Sega Announces Dreamcast Successor 142
aardwolf64 writes: "msnbc.com has a story (taken from Inside.com) about the successor to Sega's DreamCast. Aparently it won't play actual DreamCast discs, but will instead download them to an internal hard drive through a digital cable connection. According to the article: 'Wallace said that the box, called the Games Gateway, can store up to 60 games at a time, and will play any and all of the 350 or so games developed for the Dreamcast platform. The box will ship next year, though Wallace declined to speculate whether it would ship in the U.S. or U.K. first. The deal is mutually non-exclusive; the box itself has been a year in development'"
A mistake? (Score:1)
This is just very disappointing that since they couldn't penetrate the market with the original hardware (which, IMHO, is one of the better systems around), so now they're going to milk another $200 bucks from gamers to play games that otherwise would have come out for the Dreamcast...
I know that I sure as all hell won't buy one.
Hmm.... small user base (Score:2)
RTFA (Score:1)
RTFA
Re:What a stupid idea (Score:1)
Due to the technical difficulties we have been having with our Sega Channel® getting the data feed mixed in with local public-access programs, Sega Inc. would like to go on the record saying that the popular hacked game "Sonic® vs. Chronic" is NOT endorsed by Sega. The character "Chronic the Hedgehog" is not an offical Sega Inc. character or endorsed by Sega Inc.
STUPID (Score:1)
Re:Next Generation Sega Channel is more like it... (Score:1)
Re:Disaster (Score:1)
Re:No (Score:1)
O look, its another idiot who doesn't know how to post a link in HTML! (i'm lazy, i hate using a mouse.) one more thing, it is not slick to say anyone is a fucking idiot, mostly because its really uncreative.
Wireless Dreamcast (Score:1)
rr
Re:Screw Convergence. (Score:1)
Re:Just another pre-packaged computer. (Score:1)
I can see the ads now.
Remember the Megadrive........oh, come on, you must do...you know, from the early 90`s....
Rememeber the Saturn....
Rememeber the Saturn 2.....
THIS IS THE SATURN 3!!!!
Avoiding Piracy? (Score:1)
WWJD -- What Would Jimi Do?
Re:Next Generation Sega Channel is more like it... (Score:1)
--
At least the headline wasn't.. (Score:2)
Note: I'm not saying that X-Box/DC compatiblity would be a bad thing. Only that Sega denied the rumors before, and it would be delightfully ironic if they embraced it now.
Re:questions (Score:2)
Since WinCE is a kernel remotely related to win2k and designed to be customizable for non-intel processors, and since it basicly just runs MZ code, i think any MS OS will lend itself quite quickly to be patcheable for running Dreamcast games that required WinCE, without much cost. Emulating sega`s own OS would ofcourse mean speed penalties, so that`s not an option, unless stuff like the X-Box is really going to be packed with Sega hardware so it can boot DreamCast games. But yeah I have my doubts on that one too..
Joy .. A new Sega console (Score:1)
Sega make great games, but it's been a long time since they have had a successful (in terms of long-lived) console.
Re:Screw Convergence. (Score:1)
If you can't wait five minutes every time you feel like playing a game you playe once every two months I pity you. Go make a sandwich while it loads.
I'll assume there will be parental controls to keep your kid safe from pedophiles. I doubt your kid will have to talk to any strangers in order to load Railroad Tycoon 2.
Monopolistic behavior huh? I suppose you think Sega is going to stop selling GD-ROMs of newer games? Why the fuck would they do that? They would lose their existing fan base. They're going to stop selling Dreamcasts as we know it, and release a set top box. If someone wants a Dreamcast, they'll have to buy the new box. Personally I'd prefer Sega continue to make DCs available at least over the web if not in EB and Babbages.
Re:Ahh.. (Score:1)
Jaysyn
Re:BSOD during Sonic 4D Adventure (Score:2)
Re:But Why? (Score:1)
Wasn't it just bad? (Score:1)
Re:HOAX!! (Score:1)
Re:What a stupid idea (Score:1)
questions (Score:2)
2)I wonder also about the copy protection stuff, based on the news we have seen recently. Could they say "Sorry, Game Over?"
3)It has a 40 gig HD, so what OS are they running? (again looking at upgrading the drive, or copying the drive content someplace else.
[sigh] so many possibilities.
Misinformation (Score:1)
Such an irresponsible write-up leads to even more misinformation and bad rumors.
This is a set-top box. It is not a console.
Click here [dailyradar.com] for a Daily Radar article on Sega's plans, and here [dailyradar.com] for an article about their set-top plans specifically.
As a non-casual gamer.. (Score:1)
It seems to me that game companies in general are trying _really_ hard to push the concept on online gaming, with some bizarre assumption that the holy grail of inexpensive broadband in every home is going to become a reality. It isn't. Until there is some commercial incentive for companies to offer broadband services cheaply in remote areas (and I don't see that happening) they're just restricting their own market.
Even if it does become a reality, it won't be within the product lifetime of any current or in development consoles. Many countries don't have any broadband services for the home at all, and in others what's there is too expensive, or people aren't that interested.
Added to that, the number of casual/console gamers I know who care about online gaming is pretty small, all the O/L game addicts I know are just geeky Quake players, who aren't going to want to ditch their PC gaming in favour of a console.
This is _all_ about trying to move consoles to pay-per-view or limited ownership of software, and I sincerely hope any company trying to push it as the way forward gets burned. They're trying to get more money out of the consumer, and destroy the thriving used videogame market. There's probably an anti piracy thing here too - but someone will just crack whatever system they use - they always do. Media people cannot create (carts, wierd CD types, etc) was always the most secure way.
james
Re:SUGGESTION TO SEGA (Score:1)
Re:Broadband couldn't do this. (Score:1)
Re:But Why? (Score:1)
That's planned.
One of the uses of the 'dreamcast on a chip' concept that this story is an example of is the idea of a 'dreamcast on a PCI card'.
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So sega's not getting out of the hardware market? (Score:1)
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:1)
Wow. I'm underwhelmed.
Well, hey...we'll have those snazzy LEO Internet services [skybridgesatellite.com] any time now. 2005? 2008?
By then, the phone companies will have DSL out to me.
--
price (Score:1)
Re:Call me old fashioned.. (Score:1)
What you seem to forget is that every single physical copy of a console game, from the carts for the original nintendo to the CDs for the Saturn and PlayStation, is a digital copy. The only difference between those copies of games and ones on a hard drive is the media. And if you ask me, putting it on a hard drive greatly improves the media. For one it is more reliable, two you can make backup copies a lot easier than with carts or CDs, and three, no more dust on the cart or laser.
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:1)
The thing is that the creators of these devices have no desire to mess with an OS like linux simply because the numbers don't make it worth their while. So until something better comes along, or they decide to support linux, you will continue to be "undewhelmed" Wow.
Is Linux a better OS than Windows. The answer is it depends on what you want to do (yes & no). Is Linux more stable than Windows? By far it is, but a linux box that has been running for ten years non-stop is worthless if it can't work with the software or hardware to support what I want to do with the computer.
I don't believe it (Score:1)
Think About It... (Score:1)
This is a cable set top box with a games console and PTV built in. It will do all of the things that the 3 boxes you have under your tv will do currently in one box (for less than £500!)
What about if it was a satellite box with all of the above? I think it's in the pipeline already (the guys who are developing this sit opposite my desk!).
This is really just a technology preview...it's what we will all have in a few years.
set top box (Score:2)
Me: Hi, I'd like to sign up for cable service.
Cable Company: Okay, would you like the movie channels too?
Me: I guess.
CC: Do you have a computer? We also have high speed internet access.
Me: sure.
CC:Do you like video games? You can download and play Sega DreamCast games on your cable box for only an extra $10 a month.
Me: Ten dollars a month!?! That's cheaper than HBO! Sign me up!
This isn't developed by Sega. (Score:2)
Sega getting out of the hardware market just means that THEY won't produce the units - someone else will for them while they provide the chipset.
Re:Sega: One new console every two years. (Score:2)
I'd guess the rumor was created by yet another game nerd (different than "real" nerd) who compares Mhz of different processors and thinks higher numbers always means better. He probably put two and two together (Xbox runs Windows CE? I don't know, and Dreamcast games were developed using Windows CE) and concluded that they must be compatible.
I'm just doubting it.
