Farewell, Anime PlayStation

Anime PlayStation comes to a close today. For nearly two and a half years, webmaster Freddy Chan has maintained a nonpareil web site for English-language information on Japanese PlayStation games.

On Usenet, gamers lament Freddy's decision to end Anime PlayStation and praise his dedication. One fan eulogizes, "I've been visiting for what seems like years now, and it's a damn shame to see it go. It was wonderful while it lasted, Freddy!" "Incredible job, Freddy! Your insanely useful site will be sorely missed," writes another fan.

GameSpot spoke with Freddy Chan about Anime PlayStation and what's beyond:

GameSpot: How long has Anime PlayStation been in existence? What was the impetus behind it?Freddy Chan: Almost two and a half years. During the past few years, not many English-speaking fans played Japanese games, mainly because of language differences. Plus, they didn't know anything about these games at all. In order to introduce these cool games to English-speaking fans, I established Anime PlayStation. My goal was to attract more people to these cool games, considering most of these games wouldn't be translated into English.

GS: I remember Anime PlayStation initially focussed on anime's bearing on PlayStation games, yes? Then it later covered all Japanese imports for the PlayStation. What prompted this expansion of Anime PlayStation's focus? Chan: I planned to cover a variety of Japanese PlayStation games in the beginning, but I just wanted to do it slowly. So I covered pure anime PlayStation games first, then expanded the coverage for all Japanese PlayStation games.

GS: Why pull the plug now when PlayStation mania is at its apex and several significant Japanese PlayStation games (such as Final Fantasy VIII and Metal Gear Solid) are on the horizon?Chan: I understand Anime PlayStation is extremely popular now, but I want to end it at its peak time.

GS: Why not go commercial, like so many fan sites? I'm sure it was tempting. Why didn't you ever cave in and solicit all those pesky banners from advertisers?Chan: During the past year or two, a lot of advertisers asked me to do the banner stuff. Yes, I know it can generate a lot of money per month, but I feel it's unfair to the readers who submit their reviews and cheats. As you know, one of the strongest points of Anime PlayStation isthe readers' reviews. If I made money from this site while readers submitted their reviews for free, it would've been unfair that they didn't get a share of this money. That's why I wanted Anime PlayStation to stay purely a fan site.

GS: What do you think of your site's huge popularity... and all your grieving fans on Usenet this week?Chan: I'm glad Anime PlayStation has become such a popular site, but sooner or later, it had to come to an end. Also, I'm happy to hear comments from various domestic game companies and regular fans. They said they often use my site as a "buying guide." For example, some domestic game companies have told me that Anime PlayStation helped them select which games to translate into English.

GS: After June 15, what will you do with all the extra time on your hands?Chan: Be sure to read my final editorial!