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In case there's anyone there out who's intereseted, Toon Disney will be running a marathon of AoStH this coming Friday from 6 A.M. to 7P.M. Too bad it 's not a SatAM marathon...
There have been a lot of posts here that the Dreamcast is dead. This not true! Sega has said that there is over 100 games planned for 2001, and even some for 2002! Sega also said that if the Dreamcast was still profitable, after 18 months, that they will continue Dreamcast software production. Sega announced over 30 first-party titles for this year (that's not counting those secret projects) all of which were Dreamcast-only! Some of those include Sonic Adventure 2, Crazy Taxi 2, all the 2k2s, and many more. After the remaining 2 million Dreamcast units are sold (expected to be gone near end of 2001), Pace will take over and begin selling the Dreamcast set-top boxes, which are rumored to have a DVD drive and a 40GB hard drive! So it seems that Dreamcast has the potiental to live at all the way up to the video game standards of 5 years! But after DC, Sega IS pulling out of the hardware business, at least for now, who knows? Maybe sometime in the 256-bit era, we may see a new box with the Sega logo on it.
It's true. The report below is NOT a false one. At first, even I didn't believe it. Unfortunately, I checked www.ign.comand learned that the post is true. The Dreamcast is officially dead. According to the article, Dreamcast production will continue through December 31st of this year. Then, manufacture will stop and supplies limited. They will no longer be holding any inventory as of March 31st, 2002. Apparently, they intend to manufacture games for systems like the PS2 *ack!* and the X-Box. However, they DO NOT intend to stop games for Dreamcast. In fact, SEGA still has over 30 titles in store for Dreamcast over the 2001 year. Be that as it may, this is still heartbreaking news. I was (and still am) a long-time supporter of the SEGA Corp. But, money speaks in this world and SEGA was running out of words. They hope the new move, called "platform agnostic," will bring up their cash flow. Even so, I for one grieve over the loss of our little grey friend. Video games will never be the same.
Hate to be the bearer of bad (horrid in this case) news, but I just saw this on zdnet.com, and it looks pretty clear that the Dreamcast is quite, quite dead...
Of course, the technology and the games will probably live on, especially considering True Red's earlier post, but this is prolly the last we'll see of the console. Japan's Sega Corp. pulled the plug on its Dreamcast game machine on Wednesday, announcing it would suffer a record loss by ending production of the loss-making console in March in a dramatic refocusing on video game software. The world's third-biggest maker of game hardware and software said the shutting down of Dreamcast will generate $689 million (80 billion yen) in extraordinary losses, leading to a consolidated net loss of $502 (58.3 billion yen) in 2000/01 ending March 31. That exceeded analysts' forecasts for a $430 million (50 billion yen) special loss to abandon Dreamcast, the world's first Internet-compatible video game machine when it was launched in 1999 that grew famous for characters like "Sonic the Hedgehog." Sega's dream of the world's first 128-bit console wired up for online gaming taking the market by storm quickly faded into a nightmare as the machine floundered against smoother, faster rival machines from Sony and Nintendo. ``We will rapidly shift our focus to the content business,'' Sega said in a statement on Wednesday.
Source: ZDnet
This is the big news Sega had planned. A snippet from the article at IGNDC:
This is perhaps the reason why many rumors have been flying about the demise of the Dreamcast. Hardward production of the Dreamcast will decrease, but not because SEGA is "pulling out of the game", but rather to make room for this new product. Though no specific details have been revealed, this new set-top box will incorporate a hard disk drive planned to have a size of 40 GBs or larger. With the digital platform of this new device, SEGA and Pace are planning to provide downloads of hundreds of SEGA titles - Dreamcast, SEGA Arcade, and perhaps even old SEGA console titles - right on the spot. With the digital format, this set-top box will also allow games to be transmitted wirelessly on to portable, hand held devices. Additionally, it has been surmised that this new console will have "TiVo" like TV features and it has been rumored the device will incorporate DVD features as well. You can read the full article at IGNDC here. Source: IGNDC
Hello, this is my first time posting.. but I think this is worth it: Sega has closed in on one of the most popular and long-running Sonic sites, SegaSonic.Net. Seems Sega wants the domain name for themselves, they don't even seem to want a negociation(sp?) either, and copyright probs are also in their pocket. I ask, if Sega can't take the fact that Sega/Sonic fans make websites about their favorite characters... is the Sonic Net safe? I think it's all BS, but don't take my word for it, read on...
