Difference between revisions of "Sega Dreamcast"

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[[Image:Dreamcast.jpg|thumb|right|260px|European Sega Dreamcast console]]The '''Sega Dreamcast''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: ドリームキャスト; Romaji: Dorimu Kyasuto; code-named "Katana" and "Dural" during development)  is a powerful console system designed primarily for fast, arcade quality games. It was the first machine released in a new generation of game consoles. The Dreamcast's next-generation console peers are the [[Sony Playstation 2]], the [[Nintendo Gamecube]] and the [[Microsoft Xbox]].
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{{ConsoleBob
 +
| | logo=Dreamcast logo.svg|150px]]
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| consoleimage=Dreamcast.jpg
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| imgwidth=320px
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| name= Dreamcast
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| maker= [[Sega]]
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| variants=[[Sega NAOMI]], [[Atomiswave]], [[Sega System SP]]
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| processor= [[SuperH|Hitachi SH-4]]
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| releases={{releasesDC
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| dc_date_jp=1998-11-27
 +
| dc_rrp_jp=29,800
 +
| dc_code_jp=HKT-3000
 +
| dc_date_us=1999-09-09{{intref|Press release: 1999-09-02: Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles and Peripherals}}
 +
| dc_rrp_us=199.99
 +
| dc_code_us=HKT-3020
 +
| dc_date_uk=1999-10-14{{magref|cvg|216|52}}
 +
| dc_rrp_uk=199.99{{magref|cvg|215|59}}
 +
| dc_code_uk=HKT-3030
 +
| dc_date_fr=1999-10-14
 +
| dc_code_fr=HKT-3030
 +
| dc_rrp_fr=1,690{{fileref|ConsolesMicro FR 01.pdf|page=15}}
 +
| dc_date_de=1999-10-14
 +
| dc_code_de=HKT-3030
 +
| dc_rrp_de=499,-{{fileref|NextLevel DE 1999-0910.pdf|page=6}}
 +
| dc_date_es=1999-10-14
 +
| dc_code_es=HKT-3030
 +
| dc_date_au=1999-11-30
 +
| dc_rrp_au=499.00{{magref|hyper|71|29}}
 +
| dc_date_br=1999-10-04{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000303160725/www.tectoy.com.br/unshock/prop.htm Dreamcast] ([[Tectoy]])}}
 +
| dc_rrp_br=899.00
 +
| dc_date_ru=2000-11-10<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20010409225930/http://sega.ru:80/news.phtml</ref>
 +
| dc_date_pl=2000-12-01
 +
| dc_rrp_pl=999
 +
| dc_date_as=1998-11
 +
| dc_code_as=HKT-3010
 +
| dc_date_kr=1998-11
 +
| dc_code_kr=HKT-3010
 +
| dc_date_cz=2000-03
 +
| dc_rrp_cz=10400 <ref>https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/test-a-spotrebitel/nova-konzole-dreamcast-prehrava-konkurenci.A_2000M051T05A</ref>
 +
| dc_date_ma=1999-11-04
 +
| dc_rrp_ma=3.999 DH
 +
| dc_date_in=2000-12<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/dreamcast-heads-to-india</ref>
 +
| dc_rrp_in=14000<ref>https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/795_Stracon-ready-to-turn-the-TV-into-a-multi-dimensional-entertainment-device</ref>
 +
}}
 +
}}
 +
<section begin=intro />The '''Dreamcast''' (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by [[Sega]] as a successor to the [[Sega Saturn]]. Dubbed as Sega's "Super Console"{{intref|Press release: 1998-05-21: Sega Unveils Super Console!}}, it is a "128-bit" machine designed with then-cutting edge hardware and a focus on the internet. The Dreamcast was originally released in Japan in November 1998 before seeing a Western release the following year.
  
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One of the main features of the Dreamcast, other than the fantastic fluid graphics and great games, is the built-in 56K modem. This gives users access to the Internet for web browsing, chat, email and (perhaps most importantly) online gaming.
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The Dreamcast was Sega's seventh and final home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001{{intref|Press Release: 2001-01-28: Dúvidas e confirmações no futuro da Dreamcast}}{{intref|Press Release: 2001-10-29: Dreamcast não desiste e mostra novos trunfos}} due to financial constraints within the company. It had sold at least 8.2 million hardware units and 51.63 million software units by March 2001,{{fileref|AnnualReport2001 English.pdf|page=16}}, with estimates suggesting 10.6 million hardware units in total.<section end=intro />
  
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==Development==
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An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the [[Sega NAOMI]].
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In 1996, rumours of a next generation Sega game console started surfacing. According to the rumours, the machine's development title was 'Dural', named after a character from the Sega arcade and Genesis game, Virtua Fighter 2. In early 1997, insiders told of two new developments - Sega and Microsoft were in discussions and NEC/Videologic had been approached with regard to the graphics chipset.
 
