90°

10 Reasons why the SEGA Dreamcast Failed

The Sega Dreamcast, remembered nowadays as a cult favorite, was the unsuccessful gaming console that attempted to compete with the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Released on 9/9/99, the Dreamcast is often described as “ahead of its time,” as it did a lot of things well but ultimately failed to establish itself as a viable alternative to Sony’s massively successful PlayStation 2, which was released the following year. Sega would discontinue the Dreamcast in 2001 after less than 2 years on the North American market. With disagreement over the company’s future, Sega decided to abandon the console business and become a third party developer. Here are 10 reasons why the Dreamcast suffered this untimely fate.

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m.goliath.com
stonecold33370d ago

i still have my dreamcast to this day i love the games on the system but its pretty sad sega no longer making a new machine anymore and with all there good game they have should have been released i do hope in some way sega will come back to its fans

Yi-Long3369d ago

Agreed, I absolutely LOVED my Dreamcast. It had amazing games with fantastic visuals for the time, and great gameplay.

I would add another 2 reasons to the list of why it failed; Here in Holland, it was simply very hard to find. Regular toy stores weren't selling it nor the games, so anyone who was interested had to go to a specialized game store to actually buy games.

Which brings us to my 2nd additional reason it failed; it was apparently very easy to just play illegal copies on it instead.

ApocalypseShadow3370d ago

Didn't fail for me. I bought two.

But it was a sad day in gaming. Was working at EB then and we got the news. Best arcade system Sega ever made. And they went out with a bang.I miss that Sega flavor in a game nowadays.

Too bad the current Sega has no idea how to handle their franchises well or ask for collaborations with other companies for their take on their franchises. But Sammy's content with pachinko games using Sega properties. And konami seems to want to go the same route.

FallenAngel19843369d ago

The Genesis is undoubtedly Sega's best console

ApocalypseShadow3369d ago (Edited 3369d ago )

I loved the Genesis. But the Dreamcast was really the arcade at home for me. It's a tough call for me since I liked my

Master system
Genesis
Sega Nomad
Sega Saturn
Dreamcast

I could say streets of rage, gunstar,phantasy star,thunder force,super Monaco,madden,etc were awesome. But then I could say the same for PSO,CvsSNK,skies of arcadia,powerstone,soul calibur,shenmue,F355,nfl2k,nba 2k,etc were awesome.

Boy that's a tough call for me.If it were sales, I'd agree with you. If it weren't sales, then I'd disagree.... Sort of... Lol!

RosweeSon3369d ago

Yeah but dreamcast was also a great system introduced online gaming to the masses (for games consoles anyway) just a bit prematurely, Sega as always a bit ahead of the times, the games were fantastic on dreamcast tho. Just a shame Sonic never translated that well to 3D, Generations was great but Sonic is best in 2d unless Sega let Nintendo make a 3D sonic ;) doubtful tho.

Tapewurm3369d ago (Edited 3369d ago )

Still have my Dreamcast and Saturn... For me the Saturn is the one... Panzer Dragoon (All of them), Shining Force III, Shining the Holy Ark, Mystaria, Burning Rangers, Dragon Force, Virtua Fighter (all including Fighters Mega Mix), Daytona CCE, Sega Rally, Virtual On, and Virtua Cop,.... Still have all of these and recently purchased a Saturn to scart (ntsc/pal)cable to hook up to a scart to HDMI convertor and have been playing Saturn games in 1080p ..... looks so good! 8) Good dose of Nostalgia lol...been replaying all of them.

On the Dreamcast side though...Love Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue,Phantasy Star Online, Hydro Thunder, Grandia II, and all of the Sega Arcade ports (House of the Dead 2, Virtua Fighter 3tb, Daytona USA 2001, Sega Rally 2)... one of my favorite features the Dreamcast had for "on the couch" gaming was the VMU....loved playing NFL2k where you could only see the plays you picked on your VMU.... an excellent feature that needs to be replicated by the newer consoles.

