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I wonder what game he's playing?
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Random Hong Kong Company Launches the 'Treamcast' - An Unofficial Portable Dreamcast
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
The Dreamcast lives on... sort of. A company from Hong Kong has taken it upon themselves to keep the spirit of SEGA's final home console alive, by releasing a portable knock-off called the 'Treamcast'. As you can see in the image above (from Gamespot), the unit looks very similar to an official Dreamcast console, with a portable monitor sticking out the top of it. There are also a few other variations, such as a volume dial and speaker on the side of the console. Gamespot writes that the Treamcast, "contains mostly the same internal hardware as the original system, but the shell has been modified to include a speaker and volume control on the side of the unit, as well as an LCD screen. The entire Treamcast package includes two gamepads, a remote control for video CD or MP3 playback, a car adaptor, and a convenient carrying case." Given the type of product it is, it's likely that you'll only be able to find this unique system in Hong Kong (or via online retailers such as Lik-Sang, which reported on the Treamcast originally). It will apparently go on sale for the equivalent of $170 - do you think it's worth it?-
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SEGA has just announced that it is killing online support on the Dreamcast for all but two games. This means that, besides Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online ver. 2, you will no longer be able to play any Dreamcast game online. "As we continue to focus on the future, it is time for us to disconnect our online Dreamcast game servers. Effective June 2003, the only Dreamcast titles that Sega will continue to support online are Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online ver. 2," reads the news on SEGA's US website. "No other Dreamcast titles will be playable online after this time." "We hope you enjoyed our online gaming services that were extended six months beyond the original shutdown date. Thank you for supporting Dreamcast online gaming!" We're not sure if the shutdown has happened already, or if it will happen at some point later in June - the message from SEGA isn't clear. So you might want to try getting online with your favourite game now to see if it still works for a little while longer, just in case.
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Dreamcast Dreamcast Modder Launches Crowdfunder for Next-Gen 'Visual Memory Unit 2'
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
If you have fond memories of playing Chao Adventure on your little Dreamcast Visual Memory Unit while on the go, then you might be interested in a little product that's being crowdfunded right now - a modern-day VMU system with microSD support, a sharper screen and multi-memory card capabilities. Dubbed the 'VM2', the remastered Dreamcast peripheral will feature the exact same connectors so that you can use it as a standard VMU, but with a bunch of 'next-generation' trimmings too. You will be able to charge it via USB, connect it to your PC for game save backups, and include a backlight for easier use. The VM2 is being designed and prototyped by Chris Diaoglou of Dream Mods fame. He has previously developed a number of Dreamcast-focused mods and peripherals, including a wireless controller, light gun and keyboard. Currently, the project is being crowdfunded via Indiegogo - so while its chances of actually being made hinge on both the success of the campaign and Diaoglou's ability to see the project through, it seems like there is enough material here to believe that the backers will be satisfied if the funding goal is met. Below, is a video of a prototype version in action. With the Dreamcast's 23rd anniversary in the US just passed, it might be time to get in on the ground floor with a modern-day project rooted in nostalgia and retro gaming. Now, where did we put our old Chao Adventure 2-loaded VMUs...? -
Could it be? Although a new SEGA home console feels like an impossible dream right now, it sounds like Sonic Team leader Yuji Naka is doing everything he can to convince the corporation to re-enter the hardware race. In an interview at E3 with Kikizo, Naka was asked if he missed creating games on exclusive SEGA hardware such as the Dreamcast. He replied, "Yes, I miss that very much. Back then Sega was a little more idolized. When Sega is ready to do with it's own proprietary hardware platform, I will really, definitely want to work on it." Kikizo followed up with a question on whether the Phantasy Star Online director could realistically see that happening - that SEGA could be ready in the future to develop consoles again. "In order to realize that, I am working really hard," he responded. This obviously doesn't mean that a new console IS being made by SEGA any time soon - and Kikizo makes it clear that Naka-san was speaking through a translator, so it is likely that his exact words and meaning are open for interpretation. But it's clear that the studio head yearns for the days of the Dreamcast again, just like the rest of us. Interestingly, Kikizo also asked Naka what he thought about the rumours of SEGA merging with another company, and which company would be the best fit for SEGA - but before he could finish answering, Naka was cut off by SEGA Japan reps who said that the developer was not allowed to answer that question. Kikizo wrote: Wonder what he might have said?