  
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Soon after, 3DFX, the graphics technology company, revealed a deal with Sega to provide technology for a new machine codenamed 'BlackBelt'. At the time, 3DFX made a popular graphics accelerator chipset for the PC called Voodoo, and it was this chipset that was allegedly going to be used in Sega's new machine.
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<div class="toclimit-{{{1|{{{4|4}}}}}}">__TOC__</div>
  
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Now it became clear that Sega actually had two different machines in development, one in Japan (development names Dural/Katana), and one in America (development name BlackBelt). 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 PC. At the time Sega's policy seemed to be that raw processing power wasn't as important as an easy to develop for operating system. The Japanese 'Katana' generally outperformed the 'BlackBelt' in hardware terms, but had a more intricate and difficult operating system.
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==Hardware==
 +
The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the [[PlayStation]] and [[Nintendo 64]], respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.
 +
 
 +
Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior [[Sega]] hardware or software (although [[Dreamcast Controller|its controller]] derives from the Saturn's [[3D Control Pad]]), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and [[PlayStation]]) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.
 +
 
 +
The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called [[GD-ROM]]s for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released ''before'' the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the [[Mil-CD]] format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.
  
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In July, Sega cancelled the 3DFX deal and it became apparent that the 'Blackbelt' had been dropped too. It is unknown exactly why the BlackBelt was dropped in favour of the Japanese design, but the most likely reason is that the production cost would have been higher and ultimately would have lead to a more expensive final street price. Another possibility is that the 'BlackBelt' just wasn't powerful enough to compete in a market with other next generation machines from companies like [[Sony]] and [[Nintendo]].  
+
The GD-ROM format also put the console at a disadvantage when competing against the [[PlayStation 2]] - the PS2 used DVDs, and could therefore run DVD videos making it an inexpensive DVD player as well as a video game console. DVD-ROMs also have more storage space, allowing for bigger games (though the initial run of PS2 games used a blue CD-ROM format). Sega looked into DVD technology during the Dreamcast's development but claimed it was too expensive.
  
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At this stage it was reported that the now Japanese-developed console was being called the 'Katana' (a katana is a type of sword). It was officially announced that Hitachi would be making the CPU for the machine. In early 1998, NEC/Videologic was finally confirmed to be providing the new graphics chipset, the PowerVR Series II. The operating system was tweaked to make it as easy to use and develop for as 'BlackBelt' was going to be, and Microsoft wrote another development system, based on its Windows CE technologies. Microsoft cooperated with Sega hoping 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. In May 1998 the Dreamcast was officially announced by Bernie Stolar, then CEO of Sega of America.
+
The Dreamcast was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, with broadband adapters being made available later on in certain regions. This allowed the system to connect to the internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. Many games released for the Dreamcast shipped with online play modes, the most popular being ''[[Phantasy Star Online]]'' and the [[Sega Sport]]s lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the [[Sega Saturn]]'s [[Sega NetLink|NetLink]] and the [[Sega Mega Drive]]'s [[XB∀ND]], the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first internet-enabled home game system.
  
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==Release==
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The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community. The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux ([http://linuxdc.net/ LinuxDC]) and [http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/dreamcast/ dreamcast NetBSD] operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics.  A homebrew minimal operating system called [http://sourceforge.net/projects/cadcdev/ Kallistios] offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games.  Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.
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The Dreamcast was first released on the 27th of November 1998 in Japan. The US had to wait nearly a full year for theirs - Sega executed a massive launch on the 9th of September 1999. (9/9/99). The European release date was the 14th of October 1999, and the Australian/New Zealand release d
 
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ate was the 30th of November.
 
  
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The Dreamcast took in over US$97 Million on the first day of launch in North America, and sold over 500,000 machines in the first two weeks. Sega were quick to point out that $97,000,000 is more than even Star Wars:Phantom Menace brought in on its first day of release.
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Sega released an [[arcade]] board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called [[Sega NAOMI]], leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.
  