----------
Re:So sega's not getting out of the hardware marke (Score:1)
Puzzled (Score:1)
sega channel! (Score:1)
This sounds likely (Score:1)
This has been tried . . . (Score:2)
I think the fact that most people are reluctant to provide a revenue stream (think on the order of $9.95-$19.95/month) combined with the other fact that lots of games that would have been a $30-$50 sale will lose their appeal after two plays will result in a quick death for this system.
Re:What a stupid idea (Score:1)
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Re:What a stupid idea (Score:1)
Sega's been in the pay-per-play industry for a LONG time...you'd be surprised to find out how many casino games they've successfully put into place.
'Nuff said.
Next Generation Sega Channel is more like it... (Score:5)
If it's the next generation anything, it's the next generation Sega Channel.
Jon
Who the fuck is Wallace? (Score:1)
More than just the set top cable box (Score:1)
What SEGA should do. (Score:1)
If they were to take the lead on the JCP(Java Community Process) and develope the API for the game profile then they can get out of the hardware business and focus on making great games that will run on things from cellphones to TVs to PCs.
If they would make a GPLed openGL based gaming api for linux they would be able to run all of there games on practicaly any machine.
wake up
Ah, actually (Score:1)
Re:Broadband couldn't do this. (Score:1)
In fact it will have some cable features, but the only connectivity upstream was on it is a modem... Though I got the impression that was more for the Tivo-like functions & online gaming...
A Hyped up PC clone! (Score:1)
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:2)
Re:Um, who wants pay per play? (Score:1)
--
Correction (Score:1)
"Though the box will work with cable, direct broadcast satellite, and digital television, it will have a dialup modem return path, rather than a broadband connection. "
I was mistaken that digital satellite lines would not be supported. However, it sounds even worse - it also requires the use of a traditional phone line as well! The requirements are just adding up - might as well just play PC games IMO.
ETA? (Score:1)
-- from the article
2003? So the market in terms of time for this is sometime between now and 2003? Am I missing something?
Btw, the DC is a kick ass little platform. I'm going to buy a used one and Marvel vs Capcom 2. That way I can pretend I'm in an aracde all day on my days off. If only it had a cool DBZ fighting game like and updated DBZ:SB3. =)
Ultra Mega Turbo Alpha 200 hit combo!
Re:Wasn't it just bad? (Score:1)
Screw Convergence. (Score:2)
THIS BRINGS "CONSOLE-QUALITY gaming to the digital TV industry," said Andrew Wallace, senior vice president of worldwide marketing for Pace, in a conference call this morning. It "addresses the casual gaming market," he noted, while providing lower costs than actually going out and buying a game.
Wallace said that the box, called the Games Gateway, can store up to 60 games at a time, and will play any and all of the 350 or so games developed for the Dreamcast platform. The box will ship next year, though Wallace declined to speculate whether it would ship in the U.S. or U.K. first. The deal is mutually non-exclusive; the box itself has been a year in development.
God. I don't want forced interactivity on my game console. What's more, I do not want to have to subject my child to a
Furthermore, what the hell is the casual gaming market? I have over 200 games for various platforms, many of which run on emulators on my PC, and this thing only will allow 60 games to be stored? Where can I store the rest? Is it pirating if I store the rest on my hard drive?
Maybe we should sue Sega for monopoly behavior. If it wants to separate the deck from the games, fine! We will treat it like two different products. It's bullshit to force ten million parents to go out and buy the new console just so their children can get the new Pokemon for their game, and then to sit there for the hours on end while they play video games just to make sure they aren't talking to anyone unsavory!
Re:But Why? (Score:1)
That's called Usenet [news].
Oh, you mean to play on the PC :)--that'll have to wait for the emulator.
Do not misunderstand - GG is not the "successor" (Score:1)
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:1)
>but the problem with satellite is not quite as dire as you make it out to be
I was really half joking about the situation being as bad as needing three satellite receivers... But I am serious that there are too many satellite dishes out in the country.
This sounds familiar... (Score:1)
Sega = Drunk Uncle (Score:1)
How many times do you have to hear that before you disbelieve anything they say?
The good news is that they plan to support this box for a whole six months before they stop marketing it.
KFC's Kentucy Fried Court Battle [ridiculopathy.com]
Re:This has been tried . . . (Score:2)
Why make the headline 'Sega Announces Dreamcast Successor'?
