Metal Slug 3 is coming to the Xbox.

GS: Did the timing of the Xbox deal have anything to do with the rejection of Metal Slug 3 by Sony's concept approval department? I recently read that you've met with resistance from Sony with regard to a home release of SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos also. Can you speak to that?

BH: The Sony approval process has many steps. It is true that Metal Slug 3 has not been approved by Sony. Development takes many months for any platform. The decision to bring Metal Slug 3 to Xbox is independent of Sony's decision. We originally planned to bring the game to both formats. Metal Slug 3 was already in development for the Xbox before the announcement was made. Japan has been in development on that for months. I believe we're planning to bring it out here in May.

GS: So does that mean Metal Slug 3 is pretty much dead for PS2?

BH: Yes...

[Editor's note: Although Herman wouldn't elaborate further on the Sony approval process, other sources tell GameSpot that SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos likely will not be coming to the PlayStation 2 in North America. Another of SNK Playmore's games, Samurai Shodown 5, is also in doubt for the PS2 stateside, but SNK is tweaking the game and will apparently resubmit it to SCEA for approval.]

GS: What was the reasoning behind the King of Fighters 2000/2001 double pack? You don't often see companies release fighting game compilations here in the US.

BH: Knowing we had so many King of Fighters, it was my suggestion--straight up--to put the two together, to kind of make that a bundle, a gift to our fans who had been waiting for a while.

GS: King of Fighters 2003 is coming out for the NeoGeo home console soon, and Metal Slug 5 isn't that far off. Are there plans to bring either of these games to other consoles besides the NeoGeo? Such as the PS2 or Xbox?

BH: They, as with other franchise SNK games, will be in our plans. First Metal Slug 3 then...

GS: What about Metal Slug Advance? How's that coming along?

BH: We are planning an August release.

GS: Do you have any plans to produce more games in the future for the GBA? I know many of us Pocket fans would love to see an updated Card Fighter's Clash game. There's still a lot of life in the SNK vs. Capcom license.

BH: We will support the GBA. We will announce additional plans and titles at E3.

GS: Switching gears for a minute--SNK is still producing cartridges for the home NeoGeo console. How long does SNK plan to support that system? Do you know if production of new home consoles will ever start back up again?

BH: We will continue to bring NeoGeo arcade releases to the AES. Metal Slug 5 arrives February 19. King of Fighters 2003 will follow in March. As for new home consoles, sorry, there are no plans to build additional AES consoles.

GS: Can you explain SNK's relationship with the NeoStore and how that came about?

BH: We had the desire to give our AES console fans a single place to order products. I know that they also have MVS products as well. The owner of the NeoStore is the exclusive distributor of NeoGeo AES cartridges for the North American market. We started dealing with them in 1999 and felt that their Web site would be the best place to distribute our AES cartridges, and our agreement continues today.

NeoGeo fans waited months to see the liner artwork for the US AES version of King of Fighters 2003, which is making its exclusive debut here on GameSpot. This image was graciously furnished by the NeoStore, which is the official distributor of NeoGeo AES games in North America.

GS: This next one is a touchy subject, but I couldn't think of a better point to ask about it. There are software emulators that allow people to play NeoGeo games on their PCs. Often, new NeoGeo releases are dumped and playable on these emulators just days after they come out in the arcade. On the Internet, you can't read too far on a message board before someone professes that they're playing SNK's latest arcade release on their computer. What is SNK's position on this phenomenon, and is the company doing anything to curb it?

BH: There are too many--we can't go after everyone--but we pursue legal action as best we can. Like the music and movie industries, we disapprove.

GS: Does SNK have a position on the use of ROM files to play older NeoGeo games, such as Magician Lord, Fatal Fury, and other games from the early 1990s?

BH: Again, we disapprove.

GS: Recently, Koichi Toyama, president of SNK Playmore in Japan, said during a press conference that the company "is moving its core business focus from games to Pachinko slot machines." What impact will that have, if any, on your division of the company?

BH: SNK Playmore will mainly support Pachinko slot machines and the home console categories.

GS: So development for PlayStation 2 and Xbox will continue. What are your plans for SNK NeoGeo Consumer going forward?

BH: To bring our franchise games to the home and portable consoles for many years to come. It was always our intention to do PlayStation 2, Xbox--which are both where our customers are--and Game Boy Advance. As far as going beyond that, I want to do PSP and the next generation of all three systems.

GS: Thanks for your time.