Slashdot Mirror
Sega Kills Off The Dreamcast
Rurik writes: "Over at MCV, a UK based site, they have a front page article about the death of the DreamCast. It seems Sega is losing too much money off the DreamCast, and are halting all production." An unnamed reader also points out this feature on cex.co.uk on same. Patrick Lewis writes of the move: "... and this time they mean it. Yahoo/Reuters says so." And of course, there's also coverage at Daily Radar, too. Update: 01/23 10:21 PM by T : Note that many of these stories prominently feature the denial by Sega representatives of the quitting-hardware reports; according to both the Nikkei news service and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, though, sales will halt once the current inventory is gone. Sure sounds like quitting to me.
Could this happen to the PS2??
Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Sega denies it.
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This is not my sandwich.
One question: how will game development for it go. I know they plan to develop software for the PS2 and everything, but what about my other, little white box baby?
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-Be a man. Insult me without using an AC.
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
This is hardly surprising givent that last November, Sega reported a 17.98 billion yen ($153 million) net loss for the April-September period, largely due to hefty cuts in overseas sale prices of the Dreamcast game console.
How distressing. I had just leaped into the 90's (now that its the 00's) when I won a Dreamcast at an xmas party last year. And now Sega is killing it? Great! And I thought I had a tough time finding good games for my Dreamcast before. *sigh* Why can't they just decrease funding for advertising and use the spare change to fund the conversion of some of the best-of Sega games to Dreamcast format for all of those who weren't as lucky as I was, who actually had to shell out a large chunk of change for this contraption.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing."
This makes it all that much easier for MS to own the home console market. Face it, Sony is the only real competitor left. When these devices begin to become the hub for home entertainment, MS will set the rules.
Why does the idea of paying a monthly fee to access the Microsoft Games and Entertainment network rankle my hide?
I doubt that. What percentage of the mass market do you think has this ability?
Piracy might have had a -small- impact, but the complexity of acquiring and burning the games is barrier to entry for the majority of the population.
The real problem with the Dreamcast has always been marketing. Hardly anyone knows about how good the software for the DC really is. Right now, with the DC being 2 years old, it still offers the best console experience on the market (PS2 included), but if you go to the local arcade and ask around, the impression the kids in there have is that the DC is on par with the original Playstation.
Nobody really knows the scoop.
Sigs are awesome huh?
There aren't a million Playstation2 owners. Sony hasn't made that many consoles.
Don't forget that Friday is Hawaiian shirt day.
The press really needs some more integrity here, even if it is true, but esp. if it turns out to be false... again. These rumors hurt real people, you know, which is sad when they have no basis in reality.
(On the other hand, if the console did go down at this point, I think it would be kinda cool in a way... I'd love to pick up all the excellent Dreamcast games at bargain bin prices! Probably still couldn't afford them all before they'd disappear, there's too many good ones.)
http://www.mcvuk.com/ writes: "Sega denies Dreamcast death"
"Sega of America has denied reports that the company is to pull out of the hardware market and cease production of Dreamcast." That's a pretty far strech from "Sega Kills Off The Dreamcast" I know all about that first amendment, free speech thingie that Slashdot believes in, but could we PLEASE get a little editorial accuracy?
--You will rephrase your request for me to go to hell. Goto statements are not acceptable programming constructs
...then this marks another dead platform that NetBSD supports.
A shame -- I would've loved seeing sendmail running on a DreamCast.
Thus sprach DrQu+xum.
DrQu+xum: Proof that the lameness filter doesn't work.
It will be nice to see a PS2 or Nintendo version of the next 'Sonic', etc. It would be even better if they'd get their ass in gear and start doing reasonable GL or Direct3d ports of their games.
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
Download ISO from any site.
Place CD-R in drive (The tricky part: make sure it's 80 minutes).
Click "Start recording"
Every console maker's profits are nearly all in software sales. Hardware has traditionally been a loss of money.
I don't mind emultation for old games. It gives you a chance to relive some old favorites (particularly when the hardware is old and sometimes prone to failure) but enough is enough.
I don't think Sega lost the battle entirely due to pirate games, but I'm sure it created a good dent.
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-Be a man. Insult me without using an AC.
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
 
GiraffeSville, a place anyone can call home
Read a couple of the articles, and you'll notice that the 'experts' seem to belive that it's the console it's self and the marketing efforts that go with it that are producing the drain on Sega's resources. Thus, Sega kills the console, and continues to produce what is profitable for them: Games. As for 1000's of people burning games and never paying for them, I think you don't realize exactly how little money each title ends up resulting in when all is said and done. 1000 games worth of lost revenue would be piddly compaired to Sega's cash flow (for me, however, 1000 units would be a big deal! It's all a matter of scale and what precise market you are in...)
I'm guessing I'm just feeding a troll here, but, I replied just in case it was someone who honestly believed what they were saying ;-)
Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr - looking for something to read? Check out my three free novels at MidnightRyder.org
It's not the first time that a technologically superior console has lost out. All the hype of the PS2 killed the DC. So far, the PS2 games haven't delivered. Heck, Sony hasn't even delivered all that many consoles. DreamCast has more and, with a couple exceptions, better games than the PS2. But PS2 had the hype. Everyone was excited about it. A lot of media recommended against buying a DreamCast until the PS2 came out. They said it was a question mark whether Sega could deliver, and Sony might crush them and drive them out of business and there would be no games for the DC.
Well, it has become a self-fullfilling prophecy. Nobody buys the DreamCast because they are worried that the console won't make it, and since nobody buys it, it doesn't make it.
