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The '''Dreamcast''' was a sixth generation video game console produced by [[Sega]].  It was the last console [[Sega]] would produce.  It was the succesor to the [[Sega Saturn]], which had limited success in sales in both Japan and in the United States.  It was released sixteen months before the [[PlayStation 2]] (PS2) and three years before the [[Nintendo GameCube]] and the [[Xbox]], and widely hailed as ahead of its time. It was one of the first consoles to participate in the pioneering of online console gaming.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dreamcast Connects Console Gamers |date=July 2003 |publisher=GameSpy|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index17.shtml|accessdate=2007-07-19 }}</ref>  
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The '''Sega Dreamcast''' (Dreamcast) was a sixth generation [[video game]] console produced by [[SEGA]], it would become their final console before exiting the hardware industry.  The Dreamcast was the successor to the [[Sega Saturn]], which had limited success in sales in both Japan and in the United States.  It was released sixteen months before the [[PlayStation 2]] (PS2) and three years before the [[Nintendo GameCube]] and the [[Xbox]], and widely hailed as ahead of its time. The Dreamcast was seen as a milestone for pioneering online console gaming.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dreamcast Connects Console Gamers |date=July 2003 |publisher=GameSpy|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index17.shtml|accessdate=2007-07-19 }}</ref>  


Sega officially discontinued in the Dreamcast in [[2001]], however the console's following is still maintained by occasional game releases from [[Japan]] and from the [[homebrew]] community. By the end of its lifespan, the console sold over 10 million units breaking various sales records set by past consoles. <ref>{{cite web |title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time |date=July 19 2007 |publisher=Game Pro|url=http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/111822.shtml|accessdate=2008-07-5 }}</ref>
The Dreamcast was officially discontinued by Sega in [[2001]], however the console's following is still maintained by occasional game releases from [[Japan]] and the [[homebrew]] community. By the end of its lifespan, the console sold over 10 million units breaking various sales records set by past consoles. <ref>{{cite web |title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time |date=July 19 2007 |publisher=Game Pro|url=http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/111822.shtml|accessdate=2008-07-5 }}</ref>


==History==
==History==
===Development===
Development of the Dreamcast, codenamed "Katana" began shortly after the release of the [[SEGA Saturn]].


The prior console from Sega, the [[Sega Saturn]], struggled in sales inside [[North America]]. Then president of [[Sega of America]], [[Bernie Stolar]], pressured [[Sega of Japan]] to develop a succesor. At E3 of 1997 Bernie told the public that the Saturn was "not our future" and referred to the ill fated console as a "still born".  
In May 1998 it was revealed that Microsoft's [[Windows CE]] operating system would power the device. Upon launch the OS was absent from the console, [[SEGA]] revealed the OS ships on the disc giving developers the opportunity to ship their games with the latest version of the OS. SEGA provided their own in-house alternative to Windows CE for developers to use. <ref>{{cite web |title=Windows CE notably absent from Dreamcast launch |date=1999-09-15 |publisher=CNET|url=http://news.cnet.com/Windows-CE-notably-absent-from-Dreamcast-launch/2100-1001_3-218224.html|accessdate=2011-10-08 }}</ref>


== Hardware ==
The Dreamcast launched in North America on September 9, 1999 and Europe on October 14, 1999.
The power light, like the Dreamcast logo in [[NTSC]] regions, was [[orange (colour)|orange]] (this color was chosen because the Japanese consider it to be lucky). Games were sold in [[Optical disc packaging#Jewel case|jewel cases]]. In North America, these initially had the Dreamcast name and logo on a white background, but later games used a black background, similar to the PlayStation's. Japanese games used an orange-and-white scheme, and European and Australian games used blue.


