Live data from Hacker News

The Dreamcast Legacy

hackaday.com

11–20 of 109 posts

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#11
post #2

The article states that the Dreamcast "fell out of the public eye as the Nintendo 64 was released". Am I missing something here? As far as I know the N64 was released more than two years before the Dreamcast's release. The Dreamcast always felt like it belonged to the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube console generation more than the PS1/N64 generation, although it was released in between generations. Release dates: * PlayStation 1:…

Article also seems confused that the NES competed against the Genesis - the Master System was Sega's 8-bit console; and no mention of the 32X or Sega/Mega CD either iirc a big selling point of the PS2 was it could play DVDs, whereas the Dreamcast couldn't

The NES did compete against the Genesis. Different technology generations, but they overlapped in the market for more than half of the NES's active lifespan, from 1989 through 1994. There were plenty of comparisons between early Genesis games and later NES games.

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#12
post #7
post #2

The article states that the Dreamcast "fell out of the public eye as the Nintendo 64 was released". Am I missing something here? As far as I know the N64 was released more than two years before the Dreamcast's release. The Dreamcast always felt like it belonged to the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube console generation more than the PS1/N64 generation, although it was released in between generations. Release dates: * PlayStation 1:…

They confused it with Sega Saturn, that's the one that was pushed under the bus by Nintendo 64 in 1996. Nintendo however was late to the game, the PS1 was already entrenched.

If I remember right, the Saturn shipped shortly before the PlayStation, but it was more expensive ($400USD vs $300USD) and shipped in a manner that annoyed most retailers (it was initially exclusive to KB Toys, I believe). The article also didn't go into the add-ons released for the Genesis/Master System (the Sega32X and SegaCD among them), and how Sega's attempts at keeping the G/MS alive instead wore out many console owners.

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#13
post #2

The article states that the Dreamcast "fell out of the public eye as the Nintendo 64 was released". Am I missing something here? As far as I know the N64 was released more than two years before the Dreamcast's release. The Dreamcast always felt like it belonged to the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube console generation more than the PS1/N64 generation, although it was released in between generations. Release dates: * PlayStation 1:…

Article also seems confused that the NES competed against the Genesis - the Master System was Sega's 8-bit console; and no mention of the 32X or Sega/Mega CD either iirc a big selling point of the PS2 was it could play DVDs, whereas the Dreamcast couldn't

The genesis was available in stores concurrently with the NES, and once it was released the master system didn't get much shelf space at stores anymore. The genesis has nearly around 2 years lead on the SNES if I remember correctly. The NES and Genesis definitely competed.

(source: I remember the store displays)

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#15
I played my Dreamcast a ton. When I'd get stuck while writing my dissertation (a regular event) I'd think things through while playing a game of hockey. It provided just the right amount of distraction.

I never understood the hype around the PS 2. It was so bad that when I went to the store to buy NHL 2K2, the employee said they no longer made Dreamcast games. She asked the other employee, who said the same thing. I told them the game was being advertised. They called company headquarters and were informed that it was coming out in a few days. They said I was the first customer to ask about the Dreamcast in months.

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#17
post #9

Blundered into a BestBuy early one Sunday, and the Dreamcasts were in a pile by the door at $50 with bags of games included. I then had one, running Crazy Taxi, for years and years.

Similar here, I picked up mine at a drugstore for $50 along with a pile of discounted games from the rack. I never thought I'd own the thing for 20 years and watch my oldest beat Sonic Adventure at age 6. Watching those credits roll he gave me the most badass look, lol. They still ask to play it from time to time.

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#18
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They confused it with Sega Saturn, that's the one that was pushed under the bus by Nintendo 64 in 1996. Nintendo however was late to the game, the PS1 was already entrenched.

If I remember right, the Saturn shipped shortly before the PlayStation, but it was more expensive ($400USD vs $300USD) and shipped in a manner that annoyed most retailers (it was initially exclusive to KB Toys, I believe). The article also didn't go into the add-ons released for the Genesis/Master System (the Sega32X and SegaCD among them), and how Sega's attempts at keeping the G/MS alive instead wore out many conso…

They launched much earlier than expected, before really any meaningful library of games were available. Third party developers were taken completely by surprise by the early launch.

Re: The Dreamcast Legacy

#20
post #2

The article states that the Dreamcast "fell out of the public eye as the Nintendo 64 was released". Am I missing something here? As far as I know the N64 was released more than two years before the Dreamcast's release. The Dreamcast always felt like it belonged to the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube console generation more than the PS1/N64 generation, although it was released in between generations. Release dates: * PlayStation 1:…

According to my memory of the time, the Dreamcast launched a bit too early compared to the PS2. The Dreamcast was trying to sell games and systems right when the PS2 marketing engine went into full swing. The marketing hype for PS2 was huge , everyone I knew was talking about how many millions of pixels it would push, how the multi-core architecture would make everything else obsolete, and of course, how it was backw…

I believe the PS2 marketing hype was further bolstered by great initial sales in Japan, because it was a reasonably priced DVD movie player.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps2-primarily-used-as-dvd-...

Post reply on HN