Don't forget that Friday is Hawaiian shirt day.
Even if Sega *were* to halt Dreamcast production - which they've denied, the Dreamcast is getting a position as *the* console for hackers, so isn't about to die completely just yet. I just got my serial cable and have been playing about, and there's a lot of scope for doing some really kool stuff. The fact that GCC can compile SH-4 well is a big help. If you want to get into it, check out sites like boob.
Anyway, remember that it's all just a rumour at the moment, although we all know Sega's been having serious problems.
It would seem rather odd for this to come on a day when Sega's share price has increased by 200 Yen a share though.. dirty tactics perhaps?
--
Blaming GW Bush for the Iraq war is like blaming Ronald McDonald for the poor quality of food.
This is how the market should work... the weaker companies die or get bought-out. The stronger ones survive. Works for me.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
If that is the case the the PS2 should have the same problem
The first day of release I saw PS2 games ripped and ready for downloading...
Repeat?
I wish there was a fscking blue pill
Don't even go off of what Daily Radar says...
:)
Sega rumors which have already been shown to be false...
And then, last time it was the "Nintendo is suing us for screenshots" story which as it turns out, they were actually suing the media conglomerate Imagine that owns their site because they were apparently publishing books with trademarked and copyrighted Pokemon drawings all over it.
There is a really funny
Penny-Arcade comic strip that covers the issue pretty well in my mind.
Is it just me, or is anyone else getting an error message from the first link (the MCV link) saying you are not premitted to visit in a javascript window? *looks dazed and confused*
Hrm loving these
That is waaay too close to goatse.cx for me! Ick!
--hongpong.com
So there that is.
Send your friends messages of love at fuck-you.org
It's a catch-22 situation. The more money you have, the easier it is to generate more. Marketting is one thing that isn't 100% critical to getting the product out there, so it's one thing that can be dropped in an already bad situation.
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If youa ctually read the Yahoo article-- its a third hand report. They are reporting that someone else reported....
a _d enies_rumor_of_dreamcast_s_demise_1.html
very sloppy, bad jounralism.
And SEGA has already denied it. This link
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/cn/20010123/tc/seg
is useful for the denial though the rest of the article is filled with similar sloppy/bad reporting as Yahoo tries to cover their first error...
Are /. ops stupid? The article that the story links to discusses how Sega is denying the death-of-Dreamcast stories.
Real quality reporting here.
jack's bicycle is music to my ears
First it was that Sega would be bought out by Nintendo. It screws with Sega's stock price. Thank you NYTimes.
Then a Japanese newspaper places Sega, fiscal-wise, ahead of a company that sold tainted milk to children which was in last place.
Then Sega "announces" that they would stop manufacturing Dreamcasts; this is denied.
Is this FUD generated by Sony or what?
I think this goes to show you that you never know where the trends are going. The Dreamcast was a hot item and in my humble, yet most likely uneducated opinion, the Dreamcast was a great piece of hardware. I don't think I want to invest $300 (if you're lucky) on a Play Station 2 when the dreamcast was out in 18 months. PS2 will probably do the same when the X box comes out (if the X Box comes out)
Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
a month after i finally buy one!
So the only company from the 16-bit era (the Golden Age) that still produces consoles, is.... Nintendo. I'm not sure what large, uncreative, soul sucking, paranoid corporation to root for in the new system wars.
Given a reasonably level playing field, who would win a fight between a bear and a shark?
... yet another example of the incredible lack of basic journalistic skills here at slashdot.
or
... yet again watching all the people jump and post from reading the subject line of the "news" item who agree with it without even bothering to read the link. God bless you slashdot for giving the truly stupid a place to call home.
--- I do not moderate.
Confirms: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010123/tc/sega_j apan_dc_1.html
Denies:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010123/tc/sega_j apan_dc_2.html
After the Saturn fiasco, Sega should have called it quits and gone into software development.
Hardware is hardly profitable, given the competitiveness of the market. The Dreamcast is a great machine (hey, it's hackable and it can run Linux), but it was released by a non-player in the market.
If it weren't for the p*ssing matches between the major players in the industry (it's a major bruise to a company's ego if it gets killed by an industry newcomer, like Sony), Sega would have waken up and smelled the profits in being a pure software company. Sega is responsible some of the greatest arcade games ever created. Think of the money they could make if they sold their wares on N64, Playstation, Playstation 2 and PC. That's a whole lot of cash.
Piracy had nothing to do with it. Public apathy had more to do with it. Sega should take Capcom's approach and write game emulators for each of the platform they want to sell on.
If this story is for real, expect to see Sega in the black within 18 months. This is great news for Sega, not-so-great news for Dreamcast fans.
Not that I wouldn't mind seeing the Dreamcast die. I bought one of those worthless Playstation 2's in October the day they came out, and there still hasn't been a good game released for the system yet. All my friends have Dreamcast systems with a large library of impressive and fun games. I can totally see why Sega would want to kill their machine - they've got too many good games - and online support that lets 4 people play a First Person Shooter through one console, ONLINE!! Someday the PS2 will be that cool, but not yet.
Joseph Elwell.
I am glad that Slashdot got ALL possible related news items for this post so that it didn't look TOO one sided against the DC. (Please note that the CNN link where the Head of Sega of America denies that the DC is dead and says that there are 100 games in the pipe for 2001 is not included in the post).
Where's the beef?
but, let's assume just for a moment that this story is true (apparently that's not a stretch for most readers, despite several reports otherwise) that Sega is stopping production of the Dreamcast.
