The 12 Best Gadgets You Didn’t Buy

Somewhere in an alternate universe, the Earth 2 version of me is typing this article on a brand new Commodore Amiga sipping from a can of Crystal Pepsi when his Palm Pre 4 buzzes with a new CU-SeeMe video call. Unfortunately, in this universe, the best products don’t always win.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

I bought a Dreamcast on day one.

[Primal Rex]

Me too !!!

[darthv72]

i had to get two.

in fact, all the platforms i really enjoy i tend to get multiples of.

you never know when you are going to play the system to death. Spares are a good thing to have.

[mdkgod43]

same here

[NYC_Gamer]

I bought Dreamcast and fell in love with Shenmue along 2K basketball and football

[Bimkoblerutso]

I remember my Powerstone/Sonic marathon that day....good times.

[ChunkyLover53]

I bought a Dreamcast, had the internet been better at the time, Sega might still be in the console market. I played Quake 3, NFL 2K1 and Phantasy Star Online back in the day on the Dreamcast.

Had DSL or Cable internet been an option, they would have had the online aspect of gaming cornered. Ps2 didn't even launch with an online adapter.

[konnerbllb]

There was better internet at the time, I had comcast cable. It may not have been as widespread as it is now though.

[darthv72]

i think you are confused. the internet was very prominent then. Sega did have the online aspect of console gaming cornered.

But there was a little company called Sony and their looming PS2 coming out. No manner of great games or features was going to derail the hype train that was the PS2.

People specifically bypassed the DC in the expectation of the PS2. Now obviously we can look back and say yeah, we let a good platform like the DC die. Its the dont know what you got till its gone routine.

Many diehard sony fans went back afterwards and got the DC but it was already too late. Sega did their best to try and patch their previous mistakes of covering to many systems at the same time.

Remember, before the DC they were supporting 6 platforms all at the same time. Genesis, 32X, CD, Master system (in other parts of the world), GameGear and Saturn. No other company I know of in console history tried to do as much as Sega. that is what REALLY hurt them. they spread themselves so thin and what $$ they had was going every which way.

Dreamcast was their platform that was to bring them back into focus and while it did....it just didnt do it soon enough. Some speculate sega pulled the plug too soon but their departure opened the door for MS to step in.

the rest is history.

[ProjectVulcan]

Quake 3 arena, keyboard and mouse- the daddy of online console shooters. I mean that in the best way, it was absolutely bloody brilliant and jaw dropping.

Dreamcast was so far ahead of its time it is mindblowing to think of that now, 12 years ago I played that on console, virtually to the day...

[wastedcells]

I had a dreamcast and a great online connection but once ps2 dropped it wasn't long before I was playing that full time. Socom online ps2.... Those were the days.

[ChunkyLover53]

@darthv72

I'm not confused, had it been a few years later the Dreamcast would have been fine, of course it would of needed to include a broadband adapter instead of the 56k modem.

Sega's plan was to draw on the gaining momentum when it came to online gaming. Sony's PS2 was a part as well, but if people had access to the type of internet like we do now, who knows?

I do know DSL didn't come to where I lived until 2003, cable internet is still not available here. I am thankful that people don't wait around for a certain console anymore though, you could miss out on some amazing experiences.