Dreamcast: A Forensic Retrospective Comments by Dan Whitehead

@ Scimarad
I'm not gonna deny that Sony's emotion engine didn't do lot of damage, because it did.....A LOT.
But sega were the prime culprit. I still can't believe they let shenmue out without a single tv ad. Yet america had loads. And suprise suprise, it sold more in the US.

^ sorted that before you replied, bad09.

I remember quite a lot of GTA3 ads.

@ Ryze

Oh, yeah

/ dials "Hello game police...yeah false alarm. Thanks bye"

Loved it . Ferrarri F355 VGA box and steering wheel . and tony jawk and other great games . the memories of beieng able to read text before current gen HD consoles .

I'm trying to figure out in what way a nozzle shooting a constant stream of chocolate into my lap would be a good thing. Sounds like it would get messy.

F355 was ace on DC but I recently played the old F355 arcade machine with 3 screens, all kinds of lovely :)

I'll admit I witnessed the dreamcast launch with apathy and disinterest. I thought it was a another doomed to failure sega console and thought best ignored. I remember watching a few instore game demos like the boxing game with the boxer with the big afro haircut and a skateboard type game. Both visually nice but not the genres that would suck me into buying a console. I was happy at the time with a n64 playing mario 64 and pilotwings 64 etc and thought no more of it. I also had a playstation too at the time.

Time passed and with the dreamcast already in decline I bought one at near enough the time I bought a ps2 from the so called slammer half price ps2 deal. I couldn't believe it not only were dreamcast games more playable and more interesting but they blew the ps2 games away technically (remember this was early ps2 titles). The ps2 was cack central. Just to put the final nail in the coffin of the ps2 I got a AE100 projector and connected the dc via VGA and the ps2 via component. The difference was staggering the projector mapped 1:1 pixels on the dreamcast to give a truly amazing dc image on the wall. The weakness of the ps2 regarding aliasing and its low interpolated resolution looked truly awful. The dc took pride of place with my projector playing classics like shenmue over a whole wall, it was gaming greatness. The ps2 was demoted and connected to a 21" philips combi where its graphic problems were unnoticable mostly.

I think the wisest decision sega made was giving the dc 8meg of video memory. The ps2 only has 4meg, the gc and wii only have 3meg and combined with the dc's clever tile based rendering gpu meant huge amount of textures were available on screen you could just about fully texture everything to make it look realistic. The ps2 could kick out a lot more polygons but had to repeat textures because it only had 4meg and no hardware texture compression. Also the ps2 only actually rendered at about 640x200 and interpolated to 640x400 which softened the image and created more aliasing. The dc rendered at 640x480 progressively no problem. Thats about 5x the resolution!!! I've yet to see a ps2 game even today that looks as good as shenmue or shenmue II. Even the games seemed to load faster yet I realise writing that, they shouldn't do as the dc has a 12xcdrom and the ps2 24x for cds but that was the reality for me. Admittedly the dc only has 26meg memory compared to about 36meg of the ps2 so that might help.


In my living room today a dc is under the main tv permantly and my ps3 provides upscaled and improved ps2 visuals that still don't look as good as dc.

The dc had a british designed gpu and even the hitachi risc chip is derived from the british arm risc processor I believe. It punched well above its weight and still provides visuals equal to the current generation wii. Totally awesome console that should never have failed. The ps2 went on to sell about 140 million plus providing huge profits to sony even to this day where the ps2 is the only truly profitable console in their range.

It amazing what the brand loyalty of the playstation did, as a few have said they remember many waiting for the PS2. It did seem Sony tried the same trick with the 360, as it is it didn't have as much of an affect, but dare I say the PS3 has sold more than it deserved as a games conole.

My dreamcast still gets use, we really like Pen Pen on 4 players, other games I loved where head hunter and space channel 5, both of which got poor PS2 versions later on.

Such a shame as it lead to the all out sony dominance we have now as both the gamecube and xbox where too late to the game.

Sony's spolier tactics were harmful to the gamer in the long run, still are to a point. We're just here to have fun with your toys, not to be bullshitted to.