The Yahoo link also states that they are focusing on software development. I already have a Dreamcast and I don't give a crap if they keep producing the boxes. It would thrill me to death that they realize their investment would be better spent making some more games.
But, looking at the Nintendo GameBoy, Color GameBoy, Pocket GameBoy, Bassackwards GameBoy, Mint-Flavored GameBoy, and Limited Edition Anti-Matter GameBoy, it hardly seems that ceasing production of the clunky, gray, original GameBoy was a sign that the company was giving up on their line. Anyone see the new, smaller Playstation 1? They stopped production of the original, right?
Yeah, thats why the Sony Playstation was the miserable failure it is.
Come on, install a mod-chip, or have one installed, then rent game from video shop, copy to CD, add to personal library.
No lengthy downloads, no dependence on broadband connection, cheaper console, easier copying process.
There is the necessity to modify the hardware, but the proliferation of people offering to do this is quite amazing.
Just look at how badly piracy has hit Sony's bottom line.
I gots ta ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long
This is because we can run Linux on it, isn't it?? What a shame, great hardware and fabulous games, but no more...
Clearly stated at CNN Sega denies rumors "that it will be ceasing production of its Dreamcast video game console, adding that suggestions the company would produce software for its competitors were also misleading." Leave it to the brits to make something up..
Friend showed me this article which quotes Sega insiders as denying a link to the PS2 or development of PS2 games, but won't deny there are big changes coming.
Ben^3The Slashdot Paradox: "100% Overrated"
Hardly. Finding a DC ISO on the web is just short of impossible. These things tend to be between 200 and 400mb and if you put one up, expect your webhost to take it down when they realize your $20/month account is pulling $20,000/month in bandwidth.
There are two places that you can get DC ISO's from with any kind of reliability: Usenet and IRC.
So, DC piracy is done by:
People on broadband with the know how to use IRC and/or Usenet, and the time to spend hunting down the ISOs (not negligible).
Furthermore, DC ISO's are the -most- difficult to burn of any of the ISO types that are commonly released in the piracy scene. About 1 in 5 burners can't even do it, and about 1/3 of the users that can burn the ISO's that have to do so by tearing the ISO apart and changing some offset values (has to do with some Burners burning 2 extra sectors to the end of audio tracks) and rebuilding it.
I'm pretty sure that of all the warzing that goes on in all of the other scenes, DC warzing has the SMALLEST impact on it's market.
Sigs are awesome huh?
As the subject says, it's Sega of America that denied the report, which is really interesting, considering that it is no secret that while the dreamcast has done fairly well over here, it did pretty badly in Japan.
I wonder if the story should be read as 'Sega of Japan is going to stop producing Dreamcasts, Sega of America instead will keep producing consoles and software'.
OT: personally I bought a dreamcast for basically three games: House of the dead, Crazy taxi and Dance dance revolution. At work instead we mostly played Virtua Tennis (*awesome* game) and Ultimate Fighting Championship.
-- the cake is a lie
Fomr the posts here I get the feeling some folks don't udnerstadn the economics of the platform market.
SEGA loses money on the Dreamcast
SONY loses monry on the PS/2
MS will certainly lsoe money on the X-Box.
The console is what is referredto in busiens sas a "loss leader". They sell it at a loss to gain incremental revenue. What is this revenue you ask?
Game liscensing. For every copy of every game sold for one of these boxes, the console manufacturer gets a license fee from the game publisher.
THATS why you want the market and give awya your hardware to get it. The revenues from license fees for the most successful game console are enormous.
So, how much LNUX stock does Sony own these days?
It's a rule I live by, and it works nicely.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
I'd love to freak out and panic and go postal and all sorts of things just because I won't be able to get a console and play CHU CHU ROCKET or stare at Ulala's butt or whatever. But y'know, panic like that does no one any good.
Hell, for all it's worth, this could be little more than a marketing ploy. Create a little synthentic supply shortage, and watch demand go flying.
Worked nicely for the PS2.
It's not the voices in my head that annoy me. It's the psychosies they invite over for parties that annoy me.
What's that smell? Ah, the refreshing aroma of a rerun thread...and this one's only a few days old...
Where's the beef?
Then I had to find out it was just slashdot being slashdot and posting rumors.
Damn.. there goes my 500% return.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
Nothing denying that Sega of Japan is stopping unit production.
Vermifax
Vermifax
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This is tragic, considering the fact that the Dreamcast is at least as good, if not a better system than the Playstation 2. I hope Slashdot readers will take a serious look at what's happened here: Sony has effectively killed the Dreamcast through FUD. At every point of production with the Dreamcast, Sega has executed perfectly, providing a well-stocked system with lots of innovative, great games (even good launch ones).
If you've never spent a fair amount of time with this system, ignore these so-called game magazines FUD for a moment, and spend a weekend with one playing Shenmue, Soul Calibur, Jet Grind Radio or Samba De Amigo (friends & maracas are a necessity). These are easily some of the most fun, innovative games I've ever played, and marginally better than anything Sony or Nintendo or anyone else is offering at the moment.
Now try to contrast your Dreamcast experiences with the PS2: even if you can get your hands on a PS2 (months after the ps2 "launch", most people still can't buy them through regular retail channels due to Sony's "parts shortages"), you'll find that the PS2 is nothing more than a upgraded PS1 with a crappy dvd player. Sony has beaten Sega not through producing a solid product, but through press releases and media control (something with which Slashdot readers are familiar).
