On the 31st of 2001, he died
It is important to remember the classics. And the Dreamcast was an absolute basic console. For many, it was the best system ever devised.
While we remember how awesome it was, it's also fascinating to reminisce about its history and Sega's decline as an absolute hardware powerhouse. Just 20 years ago, Sega announced it would discontinue the Dreamcast et become a third-party developer. It was a big deal back then!
As several recent documentaries have claimed, the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo was legendary. It got a little less exciting once Sony entered the picture and creamed them both with the sheer might of the original PlayStation, but for a time the competition between the two was fierce.
But when Sega essentially gave up, it was a monumental year for another reason. Just 11 months later, Sega will release Sonic Adventure 2 on GameCube in Japan. This is the first time, as a third-party developer, that Sega has provided Nintendo with a massive first-party IP address. Sonic on a Nintendo console? It was surreal at the time.
Kids now probably think of Sonic as "that mascot that's on every system." And to some extent, when a good Sonic game comes along, proliferation is good! But losing Sega in the hardware race was a blow, as less competition usually allows for some degree of resting laurel from other big dogs.
I miss Sega in that sense, and their wacky penchant for flashcards with screens (Sony did too!), but I'm glad they're still around in some capacity.
Filed under…
