Most Dreamcast Online Servers Halted

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the official Sega announcement that most of their Dreamcast game servers will be shut down starting this month. According to the site, "Effective June 2003, the only Dreamcast titles that Sega will continue to support online are Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online ver. 2. No other Dreamcast titles will be playable online after this time." This means that titles such as Alien Front Online (which pre-dated Xbox Live with a headset feature), the Sega Sports titles, Quake III, and even the classy Chu Chu Rocket will no longer be online-compatible, admittedly long after their prime. Perhaps someone could find a homebrew solution?

Comments

I, for one, will be very sad...

[SynapseLapse]

This is just another nail in the coffin of system that died way too fast. The homebrew scene has been a wonderful source of continual innovation. Despite what the troll said above, there are some of us who still play some classic DC games. It has so many titles that are absolutely wonderful that were all but completely ignored by the mainstream buyers. (Bangai-o anyone?) Oh well, I still have four controllers for some Bomberman/Chu Chu Rocket fun.

Re:I, for one, will be very sad...

[Mike Mentalist]

You arent the only one sad to see the DC go - its a sad state of affairs when a console with so many quality games can just sink into the ground like this. I really hope that the DC homebrew scene keeps on going, as it can be fascinating stuff.
I am still baffled as to why people bought into the PS2 hype so much - the DC had plenty of quality games by the time Sony's console launched, and it was months before it had its own high quality game.

Given that hardly anyone plays PSO on the DC anymore, I wonder if the games are still full of tossers 'player killing' everyone? I can never understand people who would rather go around spoiling a game for other people rather than playing a game properly. Even when the online games are a subscription service like Xbox Live, it doesnt stop morons driving backwards in MotoGP. Its utterly pathetic.

Re:I, for one, will be very sad...

[simoniker]

I was _really_ enjoying Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast up to the point I started playing alongside players who 'suspiciously' had the best weapons on the game, despite not being _THAT_ levelled up. When asked where they got them, they mumbled something about 'a friend' giving it to them. Just say no to item cloning, kids - it really does ruin the user experience :(

Re:I, for one, will be very sad...

[mugnyte]

its a sad state of affairs when a console with so many quality games can just sink into the ground like this

In the uber-competative world of console + PC + handheld gaming , it may be tragic to some, but is this really unexpected? I mean these companies want you to buy a new one every two years. Should I have any sympathy when they start dying off just as quickly?

Re:Uhh...?

[Painaxl]

I'm not trying to flame or anything, but the DC has what is probably the largest homebrew communities around. Check out DC Emulation or BOOB! Dreamcast Development. A lot of people still use the Dreamcast (I still do, even though I've got a PS2 and Xbox). It still has it's supporters, especially in the homebrew, emulation and open source communities.

Re:Uhh...?

[Baron_911]

Actually, the Dreamcast isn't quite dead yet! The hacker community has been writing all sorts of emulators and various trinkits for the DC for a while after it 'officially' died, so there will probably still be some demand for at least a Chu Chu rocket server. :P

Links:
Dreamcast Programming
Dreamcast Emulation(much more than emulation there...)

The reason:

[breon.halling]

They've probably all been turned into Linux routers. =)

Attention Sega: Release the server source

[saladpuncher]

Sega could pull off a huge public relations coup by releasing the source code to their servers so that the development community that has grown up around the Dreamcast can continue to grow. Sure, they wont make any money but it will go a long way towards making people trust them enough to buy their next console...if they ever make one.

Online PC games last longer...

[LazyBoy]

IMO, the type of online PC games that are hosted by users will last longer because they're hosted by users. Typically, someone has to host a central server info server, but that doesn't cost them much. The new MMP environments won't fit this model...