In the video game industry, there are many failures that can’t really be explained. When the Dreamcast hit the market it was one of the most impressive consoles ever created. It broke new ground in many areas of the industry and helped game designers to create some of the best games of any genre. The system itself achieved a lot of firsts for any console and it helped to prove that Sega had what it took to create something that was truly like nothing else. Being ahead of their time turned out to be the company's undoing though as many were not ready for what the system had to offer. Only three years after launching in Japan and only eighteen months after launching within the ꦦUnited States, onꦬe of the most iconic systems ever created was discontinued. It wasn’t for lack of talent and it wasn’t for a lack of games, instead, it was due to the fact that the PlayStation 2 had a DVD-rom. This gave game developers much more space and helped to doom the system.

Like many systems that came before it, the true appreciation came long after it was gone. Soon people began to realize just how far ahead of its time that the system truly was and they began to see all of the things that Dreamcast made possible. Sega were truly pioneers within the video game industry once again and they dared to do things that other video game companies were afraid of doing. They helped to break new ground so that we could have the kind of consoles that we have today and game-wise and graphics-wise, the Dreamcast doesn’t get enough credit. It’s time to give Sega their du☂e and honor a truly remarkabl𝄹e system.

20 🦋 𝔍 The Iconic Name That Almost Wasn’t

In trying to sell a product to the masses, the name means everything. When it comes to consoles the name has to speak to the consumer, it has to tell them a bit about the product while being catchy at the same time. Of all the consoles that have ever been created, I think that the Dreamcast stands on top as one of the most creative names ever co𝓀nceived.

From the moment I played the console, I couldn’t believe how advanced it was. For all intents and purposes, it was like something only thought of as possible in our wildest dreams and I think that the designers must have felt this way too. It was an idea that they dreamt up that eventually became reality. In ✱a sense, their dream was cast into existence. As good as the name was, it turns out that the system was actually going to be named Katana. Yeah, doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it.

19 🌠 Outselling The Giant

It’s rather unfair that when most people think of the Dreamcast they think of a system that failed in the ಞUS only eighteen months after its initial launch. Admittedly, I didn’t appreciate the system at the time as much as I do now for what it was and I think that was part of the problem. The system was so far ahead of its time that when other systems implemented similar interfaces they were seen as the innovators and not SEGA.

The system pushed the limits of what was thought of as possible for a console. The excitement for the system was so great, in fact, that it had broken the preorder record of 200,000 originally held by the PlayStation. Additionally, when it was all said and done, the system sold a greater number of consoles than Nintendo’s Wii U.

18 A Unique Disc ꧑

Video game piracy was starting to become a real problem. It had begun with the Sega Saturn, but the weighted disc of that system, coupled with the custom copyright protection, made it rather difficult for anyone to burn a copy disc. Sensing a similar problem with the Dreamcast, the company decided toܫ combat it by creating their ow𒅌n GD-ROM format.

This idea wasn’t met without pushback though, as many in the company felt that it was the wrong move given that DVDs held more space. While this was certainly the case, patients and royalties prevented the company from switching the system to such a format. While their new format did initially do what it was created to, theဣ system still read regular CD-ROM disc which allowed it to be easily hacked in a way that allowed burnt discs not on the GD-ROM format to be played.

17 Making I🅺t On Their Own

When it comes to sports titles, one of the first names that comes to mind is EA. They have built their reputation around creating some of the best sports titles of all time and they continue to try to revolutionize the industry in thཧat regard. Though many be♍lieve that they have lost their touch, there is no doubt that they have left their mark on that genre forever.

SEGA refused to cave to EA’s demands and went with 2K instead.

Though SEGA had originally given EA a lopsided deal when it came to the Genisis and other SEGA systems, they refused to do so for the Dreamcast. They felt they could do it on their own and they became the first major console in the last twenty years to do so. As a result, some of the best sports titles of all time can be found on the Dreamcast thanks to 2K.

