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With Sony preparing to launch their uber-console to the US and Europe. A lot of people are expecting history to repeat itself and in the midst of all the hype surrounding PS2. People still seem to overlook the Dreamcast in favour of Sony's beast, well that's about to become a thing of the past.
How I hear you say? In not so many words, GAMES. The Dreamcast currently boasts THE most impressive, innovative and downright most playable titles seen on a console. Some may argue the PSX houses the most impressive games for a console, but then again the Dreamcast hasn't been out 5 years has it? And with AAA titles coming to our shores in the very near future Sega's future is beginning to look brighter. We can look forward to titles such as Ferrari F355 Challenge, Jet Set Radio, Daytona 2 and 18 Wheeler. Shall I go on?
More importantly, the console is available at a very reasonable price of £140 and will no doubt drop yet again when Sony start their PS2 campaign. Which leads me to my next point. I know it's stating the obvious but with Sony suffering from an impending stock-shortage until AFTER Christmas - Sega MUST seize the opportunity and bombard TV, Radio, Cinema with advertisements - get the Dreamcast in everyone's faces! Then it'll be interesting to see IF the average consumer will reconsider their possible PS2 purchase when they see Jet Set Radio or Shenmue advertised?
An intricate part that will be play a key roll in Sega's success is online gaming! Sega have brought online gaming to the masses at an affordable price. Sure, your mates piling round your house for a game of Super Bomberman is an ageless past, but in the past it is. The online gaming revolution is where it's at. However, what Sega MUST do is keep up with the current 'net technology. The 33.6K modems simply wouldn't be able to handle Quake 3 or Halflife without any serious lag. So, c'mon Sega give us the option to upgrade to 56K or even a Broadband modem when the service becomes available. Quake 3 Arena anyone?
Everything that Sega had done wrong with the Saturn, they've done right with the Dreamcast. Heck! According to the latest figures Sega are starting to some profit, albeit not much by industry standards, but profit none-the-less.
Things can only get better!
S/teve
Kill Piracy!
How I hear you say? In not so many words, GAMES. The Dreamcast currently boasts THE most impressive, innovative and downright most playable titles seen on a console. Some may argue the PSX houses the most impressive games for a console, but then again the Dreamcast hasn't been out 5 years has it? And with AAA titles coming to our shores in the very near future Sega's future is beginning to look brighter. We can look forward to titles such as Ferrari F355 Challenge, Jet Set Radio, Daytona 2 and 18 Wheeler. Shall I go on?
More importantly, the console is available at a very reasonable price of £140 and will no doubt drop yet again when Sony start their PS2 campaign. Which leads me to my next point. I know it's stating the obvious but with Sony suffering from an impending stock-shortage until AFTER Christmas - Sega MUST seize the opportunity and bombard TV, Radio, Cinema with advertisements - get the Dreamcast in everyone's faces! Then it'll be interesting to see IF the average consumer will reconsider their possible PS2 purchase when they see Jet Set Radio or Shenmue advertised?
An intricate part that will be play a key roll in Sega's success is online gaming! Sega have brought online gaming to the masses at an affordable price. Sure, your mates piling round your house for a game of Super Bomberman is an ageless past, but in the past it is. The online gaming revolution is where it's at. However, what Sega MUST do is keep up with the current 'net technology. The 33.6K modems simply wouldn't be able to handle Quake 3 or Halflife without any serious lag. So, c'mon Sega give us the option to upgrade to 56K or even a Broadband modem when the service becomes available. Quake 3 Arena anyone?
Everything that Sega had done wrong with the Saturn, they've done right with the Dreamcast. Heck! According to the latest figures Sega are starting to some profit, albeit not much by industry standards, but profit none-the-less.
Things can only get better!
S/teve
Kill Piracy!
I think Bleeders is right to think the DC can prevail, but as Soup Dragon correctly points out the argument given for this sucks!
I personally think the PS2 will do terribly until it actually comes out in shops. Of course, many people have preordered one, and will get one from Sony on release, but I think that the majority of casual gamers (and hense the majority of gamers) will only buy it if they can physically touch the box and get it then and there. Don't ask me why, but that's just how peoples' minds work.
