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Thread: Retro Planetweb interviews...

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    Default Retro Planetweb interviews...

    For those who don't know, Planetweb is the company responsible for bringing the internet to video game consoles. The company was founded for the specific purpose of creating a browser for the Sega Saturn Net Link, and then later developed browsers for both the Dreamcast and PS2, before completely leaving the game industry.

    Below are some old interviews that I have conducted with Planetweb over the years. For anyone who grew up with a Sega console as a primary means of surfing the internet, these might be of interest to you.

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    Ken Soohoo interview 1998

    This is when I was an editor for a site called NetlinkWorld.com, if you were wondering what "NLW" stands for. We did this interview in public on PW's IRC server.

    This interview is fun to read because a lot of things that Soohoo talked about, such as Telnet, Portals, 128-bit SSL, and the 4.0 CS its self, never saw the light of day.

    -------

    NLW: Greetings everyone and welcome to tonight’s chat event with our guest of honor, Ken Soohoo first of all I would like to thank Ken for taking the time out to be with us tonight, and also to thank everyone else involved in making this possible. Ken would you please tell us what you do for PlanetWeb what are your duties here etc.?


    Ken Soohoo: Well, I run Product Development at Planet Web. My official title is VP Product Development and CTO. Myself and about seven others founded Planet Web in March of 1996... Since then, Planet Web has grown to about 55 people. We've completed about 14 different products. But the FIRST product was the NetLink ;-)



    NLW Staff: So, Ken, would you care to fill us in on how Planet Web came to be?

    Ken: Ok, the story of Planet Web, it's a good one... Let's see, where do I begin. In 1995 I worked for a games company, some of you know my prior work.

    NLW Staff: Which is?

    Ken: {I'll tell you products, see if you can guess the company} {Night Trap} {Sewer Shark} {Double Switch} {Corpse Killer} {Prize Fighter} {Supreme Warrior} Any of these ring a bell?)

    I quit my job in early 1996. At that time, I wrote a business plan for connecting the Internet to video games consoles.


    Ken: Digital Research A small silicon valley startup called... Digital Pictures

    Ok, so I took the business plan to our current Chairman of the Board, Kamran Elahian. I used to work for Kamran at a company called Momenta. He told me that if I wanted to start a company, I should call him. So, I did ;-) Two days later, we were on the plane to Tokyo. Kamran, it turns out, knows a few people at Sega. Another day goes by and we were making the business pitch to Sega's Board of Directors. Sega said that they had a competing product for the Japan market already. I said that me and the team could make a better product, in 10 weeks. We would start from 0, nothing, and make a better looking product. Sega said that we would have to compete head-to-head with the Japanese product. If we won, we would get the US market. If we lost, oh well. So, we went back to the US and worked on three things: #1: Hire the founding team. #2: Raise the money to pay the founding team. #3: Make the product, do it fast, and do it better than anyone else. So, from March 1996 to May 1996 we worked like crazy. In May 1996 we showed at E3 and competed against the Japanese browser. Needless to say, we killed 'em! So, the US market was Planet Web's Sega made a small investment in the company after that, along with another large Japanese company. The product launch was in October 1996. That's the story...

    NLW staff: How is the current situation between SEGA and PlanetWeb? Any future plans to work with them or any other video gaming company?

    Ken: Planet Web and Sega continue to work well together... If you were at a press event in January 1999 you would have seen our latest work. It's a nice little Dreamcast browser, but we're still working on it. We have no _announced_ _offical_ plans for this product. In other words, it was a technology demo.

    NLW Staff What have you done, Ken, to help bring Planet Web to the success it has seen? What was your main part in this?

    Ken: Um, well, product development is pretty much what we do here. I run it, which means my butt is on the line for everything that goes out the door... I also write a little code. {Perhaps to the annoyance of the real engineers here ;-)}

    NLW Staff: Alright. How many people were involved in designing the original Version 2 NetLink browser and how much did it cost to produce?

    Ken: Cost, I can't really say, it's quite a few man-years of work. The original effort was about 8 people.

    NLW Staff: Ken how do you feel about the way Sega supported the NetLink?

    Ken: Hum, hard to call that one. Sega gave the NetLink life. Personally... Sega is the only games company to dedicate itself to the Internet. I feel they didn’t support it well enough. So, what can I say? They did what they could given their position in the industry.

    NLW Staff: Would you have liked to see them have done more to support it?

    Ken: Hum, you put me in a tough spot with that Q. Sega is an investor in Planet Web. Sega has supported Planet Web since day 1. Sega has problems with their core business on the Saturn. Sega's business decisions are to make sure they do well... Well, of course I'd like a huge budget for this project. I always lobby for that ;-) But, that's a Sega company decision, and I need to abide by their call.

    NLW Staff: Ken, today, how much is Planet Web worth?

