Difference between revisions of "History of the Sega Dreamcast"
From Sega Retro
(→1997) |
|||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
===1997=== | ===1997=== | ||
| + | [[File:Katana logo.png|thumb|The Katana logo still appears on early development hardware.]] | ||
Sega were said to be actively seeking partnerships in 1997 for the development of a new console, though there was still much uncertainty in regards to the details. Talks began with [[Microsoft]] for undisclosed reasons and with [[NEC]]/Videologic in regards to creating a graphics chipset for the machine. | Sega were said to be actively seeking partnerships in 1997 for the development of a new console, though there was still much uncertainty in regards to the details. Talks began with [[Microsoft]] for undisclosed reasons and with [[NEC]]/Videologic in regards to creating a graphics chipset for the machine. | ||
Revision as of 15:04, 6 May 2012
 |
This article needs cleanup. This article needs to be edited to conform to a higher standard of article quality. After the article has been cleaned up, you may remove this message. For help, see the How to Edit a Page article. |
The Sega Dreamcast was perhaps the first video game console whose development cycle was watched and scrutinised by the video game world. The development of previous consoles were largely kept under wraps by their developers, with only industry specialists knowing what was in the pipeline in terms of new hardware.
In the past, most of the discussion in regards to new video game consoles was done in magazines (particually officially licensed ones which had access to exclusive material from the manufacturer), however the Dreamcast entered into production at a time where consumers were hooking up to the internet, meaning information was spread like never before. As a result we have a much clearer understanding of how the Dreamcast was built than with previous Sega consoles.
Contents
Rough Timeline of Events
1996
Rumours of a new Sega console date back to as early as 1996, particularly in regards to the introduction of the Sega Model 3 arcade platform. With releases such as Scud Race, the technology powering the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation was already beginning to appear dated (particlarly in regards to the rapidly changing world of 3D graphics), leading many to speculate a new generation of consoles would be rushed onto the market in the near future.
Traditionally video game console manufacturers start working on their next piece of hardware (in this case, the Dreamcast) as soon as their current project (the Sega Saturn) was finished and out the door. With a Japanese release date of November 1994, it can be presumed initial concepts of the Dreamcast system began in early 1995. Nothing surfaced until the following year, however, when a rumour suggested that the system's codename was "Dural" - named after a character from Sega AM2's Virtua Fighter series.
1997
Sega were said to be actively seeking partnerships in 1997 for the development of a new console, though there was still much uncertainty in regards to the details. Talks began with Microsoft for undisclosed reasons and with NEC/Videologic in regards to creating a graphics chipset for the machine.
Soon after, 3DFX (a graphics technology company), revealed a deal with Sega to provide technology for a new machine codenamed "BlackBelt". At the time, 3DFX produced the popular PC graphics accelerator chipset, the Voodoo, and it was this chipset that was allegedly going to be used in Sega's new machine, contrary to the above report. It soon became apparent that "BlackBelt" differed from "Dural" (which was now also being called "Katana"), with the former being an American-led project and the latter based in Japan.
1997 was also the year where Shoichiro Irimajiri came to office, and having assessed the situation decided to hire Tatsuo Yamamoto, a former IBM engineer, to work on the Blackbelt project. Hideki Sato, however, got wind of this idea and made a case for the console to be developed in Japan by his team, meaning the two consoles were being developed in parallel for a period.
It was also announced in 1997 that Hitachi would be making the CPU for the Katana machine, a company who had already played a role in the Sega 32X and Sega Saturn's development. Hideki Sato and his group had chosen to use the Hitachi SH4 processor architecture (codenamed "White Belt") along with NEC/Videologic's graphics chip, the PowerVR Series II (codenamed "Guppy") in the production of their main board.
Conversely, Yamamoto and his group opted to use 3DFX's Voodoo 2 and Voodoo Banshee graphics processors, and after initially trying other RISC processors from IBM and Motorola, settled on the SH4 as well. At one stage the BlackBelt, jointly developed by SegaSoft, Microsoft and 3DFX, was shown to a limited number of developers and was apparently very well received. The OS was designed to make the machine easy to develop for and allowed for quick conversions of games to and from the PC. At the time Sega's policy seemed to suggest that raw processing power wasn't as important as an easy to develop for operating system - the Saturn reportedly was very difficult for developers to use, and it seemed logical to rectify this.
