personally wanted to concentrate on. Sega getting out of the console business helped me make the transition a bit. I want gamers to turn to us as their Sonic, Sega, and video game news source, hence "Turn to TSSZ."

But don't worry - as soon as I get everything over to the new look, the things that made TSSZ so good as a general Sonic site - the MIDI archive, BOSS episodes, stuff like that - will all return online. The new design has been a long time coming - the old look was becoming too simple for my liking - it's 2002, after all (though the old look was made in June 2001 to celebrate Sonic's 10th anniversary.)

TSS: What problems did you have with your SEVEN host and did you also get that figured out?

Tristan: Live365 told its customers that it would be charging a royalty fee per month due to the recent CARP decision made by the Library of Congress, which mandated that Internet radio stations weren't exempt from the royalty fees that AM/FM/XM radio stations pay. Also, the company started broadcasting adult themed ads on my station, which irked me since my target demographic for Seven are people aged 11-21.

However, that's gone since I pay $15 a month to keep the station online. I might have to do fund drives in the future to keep it alive, but for now, it's all good.

TSS: Since you're a news source and one of the rare Sonic and gaming news sites that covered the September 11 attacks, will you be having a September 11th Anniversary at TSSZ?

Tristan: I'm still up in the air on that one. I'm an hour and a half from Ground Zero, and on 9/11 I was on a total news watch on Seven for any developments once classes ended that day. But also, the Sonic Amateur Games Expo last September got hammered by the WTC attacks, as the server SAGE was using was in Lower Manhattan.

I might end up doing a brief "look back" on TSSZ, a special live program on Seven, and during the day orchestral Shenmue will play on Seven - it has a very sad tone to it. But if another terror attack occurs on 9/11/02... rest assured, I'll be ready to go live with any information I have. I hope that doesn't happen, but I'm ready for it if it does.

TSS: Well lets hope so. Tell us about your thoughts on not seeing any reports on any real NEW Next Generation Sonic games. As we haven't heard a peep from Sega or Sonic Team after they promised us info and not info on some re-hashes and Sonic Advance 2.

Tristan: Tough call here. On the bad side, people who stayed faithful to the Saturn with the release of Sonic Jam have been screwed over. In addition, some don't have the money to get a new console just to play rehashed material. However, on the more promising side, the Sonic Team could be doing this just to buy time for making a brand new next-gen title that no one's heard about.

The GCN SA and Mega Collection will be enough for me to get Nintendo's new console, but if it turns out that the next Sonic is going to be released for the XBOX, I'm going to be quite angry.

TSS: What do you think of Yuji Naka's responses to a interview a month ago saying things like "SA2 will be the end of the adventure series for a while", meaning there might not be anymore Adventure games? He also said things about not truly wanting to develop on one console and going to others.

Tristan: On the multiple console note, as I said, if that's the case, I'm going to be very upset. I can remember Naka saying at a trade show (it might have been E3, can't recall at the moment) that if gamers liked Sonic, they should get a GameCube. If Naka's going to do a complete 180 on that statement, a lot of Sonic fans are going to be out of luck, especially the young ones whose parents can't afford buying three consoles just to play Sonic.

On the "No More Adventure" count, I actually think that will be better for the Sonic series. The first SA was amazing, while the sequel in standard fashion... was mediocre. Naka and the team needs to either come up with something totally original that gamers will enjoy, or go back to SA/Sonic 3&K-esque old school gameplay. What I wouldn't give to have a 3D Sonic 3 and Knuckles!

TSS: Before we wrap this up, what future additions will you have at TSSZ?

Tristan: If anything, I guess expanded news coverage and maybe more staff to handle things. I don't want to add a huge amount of stuff at this time, as I have college to worry about shortly. Likewise, the increased staff will offset what I need to do and I'll have more time to work on academics and maybe establish a good social life (we don't want Ballad 2 on Seven now do we?).

TSS: Thanks a lot for the updated interview Tristan, good luck on TSSZ and college! See ya next update!

Tristan: Yup. Thank you.