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Last week, after weighing in on everyone's input, we forwarded a number of questions to the PM Studios and Pentavision team that will be bringing you the U.S. debut of DJ Max with DJ Max Fever for the Sony PSP. In case you've missed the buzz, you can find news and media about Fever as well as news about the series as a whole right here on Bemanistyle to acclimate yourself with the features you'll be able to find in Fever when the title ships in November. Since DJ Max probably isn't a mystery to many of our users, we got pretty specific in our questions and this exclusive interview will shed some light on details for Fever for the first time - only on Bemanistyle.

Bemanistyle: First off, thanks for taking the time to answer a portion of the entire site's endless list of questions. Can you introduce yourself and how you are involved with DJ Max Fever?

Group: Hello Bemanistyle! Thank you very much for your support and contributions to the release of DJ Max Fever. Michael Yum is the Executive Producer for PM Studios; Ki In Kim is the Game Director for DJ Max Fever; Kalos Kim is the Project Manager.

BMS: Of course the number one request for the interview was examples of content exclusive to Fever. Understandably, the majority of the people on Bemanistyle interested in Fever already own an imported DJ Max Portable title. What kinds of exclusive content are being added to please those who already own DJ Max Portable 1 and 2?

Mike: This is a great question. One of our biggest concerns for Fever was the importing factor. To really make Fever stand out, I told Pentavision that we would need to put in exclusive songs not featured in Portable 2. So we decided to add a lot of the songs that were removed from Portable (1) and add new songs that weren’t in either version. At this point, I can tell you that we did create brand new songs but I cannot disclose how many. We are also going to do different things with our ranking system. We will be giving out prizes to the top players. We will also throw tournaments where players can win very exclusive prizes such as the limited edition [version of the game] signed. Perhaps Bemanistyle can host such a tournament for us in the near future.

BMS: You've already stated that Fever is being made with fans of the series in mind. Will you also be trying to reach out to new players and how do you plan on catering to them? The game is admittedly a tad difficult for beginner players so how is this being remedied for the "less seasoned" U.S. audience?

Kalos: We really wanted to keep the difficulty level the same for the fans. But to make the game easier for the new players, what we did was make the game's difficulty start on Easy [by default]. The players can change this anytime they want.

Ki In: The new songs also helped us balance the game out so there are easier and harder songs. We also lowered the price on some [in-game] items so you can use different gears for better upgrades.

BMS: The videos and artwork featured in the game are marvelous. What is the process involved to get the game's videos and artwork to match along with the theme of a song?

Ki In: Thank you so much. We design each artwork first and then create a soundtrack so it enhances and compliments the artwork. If we design the soundtrack first, then we do it vice versa.

BMS: While we're breathing a heavy sigh of relief the initial box art provided won't be seen at retail, a lot of our users are still a tad worried (one of our users even went as far as to create a mock-up of their own to potentially submit to the company). Are there any updates on the art? Along with packaging, has there been any sort of market research or surveys of players to determine what the most appropriate packaging, song genres, etc., would be for Fever?

Mike: Yeah we did get a lot of slack on that box art for Fever. Just to let you know, we are not using that art at all and the final package will not look anything like that. PM Studios and Pentavision is hard at work trying to collaborate on an East meets West style packaging. From what we have heard, the fans really want us to keep the Korean style of art, while the retailers are asking us to make it like Guitar Hero. Something that displays the game play and concept, but minus the characters. To please everyone, we do have a couple surprises for the packaging. We are currently looking into a double-sided coversheet. The only thing we have heard about the music [with feedback], is that everyone wants us to keep the original soundtrack.

BMS: Is there going to be a limited edition package made available similar to the Prestige/Orpheus editions released overseas? If not, where can avid DJ Max players go to demand one? Are there any current estimates as to a suggested retail price for the title? We've also got fans from Europe wondering if they might see a release of the title as well ...

Mike: We are currently working on the limited edition package. Being a new publisher, it is very hard for us to get commitments from retailers on the limited edition. By the end of the day, if we cannot get any commitments, we plan on selling the package through our website - www.pm-games.com. We cannot disclose the retail price at the moment because we are still trying to deal with the retailers. As for the Europe version, yes, we are working on it vigorously to make it happen very soon.

BMS: Are the save files still going to be locked to one indivdual PSP system? A lot of our users would like to know the reasoning behind this feature in the Korean version. Also, while the extent of time and skill required to unlock all of the game's material gives it a lot of replayability, not everyone is able to unlock everything in the game. Are there plans to ease up on the unlocks or have an alternate unlock system for Fever?

Kalos: We did mention earlier that the unlockables will be much easier this time. We balanced the game out so players can unlock them at a much faster pace. We are also adding new things like Level 99 for Easy Mode. As for the save file, we decided to make it locked to a system because we wanted players to gain skills by playing the game. Plus the profile is something we wanted to make exquisite. If we had a memory sharing function, then players can post up other player’s scores in the rankings.

BMS: Will the title feature any wireless modes such as ad hoc multiplayer, multiplayer over a network, game sharing, downloadable content, etc.?

Ki In: The game will have an ad-hoc multiplayer mode, and downloadable content is something we are planning right now.

BMS: Obviously, with the game's fanbase, the DJ Max games have a number of songs enjoyed by a myriad of U.S. players. What has been the artists' response to the fact their music will now have U.S. exposure?

Mike: They are very excited. Not just the musicians, but the artists, designers, programmers, etc., are all excited to see this game come to the U.S. The success of Fever in the U.S. market can determine what will happen to the series in the coming years.

BMS: Is the game being published in the U.S. with a future in mind? A lot of our members want to know the possibilities are of seeing sequels and conversions of entries to the Metro series. Also, what are Pentavision's thoughts on possibly working on systems such as the Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 or Playstation 3?

Mike: PM Studios has developed an excellent relationship with Pentavision right now. Both of us are looking at what the future holds for us. I really wish we could tell you everything but we have to make sure the timing is correct to release this information. We should be making a new announcement very soon though.

BMS: You mentioned in the interview with Siliconera that PM Studios started with the intention of doing iPhone development. Recently Pentavision has started testing the arcade version of DJ MAX Technika, which would lend itself to an iPhone or Nintendo DS version very well based on early videos. Is this something that PM Studios or Pentavision may consider for the future?

Mike: We are currently looking into all of the consoles and seeing what works best for each title.

BMS: Thanks again for taking the time out of your schedule to answer all of our questions. We wish you luck on the release of DJ Max Fever and future releases.

Everyone: Thank you Bemanistyle, the readers, and fans! We really hope you enjoy the game and we look forward to seeing your scores in the rankings! Thank you all again for your continued support!

While the video has already been posted on the site with the game's announcement, PM Studios and Pentavision has provided us with our own file for the DJ Max Technika arcade release, which can be viewed any time you please on the Bemanistyledotcom YouTube channel. Those involved with DJ Max will be updating us on Fever as well as other releases for the series, so we'll keep you informed about Black Square, Clazziquai Edition, Technika and more as the info is made available.