Why did the sega Saturn and Dreamcast fail?

[blade']

They all has the ingredients to be the best at the time.. where did it all go wrong? Have heard differerent views but want yours. I am a SEGA fan for life and had hours and hours of fun growing up with their consoles. Will SEGA ever do another console?

Two questions there I guess!

[rossy3]

I had a Saturn for quite a while. There just weren't enough good games on it compared with the PS1 or N64. Sega Rally was brilliant though. It had some good titles like Bug, Virtua Cop, Panzer, the Virtua Fighting titles but not enough to keep it competitive.

I don't think Sega will ever make another console. They seem to make their money producing games for their former rivals now.

Can't wait to play Toe Jam & Earl on the Wii!

[tracy6697]

I love my Dreamcast. I purchased it on launch day back in '99 and I still use it and buy games for it now (there are 2 new shooters on the way soon btw! I've got them pre-ordered).
It is a fantastic console but as to why it failed? It seems it was a number of things:

1. Sony & the PS2 - Because the Saturn had failed the original Playstation took hold of the market and Sega got forgotten about. As such the Dreamcast didn't get the pre-launch hype it might have got otherwise. Also Sonys' hype machine kicked in for the PS2 (toy story graphics etc) and managed to convince people they should wait because it would be so much better than Dreamcast.
2. Developers - No doubt some developers took a wait and see policy with the DC. Companies like EA refused to put out games for it, choosing instead to wait and see if it would fail like the Saturn. Love them or hate them EA have a lot of mass market appeal. This then caused a vicious circle of people waiting for more games to come out and developers waiting for sales to increase before deciding to support the DC.
3. Sega and their marketing choices - Why did they waste tons of cash sponsoring a football team? The adverts on TV not showing any game footage and promoting the online aspect of the DC which would have been great had there actually been any online games available at launch!

There is probably more reasons, but thats my opinion!

[tracy6697]

As for Sega producing another console - I doubt it very much. Especially as they have been 'intergrated' into Sammy. Also the quality of their in house developed titles seems to have dropped massivley (apart from a few good ones here and there)
It's a shame because I would love to see Shenmue 3, Rez 2, a new Streets of Rage etc but I can't see it happening as they seem content to put out more mass market games such as half assed Sonic games every year :o(

[death]

Gutted also mate
Tracey no need to guess what you were reading a few years ago

[Mattk]

Essentially the Saturn was such a catastrophic failure that the Dreamcast was doomed to failure from the very beginning.I think for its time it was an amazing piece of kit that wiped the floor with the ps1.

[death]

you would of hoped it would matt
it was brand new and ps1 was a year, before being replaced.

[The Mack]

Edge magazine? Death

[The Mack]

Matt the xbox 360 is an amazing piece of kit for its time it wipes the floor with the ps2
LOL

[tracy6697]

Edge? I hate that magazine & always have! Around the launch of the DC I was reading various Playstation magazines & the new Dreamcast magazines that were coming out

[Mattk]

Death,I was comparing consoles that were available side by side and using CD media.the ps1 continued selling like hot cakes despite being vastly inferior to the DC.

[The Mack]

gd rom!! close enough though?

[The Mack]

no tracey your responce just sounded rather like a Edge article that was all

[Meanmaori]

I bought a Sega Saturn on launch and thought it was the dogs dangleys, brilliant, but like all good things it came to an end when third party developers jumped ship to the SS Playstation, so that meant lack of games, its a shame really, great console. Dont think they will ever make another. I also read a rumour that Sony will not be making another console after the third Playstation, hopefully because when gamespot compared the graphics to that of the 360 they kind of looked gash. Praise the lord! ps never had a Dreamcast, had my head up Sony's arse at the time.

[Mattk]

Mack,I must remember to get you to proof read all my posts in future.Many thanks for nit-picking mine and everyone elses posts.
Altho my facts were not 100% correct,you know full well what I was saying.

[The Mack]

come on matt, as if you never take the ....
PS2 sales will still be good for some time despite the 360 / PS3, due to the massive user base and the fact most console owners are slow to adopt new technology.