Dreamcast celebrates its eighth birthday
As I’m sure each and every one of you are aware, today is an important day in the life of a Sega fan, as September 9 marks the day where one of our favorite systems was put up on shelves for the first time.
I am, of course, referring to the American launch of the Sega Dreamcast, released way back in 1999.
The Dreamcast was a revolution in gaming at the time of its release. With launch titles like Soul Calibur, Power Stone, House of the Dead 2 and Sonic Adventure, the Dreamcast entered the market hyped as a graphics powerhouse, and it delivered big-time. With genre-defining titles like these, and NFL 2k (at the time, the best-looking sports game ever made) the launch lineup became one of the most successful in videogame history.
Games like these and others helped Sega push huge sales of their new system, and within the first 24 hours Sega reported 225,000 units sold in the United States alone. While initial sales in Japan (where the system had been out for nearly a year) were less impressive, the European market helped bolster the Dreamcast’s stellar U.S. sales up to record-breaking levels.
The launch lineup was big, but it wasn’t simply software that propelled the Dreamcast into the homes of many gamers. Innovative hardware also spurred sales along. The Dreamcast was the first console to arrive Internet-ready, with a built-in 56KBPS modem and a web-browsing program. CDs were too inadequate for the massive games Sega was expecting, and so the Dreamcast utilized a new data format known as GD-ROMs. The new disc offered programmers more space to code their blockbuster titles into, and slightly faster load times than CDs.
The VMU, or Visual Memory Unit, was a small memory device that plugged into the controller. It not only saved the gamer’s progress, but also offered interactive games, hints and tips, and sound cues tied into gameplay via its small LCD screen and built-in speaker.
Last but not least, the Dreamcast promised to be a more intelligent system than any that had come before it. With challenging and thoughtful games, the Dreamcast ad campaign would come to state confidently, “It’s thinking.”
There’s no doubt that many of the people reading this have their own story of anticipation, and the subsequent moment of gratification when they were handed their own Dreamcast from some pimply-faced EB Games worker. If this is the case, I encourage you all to relate these stories in our comments section!
We all know how the story ends, so let’s simply celebrate all that Sega accomplished with their little dream machine. The games released on the Dreamcast are arguably some of the finest in all of gaming history, and during its lifetime the Dreamcast brought forth a slew of innovative, artistic and thoughtful titles. As time passes and capitalism influences the gaming industry more and more, titles with these qualities seem to become fewer and fewer.
The Dreamcast brought to gaming a sense of future - a feeling that videogames could be art. I remember those times and those games with great fondness, and as a gamer I sincerely hope that the innovation the Dreamcast proliferated will continue on in some small way or another.
Tags: DreamcastPOSTED IN: James, North America, Retro
12 opinions for Dreamcast celebrates its eighth birthday
shadow1w2
Sep 10, 2007 at 12:52 am
Happy B-day dreamcast!
Man, eight years huh? Been that long?
I got mine right on that day, had it reserved.
Even got outa school for it.
Sega machines were always my favorites.
The dreamcast had alot of potentiol that showed for a good amount of time.
Sadly alot of really promsing games never made it, but the arcade ports are the definitive version over the arcade game versions themselves.
Wich till then was never true for arcade ports.
Kinda makes me wish sega would release some special order anneversery DVD/GD-rom enabled dreamcasts.
Atleast for the homebrew scene wich has grown ever so well.
The dreamcast is no doubt my number one favorite game console.
Still keeping my fingers crossed for Dreamcast to Wii game ports :3
SuitCase
Sep 10, 2007 at 1:28 am
If you’re gonna go talk about the 9\9\99 date, at least use an NTSC Dreamcast! That one has the blue swirl.
November 14th forever.
Emmett The Crab
Sep 10, 2007 at 2:40 am
I bought the Dreamcast because I was hoping the new Panzer Dragoon would come out on it.
I only ever had PSO and Soul Calibur before Sega wrote the machine off (at least that made any kind of impression on me). The VMU was an awesome idea. I really wanted to be able to feed my mag with the VMU. I felt it was under-utilized, but I think Sega never really gave the machine a chance. Then PSU and Panzer Dragoon Orta came out on the XBOX, I traded in my dreamcast. I miss it as a machine, but I think it was a waste the way Sega Handled it. All they needed to do to compete was make a new upgraded version with a DVD Rom drive in it. I guess I should have seen the writing on the wall when they started selling the machine with 10 free games.
Orta
Sep 10, 2007 at 5:20 am
Hello. Well, since I’m in Europe, my story takes place during October. Not the 14th, sadly, but on the 28th (and on the 12th — reason below ;)).
I was pretty damn annoyed when the local Sega branch delayed the launch around these parts for two weeks. They said the stock was not enough. Got to love my Portugal. :|
On my side… I’d been gathering money ever since I heard about the system coming out. The date was approaching and I, as a kid, obviously didn’t have much money. I saw my birthday coming and took the chance. I gave the money to my parents and said: “I want a Dreamcast for my birthday. I know it’s expensive but here’s some money to make it cheaper for you.”. I can’t recall if I ever asked for any games, honestly. All I wanted was the machine, I suppose. I could buy a game with the money my grandparents would give me as present anyway.