If Sega really is leaving the console business, I would strongly recommend buying one of these Dreamcast systems while they're still in stores. It is an extremely quality product with some of the greatest games on the planet.
Did I mention it boots linux?
Brandon
Then a friend had to ruin it for me by saying I'd misheard the title the whole time; it was "Shenmue" or some such nonsense. Now where's the fun in that...?
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I am an ardent Sega-Backer. I own every Sega System sold in the US, an assload of games, and tout the virtues of Sega over the hype machine that is Sony.
,smile, and let the good stuff keep rolling in. Viv la Sega!
But as usual, another week goes by, another "Sega is going under" story. Not just on Slashdot, but everywhere. Us real DieHards know to just sit back
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They could still require their licensing for games that are sold/distributed.. But, release all the hardware/software specs and development tools so that maybe an Open Source type community could grow around the DC.
Also, they could license the technology to other vendors (as has been rumored in the past). I'm sure they could find some manufacturer of DVD players that would like to include DC functionality as a feature of their product. Or, license it to MS or Nintendo to kick start their new consoles.
I'll wait till Sega of Japan has something to say. I mean I can't remember the last time SOJ said something then SOA denied it only to have SOJ re-affirm it later...
Oh yah, they did that with the demise of the saturn didn't they.
Vermifax
Vermifax
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Hmm, let's see. Sega was the first to enable CE powered games. Sega has "franchise" games, like Sonic. Sega denies that it'll be making PS2 games.
I wonder if one can buy Sega ADRs? I wonder what'll happen to Sega's share prices when this is finally announced.
I live in California where there's no power anyway.
I think I'll take up reading by candelight for recreation....
The second says that they will still continue to develop games for it.
Vermifax
Vermifax
Logout
BAHAHAHA, allwell, at least we know the Playstation 2 is already out of date. Remember Unreal Tourny? That's all you get. Unreal 2 will *never* be on Playstation 2.
News item here: http://www.fgnonline.com/pc/news/17176.html
and here:
http://www.fgnonline.com/pc/news/17147.html
Plus the clipping off of BluesNews
No PS2 Unreal 2
A post called Unreal 2 Dated on FGN tries to clarify some Unreal-related release dates as well as they can based on available info, while quoting Epic's Mark Rein refuting Unreal 2 PS2 rumors, saying "Unreal 2 could not run on PlayStation 2."
Release date for Unreal2? Sometime in first quarter 2002.. next year.
Most advanced video game machine? Run along now kiddies, be good and you can have your Barney candy.
-since when did 'MTV' stand for Real World Television instead of MUSIC television?
God dammit, I am so fucking sick of this!
Sega ain't going anywhere, this all has to do with media newshounds looking for any rumour to post as a killer story in order to get attention in an oversaturated market.
How many times in the past 10 years have we heard that Apple was going on sale? It's the exact same thing... The media WANTS Sega to fail. Any little rumour that leaks out of somewhere is going to get blown way out of proportion.
...and you know what? If Sega does fail, it will be partially BECAUSE of the media. All these constant stories on Sega's failure scare people away. Life imitating the news.
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
The article denies that they've officially anounced such, it doesn't deny the rumor. Still, I'd be surprised if it were true.
With the exception of the launch, Dreamcast sales have never been much more than sluggish in the US. In other countries, especially Japan, sales for the console were horrible. Even this holdiday season, more of the rather ancient Nintendo 64 were sold than Dreamcasts.
Topping it off, Sega had a large spike in Dreamcast sales this year, coinciding with the release of pirated Dreamcast games. Not surprisingly, game sales did not reflect the rise in console sales.
At the end of 2000, Sega was reported to be the least profitable company in Japan. The Dreamcast itself is still likely to be entirely unprofitable (As most game consoles are early on.) due to the cost of manufacturing the extremely proprietary hardware.
With game companies throwing fits over the GD-ROM copy protection method having been broken, Sega had no choice but to release new Dreamcasts incapable of playing anything on a CD-ROM, rendering the newer machines useless to pirates.
This really isn't a surprising move, given the facts. My only surprise was that it didn't come sooner, which it most likely would have had it not come from a country where corporation do not like admitting failure, especially in an area so hard to save face.
Even though it is possible that the news stories could be interpreted in that fashion, I really don't think that it is a likely ocurence. As we all should know, the American branches of Japanese video game companies are not independent enough to continue production of a console that the "mother branch" sees as a lost cause. Because of the recent slide of Japan's economy, it would be much more expensive to produce Dreamcast units here in the States than in Japan. It would be stupid for Sega to develop a game here for the same reason, yet producing a game in Japan and then being forced to translate it to American to be able to sell it at all is ineficcient. Overall, this thought is just the desperate grabbing-at-strings of a desperate mind.
Why Sega of America denied the rumors is a much simpler question to answer (fortunately). Sega of Japan is not in America, so why would Americans care what they think? Much better to have the Americans spoken to by their local mouthpiece, SoA.
-EOF-
-EOF-
But the last word that I heard is the Sega is not stopping production of the dreamcast, but only in its current incarnation. If I can find the link, I'll post it, but the word was that sega has just recently put all(or most, or enough ;)) of the dreamcast hardware on a chip, so that it will be avaliable as an add in card, for pc's, and for integration into home theatre devices. Like TV's, and DVD players, etc. If anyone remebers where this link is, post it ;) I probably won't be able to find it. I believe that this was the unofficial followup to Sega official statement that it will start producing stuff for "other" platforms. Sega of America, I believe, clarifed it, and indicated that the "other" platforms were not other consoles, but were other incarncations of the dreamcast, which would be pretty cool.
WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
No, I think you're wrong
The console market is a mass market, only a fraction of console owners have access to broadband, only a fraction of these are able to burn a Dreamcast ISO...
I think that Sony's PS2 hype has done more harm to the Dreamcast than piracy. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Dreamcast piracy only 6-8 months old?
The media outlet that is the source of all this furor is here. The actual article is here. Looks like a non-free WSJ style login is required, though you can read the summary on the front page of the paper if it is still there when you check it out. Maybe somebody could post the whole article as a reply to this post???
shellac.
No, all indictations are that it's for real this time. This rumor has been floating around on the net for longer than the Dreamcast has been around, but it appears to be true this time.
Yes, Sega did issue a press release reinstating their support of the Dreamcast. This doesn't change the fact that they will be supporting the system solely through software sales, and won't make anymore systems after some time this March.
On the bright side, Sega makes some very cool games (Shenmue, PSO, etc), and I would just love to see them on other console systems.
Here's another statement of denial from Sega. Too bad they have to waste time with these gossip queens.
Don't worry; Dreamcast will continue to be the best console available at least until intro of Xbox: There are many awesome games in pipeline for next year which have been developed way too far to be canceled. Meanwhile, after being out for a year in Japan, PS2 continues to have lousy games. My friend didn't buy a DC for a year b/c he was waiting for PS2; then he bought PS2, was underwhelmed, and finally got Dreamcast. If you haven't already, check out (at gamespot.com or something) some of the games that will be coming out over the next few months (ie Metropolis Street Racer, Sonic Adventure 2, Shenmue2). Ignore the hype and play games. Enjoy Dreamcast's aa and hidden surface removal which presently result in better looking graphics than available on PS2. Enjoy broadband while playing UT (coming out soon) on machine largely designed by 3DFX. Dreamcast is still outselling PS2. When Xbox comes out - forget PS2. Despite PS9 commercials, Sony is the company that's really sweating.
>though, sales will halt once the current inventory is gone. Sure sounds like quitting to me.
;)
It just means they are quitting making the DREAMCAST. I think they are reserving the right to continue to make their extensive collection of arcade games, accessories and possibly future projects.
-ShieldWolf
just = (My)Opinion.toCents();
However, this does not mean that software production is being wound up for the machine - far from it in fact, with PSO and Shenmue 2 just two examples of big titles coming to the machine after it's supposed "death". Sega plan to get 100 more titles out for the machine this year. There are still many, many more DC's out there than PS2's, so the machine's future, while maybe not lengthy, is at least rosy for the time being.
Also, bear in mind that we're talking about the ONLY console with broadband net capabilities that you can use NOW. Certainly seems like a more attractive prospect than the expensive, game-sparse PS2.
Why does Slashdot bother reporting on games? (*shakes head*)
Preferences > Homepage > Customize stories on homepage > Authors > Zonk > Uncheck
From the Jan 29,2001 issue of Newsweek, back on page 16, "Sony's PlayStation 2 continues to get the lion's share of attention, but the Sega Dreamcast is quietly evolving into a killer gaming rig. The latest addition is a broadband adapter that replaces the standard 56k modem. Users can now connect the videogame console to high-speed DSL and cable data lines."
Put all the dreamcast silicon onto a PCI/AGP card.
Bundle some translation software/hardware to allow the card to function as a standard VGA card.
Implement or sponsor the open source implentation of tools to allow the dreamcast output to be displayed
to, for example an X display.
I'd buy a graphics card which allowed me to play dreamcast games for 150 or so quid (the current
cost of a dreamcast).
Si
ps. And if you make any money out of it... send me some 8-)
Dreamcast's big mistake was using regular size cds, some say. That's why Nintendo's upcoming system is going to use proprietary discs that are slightly smaller than regular cdr's.
Silly Nintendo...I guess they don't realize that hackers will have quick workarounds for this too. I forsee either some 3rd-world company selling perfect Nintendo-sized cdrs within a month of the system hitting the market. I also bet we'll see a few shady little CDR-slicing systems for cutting a few inches off of regular cdrs.
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Let me give you the lowdown
Crap Crap Crap Crap Crap. After the *fiasco* that wwas the 32x and then the saturn, they'd never do this. And yes, I know, you can still use your saturn if you want to play capcom versus everygameandcomiccharacter XXIII, but I digress...
Aaaaanyway, after the abysmal failure of the last two consoles, sega needs to keep the dreamcast alive, loss or no, because if they dropped it, who would ever pick up their next offering? I'm pretty sure the arcade/games business can support it for a few years, to regain some mindshare.
Answer this - How many people out there don't want a dreamcast solely because of the filthy taste the saturn left in your mouth?
--Gfunk
Send lawyers, guns, and money!
"Software killed the hardware star..."
*shrug*
E.
www.randomdrivel.com -- All that is NOT fit to link to
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
...Soul Calibur?!?!
> the impression the kids in there have is that the DC is on par with the original Playstation.
The orginal playstation had affine texture mapping. The DC has perspective correct texture mapping. Kids these days. Can't tell the difference between the "swimming" textures of the orginal PS, and something which "looks right"?!
(Of course GAMEPLAY is where it is at. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1 & 2 rock da house, ironically I HATE sports games!)
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you here. Proper marketing is *critical* to a successful product, especially in the gaming market.
Note that I said "proper". not "more", not "agressive".