ApocalypseShadow3369d ago

I know what you mean tape. I was rocking the Saturn too. Guess deep down I loved Sega more than the rest. Probably why it hit me hard when they jumped out of the game.

They made a lot of mistakes but Sega was an awesome company anyway.

FallenAngel19843370d ago

The Dreamcast would've suffered even if it survived throughout the 6th gen. Its lack of a second analog stick, dial up modem, small 1GB GD-ROM format which was extremely easy to pirate, retailer stores and consumer distrust of Sega, and being underpowered compared to the later consoles it was supposed to compete with would've caused problems further down the line.

It was indeed a console with some qualities that were ahead of their time, but it was behind the times in many other aspects.

wheresmymonkey3369d ago

It was actually on a Par with the PS2 grpahically the GC mini discs were only 1.5gb, you could swap out the 33k modem for a LAN adapter ( there actually was one released for it in Japan, along with a proposed DVD drive.

the second analogue stick could also be rectified by a new pad. or failing that the DC already had both a mouse and Keyboard and quake 3 on the console had cross play with PC and Mouse and keyboard support.

PhoenixUp3369d ago

-No the PS2 was far more powerful than the Dreamcast.
- The Dreamcast discs would've been even more limiting than GameCube discs. This is in addition to its underpowered tech would negatively impacted third party support.
- SEGA would still have to accommodate the gamers who still had the original controller.

rmw2hot873370d ago

Sega Dreamcast will always be my favorite console of all time.

Godmars2903369d ago

The Sega Saturn. Or all of the add-ons for the Genesis

Hell, if the 32x, Sega CD - and the other thing? - hadn't happened, if more attention had been given to the Saturn or the focus been on the Dreamcast since it was pretty much being made at the same time, things likely would have been more stable.

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80°

Nintendo Has Confirmed It Will Be Attending GamesCom 2025

Company skipped last year's event.

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nintendolife.com
Obscure_Observer3d ago

Not surprising at all.

I mean, they´ll be releasing a new console in a few weeks.

repsahj1d 23h ago

I hope they show new Switch 2 exclusive games.

170°

Sony Aims To Sell 15 Million PS5 Units This Year, but Is Shifting Focus to Monthly Active Users

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki and CFO Lin Tao talked about the state of the PlayStation business and the strategy and targets going forward, including how they're responding to the tariffs.

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simulationdaily.com
1Victor8d ago

I wonder how the USA tariffs war will affect that projection. 🤔

S2Killinit8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

I think they take that into consideration when they announce their projections. Currently, after the xbox price increase, the PRO is cheaper than the series x! That is ridiculous, and it can’t last.

darthv728d ago

you keep saying that but the price of a PS5 Pro is S699.99 (US) and the price of a Series X is $599.99 (US)

S2Killinit8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

The series x with 2 TB storage space is more expensive than PS5 PRO which also has 2 TB storage space.

darthv728d ago (Edited 8d ago )

Oh so you are pitting a regular Pro with a special edition X... got it. If you are going so far as trying to compare apples to apples... please add in the optical drive and stand to the Pro. Seeing as the X has both of those by default.

I will help you if you are unable to do so.
PS5 Pro 2tb: $699.99, Optical Drive: $79.99, Stand: $29.99 = $809.97
Xbox Series X Galaxy Black Special Edition 2TB: $729.99

8d ago
S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

The PS5 PRO has 2TB storage. The series X with 2TB storage and much weaker, is… more expensive! So yeah, Im pointing out that fact.

Also, the PRO does not require a stand.

Ps: regular series 2TB is $749 (where did u get 729?)

darthv727d ago

Its right here on the official XB site: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/...

Okay, so no stand for the Pro, but you might still want the optical drive. So $779.98 vs $729.99. A properly outfitted Pro is still more $$ than a 2tb X.

S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

Do I need to mention that the series x is not nearly as powerful as the PS5 PRO?

And no, the PS5 PRO runs just fine without a drive, and people don’t have to buy the drive right away, assuming they want it.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 7d ago
drivxr8d ago

I wonder why they are shifting focus to MAU.

