Talk:Dreamcast/Archive 1

This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Archive 1

Archive 2

suggest section on cooling system -edit : according to http://www.planetdreamcast.com/features/skin/ (photos at http://www.xiaolei.org/geeky/dreamcast.php),the DC doesn't have an interesting cooling system after all - the liquid cooling was scrapped. Perhaps a section on this?

Game count cite

The game count was recently updated (250->720), but the cite on that info was not updated. The 250 count was way off, and the cite doesn't even indicate that is the total as it specificly states "The list below has been reduced to the 250 most popular games within the currently selected categories. If you like, you can view all of the games within this category." using the complete list link returns 308 games which still seems to be missing about 1/2 of the Dreamcast games.

The count of games on the List of Dreamcast games would be a much better number to use here (I'm unsure if that is where the 720 figure came from.

KallistOS

Under legacy, the article calls KallistOS a minimal OS, but the KallistOS article says it isn't. any more ("Regardless of the fact that KallistiOS is no longer an OS at all, it was decided that the name would not be changed.").

editions i´ve made

I´ve removed this part:

"Although Sega's last entry into the console market, the Dreamcast is not blamed for the company's downfall; rather it is still considered one of the best efforts of Sega to remain competitive and salvage its reputation, after turning off customers and developers through the Sega 32X and Sega Saturn. Unfortunately, the overall success of the Dreamcast was not enough to make up for the losses Sega had taken in their previous ventures."

Explanation: This is only someone´s opinion, not a fact. As I understand, the DC is reponsible for Sega´s downfall, since it made her acumulate even more losses, which led the President of the CSK group to donate part of his fortune in order to save the company. Sega was in shambles way before the DC, but the decision to produce another console (2 in fact should we consider the sepate projects in Asia and America) indeed worsened Sega´s situation.

I´ve also added the part about Naomi and DC differences.

Proposition for new Image

The Grey version of Dc of Europe Image up now is taken from Amazon.co.uk, with the name. I made one from scratch. Its resolution is not as clear and it doesn't have a shiny piece on the top. Feel free to use it if the new one causes alarm. Marvelvsdc ok this is ridiculous, if Dreamcast was invented in Europe let me know. If this picture has a super high res. than the other consoles should to. Dreamcast looks grey in the picture currently up but any American/Japanese one will do.

That image is over 100K in size. What was wrong with the image that was up there the other day? While different, it looked fine to me. I'd rather go back to that or to an image of that size, but possibly with a controller like every other system picture. I can't seem to find a good one online though. K1Bond007 04:22, May 26, 2005 (UTC)

Since Dreamcast was originally made in Japan, I put up one similar to the version. Dreamcast wasn't a huge success in European Sales Figures compared to Japanese Sales. The Japanese version also had a plastic shiney piece on top like the European one. It would be ok to replace a picture to the European Dreamcast in one of the articles below but to replace it for the main picture would make Sega's original console look European. It would be like me putting up NES 2, or a redesigned PS2, or a Gamecube with Wavebirds. I don't see systems made in Europe have American Pictures next to historical context, and main title. Marvelvsdc I dub this article qualified for any newspaper stand available. Let me know when it turns into an actual encyclopedic article. 07:22, June 02, 2005 (UTC) Marvelvsdc

Please stop changing the image back and forth. Lets discuss what we have before making any more changes. I uploaded a new picture which is of higher quality than the image posted on this page. It's the U.S. version, its got a controller and a VMU, etc etc. All around much better. If you have a problem, let me know. K1Bond007 20:27, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)

Too many controllers images in this article. What my problem? You want to show the Dreamcast controller in four times on the article! Jesus, my image have details, a Windows CE mark that many people don't believe about this operating system in the console is real. Why you don't write about this instead of a image edit war? Other favorable point for me: joystick port details. Your image do not have this and repeat the angle of the other console image in the article.

And to finish, K1Bond007, stop write offensive scraps and words in my discuss page, as a Moderator or similar thing. When I made changes I explain in edit summary. --Mateusc 03:04, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)

WTF. When did I make a personal attack or an offensive message to you? Reverting this article multiple times with Marvelvsdc is ridiculous, I stand by that. I made the comment on your discussion page because you completely AVOIDED the discussion and continued your ongoing revert war about the image without making any sort of discussion or compromise on the TALK PAGE. It was a fair move by myself and follows Wikiquette.

I will not consider your comment because you started it with bad-etiquette and apparently ignores my arguments in edit summary. --Mateusc 22:16, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)

About Marvelvsdc, I want to know why simply "The image should not be European Dreamcast" as it's a rule! I'm waiting arguments e informative image if is replaced after all. --Mateusc 12:49, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)

It shouldn't because this is an encyclopedia not a news story. It did not debut in the original country next to the text. I have a lot of other reasons, just look on your page. And sorry, I don't take advice from corporate parasites trying to get you(who probably are one) to promote their new consoles and demote past ones. Thats what I think this fiasco is. --Marvelvsdc 13:00, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

1. You just starting a Edit War as logout, anonymous?. Please, login first to make this Vandalism correct and I will report this better. I recommend to you not make this again, because this IP made edits in your page demonstrating that You do not ready to use and respect the rules of Wikipedia.

2. You comment is just controversial, the image that you reverted do not add information, just make redundant the article (repeating controller and VMU image, repeat the angle of the console, hiden details). If this an Encyclopedia, We Need Information. No Magazine layout and diagram defaults. My image have information, Windows CE mark, joystick ports and console closeup. --Mateusc 19:43, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

On to the problems. While the picture is a nice hi-resolution, as already stated, its the European version. The American/Japanese version is different as pointed out by Marvelvsdc in his posts. I only counted 2 controllers and I don't see this as a big deal. I was in the middle of cleaning this up, I had already removed (and was considering deleting the unsourced image on the page) a couple redundant or images not need. I even moved your image to the model section where the European system is discussed. That apparently wasn't good enough because you just did a blanket revert. I don't think the Windows CE logo really matters so long as its discussed on the page and you can barely make it out at the size it is at on the page.

