What happened to Sega Dreamcast?!?!

[nj1sh]

What has happened to Sega is it DEAD or WHAT?!?! Sega Dreamcast had the best chance to compete among Sony and Nintendo. I remember the early games were "super" and people loved Dreamcast. I was a big fan of Sega which lasted for about a year and than it disappeared overnight.

[FDSMAN]

uh where have you been? undergorund perhaps?

[Sparkfist]

Dreamcast was put under by really two things; one was the fact a lot of people were waiting for the PS2 to come out with; the other is that the PS2 had better specs in speed and had a DVD plater for people to wach movies.

[goodie]

What has happened to Sega is it DEAD or WHAT?!?! Sega Dreamcast had the best chance to compete among Sony and Nintendo. I remember the early games were "super" and people loved Dreamcast. I was a big fan of Sega which lasted for about a year and than it disappeared overnight.

Okay, if you must know...

Once upon a time there was a company named Sega. Sega made a video game system called the Master System. However, another company named Nintendo, had a system called the NES, which everyone liked better. So the Master System never sold well. Later Sega made the Genesis(AKA Mega Drive). The Genesis was much faster than the NES, and had quite a bit of 3rd party support, as well. This caused it to sell quite well. It became very popular. Nintendo didn't want to be behind, so they created a similarly powerful system called the SNES. It also became very popular. There was good competition, and both companies benefited. Later, Sega made an add-on for the Genesis, called the Sega CD. It stored the games on CD's which allowed for CD quality sound, and small movies to be in the games. A few years later they released another add-on. It was called the 32x. It allowed the Genesis to play special 32-bit games. Not very many games were released for it. It sold very poorly. This was the beginning of the end. A short while later, Sega released a brand new system, called the Sega Saturn. It sold alright for awhile. But a new competitor had arrived-Sony. Sony was going to make a CD add-on for the SNES. But the idea was scrapped. So, Sony took the technology they were working on and built their own system from it. Sony was different from Nintendo and Sega, though. They didn't make any games for their system. They instead got tons of 3rd party companies to make games for it. As a result, there were tons of games availible for it. Sega didn't have near as much 3rd party support. Also, since they released new systems and add-ons so often, no one really wanted to buy the Saturn, because they figured as soon as they got one, Sega would make a new system and no longer make games for Saturn. So the Saturn didn't sell too good. Meanwhile, Nintendo was releasing the N64, which like most of their systems up to that time, sold quite well. - Not as well as Sony's Playstation, but still pretty good. At this time, Sega seemed to just disappear. Then in 1999 (98 in Japan), Sega reemerged and released the Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast was much more powerful than both the N64 and PlayStation. However, the PlayStation remained the number one selling system. The Dreamcast sold quite well at first, but then people stopped buying them. This was due to a number of reasons. The Dreamcast had a flaw which allowed people to play copied games with ease. So, the dishonest people stopped buying games. Instead, stealing them off the Internet. Also, Sega didn't have the tons of 3rd party support like Sony. Some people probably still didn't trust them either. (EDIT: as Sparkfist said, the PS2 also contributed to the Dreamcast's death. Poeple stopped getting Dreamcasts and instead went after the PS2 hype.) Among other things, these things caused Sega to lose lots of money on the Dreamcast. They were in huge debt. They had no other choice, they decided to discontinue the Dreamcast after only 2 years. They got rid of all their hardware development equipment and employees, and became a software-only company. They would now be just another 3rd party company making games for their previous competitors consoles. So no, their not dead. There still making lots of games. They probably won't be going back to making consoles any time soon, if ever. However, they were purchased by a company named Sammy, which was renamed SegaSammy. (Thier products are still released under the Sega name though, because people are familiar with it. ) Sammy may have the cash to allow Sega to create a console in the distant future, you never know. Don't expect one anytime soon, though. Sega is trying to sell lots and lots of games, so they can get out of debt.

And there you have it, "What has happened to Sega".

[jaytee]

I could have sworn that I read somewhere that Sega's previous CEO's dying wish was that his company no longer make hardware, so they had to begrudgingly shut down the Dreamcast. And therefore, Sega will never make another console.
Anyway, it's not like the Dreamcast REALLY died, we do have the Dreamcast 2... oops, I mean XBox.