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Phantasy Star Online PSO Servers Back Online After Suffering Internet Worm Attack
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
Phantasy Star Online players confused about the game's extended downtime over the last week or so have finally been given an answer by Sonic Team. Apparently a rather malicious internet worm that has knackered a whole bunch of other sites and services made its way to PSO's servers as well, so the developer took the action of taking things offline to fix it. According to PSO World, it doesn't look like the worm impacted anyone's player accounts in a negative way. Just made things super wonky and annoying for those trying to enjoy the game. This, from PSO World:-
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Dreamcast Dreamcast Lives A Little Longer In Europe With New Official Bundle
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
Hey, we thought the Dreamcast was dead! Well, sadly it still is, yes - it wasn't all a bad dream - but SEGA Europe is somehow still keeping things going with a new official bundle now on store shelves. If you're on the market for a backup Dreamcast in case your current one goes kaput, this is going to be the best time to get one. According to Swirlvision, the new bundle package contains a Dreamcast console, a controller and VMU, and copies of Virtua Fighter 3tb, Confidential Mission and Phantasy Star Online. You also get a disc for the latest version of SEGA's online access service, Dreamkey 3.0. This replaces a previous bundle that offered Metropolis Street Racer and Jet Set Radio instead of Confidential Mission and PSO - however, both are still available so it's simply a matter of which kind of games you want with your new Dreamcast. The MSR/JSR pack remains at a price of £105 while the CM/PSO pack is priced at around £100. Source: Swirlvision -
Yeah, you read that correctly. That wasn't a typo. This past week's Media Create charts are in for the Japanese video gaming market, and SEGA's swansong console managed to just about reach double digit sales. Of course, the Dreamcast was killed off a year and a half ago, so we wouldn't expect too many people to be picking one up in mid-2002. But still, it's a difficult sight to see for the little white console that could. Even the age-old Nintendo 64 and original Game Boy outsold it. Not an end it ever deserved. The sales figures run from 5th August - 11th August 2002. Full chart below, with total sales in parentheses. PlayStation 2 - 75,900 // (2.4 million) Game Boy Advance - 51,900 // (1.6 million) Gamecube - 13,300 // (703,500) WonderSwan Crystal - 5,100 // (60,300) PSOne - 3,200 // (161,700) Xbox - 3,000 // (235,100) Game Boy Color - 1,300 // (67,700) WonderSwan Color - 1,200 // (102,200) WonderSwan - 190 // (5,400) Nintendo 64 - 40 // (5,400) Game Boy - 20 // (4,300) Dreamcast - 10 // (17,100) Source: XenGamers
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Looking forward to Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II? Well, hopefully you're planning on jumping across from the Dreamcast version because according to SEGA, some legacy servers will shut down once the next-gen port arrives on Gamecube and Xbox. A new report by PSO World states that when the new version of the game launches on Gamecube, some PSO 'ships' will be closed for Dreamcast users. The affected ships are: 09: JP/Lysithea [Japan] 15: US/Puck [USA] 16: US/Cordelia [USA] 17: US/Ophelia [USA] 18: US/Titania [USA]
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After two years of stinging losses, SEGA has announced that it has returned to profit - and it thanks its trusty mascot Sonic the Hedgehog for helping it get there. According to a report on Gaming-Age, SEGA Corp in Tokyo revealed that it has hit an operating profit for the year ending March 31 of 14.2 billion yen ($110.9 million), recovering from a loss of 52 billion yen the past year. It's not totally great news - the company still suffers from a group net loss for the fifth year running, but it's nowhere as big as it was last year. The loss narrowed to 17.8 billion yen for the year, from an eye-watering 51.7 billion yen the year prior. Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as the SEGA Sports series and the lack of costs associated with handling a hardware business, have been credited to the surge in operating profits. However, due to the Japanese economy and the declining birth rate in Japan, SEGA also noted that it will reinforce efforts to appeal to Western markets with future game projects. Source: Gaming-Age
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Phantasy Star Online PSO Servers to Undergo Maintenance in May to Prep for Gamecube Version
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
If you're an avid Phantasy Star Online player, you should be aware that on one particular day this month you may not be able to access the online RPG at all. It's all in preparation for something greater, trust us... That's right, it sounds like SEGA and Sonic Team are finally close to giving fans a taste of the Nintendo Gamecube version of PSO, as several servers will shut down for maintenance in preparation for incoming users of the Episode I & II Trial Version. The affected servers will be Carme, Anake and Leda, and the maintenance will take place on May 25th. So if your online experience is negatively impacted on that day, check the server name and this might be the reason. PSO Episode I & II Trial Version is expected to release in Japan later this Spring, so SEGA is getting ahead of itself to prepare for the influx of new users. We're looking forward to it!-
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They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, in the world of advertising and marketing that saying probably doesn't get you very far, as SEGA has decided to settle out of court with sports giant Nike after allegations of a copycat ad campaign. Nike filed suit in February claiming that the TV commercials for NBA 2K2 lifted elements from Nike's own 'Frozen Moment' advertisements. After a lengthy legal battle, the two parties have come to an agreement. SEGA will pay for Nike's legal fees and donate $50,000 in Nike's name to the Boys & Girls Club of Portland, Oregon and Memphis, Tennessee. SEGA and its advertising agency Leagas Delaney must also issue an official statement of apology to Nike. More details can be found at Gamespot.