Straight from Andy Wolan via E-Mail:
The SSRG is currently looking for people to help out with the site. In the past, positions were scarce and few, and unless you were a good hacker, getting on was difficult. This made it a challenge for good people who were highly interested in working for the SSRG to join. Today, that is about to change. We have compiled a listing of over a dozen entry positions. These positions cover a wide range of skills and talents. That means you don't need to be a hacker to join. For more information, please visit the SSRG at ssrg.emulationzone.org and check the 'Want Ads'.
From the Reputable site creator of Shadow of Light and Total Neon Network, Dennis "Neon Chaos" Spielman presents Close to the Ground. The site name comes from an old saying, "You know what they saw when an angel flies too close to the ground. They crash." And that's what Neon Chaos is all about. I run this site alone, no staff members, but it features information done by past members. This site features information to help you out with your homework projects, online radio station, and over 100 Sonic icon files and over 300 Sega and Sonic wallpapers. Plus tons more stuff!
Close to the Ground Link
Rumors have once again surged to the forefront of the Dreamcast newswire: the typically reputable Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Sega has concrete plans to cease production of its Dreamcast hardware in March, and will move forward with plans to develop for other hardware platforms, specifically, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameBoy Advance platforms at the start of fiscal year 2001.
The story goes on to say that Sega will continue to market the Dreamcast console, but will cut off sales as soon as it gets rid of its existing inventory. The Japanese newspaper also indicates that Sega will continue to support the Dreamcast via software in 2001, with some 100 titles expected to hit the console over the course of the year. Obviously, information like this is cause for some serious concern on the part of Dreamcast owners everywhere, so we got in touch with Sega to see if there was any truth to the report. Vice President of Communications for Sega of America, Inc. Charles Bellfield, denied any truth to the story, stating, "Obviously it's a very slow news day, and people are very bored." He continued by explaining the source of the story, which has since spread across the 'Net to various game-related publications, as well as respected mainstream news sites like MSNBC, by saying that the whole thing was a complete misunderstanding and is 100% false. "This is the continued misinterpretation of facts based on an announcement Sega Japan made last October 2000. It was a mistranslation then and it's a mistranslation now. It's rumor building upon rumor and I can honestly confirm on this point that Sega has said nothing about its intention to make PlayStation 2 or any other console games, except for Dreamcast. Dreamcast is a core part of our business. Next week you will see new announcements based on the further technology and improvements on the Dreamcast, which we will continue to support." Bellfield went on to explain that the source publication, Jiji news, apparently pieced together the story after hearing little back from Sega on the rumor, which has been circulating nearly as long as the Dreamcast hardware itself. He continued, "The press releases from the business announcement we posted last year doesn't include other consoles, but other electronic devices, i.e. digital cameras, phones, etc. I realize that is a very bold announcement, but this current news story is rumor mongering and speculation. Sega will make these new announcements next week." Just exactly what Sega's exact plans are going forward remains to be seen. Obviously, if Sega has plans to support the Dreamcast through this calendar year, owning up to outside console development this early in the game could be potentially damaging for the company's current interests. Add to this the fact that commenting on any software deals with current hardware publishers could easily hamper any negotiations with other players who plan to enter the market in the near, and you can see why Sega is being careful with its words at this point. The release Bellfield mentioned above commented on Sega's intent to "take other strategic measures such as utilizing its vast software library of more than 1,000 titles to develop content for other consumer entertainment and mobile devices, making full use of Sega's renowned brand and characters to expand its game software business." The original wording of the document was somewhat vague, and an initial translation may indeed have led many to believe Sega was loosely proclaiming its intention to develop for other hardware platforms. Sega quickly refuted such rumors, reiterating its continued commitment to Dreamcast, and as was the case last October, Sega has released an official statement today about the latest rumblings saying: "Sega of America stated today that the company globally reaffirms its commitment to Dreamcast. In fact, Sega has more than 100 games worldwide coming out for the platform in the next year. It is not Sega's policy to comment on rumors and the company has not made any statement regarding ceasing manufacturing of Dreamcast or development for other videogame platforms." What is curious about such a statement, however, is that it does little to address the specific nature of the allegations found in said article. The piece, which also said that Sega would release over 100 Dreamcast titles in 2001, claimed that Sega has as many as five PlayStation 2 titles presently in development, and that in March, Sega plans to stop taking orders for Dreamcast hardware -- neither of which Sega even slightly hinted at in said announcement. It is interesting to note that earlier rumors linking Acclaim to Sega-developed PS2 titles also listed the number of titles in development at five. It remains to be seen if said titles are, in fact, the same titles mentioned above, or completely different projects. Also curious is a new hardware package which Bellfield hints at in his quotes above. Could these rumors of halted Dreamcast development have to do with a new hardware configuration? Or is Sega really calling it quits? The picture remains a bit cloudy at present, but we will continue to follow the story, and should have some sort of update next week following Sega's announcement. Says Bellfield, "In the next week or so, Sega will make some new announcements about the Dreamcast that will help to explain our future strategies. At that point you'll be able to see that Dreamcast technology will incorporate a whole new videogaming experience. Our future is very, very rosy." For the sake of the millions of Dreamcast owners worldwide, we hope you're right, Charles. Source: IGNDC
Well, well... looks like Sega is taking out the DC and is becoming a developer. Below is more on this breaking story.