RaiderNation8d ago

Because that's where the real money is made, in microtransactions.

Profchaos8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

People are spending less time playing is a typical trigger for this.

The less time spent playing the less likely you are to spend more money on games and services including subs or even the next console.

Increased engagement equals more money.

8d ago
DarXyde8d ago

Same reason Microsoft does it: it looks better to investors and it's a solution when unit sales slow down.

Personally, I'm not a fan of this metric; and by using it, you're kind of signaling that you're moving into the "This is a PlayStation" era.

Z5017d ago

Because the PS4 also has users and not necessarily sales

Obscure_Observer5d ago

"I wonder why they are shifting focus to MAU."

Because they´d finally realized that MS wasn´t wrong after all.

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8d ago
8d ago
310°

Sony Announces Large Profits Growth for PlayStation; Expects Further Wins in Current Fiscal Year

Sony announced its financial results for the fiscal year 2024, and things are certainly looking up, despite a decline in PS5 sales.

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simulationdaily.com
CrimsonWing698d ago

Expect sh*t to slow down if prices aren’t kept in check.

Redgrave8d ago

Who downvotes the truth?

Even PSN itself is too damn high.jpg

S2Killinit8d ago

Gamepass is already at 20$ per month if im not mistaken.

toxic-inferno8d ago

@neutralgamer1992

Not all of us. I'm a big PlayStation fan, and have been since the PSOne. But I can't begin to defend what's happening currently.

At least Nintendo release a large number of games from their major franchises. Sony is just not banking on their established franchises, and yet are raising prices. Not great.

S2Killinit8d ago

Im pretty sure we are going to see a price increase for PRO. I mean think about it, its currently cheaper than xbox series x! That cannot last.

Eonjay8d ago

I'm absolutely sure we will not see a price increase. I don't think we should 'expect' to see price increase because it just adds validity to what Nintendo and Microsoft have done.

darthv728d ago (Edited 8d ago )

Sorry to pop that bubble but the Pro is not cheaper than a series x... generally speaking (like you are). It is cheaper than one specific version, and doing so by not including the optical drive and stand like the X has by default.

So keep on trying to convince people you are right when everyone knows it's quite the opposite. A stock Pro is $699.99 and a stock X is $599.99. A special edition galactic black 2tb X is $729.99. And if you really want to compare apples to apples... adding the aforementioned optical drive and stand brings that Pro to $809.97 and then they would be on equal footing.

Twisting truths to fit a narrative... I expect better from you S2.

S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

The PS5 PRO has 2TB storage. And the series X with 2TB is more expensive. Which in my opinion is insane conseidering how much more powerful the PRO is. The PS5PRO does not need a stand, it can be used without a stand.

TheKingKratos8d ago

So the Pro is not offering any push in sales at all ?

CrashMania8d ago

It's still an expensive, niche product ultimately. And they exceeded their sales projections for units sold by half a million.

lawox8d ago

"18.5 million units have been shipped during the full fiscal year. This is actually ahead of the 18 million units target set by the company."

They beat their yearly estimate. It's not broken down by device, but it's clearly performing well enough. Since it's been released it's consistently been the second best selling SKU on Amazon only after the the Slim with disc.

8d ago
Bathyj8d ago

18 million a year is in the toilet?
I remember when 10 was considered good
Hell Microsoft would take that right now.
Probably pay $100b for it.

8d ago
BeHunted8d ago

If their profits fall next quarter, we'll probably see more price hikes. I can't imagine having to pay £20 a month for PlayStation Plus.

S2Killinit8d ago

I think gamepass is already paying that much.

8d ago
drivxr8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

Decline in hardware sales.
Behind on lifetime sales and decline in first party sales.
Third party content and PSN came through to save the day.
Things will improve starting with the next Ghost game.

Hopefully a steady flow of first party content by end of '25

rlow18d ago (Edited 8d ago )

I guess you get downvoted for stating facts from Sony’s own lips. What I’m curious about is what their top games of the year were and how much Xbox games contributed to the increase?

