Dreamcast Turns 15; Former Sega Boss Peter Moore Wistfully Remembers It

It was 15 years ago today, on the memorable date of September 9, 1999, that the Sega Dreamcast made its debut in North America. Although the console dwindled out fairly quickly, many still have fond memories of what would turn out be Sega's last console--and that includes EA chief operating officer Peter Moore.

Moore, who served as president of Sega of America at the time of the Dreamcast's launch, sent out a tweet today calling attention to the Dreamcast's anniversary, saying, "Fond memories." He later sent out another tweet with screenshots of a message that he describes as "late-night musings on the Sega Dreamcast." These include recounting some of the console's innovations, and noting how former Sega employees (including Moore) sometimes still get together to talk about what could have been.

Moore apparently opted to take photos of his screen to share the message on Twitter, which can make it hard to read, so we've transcribed what he had to say below.

Once again, I trust my employers here at EA will allow me the indulgence of reminiscence and nostalgia on this day, 09/09/14, the 15th anniversary of the launch of the Dreamcast here in North America on the wonderfully numerically-correct date of 09/09/99. It certainly doesn't feel like fifteen years have gone by since this innovative console ushered in the era of online gaming, albeit through a 56K modem, and thus changed the face of interactive entertainment forever. The memories of course are bittersweet--we all know how this movie ended--but I was fortunate to have worked at that time with some of the most amazingly dedicated individuals, all of whom were galvanized around a single goal: prove the naysayers wrong, launch the console with a bang, get to a meaningful installed base within the first twelve months, and keep the momentum going in the face of the upcoming stiff competition. We still get together as a team from time-to-time, and oh the stories we tell. Lots of coulda/shoulda/woulda, but primarily pride in our accomplishments and the legacy we firmly believe can be seen and felt in gaming to this day.

With the Dreamcast's online capabilities, we coined a phrase: "We're taking gamers where gaming is going." In our heart of hearts, we worried that we would not be there for the entire journey, but it was with great pride that with our Sega Sports games in particular, that we ushered in the era of connected interactive entertainment. I don't think it is an overstatement to say that the Dreamcast and its online network laid the ground for what we all take for granted today--only gameplay, linking innumerable gamers from around the world to play, compete, and collaborate, as well as enabling new content to be delivered in addition to that which was delivered on the disc. Rarely does a week go by where I don't bump into somebody that fondly reminisces about this wonderful piece of hardware and the great times they had (and are still having!) playing some of its superb games. So as we all enjoy everything the next generation of hardware has to offer, give a tip of the hat (or glass) this evening to The Little Console That Could. The Sega Dreamcast…

Here is our US Launch commercial--remember, that is pre-high definition… (R.I.P. and thanks, Charlie Bellfield)

What are your standout Dreamcast memories 15 years after its launch--something involving Shenmue or Phantasy Star Online, like me, or something else entirely? Share yours in the comments below.