Oh and nice job over writing the image uploaded by myself with an image that was already uploaded to Wikipedia and one that was previously agreed upon with Marvelsdc as a compromise since I too disagreed with the European version being at the top of the article. I reverted that. Please don't do that, thats seriously not cool. I would seriously consider calling that Vandalism or as some sneaky attempt to get your way. Thanks for discussing though. K1Bond007 04:02, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)

3 controller images on the article. What you want to show with this? This is redundance and your photo don't show nothing new in comparisson with the image in Technology section. I can't understand why you and the other don't like my image, it's Europe version? Yes, but it shows new Windows CE detail and focus on the console. Again: Why show three same controller images in the article? --Mateusc 22:16, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)

What was wrong with this revision [1] (given that your image was renamed and thus doesn't show, but is still listed). I never had a huge problem with your image. I was trying to make a compromise on this revert war thats currently going on as you can see from my original post on the matter. I do believe that the top most image should have a picture of the controller to show the complete system, however. K1Bond007 22:51, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)

I agree with about show "complete system" but the fact is your photo turn the article very redundant. We need to choose this image in GPL-GNU if this is the intention instead use redundant fair use images. My image isn't redundant because it's have many differentials: It's clean, shows Windows CE mark, detailed ports of joysticks, not showing excessive controller and VMU images. The article already has 2 controller and 1 VMU images. --Mateusc 03:03, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Actually that image isn't GPL. It's unsourced. Thats even worse, which is why I removed it from the article yesterday. I don't think it matters how many images of controllers we have, obviously I don't want it to be excessive, but the edit I proposed was cut down and involved the NA version as well as the European one. In comparison, there are 3 controllers on [[Xbox 360], 2 of which were uploaded by you. Again the question, what was wrong with the version I proposed? K1Bond007 03:22, Jun 8, 2005 (UTC)

Xbox 360 is an extreme newness. People can see the details and official press release images. Dreamcast isn't new and hype machine, isn't on the media and we aren't need show 3 or 2 controller images. And answering your question (already answered some times here) your image turn the article very redundant. --Mateusc 16:07, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Please stop screwing with the image. I personally prefer the version that shows the full system, but changing it back and forth is rediculous! Mateusc, you are acting like a child who is mad that he isn't getting his way. The complete system is in no way redundant with the rest of the article. --Butters 16:17, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Dear Butters, before making a commentary in the wikipedia, read and observe Wikipedia:No_personal_attacks and Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view. I will not consider your opnion because your don't have a solid argument and simply disagree making me a provocative aggression --Mateusc 12:49, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Well, I don't agree with you at all. It's not redundant and your comparison to Xbox 360 is a joke. Lets show 3 controllers there, but on Dreamcast we can't have more than 1. Theres no logic to that and the image I proposed didn't make the article redundant. I'm not even sure you looked at the version I linked above. You say its redundant, but its no more redundant than it is now. Heres another comparison. PlayStation 2 is showing 3 controllers as well as 2 pictures for both versions of it. This is ridiculous. K1Bond007 16:49, Jun 8, 2005 (UTC)

You continue make personal attacks because you don't have arguments about the redundance of your image. And isn't all: your image show the console in top perscpective hiden a lot of details. It's conceitual but not informative. --Mateusc 12:30, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)

No personal attack was made and please stop accusing me of this bullshit. I'm getting really tired of defending myself for something I haven't done. If you think you have a problem go get an admin. I've tried to settle this matter by attempting to come up with a compromise, but the version I came up with wasn't good enough for your even though it 1) had both images 2) removed a few other images to lessen the amount of controllers (even though precedent for other systems shows it doesn't matter). Continue your never ending revert war. K1Bond007 20:08, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

You can't support the discussion, making more aggressions, talking with arrogance and sadism. You don't have argument about the real informations of my image and the redundancy of yours. I will not awnser anymore personal attacks, because you just proves that you can't capable to argument and respect the system of Wikipedia. Again, this is Encyclopedia and information is all. --Mateusc 20:56, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

??? Wow.. well it appears that something has to be done here. I'll be reporting this to an admin. I'm tired of being accused of personal attacks when I haven't done anything and I'm tired of the revert war going on over an image (this isn't vandalism). Both of you guys have broken WP:3RR today. K1Bond007 21:08, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

Show your ironic offensive words and the lack of encyclopedic argument to him too. --Mateusc 21:20, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

So far this image is in favor on voting three to one three being, K1Bond007, Marvelvsdc, Butters. One vote on the left is Mateusc. Proposition for a JP image stands, Euro one year and one month old release sits. God I hate resorting to Beauracratic testimonials. Marvelvsdc 16:08, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

You try the vandalizing the article, with this IP and insert the phrase No clunky picture here on image description. I will not consider your opnion and just already report your trick to an Admin. --Mateusc 21:20, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I am in favor of also correcting image deduction with a poll. Anyone in favor of a poll please host while I take a break.--marvelvsdc 23:22, june 10, 2005 (UTC)

Of course, I suppose you consider your vandalism made in the article today 24.125.136.245 that been reported. Curiously now the personal attack made by Butters and K1Bond007 you will not consider in your Pool, han? --Mateusc 22:14, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I also know the rules, and I am an older user than you. I have been here since March and you since May. I have no contempt or interest over childish, internet veering struggles. I don't care if you are just trying to give attention to yourself. I have enough of it already. Wow, big man on campus I reported you too for vandalism in reverting images from the original. marvelvsdc 23:22, june 10, 2005 (UTC)

I'm not talking about me, about you, but about your acts today 24.125.136.245 [2] that been reported. Now, you just started a personal attack talking nonsense subject. You don't respect the rules and not ready to vote and considered in a Pool. --Mateusc 22:34, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Great, If I go I have copyrighted material I will take with me that I am totally liable to do. I will leave typos because I haven't copyrighted it.marvelvsdc 22:40, june 10, 2005 (UTC)

Which copyrighted material are you referring to, Marvel? And what is meant here by a "pool"? I'm copying this conversation to the bottom of the page: perhaps we could continue it there? SlimVirgin ^(talk) 23:38, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

I really don't care this much over an image guys. My stance, as of now, is the version I provided above [3]. I don't see the problem with this. Until some sort of rational discussion actually takes place or some sort of progress, you can consider me out of the discussion. Theres far too much mudslinging for me. K1Bond007 22:49, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

I would like to clarify about and 3RR act and nomination that happens today. Since I initiate to revert User:24.125.136.245 and Marvelvsdc image changes, I was look to keep the discussion, fight against that crazy reverts (because I propose the image first - the old image are forgotten and out of the discussion). This is happening in last 2 weeks. Today, K1Bond007 decided to denounce my reversions because the discussion about image changes it transformed in disrespect and personal attacks.