    Ken: Planet Web is a private company, so I can't tell you that...

    NLW Staff: You probably are already aware that a company called Majesco Sales INC. has bought the rights to the SEGA Saturn, and is going to release the Saturn 3 sometime this fall. I've heard several rumors... Does PlanetWeb have any plans to take advantage of this situation?

    Ken: Ah, I can't comment on Majesco Sales. Well, it could be an opportunity for Planet Web to sell more browsers. If _anyone_ wants to continue making Saturn’s and Netlink’s, Planet Web will happily support them ;-)

    NLW Staff: Ken, What are your intentions with the new Planet Web office located in Japan?

    Ken: Ha! Planet Web Japan is a Sales Office. It's kinda small, but gives us an excellent "local" presence. We continue to see most of our business being driven from Asia.

    NLW Staff: Do you know how many people work at the Japan office?

    Ken: We have a couple of employees there...

    NLW Staff: Who's idea was it to create the server side tools such as Planet Webmaster that give added features to your product which would otherwise be impossible?

    Ken: Jim Straus is our Director of Server Technologies, they come from his group.

    NLW Staff: Ok off the subject a little...What about competition….will PW stand up to it in the future?

    Ken: Planet Web has lots of interesting technology advantages ;-) Planet Web's latest is a custom Java VM. We've also acquired a small Java Applications company. Of course, we have lots of core technology in browsing.

    Staff: Will the upcoming Telnet tool, as well as Planet Webmaster, be incorporated somehow into the 4.0 CD? And how will be accessed?

    Ken: We will continue to keep the client as lightweight as possible. The only thing that we're going to cram into the 4.0 CD that's really new is.... SSL. We also have some interesting User Customizable Content too... Hopefully we can make most of this a downloadable Beta... But we're not sure how far we can go with the download, it's quite an engineering trick.

    NLW Staff: Customizable content… Would this be the portal strategy you have been working on?

    Ken: Yes, we're introducing the first real implementation of the portal on the NetLink!

    NLW Staff: Going back to the Java VM you mentioned, this in no way would affect NetLink users, would it? No technology form that could be transferred to your NetLink product?

    Ken: Sadly, the Java VM is waaay too big for the NetLink. It would fit nicely inside a Dreamcast.

    NLW Staff: Does Planet Web have any plans to make any other web based tools like Planet Webmaster?

    Ken: Well, the portal technologies that we're introducing are client-server. With the new portal you'll be able to see personalized info on your home page... Like: news, weather, entertainment, sports... Reviews of games... It'll be info that is focused at NetLinkers in some sense. With the SSL in the 4.0 you'll also be able to buy on-line.

    NLW Staff: Ken, for us NetLinkers who are computer illiterate, what is Telnet, and what will it do for us?

    Ken: Telnet is a way of hooking up to a computer system and controlling programs and editing files that live on that computer. Telnet can be used to build a web site. Before the Web, it was simply a way to operate a computer from another computer. I _personally_ think that building a web site is easier with the existing online tools. Telnet does provide a LOT more capabilities and control. Good enuf?

    NLW Staff: I have two final questions before I retire, how many active NetLinkers does Planet Web estimate are still out there, and how many 4.0 sales equal a 5.0 BETA?

    Ken: First of all, we don't publicly release #'s on active users. The NetLink's sales #'s according to Sega are "More than 40,000 units" Planet Web will continue to support the NetLink platform. I can't tell you when and what would be in any future versions. time.

    NLW Staff: SSL technology has different levels of encryption, some going as high as 128-bit. What level will the NetLink get?

    Ken: We're focused on getting all the stuff we've put into the 4.0 to stick ;-) We're going to have SSL 3.0 128 bit. What that means is that you will have the highest security level available in the US.

    NLW Staff: When does Planet Web hope to release the 4.0 disc?

    Ken: The 4.0 disc will be out as soon as we can make it stable. With SSL and the portal going into it, it's a challenge. Of course, all of your help in Beta testing this product will be crucial.

    NLW Staff: Can you give us an estimated time frame, and can we expect more betas then before the release?

    Ken: Well, I'd bet on at least one more Beta, as you haven't see SSL yet, eh? Time frame is always difficult with software ;-}

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    Ken Soohoo Dreamcast 3.0 interview

    At this time I was an editor for a website called Dricas World Network (DWN).

    This interview is probably circa 2001.

    ----------------

    Dricas World Network: Hello Ken, it’s nice to meet with you again, it’s been a while. Could you please introduce yourself for those of our readers who aren’t familiar with who you are?

    Ken Soohoo: I'm Ken Soohoo, Founder, President and CEO of Planetweb, Inc. By training I'm a Software Engineer and hold a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. I hold four patents, two with Planetweb. I've spent many years in the Video Game Console business, first with Atari and then with Digital Pictures.