Nowadays its not uncommon for gamers to have 2, or even all 3 current gen consoles. There is no war to be won once they are all making a profit, the only battle is to win the hearts of the gamer, which Sega did.
Forget the PS4, come back Sega, and claim the rewards you truly deserve. I reckon they would shift plenty of Dreamcast 2s out of respect, so long as they didn't include a scam like blu-ray.

Still fondly remembered (and booted! up depite ongoing battles with reset bug)

I recall "Shenmue" (or something like that) as being the best - or at least, most anticipated - game for the Dreamcast.

But the real and only reason for the failure of the Dreamcast is because Sony's PS2 offered backwards compatibility. It meant that PS1 owners can simply continue buying games, knowing full well that when they were ready to upgrade to PS2, their back catalogue would move forward with them. And by then, hopefully, a few decent PS2 games would also be out. Perhaps I'm saying this with a little bit of hindsight, but it was enough to put me and my friends off buying the Dreamcast.

There was also the 'brand loyalty' (I was guilty of that, too), the grown-up image of the PlayStation as well as the exclusives (WipeOut, MGS, GTA, GT, Tekken etc.) All meant that the exciting stuff was all happening on the PlayStation. In my opinion, these reasons were to a lesser degree but nevertheless, they also contributed.

Makes me all misty eyed, must own one again!

The general public killed the DC, fed on the hype that surrounded the PS2 before its launch. Does anyone remember that absurd story about the fear that the PS2 would be sold in Iraq because it was classified as a 'supercomputer'. It may have been used to launch missiles at the west. You got to hand it to Sony. Shit like that was lapped up by saps all over the world. I remember when I first played a PS2 around a mates house, it was crap compared to my white box of tricks.

It seems however that Sonys crimes are coming home to roost this generation. Good riddance is what I say.

Yea let have MS monopolise the games industry like the have the PC industry its just what us gamers need. Anyway DC was and still is a great machine.

Capcom need to re-rlease Power Stone in HD lol

I love my Dreamcast, the games were actual honest to goodness video games, and I miss that now. What I mean is, they were in the most part unashamedly great, short (but replayable) experiences, it is literally like having an arcade in your home.

I own a Wii now because that (somewhat sporadically) offers the same kind of experiences, but in many ways gaming has become a little too in-depth and high-brow for my liking, which is one of the main reasons that my DC still gets an awful lot of use.

@Pac666

The reset bug takes about 5 minutes to fix. Google the problem - all you have to do is open the case and push back 'a couple of pins' (if I managed to do it then it MUST be easy).

"Where are the console greats of old?"

EDF! EDF! EDF!

"gaming on the Dreamcast being all but lag-free, even with a fast-paced game like Quake III Arena. In fact, I'd say I experienced less problems with lag via the Dreamcast's humble modem than I have in this generation with a 10Mb broadband connection.

The system did also have some great online games,"

Not until it was already effectively dead and far too late, though. As far as I can recall offhand, there were NO games at the Euro launch with any significant online components, despite that being the focus of the advertising. It was months and months later that Chu Chu Rocket arrived, which might just have been an online killer app if it had been in the box at launch.

I never managed any successful online play at all with my DC, but if you did the absence of lag might have been due to there only being six people on the servers...

Long live the Dreamcast!

I agree with a couple of points that have been made about this being far from a "forensic" retrospective. There doesn't appear to have been any actual journalism done here, as with the recent second-hand game article and how that is impacting on the industry. In many ways, any of us could have written this. A bit of research, interviews etc wouldn't go amiss.

PSO and NFL 2K1/2K2 servers were always packed with people playing!!

How Sega actually managed to get them games running as smooth as they did on dial up I will never know. I remember telling people in America I was in the UK when playing NFL 2K1/2K2 online and they would be shocked on how we got a game running online.

I would like to point that, at the time, Sony showcased pre-rendered CG of their upcoming games and everyone bought into it. Why the same didn't happen with the PS3 games not so long ago is beyond me. Yeah, they tried to pull the same fancy stunt.