And the Dreamcast's ability to read burned CDs wasn't a flaw, per se. Sega's engineers just never thought they needed to take out the ability to read copied CDs, due to the fact that they were using the proprietary disk/compression format. They didn't count on hackers taking the music out of a game to get it to fit on a normal CD. Less a flaw, more an oversight. And really, it was a good thing, as that's the main thing fueling the DC's outstanding homebrew/emulation scene.

[JackFrost22]

Uh the XBOX has no affliation with the DC

[gamer2]

the other is that the PS2 had better specs in speed and had a DVD plater for people to wach movies.

the PS2 has crummy hard ware like the saturn they went cheap and put 2 crappy processors in the system and prayed that it does well. The Dreamcast/PS2 games looked/played better on the Dreamcast and were longer.

[jaytee]

Uh the XBOX has no affliation with the DC

yea, but look at the similarities.

-both were pioneers in online gaming
-both run microsoft software
-the xbox got the sequels to some of DC's most distinctive games (shenmue 2, jet set radio future, etc)

even the controllers are similar (talking about the original xbox controller), aside from the lack of a second analog stick and the cord coming out of the $%&#ing bottom of the dreamcast controller.

[Sparkfist]

the PS2 has crummy hard ware like the saturn they went cheap and put 2 crappy processors in the system and prayed that it does well. The Dreamcast/PS2 games looked/played better on the Dreamcast and were longer.

Yes I've hear that the games that came out for the Dreamcast and PS2 showed the Dreamcast was better. But all most people see is CPU speed and when you compare 200mH to 300mH its quite different.

As for the PS2, its a custom chip I dont think they spend years developing a POS. And witht the Saturn, it got a bad rap. One is Sega USA screwed it up by making the 32x (whick was an overpriced POS) and the developers couldnt figure a way to make use of the two CPUs until late in the Saturn's life. Dual processors are pointless usless you can make use of it.

[JackFrost22]

Thats cause Microsoft pays sega to develop games.

[Sparkfist]

yea, but look at the similarities.

-both were pioneers in online gaming
-both run microsoft software
-the xbox got the sequels to some of DC's most distinctive games (shenmue 2, jet set radio future, etc)

even the controllers are similar (talking about the original xbox controller), aside from the lack of a second analog stick and the cord coming out of the $%&#ing bottom of the dreamcast controller.

Keeping in mind that all the 128bit systems have atleast one analoge stick, a d-pad, two trigger buttons and four thumb buttons.

On the Dreamcast it says compatible with Windows CE (a minimulistic windows if one doesnt exsist).
Online gamming pioneers? Online games was around sence I believe 16bit consoles (but never got to the U.S.)
And the games wow that proves that Microsoft picked up the Dreamcast. You know there are things called contracts and as the Xbox is a Mircrosoft produce they can afford to buy any contract they want. Not to that if Sega had use the same development software with those as with PSO a port to x86 would be easy as I know that PSO is one the Dreamcast, computer, Xbox and GameCube.

[jaytee]

yea, but look at the similarities.

-both were pioneers in online gaming
-both run microsoft software
-the xbox got the sequels to some of DC's most distinctive games (shenmue 2, jet set radio future, etc)

even the controllers are similar (talking about the original xbox controller), aside from the lack of a second analog stick and the cord coming out of the $%&#ing bottom of the dreamcast controller.

Keeping in mind that all the 128bit systems have atleast one analoge stick, a d-pad, two trigger buttons and four thumb buttons.

On the Dreamcast it says compatible with Windows CE (a minimulistic windows if one doesnt exsist).
Online gamming pioneers? Online games was around sence I believe 16bit consoles (but never got to the U.S.)
And the games wow that proves that Microsoft picked up the Dreamcast. You know there are things called contracts and as the Xbox is a Mircrosoft produce they can afford to buy any contract they want. Not to that if Sega had use the same development software with those as with PSO a port to x86 would be easy as I know that PSO is one the Dreamcast, computer, Xbox and GameCube.

back up dude, no need to get hostile. everything you say is right, but none of it disproves the similarities i mentioned.
First of all, i realize that all 128 bit systems have genreally the same controls. but if you look to the original xbox and dreamcast specifically, you'll notice that the similarities are more pronounced than say, dreamcast and ps2. in fact, they are nearly identical, except for the addition of a second analogue stick and the color. even the size and general shape are similar.