For example, that giant we all love to hate, Microsoft, released a ground-breaking and altogether impressive game this past year titled "Allegiance". Technically sound and relatively bug-free, it offered what could have been as revolutionary as Quake and Command&Conquer combined (in fact, that's what the game is described as). However, if you log on to Allegiance servers today, you'll find maybe 100 people playing at peak times. Why? A lot of reasons, but one of the major ones was a total lack of marketing on the part of MS. No one who wasn't in the beta had even heard of this game and as a result, it never sold well and didn't receive much attention from developers after the release.
my $0.02
Averye0
--o You're just jealous cause the voices talk to me and not to you! o--
DC came out in 98? Yep.
Eh! WRONG!
Dreamcast came out 9-9-99!
Don't you remember those ads?
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where we'll print any half-wit rumor for a nickle! Both the mainstream and gaming press have been screaming for Sega's head for years.
I don't doubt that the Dreamcast will be the last hardware console that Sega ever makes, but there's no reason to rush it.
I doubt Sega will be able to maintain the same quality of their games if they're software-only. Right now Sega's in-house stuff is original and imaginitive (ie Space Channel 5, Jet Grind Radio), but when software is their bread and butter it's only a matter of time until they're churning out shovelware and easy-sell games.
oops!
What about the game gear and sega nomad?
Although they are hand helds, the sega nomad played the sega carts...
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What the fuck is wrong with you people? Have any of you seen the fucking Dreamcast logo? Capital D, everything else is lowercase. It's NOT DreamCast!
he'd buy Sega and use all their developer contacts / contracts for development of games for the Mac. Or even rebrand the dreamcast ala Sun/Cobalt. If the dreamcast will boot NetBSD then it's not too far a leap to imagine dreamcast booting OSX. Ship an emu to play all the old Sega games on G3/4 under OSX. Get all the developers in contract w/ current Sega to start developing games for OSX exclusively.
but can mr. Jobs and stockholders really think differently?
Sega always screws their customers over. their consoles are always hyped up and so full of promise but they always mess up on the delivery of a long stream of quality games. that's what hurts sega. they don't have enough 3rd party developers making great games for them. no square or ea sports. and even when they do, the development ends much earlier than for other consoles.
they're still making PS1 games (maybe even super nes games. at least i know that they still make gameboy games, a ten year (at least) platform) but saturn games dried out long ago and there will be no more new DC games long before there are no more new N64 or PS2 or even PS1 games. anyone remember the 32X? how many games were available for that?
i've had an SMS, genesis and saturn. each time, i got screwed by the lack of new games soon after purchase but i gave them the benefit of the doubt. not this time although i was about to be suckered in again. but this news of no more new hardware production will make developers stop developing new games even faster.
well, isnt this just the proverbial kick to the nuts, this is the first system i bought since the original nintendo, and theyre gonna discontinue it.
so much beer, so little time
Either way, sega isn't going anywhere too soon.
they probably like that kind of sloppy reporting -- if you don't read anywhere else and don't pay attention then you probably think they're great cause they've got the latest, and if they're proven wrong or incorrect in their report they can always say 'well actually we're just reporting on what somebody else said, so it's really THEIR error.'
eudas
Blessed is he who expects the worst, for he shall not be disappointed.
It felt like a million DC owners screaming, then suddenly silenced
- A source inside Sega has categorically confirmed the continuing manufacture of Dreamcast-enabled products, although it is unlikely that they will take the form of the current white Dreamcast box. This ties in neatly with rumors that Dreamcast-enabled set-top boxes, DVD players and even a PC add-in card are in the works. So it seems that for the moment, the fate of the Dreamcast format is far from sealed.
Bizarre. It's hard for me to imagine that a low-volume PC-Dreamcast card could be more profitable than the dreamcast console. Especially because the console is already designed and has ramped up its production.--
Hello! The Sega Dreamcast has an impressive library, impressive addons, loads of third party support, and NETBSD FOR GOD'S SAKE!! What the heck are you talking about !!!
I'm can't believe we are witnessing the end of Sega hardware development. Sega, despite their enemies, has pioneered so many things. The console gaming scene would have been a very different place in their absence. They may have even contributed more than Nintendo, and quite possibly more than Atari. I own a Dreamcast, and I've owned a Sega Genesis, Sega CD, and Sega Saturn. I will miss the Blue Hedgehog very much! -A toast to never buying any Sony product!!!
It looks like a conspiracy. But who could be beind the wires? Sony isn't the only suspect, MS or Nintendo could get some benefit from this. In Latin America, piracy helped (and is helping) the PSX1. Now that you can get pirate games for Dreamcast, a lot of people started to buy the sistem, now is not uncommon to see people owning a PSX1 and a Dreamcast. Of course, game piracy is helping the console sales, but hurting developers,.. those warez kids never learn.
Personally, I like Sega systems over any of their competitors. Every new generation of game consoles since the master system come from Sega, they are the only ones to dared to take the risks, while the other companies just watched and waited until the new road get built. We owe a lot of the digital revolution to Sega, it's sad to see that the most innovative company in the game industry could go.
I don't care about rumors, in my next birthday I will buy a Dreamcast, I waited too much time for it =) It's the best and cheaper system out there
Mexico: 100% conservative's America now!
You have evidence of this 'press release' coming from Microsoft?
Evidence? Oh please.... it's Microsoft! What more evidence do you need?
-- It only takes 20 minutes for a liberal to become a conservative thanks to our new outpatient surgical procedure!