My proposal of image is compatible with the philosophy of the Wikipedia: provide information, showing details as the Windows CE logo. It's only this. Sincerely, I don't see reasons to change the Wikipedia into a magazine with fair use and redundant images as considered for the user K1Bond007.

Sincerely, --Mateusc 01:08, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Personal attack? If I wanted to attack you personally I would have chosen much harsher words. Mateusc, you aren't the only user here and therefore you don't always get your way. You seem to be the only person who wants to use the European image. I'd personally rather see the Dreamcast that was sold throughout most of the world on this page rather than one that was just sold in Europe. I'm tempted to revert the image myself, but I will wait. --Butters 05:59, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Replying to myself here, but I had an idea. I find it very odd to have the European Dreamcast as the first image. Maybe someone can find or take a picture of a Japanese DC with all of the little details showing and everyone will be happy. --Butters 29 June 2005 19:48 (UTC)

1) "Butters", you apparently didn't read my arguments about the choice of the current image for the article, ignoring the fact that isn't about regionalism, and yes, the information that current image provides.

2) About "personal attack", this is the term than I found to define the lack of maturity in the commentary "I prefer" "you I seem a child". The correct term is Troll but I look to be friendly.

3) About "You seem to be the only person who wants to use the European image". you continue ignoring the discussion page, curiously didn't read Djbrianuk opnion and the User:K1Bond007 body takeout. The discussion isn't about region, European or not, but about information that you demostrates not understand. If you desire start an edition war, get luck and arguments, because your image need proves to be more informative of than mine. --Mateusc 01:03, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

General comment on edit war

As far as controversies go, this one is pretty lame. The one on feces is much more interesting. Join us! Eyeon 09:13, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)

GD-ROM

This page gives the capacity of a GD-ROM as 1.2 GB, whereas the GD-ROM page says 1 GB. Anyone have the official word on this?

If the whole disk was formatted in like the high-density region, it could hold 1.2 GB. Since part of it is formatted like a CD and part has no data, sparses the two regions, the high-density region can only hold 1 GB.

Data session of a GD-ROM can hold exactly 1032499200 bytes (always did, because games were "dummied" to fill it out).

I heard from a reputable source on the web discussing the hardware concerning installing BSD on the Dreamcast that the GD-ROM drive was simply made from a regular CD-ROM drive (Toshiba made) where the rotational speed was reduced by 50%. This reduction in rotation speed compacted the data in the GD-ROM region and yielded more disc capacity. I wanted to mention that but I couldn't find a better Talk topic to use.LighthouseJ 05:16, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it does work by doubling the density, however, the console just expects to find the Lead-In (the beginning) of the high-density part at a certain spot of the disc, so that it isn't possible to make the high-density part either smaller or larger than 1 GB. If it wouldn't expect the lead-in at a predetermined spot, searching for it would take a potentially unbound amount of time. You can actually figure out quite easily what the console does at start-up: it puts the GD-ROM drive in high-densiy mode, goes to a certain spot, and tries to read. If it fails, then it puts the drive into CD compatibility mode and starts reading from the beginning of the disc. This pretty much makes it all clear and simple, i believe. So please, do away with this 1.2 GiB nonsense. --IlyaMinkov 03:00, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Reasons why it failed

When mentionning the reason the Dreamcast failed, it might be informative to mention that during the original R&D on the Dreamcast, Sega Of America also designed a console, based on 3DFX chips [4] rather than the PowerVR [5]. Sega chose the latter and simultaneously got sued by 3DFX and "offended" Electronic Arts [6][7], who owned shares in 3DFX. Sega ended up paying 3DFX a load of money and lost any chance of EA supporting them (hence no "EA Sports" title for the Dreamcast).

Also, after the launch of the Dreamcast in the US, Rambus [8] managed to stop (temporarily) the sale of the console over allegations of patent infringement (Hitachi SDRAM and DDR SDRAM memory products).

I think this whole article is very biased in favour of the Dreamcast. It implies that the failure of the DC in America was entirely down to smoke and mirrors from Sony who fooled people into thinking the PS2 was better, but there were other much more solid reasons too such as the disastrous performance of the Saturn (and the 32X and CD before it) which received little software support compared to the PlayStation. Then there's the PS1 itself, which was the most successful console of the previous generation, and the PS2 was perceived as more of the same (it was even backwards compatible with PS1 games). None of these points are mentioned at all in the article.

Other reasons are now mentioned under "competition". -- Person

No backwards compatibility?

Was the Dreamcast able to play Sega Saturn discs? If not, could that be why the Dreamcast failed? Scott Gall 03:33, 2 November 2005 (UTC)

Nope, the Dreamcast wasn't able to play Sega Saturn games. And that isn't the reason why it failed. Read the article for more info.

The Dreamcast's failure is still linked to the Saturn's failure... {{Template:NazismIsntCool/sig}} 11:02, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

EA refusing to develop

One reason why it failed could be because EA refused to Develop games for it, which may have been because of the GD-Rom, and note they also didn't develop for the Saturn. --Z.Spy 18:58, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

There are most definitely EA games for Saturn. I bought, and still have, a copy of FIFA Soccer '96 (NTSC U/C) on that platform. --Scoops 20:59, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

Not necessarily. You have to remember that this was EA before they were the multi-genre, multiplatform publishing juggernaut that they are today. I think that third party support and a lack of a large amount of must have titles exclusive to the platform were more likely causes. And the small number of must have exclusive titles that the system did have were pirated early on. --Jtalledo (talk) 21:15, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

I don't think third party support or a lack of must have titles were a factor at all. The Dreamcast had a healthy supply of both. The system failed because Sega had taken a crippling blow from the Saturn. They lost their place in the market and no amount of killer aps would could help them recover. This combined with the fact that the Dreamcast was sort of inbetween generations is what stopped the system.

