It's hard to believe, but 20 years ago today, Sega announced & revealed the Dreamcast in Japan at the New Challenge Conference.
Behold!
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9805/21/sega_dreamcast/
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Sega unveils new Dreamcast game console
By CNN Interactive Producer Dave Ragals
May 21, 1998
(CNN) -- Sega, which recently pulled its Saturn 32-bit game console off store shelves in North America, today announced details of its next generation console, which it vows will become the number one game platform, with more than 50 percent of the console game market in the near future.
The machine, called Dreamcast, will feature a 128-bit processor, compared to the the 64-bit Nintendo 64 and the 32-bit Sony PlayStation, the current market-leader. It'll be able to create more than 3 million polygons per second with 64 channels of sound.
It will also come with built-in network capabilities for multi-player gaming.
"Dreamcast will combine all the best features of console, PC and Internet gaming," Bernard Stolar, president and CEO of Sega of America, said today at a press conference.
In addition to improving performance, Dreamcast will include several new features -- like a removable memory card that doubles as the world's smallest portable game. When plugged into a Dreamcast controller, the Visual Memory System will let gamers secretly set up plays in sports titles or plan secret attacks in role-playing games, or it can be used as a stand-alone game machine about the size of a business card.
"We had two design goals in creating Dreamcast -- to create a seamless integration of high-performance components and to develop a flexible architecture that can take advantage of future technical developments and new entertainment concepts," said Stolar.
Dreamcast is the result of partnerships with Microsoft, which is providing a customized version of its Windows CE operating software, and several hardware makers. It will run on an adapted version of Hitachi's SH4 RISC chip, an NEC graphics engine and a Yamaha real-time 3D audio chip.
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https://news.microsoft.com/1998/05/...reamcast-the-ultimate-home-video-game-system/
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Microsoft, Sega Collaborate on Dreamcast: The Ultimate Home Video Game System
May 21, 1998 |
Microsoft, Sega Collaborate on Dreamcast: The Ultimate Home Video Game System
REDMOND, Wash., May 21, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it will collaborate with Sega Enterprises Ltd. on Sega's new Dreamcast home video game system, slated for release in Japan on Nov. 20, 1998, and in the rest of the world in 1999. As a result of the collaboration, Microsoft will provide an optimized version of the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system with integrated DirectX® services as the operating system for use with Dreamcast.
The Microsoft and Sega collaboration marks a leap forward in game console technology. Dreamcast will include advanced hardware technology in 3-D graphics, sound and input devices, as well as an on-board modem to support Internet access and network gaming. The inclusion of Windows CE with DirectX provides a flexible, versatile development environment, supported by Microsoft development tools, that eases title development and makes possible true cross-platform title compatibility with Windows-based PCs. The result is a powerful platform that enables creative and technical advances in video games to reach entirely new levels.
"We have worked very closely with Sega for nearly two years to optimize Windows CE to provide the services and level of performance necessary for the exacting development requirements of video games,"
said Harel Kodesh, general manager, consumer appliances group at Microsoft.
"We are tremendously excited by the opportunities the Dreamcast system offers to traditional video game developers and the PC gaming community."
"Sega is excited to announce that Dreamcast is the first home entertainment system to be designed for use with Windows CE," said Shoichiro Irimajiri, president of Sega Enterprises Ltd.
"We are confident that our collaboration with Microsoft will create an unequalled environment for developers that will lead to the greatest selection of high-quality game titles ever seen on a home video game system."
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Behold!
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9805/21/sega_dreamcast/
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sega unveils new Dreamcast game console
By CNN Interactive Producer Dave Ragals
May 21, 1998
(CNN) -- Sega, which recently pulled its Saturn 32-bit game console off store shelves in North America, today announced details of its next generation console, which it vows will become the number one game platform, with more than 50 percent of the console game market in the near future.
The machine, called Dreamcast, will feature a 128-bit processor, compared to the the 64-bit Nintendo 64 and the 32-bit Sony PlayStation, the current market-leader. It'll be able to create more than 3 million polygons per second with 64 channels of sound.
It will also come with built-in network capabilities for multi-player gaming.
"Dreamcast will combine all the best features of console, PC and Internet gaming," Bernard Stolar, president and CEO of Sega of America, said today at a press conference.
In addition to improving performance, Dreamcast will include several new features -- like a removable memory card that doubles as the world's smallest portable game. When plugged into a Dreamcast controller, the Visual Memory System will let gamers secretly set up plays in sports titles or plan secret attacks in role-playing games, or it can be used as a stand-alone game machine about the size of a business card.
"We had two design goals in creating Dreamcast -- to create a seamless integration of high-performance components and to develop a flexible architecture that can take advantage of future technical developments and new entertainment concepts," said Stolar.
Dreamcast is the result of partnerships with Microsoft, which is providing a customized version of its Windows CE operating software, and several hardware makers. It will run on an adapted version of Hitachi's SH4 RISC chip, an NEC graphics engine and a Yamaha real-time 3D audio chip.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
https://news.microsoft.com/1998/05/...reamcast-the-ultimate-home-video-game-system/
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Microsoft, Sega Collaborate on Dreamcast: The Ultimate Home Video Game System
May 21, 1998 |
Microsoft, Sega Collaborate on Dreamcast: The Ultimate Home Video Game System
REDMOND, Wash., May 21, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it will collaborate with Sega Enterprises Ltd. on Sega's new Dreamcast home video game system, slated for release in Japan on Nov. 20, 1998, and in the rest of the world in 1999. As a result of the collaboration, Microsoft will provide an optimized version of the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system with integrated DirectX® services as the operating system for use with Dreamcast.
The Microsoft and Sega collaboration marks a leap forward in game console technology. Dreamcast will include advanced hardware technology in 3-D graphics, sound and input devices, as well as an on-board modem to support Internet access and network gaming. The inclusion of Windows CE with DirectX provides a flexible, versatile development environment, supported by Microsoft development tools, that eases title development and makes possible true cross-platform title compatibility with Windows-based PCs. The result is a powerful platform that enables creative and technical advances in video games to reach entirely new levels.
"We have worked very closely with Sega for nearly two years to optimize Windows CE to provide the services and level of performance necessary for the exacting development requirements of video games,"
said Harel Kodesh, general manager, consumer appliances group at Microsoft.
"We are tremendously excited by the opportunities the Dreamcast system offers to traditional video game developers and the PC gaming community."
"Sega is excited to announce that Dreamcast is the first home entertainment system to be designed for use with Windows CE," said Shoichiro Irimajiri, president of Sega Enterprises Ltd.
"We are confident that our collaboration with Microsoft will create an unequalled environment for developers that will lead to the greatest selection of high-quality game titles ever seen on a home video game system."
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