Although it may or may not be true about the Dreamcast (i havent read all the replies) it wouldnt surprise me at all. Ive always hated Sega for this reason, they rush to market with a product that looks great at the time, but if you buy it your stuck with a peice of crap for the next couple years, when you could have just waited for a Nintendo or Sony product. And the worst thing is they always pull the plug on their systems, leaving you with limited games. Does any one remember the Sega CD, 32X, or Saturn. They should have stoped at the Master System, that was their only quality system.
Sega Statement January 23, 2001
Sega of America stated today that the company globally reaffirms its commitment to Dreamcast. In fact, Sega has more than 100 games worldwide coming out for the platform in the next year. It is not Sega's policy to comment on rumors and the company has not made any statement regarding ceasing manufacturing of Dreamcast or development for other videogame platforms.
No single word here states "No, that is not true; we will continue to build dreamcasts"
I'm sorry but you're wrong.
The only modern platform machine claiming to make a protfit at retail is the upcoming Nintendo box.
Don't believe me, read the trades.
To me, this simply slams home the point that you can't develop a game console and not push hard for 3rd party development of software. True, NBA2K and NFL2K are doing very well, but Sega has again failed to get enough 3rd party help. I bought the system about a year ago and have played perhaps 7 or 8 games worth mentioning (NBA and NFL2K, Worms, Skies of Arcadia.....). Sega has no one to blame but themselves for this, should it turn out to be true.
Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here
http://dreamcast.ign.com/news/30435.html
Click here for the article
The "Japanese magazine" as you refer to it is basically the wall street journal of Japan. Its the key daily business newspaper.
They usually report things first. If they report it, its because Sega Japan told them so.
I expect Sega America (run by Americans) are in denial. Sega in Japan is nowhere with the dreamcast. They're turning themselves into a software/games company.
Sega still makes Arcade games, dummy!
-- dieman - Scott Dier
How many people really bother to do this? C'mon? It's different for PSX games, where you can just copy them... But I'd rather buy the damn game than wait around for it to download.
That's 6 systems since 1987 or roughly one game system every two years. Sega expires game consoles waaay too soon, IMO, and is the reason the games suck. No one wants to develop for a system that'll be obsoleted so soon. DC came out in 98? Yep. Times up. I'll bet Sega will finally go DVD for the next system.
Uh, you've got your timeline wrong... The Sega CD and 32x were not consoles of their own, instead they were add ons to the Genesis, thus they appeared after the Genesis, not before.
games I've ever played, and marginally better than anything Sony or Nintendo or anyone else is offering at the moment.
I think your using the word "marginally" incorrectly here. I belive you mean to say that the games are greatly better then what's available on the n64 and psx, but "marginally better" means only slightly better.
Amber Yuan 2k A.D
"and dear god does this website suck now." -- CmdrTaco
According to my sources, DC's design took place in the U.S. at the hands of a Sega + 3DFX team.
From "Dreamcast Dossier" at gamespot.com:
"Rumors about Sega's new machine started flying in 1997. First it was known as Dural, then Black Belt, then Katana (a name rumored to still be used on some internal components), and finally Dreamcast. It began full speed ahead when it was announced that Sega had teamed up with 3dfx to create a graphics chipset that would drive its next system. That system became known as the Black Belt and was developed in America by SegaSoft."
IGNDC: We'll get to one of those in a bit. But in general, that's the question on everybody's mind -- looking at how Sega is getting into licensing content, there's always the big looming question of Sega's future, whether there will be a Dreamcast 2 or whether Sega will go software-only, whether SOJ will start developing for other platforms... With the history of the Saturn and an opportunity to bury that history, we wanted to give you a chance to say that Sega is definitely dedicated to the Dreamcast.
Peter Moore: We are fully committed to the Dreamcast. I said earlier about, before I got into the industry, how surprised I was that the Saturn wasn't in the game for five years -- and it actually was, but... Well, you were there. The Dreamcast sold more units in its first four days than Saturn sold in its first year. There's no comparison there. And after the dust settles on this holiday, the Dreamcast will be at a very critical mass that will continue to be attractive to third parties. That said, I know we will lose some third parties -- everybody's ready to jump on to the next thing, and with two brand new competitors ready next year, everybody's ready to dip their toes into new water, and there's an ocean of water out there...
.sig: Open Source, Open Mind
Sega going down in flames? Again? Master System. Flames. Genesis. Flames. Saturn. Flames. Dreamcast. Hope, no wait, it's just more flames. I did take a weekend to compare the dreamcast to the PS2. The PS2 won. Why? Technically superior. When those lazy ass programmers get off their asses and use the anti-aliasing, all the whiners will mysteriously disappear. DVD playback right now. Yes it may not be as razor sharp as the machines you anal freaks out there have, but it does beat the ever lovin' crap outta ANY vcr I've ever seen. Expandability? open bay in the back, two USB ports and firewire up front. And when the laser moves to read the disc, you can't hear it three blocks away. Better hardware, more games and the staying power of sony. All I need. And don't tell me some geek wit way too much time on his hands won't boot Linux on it.
Shift happens. Fire it up.
I work in the electronics booth at a certain unnamed international toy chain with a backwards letter in their name. I can definitely see why sega would want to abandon this genre. There is simply too few games to support paying for such a system, and too few people buying them. With Playstation, PS One (the smaller, $99 version of playstation) and PS2, there are hundreds, if not thousands of games available, due largely to the fact that it is an international platform and there are tons of import games for it (though not all of them do very well in the translation. See zero-wing AKA "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US"). With sega, they have to basically do every game in house, since it would be hard to convince a developer to support the platform with such a bad track record of success.