Ok, shows what I know. I was a little kid when the saturn came out, and I didn't become a gamer till 1998. I hadn't heard of the saturn until recently. --Z.Spy 06:07, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

EA said they would start developing for the Dreamcast once they get 1 million sales, the Dreamcast got those sales in the first few days and EA went back on their word. So EA is at fault since they went back on their word which is why I try to avoid their games if possible. --Elven6 03:29, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

In some later interviews, they said it was because of Sega's choice of PowerVR for the GPU instead of the Voodoo architecture, and that if 3dfx's tech was used, most developers were already familiar with it and that would be better for all involved (in a NextGen interview, if I'm not mistaken)

EA did in fact support the Saturn and produced games through the holiday season in 1997. Around 1997-1998 EA had said to various publications that they would no longer support ANY Sega platforms present or future in large part due to the way Sega handled the "exit" of the Saturn in the North American market. Despite what seems to be being shouted around the Saturn was at least profitable for Sega and even in North America until Sega publically began discussing their next generation system which would eventually become the Dreamcast around May 1997 (at E3). After that Sega's comments quickly became spread around the internet and gaming community as a whole and many gamers undecided as to whether or not they should invest in a Saturn quickly decided against it, sales slowed substantially in the second half of 1997 and Sega abruptly started canceling US releases shortly thereafter, this then caused third parties to cancel their products scheduled and a chain reaction ensued that sucked the life out of the Saturn in every market but Japan. Many third party developers and publishers both in home and abroad were distraught at Sega's hasty end to the Saturn which as mentioned before while not wildly successful and lagging behind Nintendo and Sony's platforms was in fact profitable until Sega began publically discussing their next gen system. This led to irrepairable damage to Sega's reputation not just with consumers but with publishers and developers as well. EA being one of the key parties who felt the Dreamcast was doomed to failure. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.167.117.10 (talk) 18:56, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

But it seems like pure PR BS to me, since they could perfectly use winCE, and that by the time the Dreamcast was already in it's "2nd millionth" unit, 3dfx was almost dead (Glide's death some time before). Rhe br 12:42, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

Marketing was another issue for Sega

Sega simply did not market their games or system well. Sony's marketing strategy could sell anything to anyone. Look at how much they hyped the PS2. People were so desperate to play it they were paying up to $800 on Ebay when supplies ran short yet the games and the console design were inferior at the time. It wasn't until a year or so later that the PS2 would have games that could surpass the Dreamcast's best.

Even today for their third party games Sega just doesn't know how to create the media blitz that Sony does. They hardly run commercials and the ones that they do run don't give the viewer that "I need to play this" urge that Sony creates.--Skeev 16:09, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

Didn't market it enough? Dude I remember around 99 they had so many ads and stuff for the Dreamcast. Just go to a site like youtube and write in Dreamcast or w/e!

Didn't market it well. The TV ads I've seen are not very good. Nothing memorable like the "Sega Scream" age. The print ones were very good, though. - Stormwatch 06:44, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

Hey those anxiety ads and the "its thinking" would send shivers down you, know thats impact --Elven6 03:26, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

Problems with links

I feel like the link to dc forums is a pure spam link, especially since it seems to be formatted in a way for search engines to pick it up. The official Sega forums would be a better link for that spot.--Butters 19:38, 8 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Meh i went ahead and changed it. Makes the article look better actually linking to Sega. --Butters 19:52, 8 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Reverting my URL add?

Why was my addition of the PowerVR link removed?

(change was here: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sega_Dreamcast&diff=next&oldid=10055078)

Egh, well the article needs some cleaning up, especially the second-to-last paragraph before the contents ("Sega released a board, using the same technology..."). I'll probably make the edits later tonight. --Arekku

[ Edit ] I guess other people beat me to it. Nice job. ^_^

Xbox Sales

I removed these, they are irrevelant to the Dreamcast in specific.

I agree. I also removed the Game territory figures. I don't know where those came from and I don't believe their truly relevant. K1Bond007 22:29, Mar 2, 2005 (UTC)

Can this be correct?

CPU: SH-4 RISC CPU with 128 Bit graphic computational engine built-in (operating frequency: 206 MHz 360 MIPS/1.4 GFLOPS)

4 times faster floating point operations...?

I guess. Supposedly it can't maintain 1.4 and does only about 900 MFLOPS, but is capable of 1.4 GFLOPS. http://www.segatech.com/technical/cpu/index.html K1Bond007 19:09, Mar 19, 2005 (UTC)

Hmm..it's still pretty damn unbelieavable (even if it is true :D). Heck, 1.4 GFLOPS is more than my comp with it's 1.6GHz processor is capable of :o

1.4 GFLOPS is a peak throughput number of the matrix*vector FPU function (4 dimensional vector transform). And yes, it's true, I tried it out. It is achieved by applying some tricks and reducing the overall precision of the computation. However, 206 MHz is FALSE. It's really just 200 MHz. Don't believe anything you read on http://www.segatech.com/. For instance the memory bandwidth calculations mentioned there are not correct. All the numbers depend on many many different factors.

Page locked

I've locked the page following the 3RR report. I don't know the subject matter and therefore don't know what the issues are, but it seems clear, Mateus, that the consensus is currently going against you, so unless you can produce a strong argument, you should consider relenting and allowing the other image(s) to be used. As for personal attacks, I can't see any instance on this page of a personal attack from K1Bond007 as was reported, but Mateus, a couple of your comments do come close to being personal attacks e.g. "You can't support the discussion, making more aggressions, talking with arrogance and sadism."

I suggest following the majority wish in this case, getting the page unlocked, and moving on. Let me know when you want to carry on editing it. Cheers, SlimVirgin ^(talk) 23:06, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

Copyrighted material

(copied from above)

I am in favor of also correcting image deduction with a poll. Anyone in favor of a poll please host while I take a break.--marvelvsdc 23:22, june 10, 2005 (UTC)

I'm not talking about me, about you, but about your acts today 24.125.136.245 [9] that been reported. Now, you just started a personal attack talking nonsense subject. You don't respect the rules and not ready to vote and considered in a Pool. --Mateusc 22:34, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Great, If I go I have copyrighted material I will take with me that I am totally liable to do. I will leave typos because I haven't copyrighted it.marvelvsdc 22:40, june 10, 2005 (UTC)

I really don't care this much over an image guys. My stance, as of now, is the version I provided above [10]. I don't see the problem with this. Until some sort of rational discussion actually takes place or some sort of progress, you can consider me out of the discussion. Theres far too much mudslinging for me. 22:49, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

I prefer the version K1Bond007 provided because it shows the VMU. The VMU is a unique part of this console. The controller is also a part of the complete console as sold and packaged inside. I think that is important to show the main accessories. I still prefer mine a little more because I consider Sega as once being a kiddy console like the gamecube and want it portrayed in that fashion. marvelvsdc 22:49, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)

Dear User:Marvelvsdc/User:narvelvsdc, read the Wikipedia:Sockpuppet rule. --Mateusc 16:42, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I also know what a Web Designer is, thanks and inevitably the Dreamcast page will be change. It can't be on lockdown forever. Soon there will be a compromise. It may be tommorrow it may be in one year. Mark my words, there will be a compromise. -marvelvsdc 22:49, Jun 12, 2005 (UTC)

To add to the above note, a proposition to change all of the console images into a higher resolution should be underway.