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Over a Million machines were sold in North America in just over 2 and a half months, making the Dreamcast the fastest selling video games machine in that region, ever!
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The Dreamcast's [[PowerVR CLX2]] was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as [[wikipedia:Bump mapping|bump mapping]], [[wikipedia:Volumetric lighting|volumetric]] effects,{{magref|gr|3|29}} [[wikipedia:Order-independent transparency|order-independent transparency]], and [[wikipedia:Normal mapping|Dot3 normal mapping]].{{ref|1=''[[wikipedia:PC Magazine|PC Magazine]]'', [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=90OvoBUqQoIC&pg=PA193 December 1999, page 193]}}
  
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Initial European sales figures look healthy. Over 100,000 machines were sold in Europe on launch day alone and over 185,000 in the first weekend.
+
===Models===
 +
{{MainArticle|Dreamcast consoles}}
  
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Unfortunately, in the Australian region the launch was labelled a disaster by Sega fans. The official Sega distributor there, Ozisoft, only managed 9 launch titles, non of which were first party products - apparently Sega developed software had been held in customs. Also, VMS units and other peripherals weren't available at all. After what seemed like infinite delays, Australian fans deserved better. Sales information to follow shortly.
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<gallery widths="250px" heights="160px">
 +
Dreamcast JP.jpg|Japanese model
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Dreamcast US.jpg|North American model
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Dreamcast PAL.jpg|European model
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</gallery>
  
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Dreamcast used a proprietary format called [[GD-ROM]] for storing games in order to foil software pirates, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects, and pirates managed to pirate the games anyway. (In some cases, the pirated games were released '''before''' the legitimate versions.)  Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the [[Mil-CD]] format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R.  Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.
+
Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey. The Japanese models also have the text "Designed for Microsoft Windows CE" printed on the front right, whereas Western versions say "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".
  
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This was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, though broadband adapters were available later on. This allowed the system to connect to the Internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. In fact, many games released for the Dreamcast came with online play modes, the most popular being [[Phantasy Star Online]] and the Sega Sports lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the [[Sega Saturn]]'s [[Sega NetLink|NetLink]] and the [[Sega Genesis]]' [[XBAND]], the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first Internet-enabled home game system.
+
For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see [[Special Dreamcast Models]].
  
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The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community.  The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux ([http://linuxdc.net/ LinuxDC]) and [http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/dreamcast/ dreamcast NetBSD] operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics.  A homebrew minimal operating system called [http://sourceforge.net/projects/cadcdev/ Kallistios] offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games.  Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.
+
===Technical specifications===
 +
{{mainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Technical specifications}}
  
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Sega released a board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called [[Sega NAOMI]] for use in [[arcade]]s.
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===Hardware comparisons===
 +
{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison}}
  
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Though the Dreamcast was officially discontinued in early 2001, commercial games were still developed for it and were released afterwards (though mostly only in [[Japan]]).  On February 24, 2004, Sega released its final Dreamcast game, called ''Puyo Puyo Fever''. A small number of third-party games are still being released.
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==History==
 +
{{MainArticle|History of the Sega Dreamcast}}
  
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==Hardware==
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===Localised names===
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===What's in the box?===
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{{aka
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You will normally find the following in your box, along with a bunch of advertising-based and warning pamphlets together with recycled and recyclable packaging materials.
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|en_name=Sega Dreamcast
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|jp_name=ドリームキャスト
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|jp_trans=Dreamcast
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|il_name=דרימקאסט
 +
}}
  
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*The Dreamcast console
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==Games==
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*Modem (attached to the console, but detachable - try it!)†
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{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast games}}
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*One joypad controller
 
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*Demo [[GD-ROM]] Disc
 
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*[[PlanetWeb]] browser Disc
 
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*A long (30 foot) phone cable for the modem†
 
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*Power cable with the appropriate plug for your region
 
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*Composite video lead (also known as an AV cable)††
 
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*Manual (a simple black and white affair)
 
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† If your machine is imported from Asia, or if you live there, you won't get a modem, just a lump of plastic so that you don't have a gaping hole in the side of your machine.
 