Is that a successor for the Dreamcast? I was expecting a next-gen console, not this, which I can only best describe as a "stand-alone" add-on.
Will this increase piracy? (Score:1)
Just my 4 pfennig.
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Copying protection? (Score:1)
Games storage... (Score:1)
-Moondog
Conspiracy theory (Score:1)
So now they download games to a disk to play them.
So what this means is you will end up spending more money buying more disks in the future.
How promising
Re:Ahh.. (Score:1)
I knew it (Score:1)
Re:questions (Score:1)
dumbasses! (Score:1)
=)
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:2)
So yes, it would be nice to get y'all out in the sticks wired (then I could move there! Yay!) but the problem with satellite is not quite as dire as you make it out to be.
(Cept for the latency, and that really sucks. Damn Einstein...)
Huh? (Score:2)
-Sega has huge losses over 4 straight quarters, including the very successful Dreamcast US launch.
-They still build a user base of several million rather devoted users.
-Sega says that over 100 new titles will hit the Dreamcast library this year. This I believe.
-Sega decides to release a new box that is an even more dangerous money hole than the previous one? What will stop Johnny user from downloading instructions off the internet to copy a game to his friend's? Or, more importantly, download an M rated game while Mommy isn't looking?
Furthermore, why wouldn't they learn from the relatively great decision of Sony to release a system that can play last generation's games, therefore increasing the previous generation's game base as well as the current (driving up license profits)?
This whole thing doesn't make sense, particularly since the Dreamcast has been out only 1 and a quarter years in America.
I love the Dreamcast (I like it more than my PS2), but this doesn't seem like a correct decision at all (or a credible rumor, for that matter).
[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:1)
- 1 satellite dish for TV
- 1 satellite dish for your game system
- 1 satellite dish for your high-speed/latency internet
- 1 big TV tower to pull in the locals
We're up to four big warts on each fully-wired house in the country. Isn't this where all you city slickers come to take all them nice lookin' photies and sunday drives? Not for long. And it seems a bit much to take up all that nice spectrum and space that could be used for so much more just for us few rural folk.
You people in the city: It's time you got back your satellite space. Get us wired with a TV cable and we won't need it. We really aren't asking for the world, ya know. Just to stop being treated like second class citizens in the digital age. I really hoped that by 2001 phones lines wouldn't be for just voice again.
Most people don't want to move out of the country just for more services. When you have $100,000's (often in the country $millions -- farmland ain't free!) tied up in a place it makes moving a huge event. I'm glad. If everyone did we'd all be living in Arcologies. I'm sure you'd agree; That would suck. Don't let your city end up with 1,000 people/sq mile! Get me cable TV!
I think John Byrd of SEGA of America said it best: (Score:3)
Dear 7334 kIdZ: we are not giving up on the Dreamcast. We are going to make a whole bunch of Dreamcast games this year. We are not going to stop selling the Dreamcast for the foreseeable future. We are thinking up a bunch of new hardware designs around the SH-4 and PVR2 chipset. We have a prototype set-top box that looks pretty cool.
My specific advice: unless you've heard it directly from us -- meaning from www.sega.com -- take it with a small salt shaker.
John Byrd
Sega of America Dreamcast
^^ As seen on port-dreamcast@netbsd.org ^^
Re:questions (Score:2)
Sega (and OT rant about Slashdot's broken system) (Score:1)
On a blatantly OT note, I've been having problems with my karma dropping lately for no good reason. I submitted the problem as an "ask /." question and naturally, it was rejected:
2001-01-30 02:14:14 What's the deal with karma? (askslashdot,news) (rejected)
And only minutes after I'd sent it, to boot. Here's the gist of it: I've watched my karma plummet from 19 to 10 in about a month, with only a few losses from downward moderation (unfairly, as in the case of "redundant" to my ontopic post to a thread where the only other post at the time was a troll), and one upward mod. I stopped moderating because I didn't want some yahoo meta-moderating *my* moderation as unfair and dropping my karma more, but I've still been losing points for no discernable reason. As I said in the "ask-Legion (hoping the first part will get me modded up enough to counter the modding down I'll get from moderators who don't pay attention)
A lot of people have missed the point (Score:1)
Think about it, you will have digital TV and an online games system that plays Dreamcast games in one box.
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:2)
developer's dream (Score:1)
Probably not Sega's intention, but wonderful nonetheless.