The unit was packaged with a video cable which supported [[composite video]] and [[stereophonic sound|stereo]] sound. Available separately were an [[RGB]] [[SCART]] cable, an [[S-Video]] cable, an [[RF connector]] (included as standard in the UK, Germany and [[Portugal]]), and a [[VGA]] adapter (see accessories below).
===Launch===
The Dreamcast initially launched in Japan on November 27, 1998, it is reported that shortly before launch pre-orders for the system in Japan exceeded 50,000 units. It was revealed that graphic chip shortages from manufactuerer [[NEC]] would lead to supply shortages at launch, SEGA originally expected the console to sell 1 million units in Japan by the end of March 1999 and an additional 10 million units over the next three to four years. <ref>{{cite web |title=SEGA SAYS CHIP SHORTAGE COULD AFFECT DREAMCAST SALES.|date=1998-11- |publisher=Datamonitor|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SEGA+SAYS+CHIP+SHORTAGE+COULD+AFFECT+DREAMCAST+SALES.-a053208264|accessdate=2011-10-08 }}</ref>


Although there was no reset button on the Dreamcast system itself, there was a way to reset a game during play. If the player wanted to reset a game, they would have to press the A, B, X, and Y buttons all together and then press the start button. This would then take them to the game's main menu. If repeated, it would take players to the Dreamcast menu.
== Technical specifications ==
 
In North America, a black Dreamcast was released in limited numbers with a sports pack which included two Sega Sports titles. This was the same as other models except for the black casing and the Sega Sports logo located directly below the Dreamcast logo on the lid. [[Electronics Boutique]] offered a blue Dreamcast through its website. Similar offerings were sold through the [[Lik Sang]] website. Cases of different colors like blue, red, orange, and green were sold for replacements of the original casing. In Japan, Sega released many varieties of the system, including a limited edition ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog series|Sonic]]'' anniversary version, a pink [[Sakura Taisen]] version, and a [[Hello Kitty]] version released in 2000 in [[Japan]] which, due to its limited production, has become an extremely rare collector's piece. The package contains a [[computer keyboard|keyboard]], [[game controller|controller]], [[VMU]], [[computer mouse|mouse]], and a Hello Kitty [[trivia]] game. The console and accessories came in both translucent [[pink]] and [[blue]] in color with some printed designs.
 
The [[Brazil]]ian version, manufactured by [[Tec Toy]] under license, was essentially the same as the North American version, but its video output was converted to the [[PAL|PAL-M]] standard and did not come with the modem, which was available separately.
 
Dreamcast in [[Europe]] had a blue spiral logo, similar to the logo on earlier Sega systems. This change is thought to have been for [[copyright]] reasons: German company [[Tivola Publishing]][http://www.tivola.de/] had been using a similar swirl logo years before Sega branded Dreamcast with the orange swirl.
 
As well as the VGA mode to connect to a [[Computer display|PC monitor]] (again using an adapter), the European Dreamcast supported PAL video, in both 50&nbsp;Hz and 60&nbsp;Hz modes. This was a first for game consoles, as no previous PAL console had offered the option to play games at full speed, using the ability of many PAL televisions to operate at 60&nbsp;Hz. This feature was exploited in previous consoles but only by modifying the [[console]] with a chip to allow it to run NTSC games (e.g., [[Sony]]'s [[PlayStation]]), or by adding switches to the internal circuitry to manually select between 50&nbsp;Hz and 60&nbsp;Hz (e.g., SEGA's [[Master System]], [[Mega Drive]] or [[Saturn]]). Although the 60&nbsp;Hz code had to be enabled on the disc, doing so was a simple matter, and only a small number of games lacked it. The 60&nbsp;Hz feature has become standard on all major consoles released since.
 
Games in Europe were sold in jewel cases exactly twice as thick as their North American counterparts, possibly to enable the inclusion of thick instruction booklets containing instructions in multiple languages.
 
A third-party company from [[China]] named [[Treamcast]] released a portable modified Dreamcast which used the original first-party Dreamcast components with a custom made plastic casing. This small system with its fold-down display resembled the later [[PlayStation|PS One]]. Many companies included software and a remote with the unit that enabled it to play [[MP3]]s and [[Video CD]]s. When the Internet import video game store [[Lik Sang]] contacted Sega to ask permission to sell a modified version of the system with Sega trademarks on the system, they were told that Sega did not approve of the unit, and felt that it violated their trademarks. In reality, this system is no different from a Dreamcast pre-modified with a third party shell, as the system's internals still use first party hardware, and the only modifications are the outside casing and internal sound and video adjustments.
 