Sincerely, --Mateusc 01:08, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Development section

I mentioned this in my comment for my addition of the "Development" section and my moving of the "Online" section to immediately after "Technology" (which I think is more appropriate), but the pages's history now seems to display the two edits as one and has replaced my original comment. Anyway, my sources for the "Development" section are the the web pages I provided links to and the feature on the console's history in the first issue of DC-UK magazine. --Nick R 21:19, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Neutral 3rd Party Opinion on Photos

Just been scanning through the photo edit war blah. Since there seems to be a lot of personal feeling here, thought I'd comment as a neutral 3rd party with no axe to grind. Of the two images, the one of the console alone is probably the best one to use at the top of the article. While it's not as 'clean' as the one of the console and accessories, it is better as it's a picture of the main focus of the article, and it's larger, and can be enlarged for a good look at the console. The other picture just isn't big enough, and looks a little cluttered for a top picture, but it should be used somewhere else in the article. Hope this helps calm things down a little. --Djbrianuk 10:24, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the comment. My proposal of image always was based on information, as Windows CE mark and in the details, having the care not to become the redundant article with redundant images. I'm being pursued in a certain time for User:K1Bond007 since that I initiated my contributions in Wikipedia:WikiProject Computer and video games and he simply took the quarrel for the personal side insisting on the lack of argument and vanity. --Mateusc 19:53, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Without wishing to add to the photo debate, I have an earlier Set 2 Dreamcast Development board gathering dust here. If anyone has enough relevant information about the Set 2 board (I only have sketchy memories) then I'm happy to upload a picture of it to accompany the information. What I do remember of the board: it was used before full development kits were available. It's an oversize PCI card with the graphics unit and RAM of a Dreamcast on it, and was used as a kind of emulated development environment until the production development kits were available. TheMoog 14:25, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

WinCE and Sega Rally 2 framerate

Developers took advantage of the easy development time, but games such as Sega Rally 2 lagged in performance and framerate due to Windows CE.

That's an often-repeated statement, but is it really true that Windows CE was the cause of Sega Rally 2's framerate troubles? Some people think it wasn't. Anyone know more? --Nick R 21:14, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

This guy is right. Windows CE is nothing more than a hardware abstraction layer (HAL). What he does not mention is that each abstraction layer adds overhead. That's a simple fact. And Windows CE and its DirectX 6 is probably not the best HAL for the Dreamcast architecture, but rather a common denominator. Accessing hardware specific features under Windows CE was sometimes not straight forward. In the end everything sums up.

Controller

I really don't have any problems with the dreamcast controller as I have relativley large hands (It is easy to use as the gamecube)I recently bought one on ebay and I enjoy it. - Z.Spy 2 November 2005

I have to remark on how very, very similar the Dreamcast controller is to the Sega Saturn analog controller, down to the Saturn one having a removable connection on the top, showing a slot connector (!). --CCFreak2K 22:37, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

Sales figures

Can anyone cite some sources for these wildly varying sales fugures I keep seeing in recent edits? -Le Scoopertemp [tk] 00:08, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

After some research, I note that the PS2 hs just passed 100 million units sold[11]. Something[12] tells me that if the DC has sold 50 million units, it wouldn't be considered the failure that it is.

The Dreamcast was nowhere near the 20.6 million units sold that was indicated in this article, according to the above gametunnel link, as well at [13] it was at 10.6 million units, maybe it was a simply typo? Phil1984 02:42, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Return of the Dreamcast?

I have removed the following section of the article; it was tagged for verification by another editor and it is not verifiable.

This link below verifies it, click and go.

http://segadirect.jp/Catalog/CustomPages/CustomDetail2.aspx?File=underd_dc.htm

"On February 16, 2006 Sega of Japan will re-release the Dreamcast through its online store, Sega Direct. It is packaged with a refurbished Dreamcast game system, a cell phone card, and the 2D shooter Radilgy. Under Defeat (G-Rev) will be a follow-up game to be released in March of 2006 to support the re-release of the original Dreamcast game system."

This appears to have been a hoax originating on a German videogame website, [14]. I can't find the original article on there anymore, but this is the site that all of the other sites are quoting. Nobody is claiming they got the information from Sega. There is no mention of it on Sega's official websites and the other sites discussing it are either blogs, forums, or reputable sites that are doubtful about the truth of it.

If it turns out to be true (I guess we'll see on February 16) or if someone can find an official verification of it (not just Sega fans talking about it) then it should go back in. Otherwise, it should stay here. Kafziel 04:23, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

I agree with what you're saying. --Snkcube 06:26, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

Radilgy and Under Defeat are definite releases. This is the first I've heard of the re-release, however. Dannycas 22:12, 21 January 2006 (UTC)

After reading what 68.81.145.89 said on my user page, I think we should put back the return of the Dreamcast section. Since some companies do sell refurbished items, this news should indeed be real. The link he/she gave us seems to prove it. --Snkcube 08:55, 5 February 2006 (UTC)

Its true, you can find the English link through a lot of digging in the Sega.com site, http://www.sega-parts.com/products/index.html 13 July 2006 UTC

Dreamcast power leads

Could there please be some information listed in the specifications part of the article on the european Dreamcast power leads which seem to have a lower voltage requirement than other pecies of hardware like the xbox. I am finding it hard to replace the cable I lost.

I have to disagree since Sega has already sold most of it's video game rights to Nintendo to sell on the Wii Market. Also Sega cannot afford to risk the making of another console. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jarjar2010 (talk • contribs).

