I had an entire binder of pirated Dreamcast games back when this came out. I can't remember if I actually owned a genuine copy of a game (it was too easy to run pirated game discs).

I have good memories of the console though.

"Dreamcast" is probably the single best gaming console name of all time, too.

Sega was already in dire financial straits after the Saturn, so they panicked during the Dreamcast and ended the console’s life cycle very early making developers abandon it within just a couple years.

I’m not sure if there’s anything they could have done differently to be honest. Sony pushed them over the edge with the price war during the Saturn, which was very inefficiently built in comparison making their production costs way higher than that of their competitors. If I remember correctly they were losing about $100 per unit before PSX did its first (very early) $50 price drop and they had to keep up, so that became -$150/ea before the console was even a year old. It was disastrous.

Wii U too. Two consoles with a whole extra screen on your controller. Brilliant and cool features. Misunderstood or poorly timed?

I liked this console more than everything else that was around at that time. I still have one, too... I just don't have the AV or power cables for it. 😩

Best graphics, very unique games for the library even though it didn't live very long at all, free online multiplayer, the VMU was just dope as shit being able to play games directly on it (not good games but as a kid that didn't matter lol), first system to do the speaker in the controller (technically it was on the VMU but the VMU plugged into the controller and provided sounds as well as a screen for certain menus functions)..

And all because the PS2 could play DVDs and the Dreamcast couldn't. Fucking DVDs. As ridiculous as that sounds today, people went apeshit over DVD playback capabilities back in the early 2000s.

But to be fair I also think Sega was their own worst enemy. In the 90s alone they released the Sega CD, 32X, the Saturn and the Dreamcast. Not to mention the Genesis 3 and CDX as well. If they would have slowed their roll and stopped cannibalizing their own sales, they might have done alright. The addon idea could have worked out better if done right. Hindsight is 20/20, so if they had a crystal ball they should have done something like this, and they'd still be making consoles today:

1. Delay the Sega/Mega CD to allow themselves more time to rewrite the graphics ASIC to include 3D rendering capabilities.
2. Cancel the 32X and Saturn; they were never even announced. The Sega CD is the next gen console.
3. Sell it as an addon for $199, and cut the price of the base Genesis to $50. Release in 1994, along with bundle deals for $249 with an included game (for people who don't already own a Genesis), and proceed wipe the floor with Sony before they even get a chance to compete.

This motherfucker right here had ONLINE PLAY. You could spin up Phantasy Star Online: Episode 1 & 2 and actually have other people join your game, drop duplicated items, and destroy your droprate. It was fucken sicc.

I bought 2, my German Shepherd peed on the first one and killed it... RIP

Also PS Vita. It was better than anyone (even Sony) realized. And the few who DID like it obsessed with the memory cards and the actual insanely amazing console it is was forgotten and overlooked.

I still play mine today. And yes there are tons of great games on it beyond Persona, even though you wouldn't know it among the usual Vita fans.

at some point "retro" consoles got popular on GameStops website and I invested in a Dreamcast, 3 controllers, and memory cards. it was all under around $80. so god damn worth it since I can just "find" games online for it. I didn't grow up with it but it's definitely been a fun console

I remember being blown away by some of the games back then, and also disappointed that it wasn't a more popular console.

Lots of people feel the same about the TurboGrafx-16.

My Friend: Did you hear? Sega cancelled the Dreamcast.

Me: ...

Me: ... (still waiting for the punchline)

*cries softly into Seaman microphone

Dreamcast was a shit show.

I loved the games things and think it's the greatest system ever released with so many bangers under it's belt. It was Sega's arcade dna distilled into a console. And the home style games were amazing to boot. Jet Grind, Phantasy Star, Sonic Adventure. Plus all the Capcom love.

But I would have never bought one and gotten to experience it if it wasn't discontinued and clearance priced. I wish they gave it a second chance.

staying up way too late every night playing pso though

Recently tried to get mine working (it's been stowed away for a while) but it's not reading discs at all anymore or even booting to the menu screen.

We used to have to do the turn it on it's side trick but I think it was just stuck in a dark dank basement for too long. Kinda want to rip it apart and try to fix but we shall see.

My college suitemates had one and I loved powerstone and others. First hand experience. Had an Xbox and PS2. Still didn't buy one of these.