In 2005, the internet import store Lan-Kwei started selling a "[[Treamcast]]" portable modified Dreamcast with a 16:9 widescreen [[LCD]]. Aside from the cosmetic differences in the case to accommodate the larger screen, there are no differences between the original [[Treamcast]] and the newer widescreen model.
 
=== Technical specifications ===
[[Image:Dreamcast-internal.jpg|thumb|Internal view of a Dreamcast console.]]
[[Image:Dreamcast-internal.jpg|thumb|Internal view of a Dreamcast console.]]
[[Image:Dreamcast mainboard.jpg|thumb|The mainboard of the Sega Dreamcast.]]
[[Image:Dreamcast mainboard.jpg|thumb|The mainboard of the Sega Dreamcast.]]
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'''Memory'''
'''Memory'''
* Main RAM: 16&nbsp;[[MB]]<ref name="BinaryPrefix">In this article, the conventional prefixes for computer memory denote base-2 values whereby “kilobyte” (KB) = 2<sup>10</sup> bytes, “megabyte” (MB) = 2<sup>20</sup> bytes.</ref> 64&nbsp;Bit 100&nbsp;MHz
* Main RAM: 16&nbsp;MB<ref name="BinaryPrefix">In this article, the conventional prefixes for computer memory denote base-2 values whereby “kilobyte” (KB) = 2<sup>10</sup> bytes, “megabyte” (MB) = 2<sup>20</sup> bytes.</ref> 64&nbsp;Bit 100&nbsp;MHz
* Video RAM: 8&nbsp;MB 4x16 Bit 100&nbsp;MHz
* Video RAM: 8&nbsp;MB 4x16 Bit 100&nbsp;MHz
* Sound RAM: 2&nbsp;MB 16&nbsp;Bit 66&nbsp;MHz
* Sound RAM: 2&nbsp;MB 16&nbsp;Bit 66&nbsp;MHz
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:* HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only [[10BASE-T|10]] [[Megabit|Mbit]] speed.
:* HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only [[10BASE-T|10]] [[Megabit|Mbit]] speed.


==Sales==
During the Japanese launch of the Dreamcast SEGA sold 150,000 units despite chip shortages, by Feburary of the next year console sales were just under 900,000 units, SEGA originally expected the console would sell at least 1 million units in Japan by the end of March.<ref>{{cite web |title=SEGA SAYS CHIP SHORTAGE COULD AFFECT DREAMCAST SALES.|date=1998-11- |publisher=Datamonitor|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SEGA+SAYS+CHIP+SHORTAGE+COULD+AFFECT+DREAMCAST+SALES.-a053208264|accessdate=2011-10-08 }}</ref> During the US launch of the system SEGA sold over 1 million consoles. <ref>{{cite web |title=PlayStation2 shortage buoys up Sega|date=2000-12-27 |publisher=Japan Times|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/co20001227a1.html|accessdate=2011-10-08 }}</ref>
==Attribution==
{{WPAttribution}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<small>
<references>


==External Links==
</references>
</small>




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The Sega Dreamcast (Dreamcast) was a sixth generation video game console produced by SEGA, it would become their final console before exiting the hardware industry. The Dreamcast was the successor to the Sega Saturn, which had limited success in sales in both Japan and in the United States. It was released sixteen months before the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and three years before the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox, and widely hailed as ahead of its time. The Dreamcast was seen as a milestone for pioneering online console gaming.[1]

The Dreamcast was officially discontinued by Sega in 2001, however the console's following is still maintained by occasional game releases from Japan and the homebrew community. By the end of its lifespan, the console sold over 10 million units breaking various sales records set by past consoles. [2]

History

Development

Development of the Dreamcast, codenamed "Katana" began shortly after the release of the SEGA Saturn.

In May 1998 it was revealed that Microsoft's Windows CE operating system would power the device. Upon launch the OS was absent from the console, SEGA revealed the OS ships on the disc giving developers the opportunity to ship their games with the latest version of the OS. SEGA provided their own in-house alternative to Windows CE for developers to use. [3]

The Dreamcast launched in North America on September 9, 1999 and Europe on October 14, 1999.