16 ꦍ Aheꦑad Of Its Time

In this day and age, we take online gameplay for granted. It’s something that we expect 🔜pretty much any game with multiplayer features to have and it’s something we expect out of the box. Though this is the case, when SEGA implemented such a system they were laughed at by companies like Sony and Microsoft who felt that there was no interest.

Online gaming and browsing out of the box along with downloadable games really set the system apart.

Yet again, the company was way ahead of the curve and other companies began to take no𒅌tice of the deep interest of gamers to connect online. SegaNet was a new way for gamers to interact online with one another and it was different from traditional ISPs in that you would connect to a Seganet internal network, giving you much lower ping latency. In only a month after its implementation, there were over a million and a half consoles online.

15 💛 A Failed Partnership 🥀

While their initial relationship was a rocky one, things began to smooth out. Many felt that Microsoft had no interest in working with the company, but in⛎ truth, they had helped to develop numerous prototypes for the system and had even implemented their own s𝕴oftware development kit. Though their ideas were not accepted, the relationship would flourish later on.

Company president Isao Okawa attempted to get backward compatibility with the Xbox.

In the waning hours of the console's lifespan, Okawa had a plan to extend the life of the games through backward compatibility. He talked with Microsoft about allowing Dreamcast games to be played on the system, but talks fell through when he insisted that online gameplay be a major part of this change. Though the ga🥃mes never became backward comp𒁏atible, the company went on to develop and release twelve titles for the Xbox.

14 🍷 All Sy𒆙stems Optimal

Partner🌱ships come in all shapes and sizes and when there was a discussion about those associated with the next Seg🍒a console, many felt that Microsoft had no interest what so ever. At the time there, was no knowledge that Microsoft had been working closely with Sega behind the scenes and was about to unveil something truly remarkable.

It took a little over two years to develop, but Windows CE for the Dreamcast broke new ground.

The original plan was a custom CE version that could run all the games while also giving the user a computer-like interface. In a sense, 𒁏Microsoft and Sega could bridge the gap between PC and console gaming once and for all. In the end, this didn’t happen and instead, Sega decided to use their proprietary software within the disc instead. Even so, game developers still had the option to run games on the CE platform.

13 Lights, Camera, Action 🎃

As you probably might have guessed before coming across this list, there were a lot of firsts when it came to the Dreamcast. Sega wanted the system to be revol🍬utionary in every aspect and the♍y would stop at nothing to prove that they were the best when it came to video game technology.

When they unveiled the Dreameye t🦩o the public it was a thing of beauty. There had never been a video game console before that time that had even entertained the idea of a webcam for online use and Sega would change all that. Not only could you take pictures with it and email them with the use of the memory card, but it also came c🐼omplete with a full-fledged photo editing program. There were also plans for motion detection and use within games, but those ideas never materialized.

12 A St♊range Stam𓄧p

I challenge you to sit here and tell me that the VMU wasn’t one of the great♉est things ever created. It was so much more than just a memory card and with the ability to play its own games as well as transfer data between systems natively, it really couldn’t be beaten. It allowed game designers access to a new element that they had never had ac🌸cess to before and they ran with it.

These little powerhouses di😼dn’t just transfer data though; they also had the ability to connect to one another for multiplayer gaming purposes. The unit had such a far-reaching impact on the gaming industry that it is widely considered to be one of the greatest storage devices ever created. Interestingly enough, when you open the unit up and read the chip inside you can see that it is labeled “POTATO." The company has never stated why they named it this.

11 ꧃ Breaking New Ground

There were a lot of firsts when it came to the system and it had yet another one in the form of the MMORPG Phantasy Star Online. The ide🧜a for such a game was conceived thanks to Sega president Isao Okawa, who believed that online gaming wo✨uld be the way of the future.

Okawa felt that he could bridge the gap between PC and console gamers.

He wanted PC gamers to feel like they were getting as good; if not a better experience with the console then they were with their computer. Phantasy Star Online allowed him to do just that and being the first online MMO, it wasn’t without some hurdles. One problem was the fact that internet service in Japan was paid by the minute. Okawa was so passionate about the project and the future of gamingဣ though that he packaged tﷺhe game with one free year of internet access, of which he paid himself.