Yahoo! Japan News has a report from the Jiji Tsushin (sort of like a Japanese version of the Associated Press) that confirms what many have been expecting: Sega, after battering losses and dwindling Dreamcast market support, will soon begin creating software on the PlayStation 2 platform. According to Jiji, this move is part of a massive company restructuring that will be officially announced before the end of the month. Development for Microsoft's Xbox will also reportedly come under consideration. When asked for a comment, Heather Hawkins, Marketing Communications Manager for Sega of America, replied, "Our official stance is to not comment on rumors. These are just more of the same [rumors] that have been floating around for a while." Rumors of imminent earth-shattering events at Sega have run wild for several weeks now -- Sega had to deny that Nintendo was going to buy them after a year-end New York Times report alleged that negotiations were underway. News of Sega's PS2 support had popped up on Japanese game-news sites early Monday, but Jiji is the first reliable source to divulge the info. And then, later in the day, this was reported... According to the Nikkei, Sega of Japan will not only make software for other systems, such as the PlayStation 2 and the Game Boy Advance, but also will cease all production of the Dreamcast console by the end of March. Sega will market the machine through fiscal 2001, but will stop once inventory is thoroughly depleted. Despite ceasing production, Sega still will support the system with software in 2001, and expects to release around 100 titles throughout the year (presumably first-and second-party titles). This report also provides more information on Sega's plans to develop for other consoles. The company is reported to have at least five titles in development for the PlayStation 2 and two titles for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, which launches on March 21 in Japan. Earlier today, Sega of America Marketing Communications Manager Heather Hawkins told us, "Our stance is to not comment on rumors. These are just more of the same [rumors] that have been floating around for a while." But with multiple reliable Japanese news sources (like Yahoo! Japan, Jiji, Nihon Keizai Shimbun and Nikkei), it seems irrefutable that Sega is indeed abandoning the hardware market and changing its strategy to a multiplatform software approach. Sega of America will have a more official statement for the press later today. We'll keep you posted. Well, this is big news, and will soon get much reaction after Sega releases their official statement... Credit:Gamers.com
SOA representative Heather Hawkins has commented on the situation--that being whether the Sonic Team's PSO will officially support the broadband adapter or not.
Sega would love to offer official BroadBand Support for Phantasy Star Online if they could without compromising the release of the game and/or the quality of the game via BroadBand. Reasons why we were not able to: 1) In the US, with the numerous companies offering BroadBand, for them to work officially with Phantasy Star Online would cost Sega at least a few months of development time (conservative estimate). Sonic Team wanted this game as a worldwide release, so imagine how this would look if Japan released in December, and the US version released in May. Granted, it's now mid-January, but our intention is to have as close a worldwide release as possible so people from Japan, the US, and Europe can meet online. 2) In Japan, it was simpler to support BroadBand, mostly because there are not many companies there that offer BroadBand support, making it a whole lot easier to test and have the ability to support it 100%. In the US, there are numerous companies that offer BroadBand support, and the time to insure that all the BroadBand specifications worked with the US version would delay the release of Phantasy Star Online (see above). If you can't deliver something, you better not to promise it. With that in mind, Sega of America does not want to promise something it feels it could not deliver 100%. 3) Quake III was developed to work with BroadBand support at the beginning of its development, Phantasy Star Online was not. It's a simplification, but ask a programmer how easy it would be to add a true 3D model to a 2D game, if it wasn't planned upon at the beginning of the project. It would be doable, but it would take time. That's the situation Phantasy Star Online was in. So yes, if you look at it, time was a consideration. Because Phantasy Star Online was not built upon supporting BroadBand in the beginning of its development, it would take time to completely support BroadBand officially that would not allow us to release the game in a timely fashion in the US (Time to add extra code, time to test the code, time to debug the code, time to test the code...). If there are people out there that don't feel inclined to buy Phantasy Star Online because it does not offer BroadBand Support, that's their decision. I just wanted to make it clear that Sega of America is not trying to give any one the "runaround" that people seem to be talking about here. Sega of America wants to offer what it can without compromising quality. Should you settle for less?