Furthermore the BlackBelt project was backed by newly recruited Sega of America COO, Bernie Stolar, who had already began to attempt to discontinue the struggling Sega Saturn in the region, even going as far to claim the system was "not our future" at that year's E3.
Initially, Sega decided to use Yamamoto's design and suggested to 3DFX that they would be using their hardware in the upcoming console, but a change of heart caused them to use Sato's PowerVR-based design instead. There are conflicting reports claiming whether the "Katana" was more powerful than the "Blackbelt" or vice versa - Sonic Team and Dreamcast developer Yuji Naka was caught in 1998 stating that ports of Sonic Adventure to the PC was impossible, because 3DFX's Voodoo cards were significantly less powerful than what was in the Katana-based Dreamcast. It was also suggested that the BlackBelt would cost more to produce and deliver less, making it uncompetitve.
The choice to go for the Katana project puzzled Electronic Arts, a longtime developer for Sega's consoles. EA had invested in the 3DFX company and were unaware of VideoLogic's creations, and this difference of opinion, as well as poor Saturn sales, may have attributed to why the publisher refused to back the Dreamcast in its final iteration.
Sega's decision has also been attributed to 3DFX leaking details and technical specifications of the then-secret Dreamcast project when declaring their Initial Public Offering in June 1997. In response, 3DFX filed a $155 million USD lawsuit in September against Sega and NEC, claiming that they had been misled into believing that their technology would be used when in fact a back-room deal had been done between the two Japanese companies in the months prior to the announcement. They also claimed that Sega deprived 3DFX of confidential materials in regards to 3DFX's intellectual property.
The lawsuit was settled in August 1998, with Sega paying USD $10.5 million to 3DFX.
1998
In early 1998 it was confirmed that the PowerVR Series II ws chosen for the Katana., but there were also reports that the BlackBelt project had not gone entirely to waste - the Katana's operating system had been tweaked to make it just as easy to use and develop for as the American system.
It seemed as if Microsoft no longer had a role in the console's development, however 1998 was also the period where they announced another operating system was available to Katana users - one based on its Windows CE technologies. Initially it was thought the Dreamcast could be bridging the gap between home PCs and video game consoles, however this was revealed not to be the case. Windows CE was intended to attract developers from Windows 95/98, presenting a less daunting development environment for those who had not worked on consoles before.
Microsoft decided to cooperate with Sega in an attempt to promote its Windows CE operating system for video games, but Windows CE for the Dreamcast showed very limited capabilities when compared to the Dreamcast's native operating system. The libraries that Sega offered gave room for much more performance, but they were sometimes more difficult to utilize when porting over existing PC applications. Numerous Sega executives have gone on record stating that they felt the native OS was faster and more powerful.
There were also troubles with Electronic Arts. Sega's financial position meant they were unable to offer the same generous offers which kept the company by their side in previous generations.
Then-CEO of EA, Larry Probst (a friend of Bernie Stolar) allegedly put forward a deal which only saw EA sports games being released on the Dreamcast platform for five years, potentially leading to market dominance. Sega could not meet the terms of this agreement, and neither did they appear to want to - Visual Concepts was bought by Sega for USD $10 million and the widely held view was that their next NFL game (NFL 2K) would out-perform the likes of Madden 2000. Sega attempted to get a better offer for them, but EA would not budge, leading to a Dreamcast without any support from the company at all.
In May 1998 the Dreamcast console was shown to the world for the first time, with the intention of being released in Japan in November 1998. Sega's tactics were unusual for Japan - the Dreamcast would be supported along with the Saturn, primarily handling 3D titles. The Saturn would do 2D, however the move to announce the Dreamcast was seen by many Japanese developers as unnecessary solely because the Saturn was holding its ground quite nicely. Sega had expected a PlayStation 2 to be released in late 1999 (it was actually early 2000) and wanted to build up a year's worth of titles in advance to stall Sony's efforts. Similarly, delays in western regions were put in place to give the console a strong launch lineup.