  
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†† In the UK, a RF Unit was included instead of the AV cable to ensure that the Dreamcast was compatible with all TV's. I don't have any info yet on which TV leads were included in other European regions, but it is possible that an RGB/SCART cable was included.
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==Production credits==
 +
A list of names, likely the various people involved with console's creation, can be found at '''0x1A1A0''' in the flash ROM.
 +
{{creditstable|
 +
*[[Shoichiro Irimajiri]], [[Sadahiko Hirose]], [[Hidekazu Yukawa]], [[Hideki Satou]], [[Nobuhisa Yamada]], [[Taku Matsubara]], [[Kazuhiro Yasutomi]], [[Shoji Nishikawa]], [[Takashi Sekimoto]], [[Toshihiro Oba]], [[Shuji Hori]], [[Masaharu Shinohara]], [[Kazuhiro Baba]], [[Katsunori Gendo]], [[Kouji Horikawa]], [[Masatoshi Horikawa]], [[Osamu Hosokawa]], [[Seiichi Kajiwara]], [[Junko Kase]], [[Toshikazu Kawada]], [[Yasuhisa Kawase]], [[Yusuke Kiguchi]], [[Naohiko Kobayashi]], [[Manabu Kubo]], [[Teruaki Kuwana]], [[Kunihiro Mori]], [[Tomoyuki Mori]], [[Shigeru Motoyoshi]], [[Takeshi Nagashima]], [[Yoshifumi Nakamura]], [[Chuji Nakayama]], [[Madoka Nakayama]], [[Tatsuya Namatame]], [[Yasuhiro Nishiyama]], [[Toshiyuki Ogawa]], [[Tadashi Ohya]], [[Tetsuya Okawa]], [[Tatsuya Sakurai]], [[Hideaki Satou]], [[Yutaka Suetsugi]], [[Eriko Suzuki]], [[Masahiko Takeuchi]], [[Makoto Takiguchi]], [[Ryo Taki]], [[Masaki Tanaka]], [[Kazuo Tsuda]], [[Satoshi Tsuda]], [[Koichi Takayasu]], [[Naoki Niizuma]], [[Atsunori Himoto]], [[Tomoe Shinohara]], [[Kunihiro Tokumaru]], [[Yoshikazu Nagao]], [[Satoshi Kira]], [[Akitoshi Oikawa]], [[Hirokazu Hama]], [[Toshimichi Sugai]], [[Naoji Ozaki]], [[Hiroki Goto|Hiroki Gotou]], [[Masaharu Yoshii]], [[Masaki Kawahori]], [[Yuki Yamanaka]], [[Shinichi Uchida]], [[Masahiro Seki]], [[Takashi Ando]], [[Hideki Kudo]], [[Nobuhiro Fukuda]], [[Jiro Terakawa]], [[Yoichi Uchida]], [[Hiroki Okabata]], [[Kazuyoshi Hara]], [[Yuko Nasu]], [[Syuuji Okada]], [[Yutaka Okunoki]],  [[Tatsuya Kouzaki|Tatuya Kouzaki]], [[Tadashi Jokagi]], [[Yoshiaki Kashima]], [[Kazumi Suyama]], [[Yutaka Sugano]], [[Tomoko Hasegawa]], [[Kazuhiro Matsuta]], [[Katsuhiko Sato]], [[Manabu Kusunoki]], [[Shinichi Oya]], [[Takeshi Suzuki]], [[Kazunori Shibata]], [[Shigeyuki Shimizu]], [[Masayuki Imanishi]], [[Kenji Otsuji|Kenji Ohtsuji]], [[Masamichi Miyoshi]], [[Tarou Mitani]], [[Takaaki Jindou]], [[Yoshitake Noguchi]]
 +
| source=ROM text{{ref|https://tcrf.net/Dreamcast}}
 +
| console=DC
 +
}}
  
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There is no [[VMU]] in the standard Dreamcast packages in any of the 4 regions.
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{{creditstable|
 +
*[[Hideki Sato]]
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*[[Hiroyuki Ohtaka]]
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*'''Start-up Video Production:''' [[Kazuhiro Fumoto]]
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*'''Start-up Jingle:''' [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]]
 +
| source=Developer mentions{{fileref|Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf|page=23}}{{ref|https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231029150957/https://area.autodesk.jp/column/tutorial/softimage_maniacs/}}<ref>JW Szczepaniak (2014). ''The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1''</ref>
 +
| console=DC
 +
}}
  
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There is no RF unit in the standard North American Dreamcast package. For older TV's, you'll have to purchase this separately. Also, if you have a [[S-Video]] or [[SCART]] capable TV, you should buy the relevant cable for that too.
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==Magazine articles==
 +
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
  
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===Console Versions===
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==Video coverage==
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====Asian Dreamcasts====
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{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Video coverage}}
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The Asian Dreamcast itself is exactly the same as the original Japanese version; it also only plays Japanese software. No modem is included in this edition, and the manual is in English instead of Japanese.
 
