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Sega to Release New Dreamcast Bundle?

Craig writes "Is Sega planning to release a new bundle for the supposed commercially dead Dreamcast Console? According to Many Dreamcast sites it will be bundled with a new commercial game and released sometime in February. Engadget has commentary and speculation." From the Engadget site: "... German gaming site Gamefront.de is claiming they're going to be re-releasing the frickin' Dreamcast bundled with Radilgy and some limited edition telephone card or something. But our wish come true from the Ghost of Hackable Consoles Past will probably be Japan-only though, distributed through Sega Direct for ¥10,000 (about $83 US) -- still, could this be the triumphant return of Sega hardware, even if only just nostalgia-gear?"

19 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. Triumphant Return? by ThisIsForReal · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like we're being a little loose with the word "triumphiant".

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    -THE END-
  2. US Market by robbway · · Score: 4, Funny

    I realize the articles refer to a Japan release. Since the US Dreamcast used market is officially over in Gamestop/EB, this wouldn't be a very good item to buy in the US. Still, perhaps a Flashback-like device would be more appropriate. Hell, give it a cheap 10gb hard drive and make all games downloadable, then license it as a "Phantom."

  3. ZombieCast! by Dr.+Eggman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Raar! Must... crush... PS1...

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    Demented But Determined.
  4. Would love to see this. by numbski · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd love to see the Dreamcast make a comeback. Sure, the hardware is last-gen (or soon to be anyway), but there was still some excellent work done for the system.

    This also bring up a side-note I've been wondering about for a few weeks now. Microsoft got away with bundling a pc as a game console, sold at a loss, and provided an sdk (which I've never seen) to developers, and developers had to pay for the rights to publish for the console. Seriously speaking, what kinds of barriers are there to entry for an open source sdk, and license out manufacturing rights, ie, instead of a single console manufacturer and huge licensing entity, develop a hardware platform design, license out the design, and leave the sdk open? Is it really impossible to compete? If you're giving away the SDK to developers, do they have any motivation to NOT do a port to your platform?

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    1. Re:Would love to see this. by generic-man · · Score: 2, Informative

      A group of people tried to make an open-source-friendly, Linux-based game console called the Indrema. They failed.

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    2. Re:Would love to see this. by Sparr0 · · Score: 3, Informative

      A group of people DID make an open-source-friendly, Linux-based handheld game console called the GP2X, a successor to the GP32. It rocks. Two 200MHz CPUs (one acts as a 2D GPU), emulates pretty much everything up to SNES (and PSX very very slowly). 3.5" screen, 8 buttons and an 8-way dpad.

  5. Wrong currency conversion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting
    EDIT: Thanks to Yakumo for correcting the misinformation regarding the price. Gamefront.de lists it at 10.000 Yen, but it's 15.800 Yen (approx. 112 Euro/ $133)! It's still a nice price in my opinion.

    Can someone tell me if this is really worth it? For that price I could buy a Gamecube or a GameBoy. For less than $20 more, I could get PS2. Granted, these are not bundles, but these systems have more games available. The PS2 can run linux. What sets the Dreamcast apart from it?

    This isn't meant to sound as a troll; I've simply never looked into the Dreamcast as a possible system and would like to know if it's really worth it.

  6. Handheld? by mrgreen4242 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    If anything I'd suspect (and hope) they are releasing it with a new form-factor based on some sort of DreamCast-on-a-chip. I'm not sure how big DC games were (those were some sort of goofy CDs weren't they? like 1.2gbs or something?), but it would be really cool to see them re-release it as a portable system or an all-in-one unit with some kind of online/downloadable game sales. Maybe a handheld that uses mini-dvds? Then they could sell you all the games you've already bought again, ala PSP!

    With all the players who have tried in the portable market the last couple years (Zodiac, GamePark, Gizmodo, Sony, Nokia) it wouldn't suprise me if Sega decided to throw their hat into the ring, and handheld DreamCast might just suceed where most of the rest have failed.

  7. Now what would be sweet by cyberbob2010 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    would be if they could get someone to setup servers for the dreamcast's online games I used to come home after high school and play Phantasy Star Online and UT every day.

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    We seldom regret saying too little but often regret saying too much.
  8. full circle by EddieBurkett · · Score: 3, Funny

    Doesn't this mean that the Dreamcast was the first and last console released for the current (pre-360) generation?

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    The only thing I hate more than hypocrites are people who hate hypocrites.
  9. me too by enrico_suave · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'd definitely buy one if there was a domestic re-release.

    My Samba Da Amigo morracas are lonely since my dreamcast drive started to give up the ghost...

    e.

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  10. Re:$83 USD? by ElleyKitten · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can't you still buy used dreamcasts in used game stores for $20?

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  11. Someone at Sega... by drxray · · Score: 3, Funny
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  12. Outsell the Xbox 360 by wickedj · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What would be hilarious is if this bundle (if true) outsells the Xbox 360 in Japan. That said, I would love for the Dreamcast to come back. It was a highly underrated system. Many of the games were top notch and the graphics are still decent, almost Gamecube quality. One of my favorite games is available for that system, Ikaruga (it's now available on GC).

  13. You know... by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Miyamoto is still dropping hints that there's one more new big feature for the Revolution, and Sega execs have been quoted as saying that they're looking into the Revolution playing SMS/Genesis games as well as NES/SNES/N64.

    What if the Revolution played Dreamcast games?

    (How's that for outlandish rumor-mongering?)

  14. Maybe this could work by TheSkepticalOptimist · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Sell the Dreamcast with 20 of its top games hard coded in it for about $20 and put it in a smaller redesigned system that makes it easier to connect to a home theater without being a permanent fixture.

    Wait a minute, isn't that what they are doing with all those Atari/Activision retro joysticks that run on a couple of AA bateries and embed 20 classic games in a joystick that simply plugs into your aux video?

    . . . Yeah, I don't see the point either.

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  15. $83? Too much! by mixrecords · · Score: 2, Informative

    About a year ago EB Games was blowing out all their Dreamcasts. I picked one up for $20 in mint condition along with about 10 games; cost about $40 total. They also sell 15 games for $50 here: http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/groups/15games50bucks/d reamcast.asp although most of them aren't the greatest.

  16. Guarded opinion by Linuxbeak · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yikes. I don't think that Sega would be wise to reenter the market at this point.

    The original Dreamcast was a commendable effort to keep Sega in the game console market, and to this day it still holds a cult following of gamers. It featured new technology and could have been an excellent platform for gamers. However, the introduction fo the XBox and the Nintento Gamecube more or less shut the door on Sega.

    I'm curious not to what Sega can produce; instead, I'm curious to see if they can manage to outmarket Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Personally, I doubt it.

  17. Re:$83 USD? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm sincerely sorry if I offended you. I mean it. I tend to get all rustic when I talk about where I live (I'm originally from Vancouver), and meant "coon" as meaning a "raccoon" rather than a perjorative for a black person. The expression "a coon's age" is an idiom that refers to the mistaken belief that raccoons live for a long time, and didn't even know that "coon" was a derrogatory term. Again, very sorry if I offended you; it was not intentional.

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