By mid-1998 the internals of the Dreamcast had been finalised, though a final colour had not yet been chosen. Red and yellow prototype Dreamcasts were spotted in this year.
1999
Though the Dreamcast console was already out in Japan, it had not yet seen the light of day in North America or Europe. It is said that Bernie Stolar went against his Japanese superiors by pricing the Dreamcast with a launch price of USD $199 (which he unveiled in a speech in early 1999, to standing ovation). Reportedly, Sega Japan wanted to price the DC at USD $249 in order to be very profitable right from the start. Stolar was fired before the Dreamcast's launch.
Issues were also raised with the PAL variant of the Dreamcast console. Its logo was feared to infringe trademarks with German publisher, Tivola. This is why PAL logos are blue.
Console
Main aims of the Dreamcast console appear to have been a disc-based console with better 3D graphics rendering capabilities than the Sony PlayStation (and presumably Nintendo 64). Perhaps most importantly was the Dreamcast's built-in modem, which appears to have been outlined at a very early stage. This is despite the commonly held belief at the time that the internet could not yet yield profits for those in the video game industry - the primary reason, in fact, that the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox lack the same extent of internet support as the Dreamcast.
"Bread Bin" Design
Though most prototype designs were confined to the drawing board, Sega produced a few physical prototypes, the most radical is this "wedge" or "bread bin" design, unlike any video game console released before or since. This is apparently cited as being the "first" prototype, or at least, earlier than the two which follow.
It appears to sport four controller "ports" and has a lid, where presumably games would be inserted. It is grey and lacks names or logos.
"Black Box"
The second design is far more similar to the final product, though seems to be taking design lessons from the western Sega Saturn. The four controller ports are now housed at the front, similar to the Nintendo 64, and there are two buttons, one to presumably open the lid, and another to turn the unit on. It is clear from this stage that the reset button of the Saturn would not be included in the Dreamcast.
It is possible that this is the BlackBelt design, for it is quite literally black.
"White Box"
The third iteration is far more similar to the final product. It is now white, has a power LED and a window to see the disc spinning (which would be omitted from the final design).
Others
Various bizarre concepts
A development Dreamcast with six controller ports, two presumably used for debugging.
Controller
The Dreamcast controller was derived from the Sega Saturn's 3D Control Pad. Every prototype Dreamcast controller acknowledges the need for an analogue stick.
Some initial designs
A number of prototype controllers along with the final mould. Note how one is literally a 3D Control Pad with a screen attached.
The May 1998 model, with circular START button.
Air NiGHTS Controller
Yuji Naka was involved in the Dreamcast project during its conception, though inevitably got caught up in Sonic Adventure's development towards the end. It is rumoured, however, that the NiGHTS into Dreams team influenced a design of the Dreamcast controller - one built like a remote and with motion sensors, almost a decade before the Wii entered the market. It was to be used in conjunction with the Air NiGHTS project.
Tech Demos
Shoichiro Irimajiri's Head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lt1o7nwU8M
When the Dreamcast was introduced to the world on the 21st of May, 1998, it was paired with a tech demo showing the head of then-CEO of Sega, Shoichiro Irimajiri floating about a screen supposely being rendered in real-time (similar to the introduction of Super Mario 64). Irimajiri's head movements were said to have been mapped onto a 3D model for use in this demo. Demonstrated are particle and rendering effects.
Scud Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irUqYGF0AG0
Also available to see was a Dreamcast rendering of Scud Race - a game previously released for Sega Model 3 hardware but skipped home consoles entirely.
Tower of Babel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9b3mcX_cdM
Supposedly cooked up by three developers in ten days, Tower of Babel demonstrates the Dreamcast's ability to render large environments. It is rumoured this technology went into Shenmue.
HKT-01 Demos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpZxsuOMt3E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkPCzDn2j1o
Various demos can be found in Dreamcast development kits, including more of Scud Race, the FMV introduction of Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island, the infamous teapot often used for graphical tests, etc.