The Basics
Manufacturer : Sega of AmericaPros/Cons
Pros:Specs
CPU : SH4--RISC CPU with 128-bit graphics engine (200MHz, 360 MIPS/1.4 GFLOPS)History
Sega's history is rather uneven. Its 8-bit Sega Master System was always second best--in terms of popularity--when compared to Nintendo's NES, but Sega's Genesis held its own in the subsequent 16-bit generation. Genesis peripherals such as the Sega CD and 32X never earned an audience, however. The company took another dive when its Saturn console failed to make a dent in Sony's PlayStation armor. Many thought that Sega would soon leave the hardware business in the face of repeated failure. The company answered such speculation with the Dreamcast, its most powerful and well-conceived console to date. Now, Sega is valiantly fighting against sagging market share by rigorously supporting its Dreamcast with quality games and thoughtful marketing. The Dreamcast released to a PlayStation-obsessed Japanese market in late 1998, and unfortunately for Sega, it met with a lukewarm reception. Though the console boasted a nearly perfect port of the arcade hit Virtua Fighter 3tb upon launch and later the first true Sonic the Hedgehog game since the days of the Genesis, sales failed to meet the company's and the market's expectations. Fortunately for Sega, the September 9, 1999, American launch was much more successful. Many retailers opened at midnight on that day to begin selling the new system, and when the doors opened, there were already huge crowds waiting. The Dreamcast sold for $199, an incredibly low launch price for such a powerful new system, and its internal modem had received an upgrade over its Japanese counterpart, from 33.6k to 56k. In addition, the Dreamcast commanded an impressive library of titles at release, including Sonic Adventure and the incredible Soul Calibur, which some describe as the best home fighting game ever. Sales were brisk, topping 500,000 units in less than two weeks. The system went on to hit the 1 million mark before the end of November, beating the pace at which the PlayStation reached 1 million by a good six months. Sega and its third-party developers have continued to supply the Dreamcast with a steady stream of excellent games. In March 2000, Capcom released the fourth game in its hit Resident Evil series, Code Veronica, for the Dreamcast. Sega maintained its reputation as a company willing to take risks with such innovative titles as Space Channel 5, Jet Grind Radio, Samba de Amigo, and Seaman, all released in 2000. Yu Suzuki's epic Shenmue also gained a lot of attention for the Dreamcast. Sports games have been a traditional strong point for Sega, and popular titles like NFL 2K1 and NBA 2K have only strengthened that image. In addition to games, Sega worked to position the Dreamcast as the first truly Internet-capable video game console. The system's included modem and dial-up software lets users browse the Web and send e-mail out of the box, provided they have an existing dial-up Internet account. The company's own SegaNet service also lets gamers play online-compatible games like NFL 2K1, Quake III Arena, and the Phantasy Star Online)] against other people on the Internet.