I've been checking out DC's on eBay, roll on payday \o/

"I would like to point that, at the time, Sony showcased pre-rendered CG of their upcoming games and everyone bought into it. Why the same didn't happen with the PS3 games not so long ago is beyond me. Yeah, they tried to pull the same fancy stunt."

It did work. Just not good enough to land sony position 1 on the market. When you go into a shop and hear people say that the ps3 is at least 10 times more powerful than anything else but that they just need to unlock that power...

You can get a good DC off the net for as little as 30 to 50 euro. The games can be obtained in other ways.

Good thing Sega at least continues to release quality software like Sonic Unleashed.

EDF! EDF! EDF!

Funnily enough, one of my favourite games on the 360. Had so much fun playing this in 2 player. I just wish it had online co-op.

dreamcast was good, but take off the rosetints folks, PS2 pwned it because the games were superior graphically and superior in general

The Dreamcast was and is a fantastic console, easily one of the greatest ever made. It was amazing how much I got the piss taken out of me for buying one over the PS2 but I don't regret it for a second. Even today, over ten years after its Japanese release, the Dreamcast can compete graphically with the Wii. Of course, it's gameplay that's the most important thing and, in my opinion, the Dreamcast produced more true classics in three years than the PS2 has to date.

The dreamcast rocked.... I miss it :(
Wish sega would bring out a console to beat up the ps3 !!!!

I quite liked the DC, but I can't help feeling that there's a few points being glossed over. Like...

The controller wasn't comfortable at all for long-term play. I vividly remember my hands hurting like hell after a prolonged session thanks to its rock-hard plastic, and funky shape.
The VMU was a bad joke, how long did a set of batteries last? Also, add on a rumble-pack and the DC controller+vmu+RP was stupidly clunky and heavy.

Bear in mind I actually LIKED the original giant bear-claw Xbox controller, so its not like I've got small dainty hands :D

The real problem to my mind was that Sega were simply ahead of their time. The idea of online-console gaming just didn't take off until after the DC's demise. How many people bought a PS2 network-adapter in Europe for example? Not many, and that's over a much longer period of time than the Dreamcast was alive. You can see the legacy of this in the state of PSN nowadays.

On the subject of Sony, for me the main reason they trounced the DC was that they far more momentum at launch than Sega did. Most of Sega's top titles were Arcade games, and coin-ops had been on a steady decline for years. With the PS1 Sony had created/stolen a ton of big-name franchises that were associated primarily with the Playstation brand. And that's going from Final Fantasy to Spyro and Crash Bandicoot.

Adding to Sega's pain was the fact that apparently no matter how good their new IP's were, they sold terribly in every territory. They didn't grab the imagination of the masses: You just can't blame the failure of titles like JSR on anything other than indifference on the part of the public. You have to bear in mind that virtually none of the new titles that Sega pumped out at that time were ever successfully re-released on another platform. Its all very well pointing out Rez and Chu-Chu Rocket are still going on Live these days, but considering that type of product (cost/distribution-wise) didn't exist before the 360 arrived its not much of a legacy.

"On the subject of Sony, for me the main reason they trounced the DC was that they far more momentum at launch than Sega did. Most of Sega's top titles were Arcade games, and coin-ops had been on a steady decline for years. With the PS1 Sony had created/stolen a ton of big-name franchises that were associated primarily with the Playstation brand. And that's going from Final Fantasy to Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. "

Actually the games at the PS2's launch and for some time thereafter were pretty dire.