Satellaview (Score:1)
Just because you personally don't benefit... (Score:2)
Sega is doing the right thing by picking a distribution method that is reasonable and has a reasonably large market share (or will have...)
If they made it over broadband you'd all complain; if it was over standard cable you'd complain it was too slow; if it was dialup you'd complain.
I had the Sega Channel as a child and I for one cannot wait to have this in my area!
Re:Screw Convergence. (Score:1)
Re:[ot] Satellite dishes out in the country (Score:1)
So, basically, you're hosed. : )
Re:Who the fuck is Wallace? (Score:1)
http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/wallace/index.ht
Ok, so it's a surname..whatever
Bleh...smells funny (Score:1)
*cynic on*
What they're really doing is trying to kill the rental market.
No more going to your local video store and renting the disk before you buy it. Plus, no more renting games with no replay value that you would want to play once.
Have fun borrowing one of your pals games too.
*cynic off*
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Technical folk think, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Marketing gurus, on the other hand, always seem to want to be the *first* to think of something. "First console system to successfully implement a subscription service" sounds fashionably profitable to me. Too bad the technical folk so rarely occupy the decision-making positions.
The Dreamcast is dead (Score:2)
What software developer is going to develop for a box like this? None of them. Old games will be downloaded to the HD and stored there. The hotel crowd will probably get a kick out of Chu-Chu Rocket and Tetris.
Is Sega that strapped for cash that they have to start selling off the DC technology to anyone who wants it? Rumors are flying about a soon to be $99 Dreamcast. If true this would only confirm my suspicion that Sega is looking to clear out old inventory and get out.
Re:Screw Convergence. (Score:2)
The casual gaming market is the people who don't own 200 video games. Obviously you're not part of that market.
What they're tageting is the people who would otherwise drive to a store and rent a video game to play for an evening or two and then return. All they're doing is trying to expand the pay per view model to video games and it seems to make sense to me. There are lots of people who pay $4-5 to play a video game for a couple of hours before returning it to the store. They would probably also be willing to pay $5-6 to have the game delivered to their home in a matter of minutes and its use enabled for the next 48 hours. I'm sure the Sega will still allow games to be purchased on a permanent basis for $40-50 (or whatever games cost these days) especially when they already got the $6 you spent when you tested out the game from their pay per view service.
_____________
Re:Microsoft, anyone? (Score:2)
Microsoft has had a lot of things to admire them for... but new original ideas has never been one of them.
Kinda justice really since Windows is bastardized version of the Mac Finder which is a bastardized version of the Xerox Star....
Re:What a stupid idea (Score:2)
These types of games, obvously, already exist and are very popular. But its not "pay per play" rather its like a magazine subscription, where you pay to keep playign because they keep adding things to the game. When they stop adding things, these games quickly die. (UOL anyone?)
Slashdot, please get the story right... (Score:5)
Sega made a statement last week that they would be packaging DC technology and licencing it to third-parties. This is not a replacement, nor a replacement to the DC. In fact Sega also stated that they were looking into making a DC PCI-card for PC's... May as well say that Taco's PC is the DC successor as well.
-Jayde
Re:Microsoft, anyone? (Score:2)
Marketing (dept.) strikes again (Score:5)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
And now I've read the article I have two specific comments
Hmm...a good idea? (Score:5)
1. Have cable in their residence
2. Care to pay money for a digital cable connection
This restricts both the tech-less (antenna, analog cable), and the tech-savvy (digital satellite reciever). To me, it sounds like a great feature and option, but even with a digital cable line myself I'm not sure I'd want to be restricted to loading new games only at home..especially if it restricted me from taking it to another place (i.e. college dorm, apartment, etc.) without a cable connection.
But it's still a year away from release, so perhaps they'll change their minds and find more reasonable distribution methods.
But Why? (Score:2)
Not saying this isnt a good idea, just wondering why.
PACE MICRO NOT SEGA MS-NBC RUMOUR? (Score:3)
What have the slashdot crew against Sega, it's that difficult to check first the story, then post?
Still, I expect (wish) that Sega will be on the HW market more time than the people think.
On a side note, IIRC in Japan Pioneer built Saturn comptible hardware in 1997 or 1998 so this isn't a new move for Sega.
sigh.