In case there's anyone there out who's intereseted, Toon Disney will be running a marathon of AoStH this coming Friday from 6 A.M. to 7P.M. Too bad it 's not a SatAM marathon...
In case there's anyone there out who's intereseted, Toon Disney will be running a marathon of AoStH this coming Friday from 6 A.M. to 7P.M. Too bad it 's not a SatAM marathon...
There have been a lot of posts here that the Dreamcast is dead. This not true! Sega has said that there is over 100 games planned for 2001, and even some for 2002! Sega also said that if the Dreamcast was still profitable, after 18 months, that they will continue Dreamcast software production. Sega announced over 30 first-party titles for this year (that's not counting those secret projects) all of which were Dreamcast-only! Some of those include Sonic Adventure 2, Crazy Taxi 2, all the 2k2s, and many more. After the remaining 2 million Dreamcast units are sold (expected to be gone near end of 2001), Pace will take over and begin selling the Dreamcast set-top boxes, which are rumored to have a DVD drive and a 40GB hard drive! So it seems that Dreamcast has the potiental to live at all the way up to the video game standards of 5 years! But after DC, Sega IS pulling out of the hardware business, at least for now, who knows? Maybe sometime in the 256-bit era, we may see a new box with the Sega logo on it.
It's true. The report below is NOT a false one. At first, even I didn't believe it. Unfortunately, I checked www.ign.comand learned that the post is true. The Dreamcast is officially dead. According to the article, Dreamcast production will continue through December 31st of this year. Then, manufacture will stop and supplies limited. They will no longer be holding any inventory as of March 31st, 2002.
Apparently, they intend to manufacture games for systems like the PS2 *ack!* and the X-Box. However, they DO NOT intend to stop games for Dreamcast. In fact, SEGA still has over 30 titles in store for Dreamcast over the 2001 year.
Be that as it may, this is still heartbreaking news. I was (and still am) a long-time supporter of the SEGA Corp. But, money speaks in this world and SEGA was running out of words. They hope the new move, called "platform agnostic," will bring up their cash flow. Even so, I for one grieve over the loss of our little grey friend. Video games will never be the same.
Hate to be the bearer of bad (horrid in this case) news, but I just saw this on zdnet.com, and it looks pretty clear that the Dreamcast is quite, quite dead...
Of course, the technology and the games will probably live on, especially considering True Red's earlier post, but this is prolly the last we'll see of the console.
Japan's Sega Corp. pulled the plug on its Dreamcast game machine on Wednesday, announcing it would suffer a record loss by ending production of the loss-making console in March in a dramatic refocusing on video game software.
The world's third-biggest maker of game hardware and software said the shutting down of Dreamcast will generate $689 million (80 billion yen) in extraordinary losses, leading to a consolidated net loss of $502 (58.3 billion yen) in 2000/01 ending March 31.
That exceeded analysts' forecasts for a $430 million (50 billion yen) special loss to abandon Dreamcast, the world's first Internet-compatible video game machine when it was launched in 1999 that grew famous for characters like "Sonic the Hedgehog."
Sega's dream of the world's first 128-bit console wired up for online gaming taking the market by storm quickly faded into a nightmare as the machine floundered against smoother, faster rival machines from Sony and Nintendo.
``We will rapidly shift our focus to the content business,'' Sega said in a statement on Wednesday.
Source: ZDnet
This is the big news Sega had planned. A snippet from the article at IGNDC:
This is perhaps the reason why many rumors have been flying about the demise of the Dreamcast. Hardward production of the Dreamcast will decrease, but not because SEGA is "pulling out of the game", but rather to make room for this new product. Though no specific details have been revealed, this new set-top box will incorporate a hard disk drive planned to have a size of 40 GBs or larger. With the digital platform of this new device, SEGA and Pace are planning to provide downloads of hundreds of SEGA titles - Dreamcast, SEGA Arcade, and perhaps even old SEGA console titles - right on the spot. With the digital format, this set-top box will also allow games to be transmitted wirelessly on to portable, hand held devices. Additionally, it has been surmised that this new console will have "TiVo" like TV features and it has been rumored the device will incorporate DVD features as well.
You can read the full article at IGNDC here.
Source: IGNDC
Hello, this is my first time posting.. but I think this is worth it: Sega has closed in on one of the most popular and long-running Sonic sites, SegaSonic.Net. Seems Sega wants the domain name for themselves, they don't even seem to want a negociation(sp?) either, and copyright probs are also in their pocket. I ask, if Sega can't take the fact that Sega/Sonic fans make websites about their favorite characters... is the Sonic Net safe? I think it's all BS, but don't take my word for it, read on...
Straight from Andy Wolan via E-Mail:
The SSRG is currently looking for people to help out with the site. In the past, positions were scarce and few, and unless you were a good hacker, getting on was difficult. This made it a challenge for good people who were highly interested in working for the SSRG to join.
Today, that is about to change. We have compiled a listing of over a dozen entry positions. These positions cover a wide range of skills and talents. That means you don't need to be a hacker to join.
For more information, please visit the SSRG at ssrg.emulationzone.org and check the 'Want Ads'.