Addition of new link to Dreamcast Site

Folks - I've added a link to my website (www.dreamcastgallery.com) which contains a very large collection of images showing official Sega hardware. Ideally Sega's Japan website would have met this requirement but unfortunatyely Sega's website has relatively few images of their released hardware. My site is purely for fun and contains no advertisements and in no way is revenue generating. My site has been around for over 2 year and hence is not a fly-by-night site. Any objections, let me know. Bert Hardy 14:20, 19 Feb 2006 (GMT)

- Very good site, sir. I've checked it out before--the Dannycas 02:37, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

Article name

Why is the article title Sega Dreamcast? (It's the same thing with the GameCube.) I'm sorry, but it the title really should be Dreamcast.—thegreentrilby 03:21, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

Unless, of course, Sega Dreamcast is the official name.—thegreentrilby 04:10, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

Unreleased

Can a native English speaker please correct the information about the "unreleased peripherials"? The DreamEye WAS released in Japan, you can import them from around 50$. The DreamKara was a karaoke unit that was also finally released and costs around 120$ The two unreleased peripherials shown at E3 2000 were the DVD player and the VMU shaped MP3 player. These two could be seen in most Dreamcast magazines of the time. I don't have any information about the zip drive.

Windows CE

Can someone add something about the relationship between Dreamcast and Windows CE? I genuinely don't know, I came to the article to find out but there's nothing there. Any info would be appreciated. --taras 04:25, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Yea! True! I didn't find much info on it as well! >:@

Anyway to me, CE is like managing the relationship between the console installment!

It's kinda like the PS2, Linux install cd:P

>x<ino 08:24, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

The Windows CE suppose to help with the modem and online capability

>x<ino 17:54, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

I think Windows CE is also used in the boot-strapping process. It hands off control to the game after it finishes initializing/checking the game disc. Or something. --CCFreak2K 12:18, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Windows CE was used on certain Dreamcast games (usually PC ports or games with online capability). It was loaded from the game disc into the Dreamcast memory and then from there a version of Microsoft Direct X could be used. Despite its appearence on all Dreamcast systems in the corner with one of two possible labels "Compatible with Windows CE" or "Designed for Windows CE" the operating system is found on some discs and is actually not integrated into the system at all.

Windows CE does not take the form of a "real" operating system on Dreamcast like we know it from other systems like handhelds. Instead, it is a plug-in to the Microsoft Visual Studio, which includes compiler, libraries, and toolkit to generate and debug native Sega Dreamcast executables. The executables do not run in any sort of an opertating system, they are just being loaded into the memory and run and can excercise full control of the system, unlike the usual cases where the operating system manages system resources and divides them upon multiple executables. Of course, the included libraries are more or less interface-compatible to those of Windows (CE) and DirectX.

The central processor used in Dreamcast is software-compatible with SH-3, which was often advertised as created specifically for Windows CE devices.

Version 2 CD-ROM Capabilities

"Units manufactured with the version number of 2 would not read CD-R media and therefore could not be used to play pirated games, and also had the unfortunate side effect of not being able to play independent games such as the three bleemcast! discs, Feet of Fury, Inhabitants, or Maqiupai."

As a matter of fact, I have a WK version 2 (WK-2) model Dreamcast that reads homebrew games and apps off CDs just fine. How true is this statement? I believe only SA-2 Dreamcasts cannot read CD-Rs. --Guess Who 17:48, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

If your version 2 Dreamcast can read CD-Rs, then I guess we can remove that line from above. --Snkcube 20:21, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

"rampant piracy is often cited as one of the major reasons for the failure of the Dreamcast"

While it's true that people do assert this frequently, does it have merit?

The Dreamcast stopped production due to lackluster hardware sales -- software sales were strong for the number of units in circulation.

I don't believe it has merit. As a DC owner during the heyday, I only comitted my first DC act of piracy *after* the announcement that the hardware was discontinued. Pirated images ranged from 50 to 600MB, something that was not easy for people to do in 2000-2001. I think the piracy note should be altered to downplay the significance. --Trixter 16:40, 8 May 2006 (UTC) UPDATE: I've clarified the text somewhat (removed "rampant") and reordered the first 4 paragraphs (no information removed) to flow better.

In a way it could have been, consoles are sold at a lose and the company makes up for it in game sales. Since a majority of people pirated it affected DC sales. --Elven6 02:23, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Evidence suggests a majority of DC owners did not pirate games during the DC's active lifespan. Software sales were strong in 2001. AFAIK the reason Sega of Japan stopped production was lackluster sales of the console (especially in Japan) compared to the PS2. They never mentioned piracy. Furthermore, after stopping production of the DC, Sega continued to develop games for it. Sega's official statement was "It is becoming difficult to run businesses both for software and hardware that promises growth on growing sales. Therefore we have decided to swiftly implement a more content-oriented business in order to secure profitability." Not what you would expect a company crippled by piracy to say. And check this out[15] - Sega was already saying in 1999 that the DC was their last console, and that software development was the future. 71.131.181.51 17:29, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

If you talked to software publishers around 2000 when Dreamcast piracy first started to boom you'd understand that this was a great fear for a lot of companies. Once Dreamcast piracy took off around 2000 a lot of publishers became vary wary of the platform in general and it became a huge worry for product managers, and everyone involved in the publishing side of the industry that one of their press contacts might send off their copy of "Game X" to a master pirater who then has copies of "Game X" all over the internet long before the title is released to retail. Since the Dreamcast's core market was mostly made up of more hardcore gamers than most other platforms at the time and since the system required no modification to play pirated discs, piracy was in fact a huge problem. Did it have any thing to do with why the system failed in the long run? I don't really think so. The system failed for many many other reasons, but rampant piracy certainly didn't help either. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.167.117.10 (talk) 19:07, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

Retail price

How much did the Dreamcast sell for initially? How much were games? --Navstar 23:38, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

199$ US at the NA launch

Is there a dreamcast 2

Just wondering. Because someone said on a another site there is.