Until then, Sega has gotta get advertising. As Soup Dragon said, 24 hour advertising never works... instead Sega should target prime time TV audiences and just show them 30 seconds of Metropolis Street Racer or Shenmue- then people will buy the products.
As for the PS2, the fact you can't buy them is a poor idea. Also, many publications have already started to critise the console. EDGA gave RR5 5/10 and TTT 7/10 - no doubt others will follow. Also, on an interview on American TV, the creator of MGS admitted the console was crap- expect more remarks like this soon.
Anyway, those are just my ideas- what's everyone else got to say?
Rav
I personally think the PS2 will do terribly until it actually comes out in shops. Of course, many people have preordered one, and will get one from Sony on release, but I think that the majority of casual gamers (and hense the majority of gamers) will only buy it if they can physically touch the box and get it then and there. Don't ask me why, but that's just how peoples' minds work.
Until then, Sega has gotta get advertising. As Soup Dragon said, 24 hour advertising never works... instead Sega should target prime time TV audiences and just show them 30 seconds of Metropolis Street Racer or Shenmue- then people will buy the products.
As for the PS2, the fact you can't buy them is a poor idea. Also, many publications have already started to critise the console. EDGA gave RR5 5/10 and TTT 7/10 - no doubt others will follow. Also, on an interview on American TV, the creator of MGS admitted the console was crap- expect more remarks like this soon.
Anyway, those are just my ideas- what's everyone else got to say?
Rav
I see your point man, guess I shouldn't have put that "Some may argue the PSX houses the most impressive games for a console" line in there huh?
The games that I quoted were titles I thought of at the time, it was coincedental that they were ALL racing games. But other future titles will include Outrigger, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Shuffle, WWF Royal Rumble, Phantasy Star Online and Eternal Arcadia.
You've raised an excellent point on the advertising with regards that the consumer will probably want to hear second opinions before deciding on a purchase. That's something I completely overlooked.
I think we've got very different opinions with regards to online gaming. Each to their own as they say :)
Thanks for the comments man
B/leeders
Kill Piracy!
The games that I quoted were titles I thought of at the time, it was coincedental that they were ALL racing games. But other future titles will include Outrigger, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Shuffle, WWF Royal Rumble, Phantasy Star Online and Eternal Arcadia.
You've raised an excellent point on the advertising with regards that the consumer will probably want to hear second opinions before deciding on a purchase. That's something I completely overlooked.
I think we've got very different opinions with regards to online gaming. Each to their own as they say :)
Thanks for the comments man
B/leeders
Kill Piracy!
Well, lets start at the begining;
'The Dreamcastis so great because it has loads of great games' then,
'The Dreamcast doesn't have loads of great games because it hasn't been out long'
Go one way or the other, trying to have it both ways leads you into contradicing yourself, and credibility is lost from your argument.
How many future racing games do you want to quote to us? Surely you see that a major part of the N64's downfall was in offering so many 1st person shooters without enough good games in other genres.
Remember the early days of the PS and N64, they were released at around the £250 mark, before rapidly dropping in price, the PS2 is very likely to do the same, but while it's sold out till after x-mas, why drop it now and lose Sony all that profit? Anyway, if it doesn't come down in price, all the orders show that people aren't afraid of the price tag.
Advertising is a good idea, but when some product is getting constantly rubbed in your face 24/7, it irritates you and you resent the company responsible. Anyway, especially with pre-orders hurrying consumers into a decision, adverts alone won't hold enough weight without second opinions to convert people from Sony to Sega.
Net gaming is, in my humble opinion, a mere novelty that can't compare to playing against a friend you can see, and when the novelty wears off, people will see it as just an expensive way of playing against people when you're alone.
Never mind, eh? Just think it through next time, okay?
'The Dreamcastis so great because it has loads of great games' then,
'The Dreamcast doesn't have loads of great games because it hasn't been out long'
Go one way or the other, trying to have it both ways leads you into contradicing yourself, and credibility is lost from your argument.
How many future racing games do you want to quote to us? Surely you see that a major part of the N64's downfall was in offering so many 1st person shooters without enough good games in other genres.
Remember the early days of the PS and N64, they were released at around the £250 mark, before rapidly dropping in price, the PS2 is very likely to do the same, but while it's sold out till after x-mas, why drop it now and lose Sony all that profit? Anyway, if it doesn't come down in price, all the orders show that people aren't afraid of the price tag.