Armored Core 2 (Agetec, Action)
DOA2: Hardcore (Tecmo, Fighting)
Dynasty Warriors 2 (Koei, Action)
ESPN International Track and Field (Konami, Sports)
ESPN X-Games Snowboarding (Konami, Sports)
Eternal Ring (Agetec, RPG)
Evergrace (Agetec, RPG)
FantaVision (SCEI, Puzzle)
Gun Griffon Blaze (Working Designs, Action)
Kessen (EA, Adventure)
Madden NFL 2001 (EA, Sports)
Midnight Club (Rockstar, Racing)
Moto GP (Namco, Racing)
NHL 2001 (EA, Sports)
Orphen (Activision, RPG)
Q-Ball Billiards Master (Take-Two Interactive, Simulation)
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 (Midway, Sports)
Ridge Racer V (Namco, Racing)
Silent Scope (Konami, Shooter)
Smuggler's Run (Rockstar, Racing-Adventure)
SSX (EA, Sports)
Street Fighter EX3 (Capcom, Fighting)
Summoner (THQ, RPG)
Swing Away (Paradise Golf in Japan) (EA, Sports)
Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco, fighting)
TimeSplitters (Eidos, First-Person Shooter)
Unreal Tournament (Infogrames, First-Person Shooter)
Wild Wild Racing (Interplay, Racing)
X-Squad (EA, Action)

so I maybe I am the only person who actually has a softer spot for the saturn than the dreamcast - yes it really is my all time favorite console - it brought me back to gaming after a hiatus, and now gaming is my number 1 pass time and my profession. GO VIDEOGAMES - GO SAAAATTTTTTURRRRRRRN!

>"Why the same didn't happen with the PS3 games not so long ago is beyond me."

It did happen, especially on EG, remember? Even after the past, the media still fell for it.
The real reason why the ps3 didn't steamroll over the 360 is for one thing and one thing only......price.

"Sony should be ashamed abbout what they did to it but Sega should still be proud of what they created."

I find comments like this funny, I mean why should one company be ashamed about outselling a rival? Does that mean Nintendo should be ashamed because they unexpectedly wiped the floor with Sony and Microsoft this gen (I know this gen is far from over, but Ninty have a hefty lead on sales)? I can understand if a company 'won' by nefarious dealings/actions, but this is not the case.

The Dreamcast was a cool console, but I find it hard to believe that Sony should apologise for their success with the PS2.

i still love my dreamcast, my absolutely favourite console. it stands right next to my Ps3.
shenmue was just overwhelming. im still waiting for the 3rd part and i will never give up the hope! ill just wait.
that was just a sweet time...i plaed the best games ever when i owned this babe (and i still play them)

Ecco The Dolphin (still not through but i wanna solve it on my own...)
Shenmue I & II (i have nothing to say about that...best story-game ever played)
Marvel Vs Capcom 2
Street Fighter 3 third strike
Capcom Vs Snk
Jet Set Radio
Skies Of Arcadia
Sonic Adventure
RE: code veronica
Under Defeat
Chu Chu Rocket (love the design)
Power Stone ( first one is defenately better than the second part)

i will always have a dreamcast.

Oh! Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, Soul Caliber, Crazy Taxi great great games! I loved my Dreamcast! :) Agree some of the games look great even now! Wish the would do the final installment of Shenmue.

@Eurytus

At launch, you're right. But a lot of people were waiting for the next GT, MGS, FF, RR, Tekken, Ace Combat, Tomb Raider, etc. etc. Franchises that are still going today.

I really think people are underestimating the immense impact the original Playstation had, it was one hell of a platform on top of which to build future success. Also, although I don't want to dismiss the Saturn out of hand because (again) I had good times with the machine, but the fact is that it wasn't just beaten by the PS1 it was a distant third behind both Sony and Nintendo.

I find it a bit odd that these days its seems like everyone blames Sony for Sega's demise, when historically Nintendo had been their primary competition. They dug themselves in a pit at the end of the Megadrive/Genesis era with the failure of the ridiculous add-ons, and the Nomad, trying to compete with them. By the time of the DC's launch they were wobbling badly on the ropes, Sony didn't really have to try and finish them off as the damage was already done.

I still like to think that Sega will surprise us all and bring out a new console, that kicks both Sony and MS into touch.