The 12th arrives and what do I get as a present? Haha… Funny story… A paper with the blue swirl (I think I still have it) and a receipt. The receipt stated the Dreamcast AND Sonic Adventure. Joy! At least until the bastards delayed it for another two weeks…
Two painful weeks. On the 28th, I remember stopping by the shop before morning class and ask the lady if they already had the console. “No. Come back by lunch time.”. And so I did, and so I got an equally negative response. At the end of the day I was losing my hopes. I went to the shop anyway and saw a bunch of brown cardboard boxes on the floor. Those weren’t there before. Then I noticed the lady at the counter opening one of those. I saw it. I finally saw the Sega Dreamcast. She took one of the consoles and Sonic Adventure and put them inside a plastic bag. You can’t imagine my smile. ;)
I rushed home, fearing someone would try to rob me or something. I was 14 at the time, and was used to be bullied every now and then. I played and played and played and DANG! How do I save? I was used to the internal memory of the Saturn! The following day I bought a VM and Sega Rally 2. Those were certainly the times! :)
And here it is, the story of my first “bought at launch” and favourite console ever. Happy Birthday, Dreamcast!
(sorry for any bad English)
Ryan
Sep 10, 2007 at 5:26 am
I always go by the American ‘Birthday’ of the console not the European one but for me I got the dreamcast on the 14th of Oct (the day it Launched) It was great because the 13th of Oct is my birthday so I used the money I got for my birthday to pick up the DC. I picked it up JUST as they where loading it onto the shelves in the shop.
I also picked up Sonic Adventure and Power Stone to play on it..
Never forget the Dream!
Simon
Sep 10, 2007 at 9:39 am
Happy Birthday! I got mine a year after the North American launch, the day the price went down to 199 canadian dollars (I was very poor at that time). And my Dreamcast has been plugged to my tv since. Best console ever. Will we ever see games with the art style of Rez, the funky groove of Space Channel 5 or the craziness of Seaman again ?
Aki-at
Sep 10, 2007 at 10:18 am
Seaman is getting a sequel you know! so far Japan exclusive though and Mizuguchi could be working with SEGA again, so we’ll see if his got something of that style (Space Channel 5 or Rez)
Oh the Dreamcast? its still there, time has passed and consoles such as the SEGA Saturn, the N64 and Playstation 2 have all been replaced, but my Dreamcast has been in that exact (well almost exact, I moved house a few years back and bought a new stand a while ago) spot with the TV.
In fact, I think its time I held a Dreamcast tournament with my friends.
alimn
Sep 10, 2007 at 10:59 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DC, my little lovely white cute friend.
Long life DC, you will never die because all nice people love you!
For me it is still my #1 favorite console of all time and
after it I would like to choose X360 for now.
As for DC
The Hardware was great & it was really ahead of it’s time.
The Softwares(Games, Web browsers and etc)
were amazing, exciting and HOT!
Soul Calibur “GRAPHICAL EXPLOSION for years”
Shenmue, “An all time masterpiece”
Dead Or Alive, “much better than the PS2 version”
Sonic Adventure, “Speed+Graphics+Details+Lovely memories”
Crazy Taxi, “Fun game for hours”
Virtua Tennis, “If they could make an exclusive motion sensitive controller
for VT like what they made for their FISHING game, Nintendo’s Wii Tennis could became something really OLD”
Just consider Wii, yes it is a lovely console but it is not better than DC.
Here are only some of the great DC accessories:
Fishing Rod(A motion sensitive controller), VMU( An advanced memory card with a lots of abilities), Microphone(Anyone remember Seaman?),
Dreameye(NOT EYE TOY, unfortunately it saw a tiny release only in Japan),
Maraca Controller(Samba de Amigo controller?), 56K Modem(Online Play?)
and even more…you can clearly see that Sega Dreamcast was really ahead of it’s time.
In fact SEGA games, consoles and etc were always ahead of their time.
Here is an article if you have not seen it,
“Why Sega was years ahead of its time?”
http://www.gamesradar.com/us/xbox360/game/features/article.jsp?sectionId=1003&articleId=20070427112939312024&releaseId=20060321132945404017
Thank god, after years my DC is still alive and strong…
but during last years I had at least two dead PS2 systems.
my Xbox is dieing too!
Recently I just fixed that small reset issue simply
with opening and cleaning a part of it/
Regards-Alimn
ratix240sx
Sep 10, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Lol I remember playing Sonic Adventure at Game stop with my bro and we decided we had to have it. We bought it the day after launch (lol which is today) and play sonic adventure to death literally.
In the end I ended up with these games:
Sonic Adventure
Evolution
Evolution 2
Crazy Taxi
Speed Devils
Seventh Cross Evolution
King of Fighters DM 99
Grandia 2
Skies of Arcadia
Soul Calibur
Dead or alive 2
Snk vs Capcom
Mark of the Wolves
Last Blade 2
Bangai O
Confidential Mission
NFL 2K1
Shenmue
Shenmue 2
Jet Grind Radio
Sonic Adventure 2
PSO
Record of Lodoss War
Maken X
Emmett The Crab
Sep 10, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Oh yeah, I had that Lodoss War game also. I forgot about it. It was kind of a ripoff of Diablo in play style.
Saphion
Sep 11, 2007 at 5:54 am
I’ll mainly remember it for PSO. *nostalgia*
Aki-at
Sep 11, 2007 at 6:54 am
I mainly remember it for ALMOST EVERYTHING (Yes, even Toy Commander and Pen Pen, oh those were the days!)
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: