Why did the Dreamcast Die?

[CompleteDouche]

I recently picked up a dreamcast from a garage sale with Crazy Taxi, and I was amazed at how fun it was, and how it compared to other games from PS2 and Gamecube at the time it launched.

I've also saw videos of the games dreamcast had, and the majority of them were better than the games out on the other consoles.

How in hell did the dreamcast not sell?

[explodingbunnies]

At 11/1/09 07:55 PM, CompleteDouche wrote:

How in hell did the dreamcast not sell?

because the PS2 crushed it.

[Canas]

Those screens in the controllers.

That's why.

[The-Omnipresence]

At 11/1/09 08:14 PM, Canas wrote: Those screens in the controllers.

That's why.

The VMU was awesome maaaaaan, don't be dissin' that yo.

Also Dreamcast died because it didn't have a DVD player, and was made by Sega who were running outta cash fast by that time.

[CompleteDouche]

Gamecube didn't have a DVD player, but it survived. How come it was behind the Gamecube in sales? (was the xbox out at this time)

[Jack]

At 11/1/09 08:21 PM, CompleteDouche wrote: Gamecube didn't have a DVD player, but it survived. How come it was behind the Gamecube in sales? (was the xbox out at this time)

Well, I think one of the reasons the PS2 sold so well back in 2000 was because of the DVD player - they were expensive back then, much like Blu-ray players today.

I think the Gamecube sold well because it was by Nintendo and they had just come off the success of the Nintendo 64, unlike Sega who's previous console, the Sega Saturn, flopped like fuck.

Just guessin' though.

[Silverchaos]

The Dreamcast wasn't that bad, it just didn't hold up well to it's competition.

[X-Gary-Gigax-X]

It was Economic Darwinism, I suppose. Newer, better, sexier consoles were released, and everyone wanted to proliferate with the sleek, younger consoles of a new generation, as opposed to the poopy ol' dying generation console like Dreamcast

[CompleteDouche]

At 11/1/09 08:31 PM, Jack wrote:

Just guessin' though.

With your logic, it'll be almost impossible to create a new console, from a third party. Right?

[levusbevus]

Most Dreamcasts could play pirated games.

[KeithHybrid]

Sega had already been in an economic pitfall with the failure of the Saturn. The sucess it intially saw with the release was rather shortlived when Sony's follow-up to the Saturn's more successful rival came around.

A damn shame, too: the Dreamcast was released during the last great era of gaming. You have to admit, near the end of their console-making careers, Sega really did try: Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, Phantasy Star Online...

Good night, sweet prince.

[CompleteDouche]

At 11/1/09 08:42 PM, KeithHybrid wrote: Jet Set Radio

I hate replying in a same thread over 3 times, but I fucking loved Jet set radio, especially Future...

[KeithHybrid]

At 11/1/09 08:44 PM, CompleteDouche wrote:

At 11/1/09 08:42 PM, KeithHybrid wrote: Jet Set Radio

I hate replying in a same thread over 3 times, but I fucking loved Jet set radio, especially Future...

I never got to play Future, but I dug the original.

[CrazySquirrel124]

Don't forget the badass games that were the Sonic Adventure 1&2!

[Ouillo]

At 11/1/09 07:55 PM, CompleteDouche wrote: I recently picked up a dreamcast from a garage sale with Crazy Taxi, and I was amazed at how fun it was, and how it compared to other games from PS2 and Gamecube at the time it launched.

I've also saw videos of the games dreamcast had, and the majority of them were better than the games out on the other consoles.

How in hell did the dreamcast not sell?

The Dreamcast wasn't competing with ps2 or GC. Sega intended it to compete with the ps1 and 64, I'd imagine. Honestly i think it was a timing issue, because it came in between tow console generations. The ps2 crushed it.

[Samen]

At 11/1/09 08:41 PM, CompleteDouche wrote:

At 11/1/09 08:31 PM, Jack wrote:

Just guessin' though.

With your logic, it'll be almost impossible to create a new console, from a third party. Right?

Well, it is. They only really pop up when there's a power vacuum to fill and there's a big, well known and well liked company to back it up. When the Dreamcast came along, Sega already had egg on it's face from it's last console, which flopped like a fat man on a 10 foot tall diving board. On top of that, it really came off as more of a late fifth gen than an early 6th gen console, and it didn't have much going for it aesthetically, with the fun and stylized GameCube and the jet black and serious looking PS2 just around the corner. It was just too 90's for a world that was ready to jump into a new millennium, despite it's impressive hardware capabilities.

[squidly]

At 11/1/09 08:14 PM, explodingbunnies wrote:

At 11/1/09 07:55 PM, CompleteDouche wrote:

How in hell did the dreamcast not sell?

because the PS2 crushed it.