i really have no idea what you're saying about windows ce. i would posit that the xbox would have never happened without the dreamcast. microsoft realized with the dreamcast that their software could run fairly sophisticated games (or, alternatively, microsoft wanted to see if their software could run sophisticated games).

i realize that online gaming was around before the dreamcast or xbox, but saying that either system wasn't a pioneer in online gaming would be understating their importance. the dreamcast was the first system to have a built-in modem, and one of the first to have online gaming catch on at all. the xbox currently has the most successful online console gaming set up of all time. i don't se how you can possibly say those systems were not pioneers, just because they werent the first. the atari wasn't the first video game, but its certainly a pioneer.

as for the software, i have no idea what you're trying to prove, other than what i've already said (that there are quite a few dreamcast sequels on xbox).

[Sparkfist]

Where to begin.

You have even said that all the 128bit consoles have simalarities in controller layout. I wont argue that the Dreamcast and Xbox are the only consoles that have memory cards in the controllers. But to say that an extra analoge stick and card slots dont make them copies. I know its tempting to put this together and have a reasonable explaination, but until Microsoft says "Yes we copied the Dreamcast's design" I cant beleive it.

Microsoft relized that games, or "sophisticated" games could be played on Windows?! Sence when has windows not be the platform for games? And if you have a Dreamcast look at the front right side and it says "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".

Yes, about online gaming Dreamcast and Xbox hit a home run when they had builtin support for internet connnections. That makes it a good stratage not pioneers.

Look about Sega's software. There are two ways that games where written for the Dreamcast: one was that they used the Sega SDK and the other is it was written with Windows CE. I was also using PSO as an example, it was running on computers for atleast a year before the Xbox picked it up and the Xbox is a x86 computer, wow that some port they did. The other thing is Microsoft is rich they can afford to get any contract they want, its only a matter of the company willing to work with Microsoft.

P.S. I'm not getting hostile, I dont like to see people with incorrect information.

[Nightmare]

Blame Utopia.

[jaytee]

Where to begin.

You have even said that all the 128bit consoles have simalarities in controller layout. I wont argue that the Dreamcast and Xbox are the only consoles that have memory cards in the controllers. But to say that an extra analoge stick and card slots dont make them copies. I know its tempting to put this together and have a reasonable explaination, but until Microsoft says "Yes we copied the Dreamcast's design" I cant beleive it.

Microsoft relized that games, or "sophisticated" games could be played on Windows?! Sence when has windows not be the platform for games? And if you have a Dreamcast look at the front right side and it says "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".

Yes, about online gaming Dreamcast and Xbox hit a home run when they had builtin support for internet connnections. That makes it a good stratage not pioneers.

Look about Sega's software. There are two ways that games where written for the Dreamcast: one was that they used the Sega SDK and the other is it was written with Windows CE. I was also using PSO as an example, it was running on computers for atleast a year before the Xbox picked it up and the Xbox is a x86 computer, wow that some port they did. The other thing is Microsoft is rich they can afford to get any contract they want, its only a matter of the company willing to work with Microsoft.

P.S. I'm not getting hostile, I dont like to see people with incorrect information.

i never said microsoft copied the dreamcast's controllers, i said that the dreamcast and xbox controllers were probably more similar than any two other game consoles since the days of "joystick + button" games. it could be a coincidence, for all i know. i'm just pointing out that there are surprising similarities between the two consoles.

the windows thing is just my own theory. do you not know what posit means? again, not stating anything as fact, just pointing out similarities. (and in any case, microsoft didn't neccesarily know that windows ce could work to run games at all, this is an operating system made for pocket pcs, running on a stripped down, super optimized computer. not exactly your typical desktop tower)

ok, then the fact that they were two of the first companies to have a good strategy with online gaming makes them similar in that regard, irrespective of the word "pioneer." either way, i'm right that they were probably the first two systems to get online gaming right and are similar in that respect.

and that last paragraph... didn't argue anything. yea, sega had two methods of developing games. ok, so there are ports of PSO on different platforms... ok, microsoft is rich. big whoop. that doesn't change the fact that a lot of signature DC games came to xbox, furthering my point that the two consoles are oddly similar.

and i don't have incorrect information. everything you've said fits fine with everything i've said, i really don't see why you feel the need to argue (badly) about it.