  
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====North American Dreamcasts====
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==Promotional material==
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The North American version is the same white colour as the original Japanese/Asian edition, with one minor difference, the little triangle on the GD-ROM lid is in solid light-grey plastic (The Japanese version had a transparent plastic triangle there) with the end of the triangle on the body of the machine transparent for the power light to shine through. There are at least two internally different machines in the US. The changes have to do with the cooling systems and don't affect operation of the machine in any way. The Dreamcast logo on the case and the accessories is also orange like the Japanese version in the US.
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{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Promotional material}}
  
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====PAL Dreamcasts====
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==Digital manuals==
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The PAL version (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, including the United Kingdom) is identical in casing colour to the original Japanese and US versions, but in all PAL regions the Dreamcast swirl logo has been changed to a blue colour. Even the peripherals and accessories have the blue logo in PAL areas. This was due to a German company holding a trademark on the distinctive orange swirl present on American and Japanese Dreamcasts. The system power light remains the orange colour is on foreign Dreamcasts, however.
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<gallery>
 +
Dreamcast US DigitalManual.pdf|US manual
 +
</gallery>
  
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====Special Dreamcasts====
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==Gallery==
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For a full list of special edition dreamcasts, see [[Special Dreamcast Models]].
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{{ratings|DC}}
 +
===Official photographs===
 +
<gallery>
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast & cd.png
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware back dreamcast.png
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DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast master.png
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DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 1.png
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DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 2.png
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DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dream cast & board.png
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware dc mit joypad und vm.jpg
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DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE.jpg
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DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR.jpg
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DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR VM.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware GROUP VM.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware console frei.jpg
 +
</gallery>
  
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== Specifications ==
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==Logos by regions==
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*CPU: [[SuperH|SH-4]] [[RISC]] CPU with 128 Bit graphic computational engine built-in (operating frequency: 206 MHz 360 MIPS/1.4 GFLOPS)
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{|class="prettytable sortable" style="background: #f2f2f2;"
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*Graphics Engine: PowerVR2 CLX2*
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|-
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*Memory: Main 16 MB ([http://www.mcu-memory.com/datasheet/hynix/hy57v161610dtc.pdf Hyundai HY57V161610D]), Video 8 MB, Sound 2 MB
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! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Logo'''
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*Sound Card: Super Intelligent ([[Yamaha]]) Sound Processor with 47MHz 32-Bit [[RISC]] [ARM7 CPU core built-in (64 channel PCM/ADPCM)
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! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Region'''
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*GD-ROM Drive: 12x maximum speed (when running in Constant Angular Velocity mode)
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|- style="background: silver;"
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*Inputs: Four ports that can support a digital and analog controller, steering wheel, joystick, keyboard, mouse, and more
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|-
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*Dimensions: 189mm x 195mm x 76mm (7 7/16" x 7 11/16" x 3")
+
|<gallery>Dreamcast logo.svg</gallery>
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*Weight: 1.9kg (4.4lbs)
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|Used in Japan, Asia and South Korea
−
*Modem: Removable; Original Asia/Japan model had a 33.6 Kbytes/s; models released after 9 September 1999 had a 56 Kbytes/s modem
+
|-
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*[[Sega Dreamcast Broadband Adapter]]: these adapters are available separately and replace the removable modem
+
|<gallery>Dreamcast logo.svg
−
:* HIT-400: "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a RealTek 8139 chip and supported 10/100mbit
+
Dreamcast US Logo Sega.svg
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:* HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only 10mbit
+
</gallery>
−
*Color Output: Approx. 16.77 million simultaneous colors (24 bit)
+
|Used in North and South America
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*Storage: "Visual Memory Unit" ([[VMU]]) 128 Kb removable storage device
+
|-
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:*It is capable of drawing around 7 million polygons per second, but the geometry data storage (the models for the polygons) would become a limiting factor, chipping away video memory for the textures.
+
|<gallery>Dreamcast PAL logo.svg</gallery>
−
*Input devices: (4 custom controller ports)
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|Used in Western and Eastern Europe,<br> Asia, Africa, Australasia
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**[[Standard Dreamcast gamepad]] with two add-on ports
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|-
−
***Add-ons: VMU, 4x Memory Card, Jump Pack
+
|}
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**Sega Dreamcast Keyboard
 