Hey, I saw this on Bloomberg TV this morning (0500hours GMT) so that's all the confirmation I need.
...and there'll be dreamcast worth billions of dollars in few years.
-- There are two kind of sysadmins: Paranoids and Losers. (adapted from D. Bach)
"Every console maker's profits are nearly all in software sales. Hardware has traditionally been a loss of money.."
PS2 devkit cost 40000 pounds sterling. A loss? A PS2 cost 300 pounds sterling. For about 200 hundred pounds more you can buy a second hand 500 Mhz PC with twice the processing speed and 4 timers the memory capacity. We wont even mention the difference in hard-disk space. A loss?
Did the first generation of console makers like Atari take a cut of each ISVs royalties and sales? Did they have as much control on the content of games and what did not meet their standards? Highly unlikely!
Read This BBC News Article that suggest they MAY stop production, but it is one of the many options avaialbe to them.
Personally I think this will be just what Sega needs, they excel at making games, and although the Dreamcast turned out to be an excellent system, this is where they trully shine. (check out Jet Grind Radio for a good example!
The Dreamcast, with its garrish hole in the controller (to be filled with more soon-to-be-obsolete Sega merchandise) was the real next generation of gaming.
Their licensing structure (which I've never actually read or even looked up) was good for game developers, and therefor gamers.
It is a sad day when the console which so obviously bests all others dies in the marketplace because people buy what they know. I guess I'll just circulate more Port-To-Mac game petitions...
Sega should have done a superbowl spot
Where are we now?
Playing our Dreamcasts. Meanwhile, you wait for your PS2 to come in.
Enjoy.
The story is here.
"Sega's continual commitment to Dreamcast involves incorporating the Dreamcast technology with set-top boxes," Sega of America spokesman Charles Bellfield told CNET News.com. Bellfield said Sega would probably look to partner with other companies that would make the set-top boxes and that announcements would be coming shortly. . . . "Both dedicated game consoles and convergence devices play a part in the future of digital entertainment," Bellfield said. "The console is not going away and the Dreamcast technology is not going away."
Nothing specific on whether such a device would enable high-speed connection to the Internet, but I can't see building a new device that didn't.
Work for Change & GET PAID!
For people who like "multimedia boxes" with limited game playing ability, I'm sure that Sony's box is just fine. Of course, in buying it and its games you are giving money to the MPAA directly, stifling Linux and helping to buy new laws like the DMCA. This is not true with Sega, though they aren't saintly they have never had that kind of influence.
Sega basically has decided to allow Sega Dreamcast clones. Think about this, why does x86 own the PC market? Clones. This is a huge advantage for Dreamcast owners, which has skillfully been turned into FUD by the hype machine at Sony (yes, maybe Micros~1 too, I wouldn't put it past them.)
Sega decides to try something innovative and open up their hardware, and Slashdot slams them in favor of Sony, one of the nastiest companies in the entertainment business.
But then, Slashdot's editorial bias against Sega has shown in the past, I can remember a snide little comment from one of the editors, "They've sold like what, 3 of them," referring to Dreamcasts in a previous story hyping the PS2.
This level of bias makes me wonder if Slashdot, which used to give short shrift to software tyrants like Sony (or is it only bad when Micros~1 does it), is recieving money from Sony.
All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
This morning it was reported on many radio stations that the company, at least in this contry, will continue to produce the console and games. True?? Don't know.
well, if you had researched into anything about the PS2 games, and being able to download them, you'd know that only maybe 3 games out so far use anything near DVD capacity.. many games have already been ripped for download (albeit some with video and sounds either downsampled or removed), and it works with regular 80-minute cds. Just because it can play dvd games doesnt mean they're all dvd games. Justin
"Short, tall, fat, skinny, from the highest king to the lowest man, everyone uses the potty." - Brak
Actually, they were far from first on the market with CD.. TurboGrafx16 (aka TurboDUO, PCEngine in Japan) beat out the Sega CD by at least a year or 2.. Cant explain how cool it was to see a Y's game with something at least reasonably resembling full-motion video/animation back in the day ;)
Justin
"Short, tall, fat, skinny, from the highest king to the lowest man, everyone uses the potty." - Brak
psxndc
The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.
Economics and capitalism states that the better, cheaper products should win, genius. That is why we have anti-trust regualations so the market can be controlled by natural forces and innovation, instead of driving innovators out and saying "we are the only game in town, kiss my ring." Your way, you get screwed with crap that you cannot afford, with no incentive for innovation... in other words, what every major international corporation's lazy ass has been doing to the entire world in the past 40 years. Obviously, you have never had a technical problem with your telephone line, or sewer, or power bill.
According to a sega spokesman in Tokyo Sega admits they are considering to stop production of the dreamcast. And production of Sega games for other platforms looks very likely according to this cnet article: [http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-4587493.html ?tag=unkn] An announcment is expected. (though the time is not known)
SOA DENIED THE RUMOR, WHILE SOJ KEPT QUIET.
Is it really too hard to believe that the American division of Sega would like to take the company in one direction, while the Japanese parent wants to go in another? In any event... Sega announced that the rumor is true... as of Wednesday 24th @ 3:30.
feh.
There's now an Excite story confirming that Sega Japan is abandoning Dreamcast.
Dreamcast was built around Windows CE, so I say "Good riddance". Now all we have to do is kill off Xbox.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak