Fans of Sega's Dreamcast console are known for their devotion, and while the console itself is now a chapter in gaming history, the company hopes to address that enthusiasm by releasing a collection of popular titles both digitally and physically -- likely aimed for consoles in 2011.
As it did with its Ultimate Genesis Collection this year, Sega hopes to address a market of retro fans. "The Dreamcast fans are very devoted," sales and marketing VP Alan Pritchard told Game Informer magazine. "You see on eBay people are still buying the games and system."
It's true -- Dreamcast hardware and games remain a popular category on the online auction site, with demand placing prices at anywhere from $50 for collections of games to over $400 for an uncommon black console still in its package. Dreamcast consoles still sell for about $90 on most sites that facilitate secondhand sales.
Pritchard says that while Sega isn't known to be planning to get back into the console business, the company is looking to tap Dreamcast enthusiasm with both digital and packaged collections of favorite titles. "The titles are still to be announced," he says.
"The Ultimate Genesis Collection did huge numbers on PS3 and 360, so it’s an important part of our business," he adds. "We’ve already been releasing some Dreamcast games digitally; Crazy Taxi [for one]."
In case of Wii and PS3, Sega could add the option of using DS for the Wii owners that have a DS and of using a PSP for the PS3 owners that have a PSP. Keep in mind that this would be an option but not the only option. Not to mention, that option wouldn't work if a version of the Dreamcast collection is done for the PSP.
If they use the "Genesis Collection" as a template for a Dreamcast collection I'm all in.. Sega was at the top of their game during the dreamcast era, the only question is how many dreamcast games can fit on a DVD...
If Sega was smart, they wouldn't bother with an emulated Dreamcast games disc for the PS360. They'd friggin' bring back the Dreamcast!
I wouldn't put much hope in a Dreamcast Collection. Licensing issues will prevent a lot of games, like Jet Grind Radio and Ferrari 355, from ever seeing a re-release. And the third-party games are probably out, so that means no Capcom, no Midway, no Tony Hawk, no San Francisco Rush, no Test Drive Le Mans...
...And no Soul Calibur. Any DC compliation without Soul Calibur is worthless.
You are still far better off with an actual, live Sega Dreamcast. For around $40-$50 you can get one in excellent shape, and maybe a few games, too. And then you'll have the added joy of playing emulated games -- who's up for 4-Player MULE, kids?
Not sure what they'll do about the minigames you could play on the memory card though...
And Capcom has been sitting on their ass by not releasing a Xbox Live/PSN version of Power Stone by this time. :)
I wouldn't put much hope in a Dreamcast Collection. Licensing issues will prevent a lot of games, like Jet Grind Radio and Ferrari 355, from ever seeing a re-release. And the third-party games are probably out, so that means no Capcom, no Midway, no Tony Hawk, no San Francisco Rush, no Test Drive Le Mans...
...And no Soul Calibur. Any DC compliation without Soul Calibur is worthless.
You are still far better off with an actual, live Sega Dreamcast. For around $40-$50 you can get one in excellent shape, and maybe a few games, too. And then you'll have the added joy of playing emulated games -- who's up for 4-Player MULE, kids?