Nope. But they do jokingly talk about the Dreamcast 2 on the re-launched ign.com site. Just a lot of nostalgia. People wishing Sega could have made a successor to the Dreamcast. But if they had (made a successor), it in all likelyhood would have been named something different than "Dreamcast 2". Sega always had "new" names for their next-gen consoles (not just a higher number tacked onto an old name). --person

Other than the Mark I/Mark II/Mark III, that is.Alcy 06:36, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Explantion for Cleanup tag

The "technology" section is poory structured with several paragraphs of information best adressed in discrete sections within the dreamcast article and moving other information other articles entirely. In the coming four days, (if no one else will do it) I plan on doing the following:

Move the technical description of GD-ROM detailed here the actual GD-ROM article.
Create and possibly edit the piracy portion into a (smaller?) subsection.
Possibly eliminate the "technology" outright, as I doubt there will be anything left.

If you have any comments, please address then here, in the dreamcast's talk page.--Kenn Caesius 19:28, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

PoV problems

Large sections of this article, particularly the competion section, seem to have been written by a fanboy. Claims like EA promising to support the system then going back on their word needs sources and less biased language. The same goes for claims that NFL 2k1 sold as many copies as PS2 had hardware units on the market. This is of questionable relevance as PS2 supply was limited and it doesn't give timeframes for either number. Ace of Sevens 05:40, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Piracy Paragraph concerning D2

I noticed the piracy paragraph that it mentions Warp's D2 had not been copied, but that does not appear to be completely true. While it cannot fit on a standard CD-R, the 99-minute variety is large enough to copy (although it still requires 5 of these rare discs and requires a save/swap operation with d3). I do not know if I should provide a ed2k like but search and it can be easily found on p2p networks. Perhaps we should remove this section if verified? otduff 12:42, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

this makes no sense:

"The biggest competition between the two systems was their football games (NFL 2K1 vs. Madden NFL 2001). Both games were highly regarded with NFL 2k1 having the advantage of online play (coinciding with release of SegaNet) and Madden arguably having a graphics edge. NFL 2K1 sold about 410,000 copies which was about the number of PS2s sold in America [citation needed]."

Perhaps someone should remove the last sentence as it is rather confusing.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.152.171.135 (talk • contribs)

It makes sense to me. They're sayign that NFL 2K1 sold more copies in software than PlayStation 2 had hardware units on the market. I think this needs a source and is of questionable relevance, but it makes sense. Ace of Sevens 05:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Something to add

I think under Piracy someone should mention this fact, it goes great with the Anti Piracy measures, if you keep doing it your GD-Rom gets which is in a way a Piracy measure!

[16] --Elven6 00:37, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

False. GD-Rom units in almost every Dreamcast wind up needing lens calibration at some point or another anyway. There is no substantial proof that CDs wear down the laser.
Yeah, I gotta disagree. I have a 9.9.99 US Dreamcast that has played countless hours of Japanese shmups without ever having problems. I've played almost nothing but CD-Rs in it for the last 3 years. --Le Scoopertemp [tk] 02:56, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Specs

Could someone make a chart that compares the power of the 4 128Bit consoles? THeir were some in the Newspaper around the launch dates but I haven't seen any comparing it with the Dreamcast aswell.

4 128-bit consoles? The DC used a 32-bit SH-4, the Playstation 2 used a 64-bit R5900, the Gamecube used a 64-bit PowerPC 750 and the Xbox used a 32-bit modified Celeron.

Screenshots

I noticed many of the Console related articles usally have screen shots of some games at the bottom of the page (Like the Saturn, N64, Game Gear, etc). So do you guys think we should do the same for the Dreamcast? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Elven6 (talk • contribs) .

Nope. This article used to have screenshots, but using them this way doesn't meet the fair use criteria on Wikipedia. Other game system pages shouldn't have screenshots either. Normally, video game articles on Wikipedia should only have one screen shot as fair use. --Jtalledo (talk) 14:52, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the debate was no consensus to move. — Mets501 (talk) 18:47, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

Requested move

Sega Dreamcast → Dreamcast – Like the PlayStation, Xbox & Wii, and unlike all of Sega's previous consoles, the Dreamcast logo makes no mention of the manufacturer's brand name (in this case, Sega). Also, "Dreamcast" on its own returns substantially more Google hits (52,800,000) than "Sega Dreamcast" (9,220,000). Lumina83 09:35, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Survey

Add "* Support" or "* Oppose" followed by an optional one-sentence explanation, then sign your opinion with ~~~~

Oppose: The Sega Dreamcast shouldn't be moved. It should still be called "Sega Dreamcast" because that was the game console's real name. 24.121.73.22 23:27, 10 September 2006 (UTC)
Support Of course. -Justin (koavf)·T·C·M 20:17, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Weak support. This Sega.com corporate history link primarily refers to it simply as "Dreamcast". Olessi 00:14, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
Weak Support I like "Sega Dreamcast" more, but a search through the USPTO website shows trademarks for just "Dreamcast" and not "Sega Dreamcast". TJ Spyke 02:43, 30 September 2006 (UTC)
Oppose but turn Dreamcast into a redirect.--Asterion^talk 14:14, 1 October 2006 (UTC)
Oppose for consistency with other game consoles, it doesn't batter beans what it says on the console. Gene Nygaard 15:45, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Discussion

I don't know about this move - if we move this article, we'd definitely have to examine some of the other articles on Sega game consoles as well, since most of them appear to have "Sega" in front of their names as well. --Jtalledo (talk) 10:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, if you examine the Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Saturn logos, they all include the Sega name in the logo:

Image:Megadrive_logo.jpg Image:GenesisLogo.gif Image:SegaSaturn.gif

The Dreamcast logo, on the other hand, does not:

Image:Sega_Dreamcast_logo.png

The other reason I proposed this article be moved to Dreamcast was the precedent of console articles such as PlayStation, Xbox and Wii. None of these consoles feature the manufacturer's brand name in the logo.

--Lumina83 11:36, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Further to this debate, I've done some digging on The Video Game Museum, and from what I can gather from box scans, the console was originally called "Sega Dreamcast" in North America, but was renamed to simply "Dreamcast" sometime in 2000. Box scans from Japan and PAL games seem to imply that the system has always been called just "Dreamcast" in those territories.

Exhibit A: Japanese back cover of [http://www.vgmuseum.com/scans/dc/soulcalibur_back.jpg Soul Calibur. All instances of "Dreamcast" are simply the word on its own, not "Sega Dreamcast". You'll notice on the bottom of the box what is presumably trademark information; it says "SEGA, Dreamcast" instead of "SEGA Dreamcast", implying two separate trademarks.