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**Sega Dreamcast Mouse
 
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**Sega Dreamcast Fishing Controller
 
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**Sega Dreamcast Microphone (bundled with Seaman)
 
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**[[VMU MP3 Player]] (Unreleased)
 
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*Output devices:
 
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**Sega Dreamcast RF Unit
 
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**Sega Dreamcast AV cables (composite)
 
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**[[Sega Dreamcast VGA Adapter]]
 
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*Add-ons:
 
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**Sega Dreamcast Karaoke System (Japan only)
 
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**[[Dreamcast Zip Drive|Sega Dreamcast Zip Drive]] (Unreleased)
 
  
−
Sega Dreamcast's motto in the US was "It's thinking."
+
==Artwork==
 +
<gallery>
 +
Dreamcast Diagram1.svg|Hardware diagrams
 +
Dreamcast Diagram2.svg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Logos STYLEGUIDE.pdf|EU branding guidelines
 +
</gallery>
  
−
==Sonic Games==
+
==Patents==
−
===Normal Sonic games on the Sega Dreamcast===
+
<gallery>
−
* [[Sonic Adventure]]
+
Patent USD412940.pdf|USD412940
−
* [[Sonic Shuffle]]
+
</gallery>
−
* [[Sonic Adventure 2]]
+
==External links==
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000621105240/http://www.dreamcast.com.au/ www.dreamcast.com.au (Australia and New Zealand)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010207203709/http://www.sega.at/start.html www.sega.at (Austria)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020811061905/http://dreamcast.gz.ee/ dreamcast.gz.ee (Estonia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991006055629/http://www.dreamcast-europe.com/ www.dreamcast-europe.com (Europe)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010723143113/http://www.dcfin.net/ www.dcfin.net (Finland) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/2001*/http://dreamcastfinland.net/ dreamcastfinland.net (Finland) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040615201546/http://segadc.uw.hu/main/main.htm segadc.uw.hu (Hungary)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991110181603/http://www.dreamcast.is/ www.dreamcast.is (Iceland)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20011030031554/http://dreamcast.times.lv/ dreamcast.times.lv (Latvia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030603165424/http://www.symbas.com/dreamarena/index.html dreamarena.ru (Russia) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020109174127/http://www.dreamcast.pl/dreamcast/ www.dreamcast.pl (Poland)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030424194435/http://dreamcast-rus.boom.ru/  dreamcast-rus.boom.ru (Russia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020321230534/http://dream-cast.narod.ru/  dream-cast.narod.ru (Russia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010302164645/http://dreamcast.miesto.sk/ dreamcast.miesto.sk (Slovakia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000618081150/http://www.dreamcast.nu/ www.dreamcast.nu (Sweden)]
  
−
===Other games featuring Sonic===
+
==References==
−
* [[Sega Smash Pack Vol. 1]]
+
{{multicol|
 +
<references />
 +
|cols=3}}
  
−
===Sonic Cameos on the Sega Dreamcast===
+
{{Sega Consoles}}
−
* Blue Stinger
+
{{Dreamcast}}
−
* Get Bass
 
−
* Toy Commander
 
−
* NBA2K
 
−
* NHL2k
 
−
* [[Segagaga]]
 
−
* Shenmue
 
−
* [[Phantasy Star Online]]
 
−
* Virtua Striker 3
 
  
−
{{Sega_Consoles}}
+
[[Category:Sega Dreamcast| ]]
−
[[Category:Hardware]]
+
[[Category:Dreamcast hardware| ]]
−
[[Category:Dreamcast Hardware|*]]
 

