Beginning life in the increasingly crowded games market in 1998 and checking out just a handful of years later in 2001, the Dreamcast had a rather interesting run, becoming adored by many despite its brief lifespan. For those of you still left in the dark concerning Sega’s last console, Did You Know Gaming is here to fill in the details with its latest video tutorial, this time pulling back the curtain on the too-good-to-live Dreamcast game console.
For many, the Sega Dreamcast is something of a mythological creature. Maybe you had a friend who played one or you remember those TV ads featuring all sorts of game characters hanging out and partying together but, as poor sales figures show, not a heck of a lot of people actually owned one of the consoles themselves.
It was a games machine ahead of its time, introducing widespread online play and internet access to the home console scene, beefing up the presence of 3D games, as well as implementing several design ideas and peripherals that went on to see even greater success via similar devices designed by competitors.
The Dreamcast was also an edgy machine, throwing aside tradition in order to carve out a path all its own. From the bizarre gamepad and memory card units to games that were as bright as Nintendo offering but as mature as those available on PlayStation, it really did offer a nice mix of content that you simply couldn’t find anywhere else.
Unfortunately, with other, more popular consoles hitting the market and game discs that were far too easy to pirate, the Dreamcast’s days were numbered. It was a bright star that burned out quickly, and it’s still fondly remembered by many a gamer to this day.
The Dreamcast is an intriguing part of gaming’s history, which is why it serves as such great fodder for this latest Did You Know Gaming’s educational piece. Strap in for about 10 minutes worth of history covering the birth of the console, its brief rise in popularity and sudden fall from grace. It’s a console that died ahead of its time, yet unlicensed games are still being made for it to this day. With a bit of finagling, you can even play in still-active online communities of diehard fans who refuse to let the dream die.
If nothing else, this latest Did You Know fills in a lot of quick details on an important era in gaming, so consider it mandatory viewing if you want to know more about the wild west days of this insane industry.