I have created myself a new site which I will post news on many subjects as well as Sonic and Mega Man. Bring you reviews of games and secrets as well. Any suggestios, go to my message boards and post them. URL is http://master_l_562__1.tripod.com/TheSonicSiteoftheFuture/ See you there. Seeya later all
From the Reputable site creator of Shadow of Light and Total Neon Network, Dennis "Neon Chaos" Spielman presents Close to the Ground. The site name comes from an old saying, "You know what they saw when an angel flies too close to the ground. They crash." And that's what Neon Chaos is all about. I run this site alone, no staff members, but it features information done by past members. This site features information to help you out with your homework projects, online radio station, and over 100 Sonic icon files and over 300 Sega and Sonic wallpapers. Plus tons more stuff!
Close to the Ground Link
Rumors have once again surged to the forefront of the Dreamcast newswire: the typically reputable Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Sega has concrete plans to cease production of its Dreamcast hardware in March, and will move forward with plans to develop for other hardware platforms, specifically, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameBoy Advance platforms at the start of fiscal year 2001.
The story goes on to say that Sega will continue to market the Dreamcast console, but will cut off sales as soon as it gets rid of its existing inventory. The Japanese newspaper also indicates that Sega will continue to support the Dreamcast via software in 2001, with some 100 titles expected to hit the console over the course of the year.
Obviously, information like this is cause for some serious concern on the part of Dreamcast owners everywhere, so we got in touch with Sega to see if there was any truth to the report. Vice President of Communications for Sega of America, Inc. Charles Bellfield, denied any truth to the story, stating, "Obviously it's a very slow news day, and people are very bored."
He continued by explaining the source of the story, which has since spread across the 'Net to various game-related publications, as well as respected mainstream news sites like MSNBC, by saying that the whole thing was a complete misunderstanding and is 100% false.
"This is the continued misinterpretation of facts based on an announcement Sega Japan made last October 2000. It was a mistranslation then and it's a mistranslation now. It's rumor building upon rumor and I can honestly confirm on this point that Sega has said nothing about its intention to make PlayStation 2 or any other console games, except for Dreamcast. Dreamcast is a core part of our business. Next week you will see new announcements based on the further technology and improvements on the Dreamcast, which we will continue to support." Bellfield went on to explain that the source publication, Jiji news, apparently pieced together the story after hearing little back from Sega on the rumor, which has been circulating nearly as long as the Dreamcast hardware itself.
He continued, "The press releases from the business announcement we posted last year doesn't include other consoles, but other electronic devices, i.e. digital cameras, phones, etc. I realize that is a very bold announcement, but this current news story is rumor mongering and speculation. Sega will make these new announcements next week."
Just exactly what Sega's exact plans are going forward remains to be seen. Obviously, if Sega has plans to support the Dreamcast through this calendar year, owning up to outside console development this early in the game could be potentially damaging for the company's current interests. Add to this the fact that commenting on any software deals with current hardware publishers could easily hamper any negotiations with other players who plan to enter the market in the near, and you can see why Sega is being careful with its words at this point.
The release Bellfield mentioned above commented on Sega's intent to "take other strategic measures such as utilizing its vast software library of more than 1,000 titles to develop content for other consumer entertainment and mobile devices, making full use of Sega's renowned brand and characters to expand its game software business." The original wording of the document was somewhat vague, and an initial translation may indeed have led many to believe Sega was loosely proclaiming its intention to develop for other hardware platforms.
Sega quickly refuted such rumors, reiterating its continued commitment to Dreamcast, and as was the case last October, Sega has released an official statement today about the latest rumblings saying:
"Sega of America stated today that the company globally reaffirms its commitment to Dreamcast. In fact, Sega has more than 100 games worldwide coming out for the platform in the next year. It is not Sega's policy to comment on rumors and the company has not made any statement regarding ceasing manufacturing of Dreamcast or development for other videogame platforms."
What is curious about such a statement, however, is that it does little to address the specific nature of the allegations found in said article. The piece, which also said that Sega would release over 100 Dreamcast titles in 2001, claimed that Sega has as many as five PlayStation 2 titles presently in development, and that in March, Sega plans to stop taking orders for Dreamcast hardware -- neither of which Sega even slightly hinted at in said announcement.
It is interesting to note that earlier rumors linking Acclaim to Sega-developed PS2 titles also listed the number of titles in development at five. It remains to be seen if said titles are, in fact, the same titles mentioned above, or completely different projects.
Also curious is a new hardware package which Bellfield hints at in his quotes above. Could these rumors of halted Dreamcast development have to do with a new hardware configuration? Or is Sega really calling it quits? The picture remains a bit cloudy at present, but we will continue to follow the story, and should have some sort of update next week following Sega's announcement.
Says Bellfield, "In the next week or so, Sega will make some new announcements about the Dreamcast that will help to explain our future strategies. At that point you'll be able to see that Dreamcast technology will incorporate a whole new videogaming experience. Our future is very, very rosy." For the sake of the millions of Dreamcast owners worldwide, we hope you're right, Charles.
Source: IGNDC