    DWN: So, what are your responsibilities at work?

    Ken: Being CEO at a small company means that I'm involved at a high level in almost every aspect of Planetweb -- from Software Development to Sales and Finance. I'm responsible for setting the vision and direction of Planetweb in all aspects of business.

    DWN: How many offices do Planetweb have around the world today? About how many employees does Planetweb have today?

    Ken: Today Planetweb has three major offices worldwide, Redwood Shores is the headquarters, Tokyo has six people, and London has three people, and there are individuals operating in several other cities. In total we are almost 70 people, with over half of our resources applied in Software Development and associated areas of business.

    DWN: The Dreamcast 3.0 Internet Browser was one of Planetweb's most anticipated products ever, how does it feel for it to finally be complete?</b>

    Ken: Dreamcast 3.0 is a huge step for Planetweb, as it's our first complete Java implementation, as well as being the launch of our server-side technology. I'm excited that we can bring these new technologies to the consumer first on the Dreamcast, as the SEGA audience is our largest and fastest selling platform ever. The team effort required to bring this to market was very large, as DC 3.0 is also the first piece of software for which Planetweb acted as Publisher, providing everything from jacket design to manual contents. I'm really proud of the complete Planetweb team for the significant effort, from Software Development to Marketing!

    DWN: What features were the most difficult to implement into a Dreamcast browser?

    Ken: Honestly I know that the Java we've got in the Dreamcast is a truly magical feat, something that can only be accomplished by two or three teams in the entire world, and it's a very impressive feature that entailed a huge effort.

    DWN: Why no Dreamcall?

    Ken: The business model for Dreamcall didn't work for DC 3.0 with Planetweb as the Publisher of the product.

    DWN: How many people were involved in the creation of the 3.0?

    Ken: The Planetweb Team involved many individuals from almost every department -- Software Development (both client and server engineering, four full-time with an extended team that peaked at six), Project Management, Graphic Design (both electronic assets and physical assets specialists) and Marketing.

    DWN: Will this be the last product that Planetweb does for a Sega system after such a long history of working together?

    Ken: I'd love to continue making product for SEGA hardware, but it all depends on the business performance of the DC 3.0 product. SEGA now makes software for other Video Game Consoles, and Planetweb supplies software technology on other platforms -- so the Dreamcast may not be the end of the SEGA / Planetweb partnership.

    DWN: So, Ken, what can you tell us about Planetweb's future plans to release a product for the PS2? You know, my staff and I would really like to get our hands on such a product.

    Ken: I've just been playing with Planetweb's PS/2 Ethernet version in Japan (published in Japan by Ergosoft, a Koei company, and called EGBrowser), and it's really amazing what a fast connection can do on a fast system! In addition, because the hardware interface is USB we can continue to make versions for future peripherals such as Wireless Ethernet. As you may know, we've been shipping that product in Japan since about April of 2001. I can't give you a US release time or a US product specification, as Sony Computer Entertainment America sets the Networking direction and controls all product on the US PS2.

    DWN: Any plans for an Xbox or GameCube product at this time?

    Ken: Planetweb's business plan has always called for working with multiple vendors in a single market, such as Sega, Sony and Nintendo in the Video Game Console market. We work with multiple DVD makers in that market! We're working hard on extending the Planetweb reach to additional market segments as well as vendors.

    DWN: After all of this time, how do you feel about the way that Sega supported Dreamcast? Would you have liked to see them have done more to support it?

    Ken: The SEGA Dreamcast hardware is still very competitive to other systems on the market. Unfortunately SEGA couldn't handle the huge cash flow and investment requirement to be a hardware vendor in the Video Games Console business. If the prior SEGA platform had performed better, then perhaps this generation would have had a better chance. In any case, I think that SEGA did all it could do as an organization, given the resources it had to work with. SEGA was really working on the leading edge of Networking in the Video Games business, and for that fact alone should be applauded for good effort at finding a business model that works.

    DWN: How many offices do Planetweb have around the world today? About how many employees does Planetweb have today?

    Ken: Today Planetweb has three major offices worldwide, Redwood Shores is the headquarters, Tokyo has six people, and London has three people, and there are individuals operating in several other cities. In total we are almost 70 people, with over half of our resources applied in Software Development and associated areas of business.

    DWN: Well, it seems as if our time is up. Be sure to keep us updated on your future plans. Thanks for your time, Ken.

    Ken: You're welcome Rob, its always a pleasure chatting with you.

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    And another one...

    Dricas World: What's the reasoning behind releasing a new browser for a console near its end?