Despite a delay of around two weeks, highly successful fan-comic Other-M launches its 7th issue today. As a bonus for its late arrival time, a new feature is added to the end of the issue.
 SonicTeam have released info and pictures of 4 new applications. NiGHTS into Dreams, Chu Chu Rocket Puzzle, Chu Chu Edit, and Samba De Amigo. Although hard to determin exactly WHAT these Sonic Cafe games are for (NTT DoCoMo Co.... 503i series.. sounds like a colour mobile phone, is it related to the making of Motorola phone Sonic Games?) They look darn cool. now if only VMU versions were released ^__^. NiGHTS Into Dreams game seems to be a take on the classic "Snake" game found in most mobile phones. you collect the gems, and you seem to be able to circle around the NiGHTMaren. The Growing "Snake" is the row of light that follows NiGHTS. Chu Chu Rocket Puzzle and Edit seem to be your basic Normal Puzzle game of Chu Chu. Where you must get all Chu Chu (mice) into the rockets without getting hurt by Kapu Kapus (Cats). Edit would be to create your own Puzzles. Samba De Amigo is.. well Samba De Amigo. you listen to music, and push in the correct button for when the blue balls go into their rings. Downloadable Songs are also downloadable after. At the moment, they seem to be free-to-download on your 503i phone (doesn't seem to show where, and it's a Japanese Phone), and when it turns 4th of Feburary you'll have to pay 300 yen to keep it (3 bucks) per month. They'll be downloadable January 26th.
 SonicTeam.com have release their latest Wallpaper offering! Much like the original Sonic Adventure game, he also has a new "phrase" about him A Quick bolt of lightning, and Sonic's his name, He helps the needdy- thats Sonic's game! Speed is his glory, it's what he does best, Sonic's the fastest north, south, east & west. 1280x1024 BMP (333KB) 800x600 BMP (553KB)
Long has it been promised and well before Sony has made its broadband a reality, SEGA has released its broadband adapter for the Dreamcast. The following is a quote from the Gaming Intellegence Agency:
After months of anticipation, the Dreamcast Broadband Adapter is finally available at Sega's online store. The adapter allows gamers to connect with any existing Ethernet, DSL, or Cable network. Though only a few of the system's networkable games are supported, the highly anticipated Phantasy Star Online will be one of the first marquee titles to take advantage of the Adapter's broadband capabilities. Source: The Gaming Intellegence Agency   Now HERE'S something to see. A "behind the scenes" video footage of Sonic Team's trip to South America that was found on the video of the unveiling of Sonic Adventure that Mr. Naka had sent me last year. I'm planning on re-recording this video to include footage at the beginning of the segment that I missed. (I had recorded in AVI and had cut out the beginning in fear of memory problems, but now I KNOW I can record the whole segment), so look for news on that soon. BTW, the video is in Real, so you'll need RealPlayer 8 to play it, which you can get here . Right Click to Download 2.60 MB
From Zophar's Domain comes news that yes, a System 32 emulator is being built-- and progressing too! I repeat from Zophar's news page:
"17:08: Well, the Impact site is back up wityh news of a Linux port of Impact and Modeler. As far as Modeler goes, it was updated to version 0.0.5. Here's what's new and changed: New in this release is preliminary Sega Model 1 emulation with support for Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing and Star Wars but none of them are playable yet since the 3d graphics isn't emulated. Screenshots are available in the modeler section. Note: The System 32 emulation is disabled in this release. Please read the requests listed at the end of textfile included and see if you can help. You can download both the new vesrsion of Modeler and the old System 32 version of it from the Multiple Arcade Emulators section. Thanks to bwb for the awesome news." What does this mean? Well, obviously one is progressing, but the folks working on it need help! If you think you can give some help, please check out the Modeler Website and see what you can do! Source: Zophar's Domain  A new video was taken from SA2 demo. It's one that IGN did NOT post (nor anyone else for that matter), but it shows more on the mysterious dark Sonic. The file is a MPEG zipped up at 13.8 megs. |
Your Daily Dose Of Sonic! Welcome to the best Sonic news source on the net! This page will generally be updated everyday. As a rule, you must give us a link credit if you want to take news reported by us. Click here to post your own news, rumors, and links to points of interest and we'll copy it to the news page if it checks out! SHQ News Editors     
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