Latest revision as of 15:21, 1 January 2024

Dreamcast logo.svg
Dreamcast.jpg
Dreamcast
Manufacturer: Sega
Variants: Sega NAOMI, Atomiswave, Sega System SP
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Dreamcast
JP 		¥29,80029,800 HKT-3000
Sega Dreamcast
US 		$199.99199.99 HKT-3020
Sega Dreamcast
DE 		DM 499,-499,-[5] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
ES 		HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
FR 		1,690F1,690[4] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
UK 		£199.99199.99[3] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
CZ 		10400 Kč10400 [9]
Sega Dreamcast
PL 		999zł999
Sega Dreamcast
RU
Sega Dreamcast
AU 		$499.00499.00[6]
Sega Dreamcast
BR 		R$899.00899.00
Sega Dreamcast
MA 		3.999 DH3.999 DH
Sega Dreamcast
IN 		₹1400014000[11]
Sega Dreamcast
KR 		HKT-3010
Sega Dreamcast
AS 		HKT-3010

The Dreamcast (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by Sega as a successor to the Sega Saturn. Dubbed as Sega's "Super Console"[12], it is a "128-bit" machine designed with then-cutting edge hardware and a focus on the internet. The Dreamcast was originally released in Japan in November 1998 before seeing a Western release the following year.

The Dreamcast was Sega's seventh and final home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001[13][14] due to financial constraints within the company. It had sold at least 8.2 million hardware units and 51.63 million software units by March 2001,[15], with estimates suggesting 10.6 million hardware units in total.

An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the Sega NAOMI.

Hardware

The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.

Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior Sega hardware or software (although its controller derives from the Saturn's 3D Control Pad), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and PlayStation) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.

The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called GD-ROMs for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released before the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the Mil-CD format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.

The GD-ROM format also put the console at a disadvantage when competing against the PlayStation 2 - the PS2 used DVDs, and could therefore run DVD videos making it an inexpensive DVD player as well as a video game console. DVD-ROMs also have more storage space, allowing for bigger games (though the initial run of PS2 games used a blue CD-ROM format). Sega looked into DVD technology during the Dreamcast's development but claimed it was too expensive.

The Dreamcast was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, with broadband adapters being made available later on in certain regions. This allowed the system to connect to the internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. Many games released for the Dreamcast shipped with online play modes, the most popular being Phantasy Star Online and the Sega Sports lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the Sega Saturn's NetLink and the Sega Mega Drive's XB∀ND, the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first internet-enabled home game system.

The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community. The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux (LinuxDC) and dreamcast NetBSD operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics. A homebrew minimal operating system called Kallistios offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games. Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.

Sega released an arcade board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called Sega NAOMI, leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.

The Dreamcast's PowerVR CLX2 was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as bump mapping, volumetric effects,[16] order-independent transparency, and Dot3 normal mapping.[17]

Models

Main article: Dreamcast consoles.

  • Japanese model

  • North American model

  • European model

Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey. The Japanese models also have the text "Designed for Microsoft Windows CE" printed on the front right, whereas Western versions say "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".

For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see Special Dreamcast Models.

Technical specifications

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Technical specifications.

Hardware comparisons

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison.

History

Main article: History of the Sega Dreamcast.

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English Sega Dreamcast Sega Dreamcast
Japanese ドリームキャスト Dreamcast
Hebrew דרימקאסט

Games

Main article: Sega Dreamcast games.

Production credits

A list of names, likely the various people involved with console's creation, can be found at 0x1A1A0 in the flash ROM.

Source:
ROM text[18]


Source:
Developer mentions[19][20][21][22]


Magazine articles

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Magazine articles.

Video coverage

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Video coverage.

Promotional material

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Promotional material.

Digital manuals

  • US manual

Gallery

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
GameZine (UK)
90
[23]
Komputer Świat Gry (PL)
75
[24]
Man!ak (PL)
85
[25]
Play (PL)
60
[26]
PSX Extreme (PL)
78
[27]
PSX Extreme (PL)
57
[28]
Sega Dreamcast
 74
Based on
6 reviews

Sega Dreamcast

Official photographs

  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast & cd.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware back dreamcast.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast master.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 1.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 2.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dream cast & board.png
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware dc mit joypad und vm.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR VM.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware GROUP VM.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware console frei.jpg

Logos by regions

Logo Region
  • Dreamcast logo.svg
 Used in Japan, Asia and South Korea
  • Dreamcast logo.svg
  • Dreamcast US Logo Sega.svg
 Used in North and South America
  • Dreamcast PAL logo.svg
 Used in Western and Eastern Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australasia