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Microsoft might be getting a wave of interest from Western gamers with its first ever video game console, but in Japan it's a totally different story with SEGA's discontinued Dreamcast managing to outsell the Xbox! Crikey. Sadly we can't really put this down to a sudden late-game burst of Japanese admiration and enthusiasm for SEGA's final home console, as much as we'd like to. The Dreamcast only sold 3,427 units during the first week of April (1st - 7th). Rather, it's proof of a more-than-lukewarm reception of Microsoft's American-made platform, with Xbox selling just 2,179 units in the same period. Even Sony's original PlayStation sold more units, with 3,959 purchased during that week. Which is, depressingly, still more than what the Dreamcast managed - but hey, take your wins where you can find them, right? In comparison, Sony's PlayStation 2 sold 80,734 units and Nintendo's Gamecube sold 15,068 units. Source: Media Create (via Gamers)
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Xbox Classic Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast Titles To Come to Xbox
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
Sonic could see himself running on another new console alongside the Nintendo Gamecube, as a fresh new deal between Tokyo-based Coolnet Entertainment and SEGA will allow for catalogue titles in SEGA's history to be published on Microsoft's Xbox. The deal, reported by Gamespot, involves Coolnet Entertainment and SEGA working together to develop 'remakes' of classic titles originally released on Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast. No word on which titles are in the pipeline, but the report states that games will be selected 'based on popularity and user demand' - so there's a high chance we'll see the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog games on Xbox at some point. The first game of this kind is expected to release in Japan this Summer. As it's a very Japanese deal, we're unsure if this will hit Western shores - but we'll try to find out. -
Forecasts SEGA Expects Healthy Growth Following Dreamcast Discontinuation
Dreadknux posted a story in SEGA
SEGA has said it will meet its projections for the fiscal year, and has set ambitious sales targets for the next twelve months as the company predicts a surge back to growth. This prediction comes on the back of discontinuing the Dreamcast console earlier in the year, and by cutting its arcade operational costs in half. Naturally, the thinking is that with overheads cut and revenues boosted from the company's new third-party publishing strategy, things will look rather rosy for the House of Sonic. According to XenGamers, 'SEGA's chief operating officer Tetsu Kayama has reportedly reassured investors in Japan that the company will meet projections for the fiscal year... anticipating an operating profit of 11 billion yen. SEGA has set sales projections at 23 million units for the next year [and] hopes for continued sales strength in the North American market.' "I don't think it's difficult to achieve the targets, there should be a lot of positive factors for Sega in 2002," Kayama said. "There are statistics that the U.S. game market will grow to billion by 2005 from billion last year." Lofty goals - let's hope they hit it! Source: XenGamers -
Sonic Adventure 2 players are in for a festive treat this holiday season, because Sonic Team has prepared a series of Christmas-themed downloads that you can use to add some colour to your gameplay! On offer are a series of character skins that dress Sonic, Tails and pals in some proper holiday wear. See some images of this in action below - Sonic dons a Santa Claus jacket, while Tails kits out his Tornado walker with a traditional red and white paint job. Download to your heart's content here: Sonic Adventure 2: Download Page
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Soundtracks Tokyopop Officially Announces US Release of Sonic Adventure 2 OST
Dreadknux posted a story in Merch
We've been waiting patiently for any kind of Western release of the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack CDs for quite some time now. But now it sounds like our prayers will finally be answered - Tokyopop has announced that it will be publishing a domestic US version of the soundtrack this coming February. The CD release will not be exactly the same as the Japanese Multi-Dimensional release, instead consisting of a single CD containing 26 tracks. But, we understand that the US release will come with some exclusive remixes not available on the original Japanese version, as well as lyric sheets for each song. SEGA is apparently also designing a special cover for the US soundtrack that 'showcases each of the game's colorful main characters'. Sounds nice. Via Anime Nation-
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Sonic Team has released another download for Sonic Adventure 2 on Dreamcast! This time, to celebrate Hallowe'en, the studio is offering players the chance to give each character in 2P mode a spooky makeover. Sonic will don a pumpkin suit, while Rouge will be wearing a witches' outfit. Check out the download page on the Sonic Adventure 2 Dreamcast webpage to get the costume DLC.