PS2 crushed EVERYTHING.

And yeah, like the guy under the person I'm quoting said, the screens on the controllers + horrible layout = shitty controller in general, you see guys, that's why you don't fuck around with winning formulas with stupid gimmicks.

Also, Sega failed to acquire any good 3rd parties, nor did they have any "games so good that you should buy the console for it" as was the GC and Xbox (SSB Melee and Halo.)

[Yamor]

At 11/1/09 08:14 PM, Canas wrote: Those screens in the controllers.

That's why.

The whole controller didn't fit right and just seemed really fucked up in your hand.

[dmansland]

At 11/1/09 11:38 PM, Yamor wrote:

At 11/1/09 08:14 PM, Canas wrote: Those screens in the controllers.

That's why.

The whole controller didn't fit right and just seemed really fucked up in your hand.

Xbox controllers anyone?

[awkward-silence]

The dreamcast failed because Sega had pissed away its reputation. End of story.

Sega had a 60% market share against nintendo at its peak. But it fucked that up by dropping massively expensive add-ons that had no games are really pissed off its fanbase.

Sega CD
Sega 32X

These cost as much as a new system and only had about 16 games each.

Then Sega dropped the Nomad, which was virtually unplayable because it would kill a pack of batteries in about an hour.

The Sony Playstation absolutely buried the Saturn, because many of the saturn games were using polygon graphics. Which when they came out were revolutionary, but not as refined as what playstation was doing.

So when Sega finally got it right, an they did get it right with the dreamcast. It was too late. The games for dreamcast were great, they were the first to utilize cell shading, and first to offer internet playability. But they still couldn't get enough of the market to stay afloat.

[Sizzlebuzz]

At 11/1/09 07:55 PM, CompleteDouche wrote: I recently picked up a dreamcast from a garage sale with Crazy Taxi, and I was amazed at how fun it was, and how it compared to other games from PS2 and Gamecube at the time it launched.

I've also saw videos of the games dreamcast had, and the majority of them were better than the games out on the other consoles.

How in hell did the dreamcast not sell?

I have a dreamcast still. Although, I never play it. The games were alright I suppose. There were just too many other competing systems I guess?

[TRlCKY]

Watch this video. It tells you the entire dreamcast story and how and why it failed.

[puddinN64]

Microsoft.

[Sizzlebuzz]

At 11/2/09 06:09 AM, TRlCKY wrote: Watch this video. It tells you the entire dreamcast story and how and why it failed.

That's a pretty sad story actually.

[Viridis]

Dreamcast games is exceptionally easy to pirate. That may have been one of the contributing factors to its downfall. I still play it though.

[CompleteDouche]

At 11/2/09 06:43 AM, Viridis wrote: Dreamcast games is exceptionally easy to pirate. That may have been one of the contributing factors to its downfall. I still play it though.

That would be a good thing for the consumer, they find this out, and the dreamcast could rise in sales.
BTW I saw the vid, sad story bro.

[Rachel]

At 11/2/09 06:09 AM, TRlCKY wrote: Watch this video. It tells you the entire dreamcast story and how and why it failed.

"We got to play with hundreds of little sea men."

Classic.

[Mendou]

At 11/1/09 07:55 PM, CompleteDouche wrote:

How in hell did the dreamcast not sell?

Probably because the PS2 still had better games, and a library of games that was increasing quickly.

Dreamcast had like what, 60+ games?

[Jercurpac]

At 11/1/09 07:55 PM, CompleteDouche wrote: I've also saw videos of the games dreamcast had, and the majority of them were better than the games out on the other consoles.

That doesn't make any sense, how can you say that one game is better than any other just from a video? You've pretty much invalidated your opinion with that statement.

As much the Dreamcast actually did have its share of decent games its release was just poorly timed and executed. Sega never properly fit the console into a niche. It didn't have the third party support that Sony did, aside from Sonic it's first-party exclusives weren't system sellers like Nintendo's, and it was far from to be the graphical powerhouse that the Xbox was. Really, all it had going for it was its online capability and it was pushing that way before the console market was ready and none online of the games were stellar enough to draw the PC crowd.

Basically, whatever gaming experience you wanted you could find a better alternative than the Dreamcast. Plus it was just up against the PS2 which was a fucking beast. Last generation even Microsoft and Nintendo could do little more than pick at Sony's scraps and they had the money to weather the storm. Sega had just been through a string of failures they couldn't last another generation on the bottom of the food chain. As soon as things started going south they had to say goodbye to the console market.

[SassyCatMan]

Cause 360s are the new "Chuck Noris."