Does Dreamcast Have a US Future?

Are you the kind of curious gamer who's been wondering exactly how many crazy Americans are laying out their hard-earned dough for Sega's next great hope, the Dreamcast? Well, if you are, I'm here to provide you with answers. After polling a few higher-profile Web-based importers (National Console Support, Tronix, etc.), I was able to come up with a good idea of how many Dreamcasts are being sold to "early adopters," which titles are moving the fastest, and whether Sony's recent PlayStation 2 announcement has affected sales. Here are the hard facts.

According to one online wholesaler, a couple thousand DC units have been "moved," although these numbers are augmented by cross-continental sales. Keep in mind that probably not too many units have actually gone to Europe because of PAL/NTSC compatibility issues. Also, the Canadian contingent probably did not make up a substantial percentage either because of the extreme markup that would result from the US/Canada exchange rate.

Keeping these influences in mind, here is what that merchant had to say: "We have sold roughly 2,300 Dreamcast consoles in the US market and to countries in South America, Canada, and Europe. The most we ever sold in a single day was 181 units during the Christmas week in 1998. We continue to sell 150 to 200 per week. We have noticed strong interest in the DC that has not abated since its release late last year. Volume was very good even when prices of the DC console were high, but ever since we lowered the DC to $300, sales have been very brisk. As more game releases hit the market, we think that buyers will continue to get into the DC scene."

That same source continued to list best-selling software titles. Surprisingly, Sega Rally 2 wasn't on the list, although this might have been an oversight caused by having too many Mahjong titles in stock (that's a joke, folks). He said, "The best-sellers for DC software continue to be Sonic Adventure, Virtua Fighter 3tb, and Power Stone, in that order. Pen Pen TriIcelon and Godzilla Generations still receive a lot of interest. July and Mahjong 2 Taikai have been slow sellers, perhaps for obvious reasons."

In stark contrast, another well-known online retailer seemed to have moved considerably fewer units, although this may be attributed to initial supply or pricing. Who knows? Either way, the software-to-DC-units ratio seems to be proportionate, as does the consistency of sales in general. According to this merchant, roughly 300 units have been sold since launch, which may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind the following statements: "DC sales have not slowed down a bit. We receive reservations before each new shipment arrives, which makes for an instant sellout with each restock. DC sales have not decreased, despite Sony's announcement. Everyone wants to play with next-gen technology today."

The most popular titles in total sales for this merchant, starting with the top seller, are:

1. PowerStone2. Sega Rally3. Sonic Adventure4. Virtual Fighter 3TB5. Psychic Force 2012 (just came out, so it may be unfair to include this)

The source went on to state that in regard to the most anticipated titles, Marvel vs. Capcom has the longest waiting list. "The largest pre-book is Marvel vs. Capcom, believe it or not, followed by House of the Dead 2, then Blue Stinger a close third. Yes, people have been ordering Shen Mue since the day the first screenshots appeared - though the list is not even half of the above-mentioned three. Very few inquiries on Grandia 2 right now."

So, while this particular retailer doesn't seem to have sold as many hardware units, this is likely due to supply, since they're consistently sold out, with a waiting list a mile long. Even with the announcement of the PlayStation 2, and all its mighty ways, it seems as if the Dreamcast has what it takes to generate plenty of interest, especially with the library growing on a daily basis.

This should bode well for Sega of America when the Dreamcast releases this fall, provided the company doesn't screw up the launch. If indeed it does provide enough quality software, the head start it has on Sony may be just what it needs to establish a significant US presence. A 56K modem wouldn't hurt either.

Why give Sony any additional edge when you need every advantage you can get? If SOA knows what's good for it, it should monitor the import scene to see what the hard-core gamers are going after. After all, anyone willing to lay down US$300-800 bucks must obviously like Sega and/or games.

Of course Sega will need to flesh out the library with general-consumer games like sports and racing, but it should definitely not neglect the "niche" titles like RPGs and puzzle games. Games like Evolution, Puyo Puyo 4, Blue Stinger, Shen Mue, House of the Dead, and others need to be available at launch to provide gamers with a wide choice. Needless to say, Sonic should be packed in with the system, more so than VF3tb. Finally, SOA should start letting out the details of its American plans now, rather than wait until E3, where everyone will be jonesing for a look at the PS2.

The announcement of the PlayStation 2 apparently doesn't automatically qualify the Dreamcast for an early grave. After all, how many companies can afford the number of developers and programmers it would take just to apply a complex physics routine to a pair of lips? Some game developers just want to concentrate on making games and not some elaborate theatrical experience. While that's fine, and the PS2 will surely kick ass, with Square and Namco already developing titles, smaller companies like GameArts, Taito, Koei, and Treasure may just decide Dreamcast suits them better. Other companies that dream of console/PC ports may find the PlayStation 2 is too powerful to take advantage of a quick and easy port, so it's not over for Sega's Great White Hope by any means.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the already hot next-next-gen wars. OK, Nintendo, the ball's now in your court.