Exhibit B: North American back cover of Power Stone (again, back cover). This game was released in 1999, the Dreamcast's first year of release in the US (and Europe). This box lists in the fine print "Sega Dreamcast, the Dreamcast Swirl, are trademarks of Sega."

Exhibit C: North American back cover of Skies of Arcadia. This game was released in 2000, and in the trademark section, says: "Sega, Dreamcast, the Dreamcast logo and Skies of Arcadia are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION or its affiliates." Note the comma between "Sega" and "Dreamcast". Again, this implies two separate trademarks.

Exhibit D: PAL back cover of House of the Dead 2. This was released in 1999 in PAL territories, and the trademark info states, "Sega and Dreamcast are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd." The words "Sega" and "Dreamcast" are separated by "and", which again implies two separate trademarks. --Lumina83 23:17, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

Relisting. --Dijxtra 13:42, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Dream Broadcast

I read several times that Dreamcast is a contracted form of "Dream Broadcast". I think this information should be added, but can someone verify? - Stormwatch 07:10, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

IGN Dreamcast confirms it:

"The new machine's name is a somewhat quixotic blend of 'dream' and 'broadcast' (a device therefore capable of transmitting dreams)."

--Lumina83 23:27, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

References

I think this page could use some more specific references, especially for all the sales numbers being tossed around. And the Maclean's reference is nice, but does not include an article name or author. Can anyone find this? AgentIrons 21:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

On a similar note, we need references for statements like "this color was chosen because the Japanese consider it to be lucky". AgentIrons 21:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Online Capabilities

The article states that the NES and several other systems featured online capabilities, Is that true?

Yes, it's true. Read the NES article for more information. --Snkcube 10:00, 7 October 2006 (UTC)

Vandalism Protection

All of the "Gen's" (1st - 7th) of gaming have been attacked with Vandalism recently due to the release of the Wii and PS3 next month. I suggest keeping the Anti-Vandalism mark up until after the Christmas rush. -Shanesan 20:13, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Omissions

Why is there no list of games that were released at launch in the three territories? i.e. Sonic Adventure didn't make it for Japan and did for Europe. Power Stone was a launch title in Europe and Soul Calibur was available a month or two later than the system launch. I came to this page for info on this but nothing was mentioned.

Also, in the Legacy section, there isn't any mention of the fact that small Japanese developers were still supporting the machine with the occasional new title right up until a few months ago.

CD Player

When a Sega Dreamcast game is put into a standard CD player, if you play Track 2, it will tell you that the game doesn't work on a CD player. Maybe this should be added somewhere? Alakazam9891 15:44, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Is DC True 6th Generation?

The chart at the bottom of the page shows the DC as being fully in the 6th generation of consoles, right alongside the XBox, which was released 3 years after DC. It seams like DC hit mid generation, and should not be placed alongside PS2, X-Box and GC.

It's much closer to the 6th generation compared to the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation. --Snkcube 09:30, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

It started the the 6th Generation of consoles.

Compatibility

Just a few comments on this section. VCD support has show up and disappeared a number of time, but the Dreamcast, in all its models, has never supported the VCD standard. There was a third party piece of software released that allowed the Dreamcast to play them, only after booting that first then swapping discs.

In regards to Dreamcasts manufactured in 2001 not being able to read/play CD-R's, there seems to be a confusion of terms, such as a Dreamcast being able to read and play CD-R's, and even more specifically, CD-R and Mil-CD.

Having made the fix before, only for someone else to reverse it, only for me to fix it again, ALL Dreamcasts, regardless of date, support reading of CD-R's. All of them can do it, it's a media that the Dreamcast supports. All Dreamcasts will also play CD-R's in the sense of redbook audio. If you've burned a mix CD of your favorite songs, you can pop it in ANY Dreamcast and listen to it.

Where the confusion seems to lie in this is the difference between CD-R's (a medium that, again, all Dreamcasts support) and the term of art, Mil-CD. A Mil-CD is a CD that a Dreamcast can run as normal Dreamcast software, except it's a normal CD, not a GD-Rom. Pirated Dreamcast games, while being burnt onto CD-R's, are in the Mil-CD format; that's how the Dreamcast is able to run them. It's an exploitation of a CD format not mean for what it was commonly used for.

Later revisions of the Dreamcast had the had a bios that disabled the support for Mil-CD's. However, these revisions of the Dreamcast were 1) only available inside Japan, 2) only found in limited editions of the Dreamcast (such as the Sakura Taisen model, which leads me to my next point), 3) first released in 2000, being that the Sakura Taisen model was first available for sale 12/28/2000, and 4) any Dreamcast that didn't support the Mil-CD format specifically said it didn't on the outside box.

http://www.dcemulation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3168 – bleem! FAQ last edited December 21st 2001, all answered provided by Randy Linden, stating that all Dreamcasts sold in the USA (so far) will work with the Mil-CD format, and that there hasn't been a model in the USA he's been able to find that won't boot a Mil-CD. This post also says that the Sakura Taisen does not support the Mil-CD format (it also says the Hello Kitty Dreamcast does not as well, I think this is in error, the Hello Kitty Dreamcast was made prior to Dreamcast piracy by a little more than half a year).

http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-dreamcast/2001/02/09/0005.html – Talk of the Sakura Taisen Dreamcast being the first Dreamcast to not support the Mil-CD format, also mentions that it clearly states that on the box.

http://www.dcemulation.com/article-supported.htm – DC Emulations list of Dreamcasts that support Mil-CD and those that do not. The original reports of Dreamcasts that didn't support the Mil-CD format came LONG before the Sakura Taisen model, but it was due to people not burning their discs correctly or having cd-writing hardware that was incompatible with the cd-writing software, which lead to the assumption of their Dreamcast not supporting Mil-CD's.. I had a mitsumi cd-writer that simple would not let DiscJuggler burn any track that was 4 seconds or shorter, which mean any Mil-CD format warez would not work. A newer version of DiscJuggler solved that problem. Also note that the last updated date on this page is 6/27/04, with the list saying that all Dreamcasts that were thought to not work with Mil-CD's, do, in fact, work. This list only contained US and European Dreamcasts.

--Fleabttn 07:46, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

VGA Support

I've seen an online list of DC games that offer VGA support - shouldn't there be a version of this list on Wiki and linked from the DC's Wiki article? Mr.bonus 00:08, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

This page is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.