Launch

The Dreamcast initially launched in Japan on November 27, 1998, it is reported that shortly before launch pre-orders for the system in Japan exceeded 50,000 units. It was revealed that graphic chip shortages from manufactuerer NEC would lead to supply shortages at launch, SEGA originally expected the console to sell 1 million units in Japan by the end of March 1999 and an additional 10 million units over the next three to four years. [4]

Technical specifications

Internal view of a Dreamcast console.
The mainboard of the Sega Dreamcast.

Processor

  • SH-4 RISC CPU with 32-bit Instruction Set and 128-bit FPU functions (operating frequency: 200 MHz, 360 MIPS, 1.4 GFLOPS)

Graphics Engine

  • CLX2, 7.0 Mil polygons/second peak performance, supports Trilinear filtering. Actual maximum in game performance (with full textures, lighting, gameplay, etc.) of over 5 Mil polygons/second.
  • Tile Based Deferred Rendering eliminates overdraw by only drawing visible fragments. This makes required fillrate almost independent from scene depth complexity, thus making up for a low, compared to other 6th generation consoles, nominal fillrate of 100 MPixels/s as effective fillrate can be triple that amount.
  • Graphics hardware effects include gouraud shading, z-buffering, anti-aliasing and bump mapping.

Memory

  • Main RAM: 16 MB[5] 64 Bit 100 MHz
  • Video RAM: 8 MB 4x16 Bit 100 MHz
  • Sound RAM: 2 MB 16 Bit 66 MHz
  • VQ Texture Compression (5:1 texture compression)[6]

Sound Engine

  • Yamaha AICA Sound Processor: 22.5 MHz 32-Bit ARM7 RISC CPU: 45 MHz,[6] 64 channel PCM/ADPCM sampler (4:1 compression), XG MIDI support, 128 step DSP

Storage

Input/Output

Dimensions

  • 189 mm × 195 mm × 76 mm (7 7/16in × 7 11/16in × 3in)
  • Weight: 1.9 kg (4.2 lb)
  • Color: Majority are white.
  • Japan: Various limited edition designs and colored consoles were produced
  • North America: Only a black "Sega Sports"-labeled model and a blue model from Electronics Boutique were officially available
  • PAL: No known alternate designs or colors

Networking

A black 56k Dreamcast modem.
  • Modem: Removable; speed varied among regions:
  • Original Asia/Japan model had a 33.6 kbit/s; consoles sold after September 9, 1999 had a 56 kbit/s modem
  • All American models had a 56 kbit/s
  • All PAL models had a 33.6 kbit/s
  • Broadband: these adapters are available separately and replace the removable modem
  • HIT-401 "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a Realtek 8139 chip and supported 10 and 100 Mbit speeds, this device was released in Japan.
  • HIT-400: "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a Realtek 8139 chip and supported 10 and 100 Mbit speeds, this device was released in US.
  • HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only 10 Mbit speed.

Sales

During the Japanese launch of the Dreamcast SEGA sold 150,000 units despite chip shortages, by Feburary of the next year console sales were just under 900,000 units, SEGA originally expected the console would sell at least 1 million units in Japan by the end of March.[7] During the US launch of the system SEGA sold over 1 million consoles. [8]

Attribution

Some content on this page may previously have appeared on Wikipedia.

References

  1. ↑ Dreamcast Connects Console Gamers. GameSpy (July 2003). Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
  2. ↑ The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time. Game Pro (July 19 2007). Retrieved on 2008-07-5.
  3. ↑ Windows CE notably absent from Dreamcast launch. CNET (1999-09-15). Retrieved on 2011-10-08.
  4. ↑ SEGA SAYS CHIP SHORTAGE COULD AFFECT DREAMCAST SALES.. Datamonitor (1998-11-). Retrieved on 2011-10-08.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 In this article, the conventional prefixes for computer memory denote base-2 values whereby “kilobyte” (KB) = 210 bytes, “megabyte” (MB) = 220 bytes.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sega Dreamcast Review Part 1. FiringSquad.com (1999-09-07). Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
  7. ↑ SEGA SAYS CHIP SHORTAGE COULD AFFECT DREAMCAST SALES.. Datamonitor (1998-11-). Retrieved on 2011-10-08.
  8. ↑ PlayStation2 shortage buoys up Sega. Japan Times (2000-12-27). Retrieved on 2011-10-08.

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