CrashMania8d ago

Well, generally 3rd party publisher games contribute the most anyway, so no different to capcom, EA and so on contributing to this figure.

lawox8d ago

That's because the report is actually really good.

They beat the console sales estimate that they set last year March, they have increased users both due to the record numbers of PS4 users and strong PS5 sales which is leading to great profits in sales and user spend.

This report is about the financial health of the PlayStation brand and as a platform PlayStation is stronger than ever. Heck they even have Microsoft putting their biggest franchises on the platform.

8d ago
S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

Well, the facts in the article are positive. Nothing wrong with his comment, but in my opinion it doesn't correctly indicate all the facts and nuances that give context to the reality of things. I downvoted for that only.

Make sense?

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 7d ago
Lightning778d ago

This is exactly what happened to Xbox year's ago. They had no first party and started seeing decline in 1st party sales, which effected their third party games which eventually effected their console sales. A slow decline across the board.

Calm down PS fans I'm not saying PS is becoming like old Xbox. I'm showing examples of the importance of first party output. Look how Xbox finally has compelling first party and things are on a up swing(despite years going on a downswing). I know thanks to PS releases which helps a ton, (which is why Xbox hardware only dropped 6% instead of 30+% like it usually does) The point still stands despite what Genz Trends may go, first party and compelling games sell hardware and software still. Sony's financial quarter is an example of this, of what lower First party output looks like.

No matter they'll be right back on track in due time any time especially with DS2 (not my type of game but I know many like it) and Yotei. They're not Xbox and let things get bad for so many years on end.

crazyCoconuts8d ago

"I'm showing examples of the importance of first party output. "
First party is mostly relevant for the sole purpose of creating EXCLUSIVES that are needed to stay competitive. With Xbox consoles collapsing and no more Xbox exclusives, first party is way less important. PlayStation as a platform now has free reign to profit without the high expense of needing exclusive first party titles.

red2tango8d ago

Sony has been very lazy with 1st party games compared to the PS4 era. And even the PS4 era was nothing compared to the PS3 era in terms of games.

S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

We have Ghost and Intergalactic coming. And then Marathon which is not exclusive to PlayStation. I think Covid and that chip shortage put a speedbump in game development because game manufacturers dont want even more risk that their game will arrive to too little hardware, but the games are starting to show up.

Lightning778d ago

"With Xbox consoles collapsing and no more Xbox exclusives, first party is way less important."

Absolutely not. If that was the case then Nintendo would put Mario on Sega Genesis and Sonic on Super Nintendo. I know things are way different 30+ years later but not much has really changed in terms of exclusives and their impact on hardware. Especially early in the console life cycle.

Sony made all the money this quarter handover fist. Profits isn't a issue for them right now. I was just saying lower hardware sales and lower first party sales will hurt them or any console manufacturer of they don't have the compelling games in the long run. Just like it hurt Xbox. IF Sony keeps up not having lower first part output. Which we know they're not.

crazyCoconuts8d ago

Well no big exclusives in the last two years yet PS is doing great. What are people gonna do? Buy an Xbox?

S2Killinit7d ago

I agree with you. But they have had plenty of exclusives so far. Has it been ideal? Nope. I have a feeling we are seeing a resurgence with the effects of covid and that chip shortage now behind us.

Lightning778d ago

No it's just like 360 where they had no games yet ppl still bought it because they sold ppl on the games early on that gen the fans were locked in and invested. They were riding the good will and was dubbed the shooter, racer box. The games dried up and they never recovered from it which hurt them in the long run. Same here with PS they still make the big bucks because they had games early on and the fans locked in and will continue to lock in for a little while longer despite lacking in first party.

S2Killinit7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

I agree. But the problem with xbox was that for some crazy reason MS thought game development wasnt all that important to a platform holder. They literally did not fund games with their own studios. When they lost marketshare they couldnt justify paying for exclusives with large install bases making it too expensive. That is not the scenario with PlayStation.

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