    Ken Soohoo: There are a lot of people that use the Dreamcast browser on a regular basis and there's plenty more to go from Planetweb. There's lots of other cool stuff that we've got. The reasoning is, "So why don't we do a deal with Sega to bring out latest and greatest to the Dreamcast?". That's the high level of how it started. I had to actually to go to Japan to negotiate this one because Sega of America was still trying to hold on to the browser, but of course they didn't have any money or any way of doing it.

    We've been working on this for a few months. We were trying to get in as much as we could in the way of bug fixes from the other product lines that we've got. We've upgraded the product to Flash 4. We've done a huge amount of JavaScript fixes. And then we added a couple of interesting features of support that I think the Sega audience has really been missing in the Dreamcast. The first is broadband support, so we'll be bringing the first console broadband browsing to the US. The second is instant messaging support.

    The good news from our perspective is that Planetweb now has direct control over the product. In the past, we have written the Dreamcast browser to Sega's specifications. We don't have to do that anymore and that's a really good thing.

    DW: You mentioned broadband connections and Instant Messaging support. What about Java?

    KS: We've been working hard on Java and it's certainly been quite the challenge. The history behind Java in the consumer electronics field is pretty ugly. Sun doesn't really have any clue yet how to make Java into a consumer electronics product. The Dreamcast and Planetweb were sort of a grand experiment to see if it could fly. More than a year ago we announced Java on the Dreamcast at the JavaOne conference. Ever since then we've been working to make the very stripped down Java that we've got from Sun widely compatible for the web. The whole point of Java on the Dreamcast is to be able to see another type of web content. It's not like the Palm PDA platform, because the Palm is a very different environment. With Palm you're not trying to browse generic web sites; you're trying to run Java applets that other people built for the Palm. On the Dreamcast, people are not going to be building applets for the Dreamcast. This is all about generic web site browsing. Yet, there's not enough resources in the Dreamcast to match the expected resources in a PC or Sun's Java. So this is a balance. Literally, we've been working on it for well over a year and a half to get this thing to work. We're almost there. The good news is that we're currently at more than 75% compatibility ratings and the number of tests that we've passed is in the 9000 range. We're trying to hold onto the Java product until we're comfortable that it has a high enough quality level that it's going to be good for the Dreamcast audience. If we can include it in time for the release date for 3.0 then we will, and it's pretty close. If not, we'll just have to wait for the next one. But let me tell you, the team here is working really hart to get Java included.

    DW: Will the included instant messaging be based on an existing system such as AOL IM or Yahoo! Messenger?

    KS: Our instant messaging is based on the Yahoo! protocol.

    DW: Tell us a little bit about broadband support.

    KS: Broadband support is very cool. As you may know from using the broadband adapter, it's not only blazingly fast but reasonably compatible. Broadband actually has a much easier configuration than a modem. There's really little to worry about a broadband connection. You'll just plug it in and let it rip.

    DW: When is the development cutoff date for 3.0?

    KS: The development cutoff date is going to be in early September. There's some Sega third-party testing that needs to take place, there's some Sun testing, and there's a manufacturing lead time. The manufacturing lead time is relatively modest compared to the years of past where it used to be everybody and their brother was making Dreamcast games. The testing effort is being handled mostly by Planetweb, not by Sega, so the testing time should be relatively small. Sun will have to approve the Java that we put in it, if we put it in.

    DW: Will it be distributed at retail?

    KS: It will not be distributed at retail. The pre-order is not just us asking you to buy from us so we can get around the retail distribution. It's that Planetweb does not have a retail channel. We know that the Dreamcast audience is online and we want to make the browser less expensive for them. There's no doubt that going through a retail channel would actually cost the Dreamcast audience more money. So if we sell it directly over the web, that's the best way.

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    Soohoo talked a lot of smack for a rather crappy browser. Planetweb in all its incarnations was pretty bad. Dream Passport on DC was fairly decent, especially with the BBA, but PW was just...yuck. I understand the limitations and restrictions they were working under, but Dream Passport turned out better than PW.

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    I would have liked to found out the fate of the Planet Web browser for the Nuon.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 6502 View Post
    Soohoo talked a lot of smack for a rather crappy browser. Planetweb in all its incarnations was pretty bad. Dream Passport on DC was fairly decent, especially with the BBA, but PW was just...yuck. I understand the limitations and restrictions they were working under, but Dream Passport turned out better than PW.
    What they were able to do with the Net Link browser was nothing short of astonishing.

    With the first Dreamcast browsers, they sucked because they were just updated ports of the Net Link browser, because Sega wasn't going to use Planetweb again. They were going to use Dream Passport here too, but it wasn't ready in time. So, Sege went to Planetweb and said, "Can you give us a product by launch?" And Planetweb said, "Sure, no problem."

    The only true "next-gen" version of Planetweb's browser was the v3.0 for Dreamcast and the subsiquent PS2 EGBrowsers based off the that version. And, for the record, the v3.0 is pretty damn good!

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