Advertising is a good idea, but when some product is getting constantly rubbed in your face 24/7, it irritates you and you resent the company responsible. Anyway, especially with pre-orders hurrying consumers into a decision, adverts alone won't hold enough weight without second opinions to convert people from Sony to Sega.
Net gaming is, in my humble opinion, a mere novelty that can't compare to playing against a friend you can see, and when the novelty wears off, people will see it as just an expensive way of playing against people when you're alone.
Never mind, eh? Just think it through next time, okay?
With Sony preparing to launch their uber-console to the US and Europe. A lot of people are expecting history to repeat itself and in the midst of all the hype surrounding PS2. People still seem to overlook the Dreamcast in favour of Sony's beast, well that's about to become a thing of the past.
How I hear you say? In not so many words, GAMES. The Dreamcast currently boasts THE most impressive, innovative and downright most playable titles seen on a console. Some may argue the PSX houses the most impressive games for a console, but then again the Dreamcast hasn't been out 5 years has it? And with AAA titles coming to our shores in the very near future Sega's future is beginning to look brighter. We can look forward to titles such as Ferrari F355 Challenge, Jet Set Radio, Daytona 2 and 18 Wheeler. Shall I go on?
More importantly, the console is available at a very reasonable price of £140 and will no doubt drop yet again when Sony start their PS2 campaign. Which leads me to my next point. I know it's stating the obvious but with Sony suffering from an impending stock-shortage until AFTER Christmas - Sega MUST seize the opportunity and bombard TV, Radio, Cinema with advertisements - get the Dreamcast in everyone's faces! Then it'll be interesting to see IF the average consumer will reconsider their possible PS2 purchase when they see Jet Set Radio or Shenmue advertised?
An intricate part that will be play a key roll in Sega's success is online gaming! Sega have brought online gaming to the masses at an affordable price. Sure, your mates piling round your house for a game of Super Bomberman is an ageless past, but in the past it is. The online gaming revolution is where it's at. However, what Sega MUST do is keep up with the current 'net technology. The 33.6K modems simply wouldn't be able to handle Quake 3 or Halflife without any serious lag. So, c'mon Sega give us the option to upgrade to 56K or even a Broadband modem when the service becomes available. Quake 3 Arena anyone?
Everything that Sega had done wrong with the Saturn, they've done right with the Dreamcast. Heck! According to the latest figures Sega are starting to some profit, albeit not much by industry standards, but profit none-the-less.
Things can only get better!
S/teve
Kill Piracy!
How I hear you say? In not so many words, GAMES. The Dreamcast currently boasts THE most impressive, innovative and downright most playable titles seen on a console. Some may argue the PSX houses the most impressive games for a console, but then again the Dreamcast hasn't been out 5 years has it? And with AAA titles coming to our shores in the very near future Sega's future is beginning to look brighter. We can look forward to titles such as Ferrari F355 Challenge, Jet Set Radio, Daytona 2 and 18 Wheeler. Shall I go on?
More importantly, the console is available at a very reasonable price of £140 and will no doubt drop yet again when Sony start their PS2 campaign. Which leads me to my next point. I know it's stating the obvious but with Sony suffering from an impending stock-shortage until AFTER Christmas - Sega MUST seize the opportunity and bombard TV, Radio, Cinema with advertisements - get the Dreamcast in everyone's faces! Then it'll be interesting to see IF the average consumer will reconsider their possible PS2 purchase when they see Jet Set Radio or Shenmue advertised?
An intricate part that will be play a key roll in Sega's success is online gaming! Sega have brought online gaming to the masses at an affordable price. Sure, your mates piling round your house for a game of Super Bomberman is an ageless past, but in the past it is. The online gaming revolution is where it's at. However, what Sega MUST do is keep up with the current 'net technology. The 33.6K modems simply wouldn't be able to handle Quake 3 or Halflife without any serious lag. So, c'mon Sega give us the option to upgrade to 56K or even a Broadband modem when the service becomes available. Quake 3 Arena anyone?
Everything that Sega had done wrong with the Saturn, they've done right with the Dreamcast. Heck! According to the latest figures Sega are starting to some profit, albeit not much by industry standards, but profit none-the-less.
Things can only get better!
S/teve
Kill Piracy!