Artwork

  • Hardware diagrams

  • Dreamcast Diagram2.svg

  • EU branding guidelines

Patents

  • USD412940

External links

References

  1. ↑ Press release: 1999-09-02: Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles and Peripherals
  2. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "November 1999" (UK; 1999-10-13), page 52
  3. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1999" (UK; 1999-09-15), page 59
  4. ↑ File:ConsolesMicro FR 01.pdf, page 15
  5. ↑ File:NextLevel DE 1999-0910.pdf, page 6
  6. ↑ Hyper, "September 1999" (AU; 1999-xx-xx), page 29
  7. ↑ Dreamcast (Tectoy) (Wayback Machine: 2000-03-03 16:07)
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010409225930/http://sega.ru:80/news.phtml
  9. ↑ https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/test-a-spotrebitel/nova-konzole-dreamcast-prehrava-konkurenci.A_2000M051T05A
  10. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/dreamcast-heads-to-india
  11. ↑ https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/795_Stracon-ready-to-turn-the-TV-into-a-multi-dimensional-entertainment-device
  12. ↑ Press release: 1998-05-21: Sega Unveils Super Console!
  13. ↑ Press Release: 2001-01-28: Dúvidas e confirmações no futuro da Dreamcast
  14. ↑ Press Release: 2001-10-29: Dreamcast não desiste e mostra novos trunfos
  15. ↑ File:AnnualReport2001 English.pdf, page 16
  16. ↑ Gamers' Republic, "August 1998" (US; 1998-07-21), page 29
  17. ↑ [PC Magazine, December 1999, page 193 PC Magazine, December 1999, page 193]
  18. ↑ The Cutting Room Floor: Dreamcast
  19. ↑ File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf, page 23
  20. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education
  21. ↑ https://area.autodesk.jp/column/tutorial/softimage_maniacs/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-10-29 15:09)
  22. ↑ JW Szczepaniak (2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1
  23. ↑ GameZine (UK) (+0:00)
  24. ↑ Komputer Świat Gry, "Czerwiec-lipiec 2000" (PL; 2000-xx-xx), page 72
  25. ↑ Man!ak, "Grudzień 1999" (PL; 1999-xx-xx), page 10
  26. ↑ Play, "Wszystko o Konsolach" (PL; 2001-xx-xx), page 2
  27. ↑ PSX Extreme, "02/99" (PL; 1999-0x-xx), page 18
  28. ↑ PSX Extreme, "03/2001" (PL; 2001-0x-xx), page 42
Sega Home Video Game Systems
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
SG-1000 SG-1000 II Mega Drive Mega Drive II
SC-3000 Mega-CD Mega-CD II Genesis 3
Sega Mark III 32X Dreamcast
Master System Master System II
AI Computer Game Gear
Saturn
Pico Beena


Sega Dreamcast
Topics Technical specifications (Hardware comparison) | History (Development | Release | Decline and legacy | Internet) | List of games | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Japan (Special) | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | North America | Asia | South America | Australasia | Africa
Add-ons Dreamcast Karaoke | Dreameye
Controllers Controller | Arcade Stick | Fishing Controller | Gun (Dream Blaster) | Race Controller | Maracas Controller (Third-party) | Twin Stick | Keyboard | Mouse | Third-party
Controller Add-ons Jump Pack (Third-party) | Microphone | VMU (4x Memory Card | Third-party)
Development Hardware Dev.Box | Controller Box | Controller Function Checker | Sound Box | GD-Writer | C1/C2 Checker | Dev.Cas | GD-ROM Duplicator
Online Services/Add-ons Dreamarena | SegaNet | WebTV for Dreamcast | Modem | Modular Cable | Modular Extension Cable | Broadband Adapter | Dreamphone
Connector Cables Onsei Setsuzoku Cable | RF Adapter | Scart Cable | S Tanshi Cable | Stereo AV Cable | VGA Box

Dreamcast MIDI Interface Cable | Neo Geo Pocket/Dreamcast Setsuzoku Cable | Taisen Cable

Misc. Hardware Action Replay CDX | Code Breaker | Kiosk | MP3 DC | MP3 DC Audio Player | Official Case | Treamcast
Third-party accessories Controllers | Controller converters | Miscellaneous
Unreleased Accessories DVD Player | Zip Drive | Swatch Access for Dreamcast | VMU MP3 Player
Arcade Variants NAOMI | Atomiswave | Sega Aurora
Retrieved from "https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=Sega_Dreamcast&oldid=947838"