Gamers are better informed these days, they did try it but there were plenty of people calling them out on it this time around and we had embaressed retractions and excuses of "target renders" but most knew they were just using the same old Sony tactics.(yeah some idiots are still defending them for it, "they were telling the truth about KZ2 and how awesome the PS3/Cell is" but there were idiots defending their hype last gen too against GC and Xbox)

I remember EG falling for it all and later saying it was MS who got it wrong by being too honest in their E3 showing, by showing titles how they really looked at that time and explaining they will be more polished come launch... which I totally disagree with EG on. I think on reflection it makes MS look deservedly more honest among the hardcore(so some will give them Kudos for that, naturally the casuals probably havent heard of E3 but that sort of information trickles down to the casuals/mainstream eventually) and perhaps Sony will learn from it in future as MS will learn how to make damn sure their hardware is reliable enough from the get go in future.

Oh and yeah Id like to see Sega back behind hardware in one way or another, either with their own or in partnership with MS(they could just handle Japan for them, maybe then they will buy the damn thing with SEGAs name on it) or Ninty(but they dont look like they need any help other than to count and store their boatloads of cash).

I think these few articles just caused all Dreamcast-related eBay prices to go up by 50%

Next time if Microsoft are smart they'll allow third-parties to make compatible hardware in addition to building it themselves.

The key component of their strategy is Live, and its software and services. That's what keeps people coming back in spite of the shortcomings of the hardware. I believe if at the height of the RROD fiasco, people would have been able to buy, say a Dell or Toshiba, or hell a Sega branded clone that costs a little more but offers better build-quality for a small price-premium they'd be where Nintendo is now.

True words there from Galgon. I think one of the issues was that Sony was exagerating the PS3's capabilities even to their own staff. I work in TV and a chap from Sony came and demonstrated Sony's new Blu Ray. It looked great and I was chatting to him afterwards he said that the PS3 was going to be even more impressive than the Blu Ray. He said he had seen some footage of what it was capable of, talking about life like facial features and having the ability to have your own face on characters in the game. None of this transpired and I think that everyone will be very sceptical of any claims Sony makes next time round. Having said that we're all going to be a little worried about MS hardware, which may not transpire until months after owning the machine. Will gamers wait to see the real capabiliy of the PS4 and skip the MS720 overhardware concerns? Here's hoping Sega bring out a new killer console.

PS2 was a better machine. DC had a head start in the market and because the graphics could hold up to early PS2 games I think people thought the DC was very capable.

2 years or so on, when developers figured the PS2 out and started making use of the next gen (DVD) disk format, the PS2 just pulled ahead and at the same time the price kept falling. GT3 and MGS2 looked better than anything on the market at the time.

DC's online was ahead of it's time... but let's face it (it didn't work) and even today I'd argue that mass market don't care about online.

I bought a dreamcast to check out some of the classics. Once I realised Shenmue and Panzer Dragoon were on the Xbox I sold it and got that instead.

The Dreamcast was not better than the PS2. At best it was a valiant little machine with some great games but it was outclassed by the PS2. Regardless of it not living up to Emotion Engine promises.

I would say Headhunter and DEFINATELY SHENMUE could stand up to MGS2.

But for those who want a new sega console? Forget it. The sega of today is not the same anymore, and it hasn't been since sammy took them over. The teams list their identity and got re-absorbed by sega, they disbanded the teams, stiffled creativity, took less risks, hid yu suzuki in a dungeon, and aren't the same sega as before.

Heck, they hardly make AAA titles these days.

I say its ignorrant to compare 2 years of Dreamcast to 8 years of PS2(lets face it the best PS2 stuff came long after its domanance over even the GC and Xbox was settled).

Id imagine(infact I'm pretty darn sure of it) 8 years of Dreamcast releases at the rate they were churning the good games out and improving would make some the the talk about the PS2's library being anywhere near as good as NES was, compared to the competition at the time look very stupid indeed(wasnt even nearly like that).

I say its ignorrant to compare 2 years of dreamcast of 8 years of PS2

Absolutely, I don't think any console can claim so many genuinely brilliant games in such a short space of time, especially starting from the launch period. Had the DC had 6, 7 or 8 years who knows what could have happened. I bought all my DC games during the actual time they were released (i.e. haven't collected lots after) and it really was an absolute golden age of gaming for me, hit after hit after hit.

I loved my Dreamcast... But PS2 was better!