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Sonic Team has released a new piece of downloadable content for Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast. Called 'Eggrobo Toujou', the VMU file contains a skin for Sonic in the Kart Racing mini-game that changes him into a classic Egg Robo from Sonic & Knuckles. The download also comes with a special 'E' shaped track, which when played features the 'E.G.G.M.A.N.' theme in the background. You can pick up the file from the official SA2 website here.
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Sonic Team has released a small update for players of Sonic Adventure 2 on Dreamcast. It's the Dr. Eggman theme, which you can download and use as a menu screen voice/background for the game. As you sweep across various menu items, you'll hear Eggman speak to you in his gravelly tones. If you want it go to the SA2 Dreamcast website and download to your VMU.
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Soundtracks Sonic Adventure 2 OST and Vocal Album Now Available to Buy
Andrew P posted a story in Merch
You can now buy the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtracks - the Vocal Album that we've covered before, and the Original Soundtrack called Multi-Dimensional - online. You can get the Vocal Album, titled Cuts Unleashed, for around $24 and it comes with 16 tracks. The Original Soundtrack includes main themes, action stage music and more in a DOUBLE-CD package and will set you back about $30. Both can be purchased from either CD Japan (Japanese site) or Tokyopop.-
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Are you having trouble sleeping at night, because you couldn't get the Sonic Adventure 2 Special Edition pack on Dreamcast? Well, trouble yourself no more, as we've discovered that online store NCSX still has some copies left for you to import straight from Japan. You can go to the page right here and order now for around $65 USD. I'd do it before they all completely go for good - you never know just how many they have left.
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Hallmark Sonic and Dreamcast Christmas Ornaments Coming in October
Jason Berry posted a story in Merch
Hallmark has their upcoming Christmas ornaments available on their website. Along with a new Sonic in spin-attack mode, comes a Sega Dreamcast with lights and sounds similar to what we got last year with the Sega Genesis ornament. The Sega Dreamcast has a tiny, 8-bit Sonic in the VMU and plays music from Emerald Coast. The Sega Dreamcast ornament will retail for $22.99 US while the Spin-Attack Sonic will retail for $18.99 US. Both will be available on October 14. Check out our Twitter page here and here to see video of the ornaments in action -
Hallmark Sonic and Dreamcast Christmas Ornaments Coming in October
Jason Berry posted a topic in Merch
Hallmark has their upcoming Christmas ornaments available on their website. Along with a new Sonic in spin-attack mode, comes a Sega Dreamcast with lights and sounds similar to what we got last year with the Sega Genesis ornament. The Sega Dreamcast has a tiny, 8-bit Sonic in the VMU and plays music from Emerald Coast. The Sega Dreamcast ornament will retail for $22.99 US while the Spin-Attack Sonic will retail for $18.99 US. Both will be available on October 14. Check out our Twitter page here and here to see video of the ornaments in action View full story -
A unique version of Sonic Adventure, “Sonic Adventure Tournament Disk,” has been uncovered by video game preservationist Comby Laurent. This version of the game was specially made for a Sonic Adventure tournament that ran during “The SEGA Dreamcast Mobile Assault Tour,” a 22 week long American promotion that started on August 23 1999. The Assault Tour was a joint event between SEGA of America and IGN that had two Dreamcast-themed trucks traveling across the US, giving some American gamers their first chance to check out SEGA’s new console. This version of the game drops players right into Emerald Coast with a fully upgraded Sonic, giving them two minutes to get as many points as possible. Participants could win everything from t-shirts, to Japanese VMUs and Millennium 2000-branded Dreamcast controllers. The top 4 finalists were brought to Las Vegas at the end of the tour, where they could complete for a $15,000 grand prize. The second and third place winners received $5000 and $2500 respectively, while the fourth place winner got some SEGA swag. While this is mostly notable for being a special version of Sonic Adventure from an obscure part of SEGA’s history, it’s also a very-late prototype build of the game. It’s dated August 10, 1999, just two days before the final build on August 12. As a result, the differences between this build and the final are minor, only lacking music for the DLC and a fully completed European localization. If you want to read more about this game and the event, or play what those contestants did decades ago, you can find the dump of this unique, once lost piece of history on Laurent’s website, here. You can check out a recording of the game in action in Laurent’s original tweet here.
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