Two Versions of Sega Rally 2?

Sega of Europe recently released a list of the Dreamcast titles currently planned for the system's release in Europe. On top of that list were Sega Rally 2 and Virtua Fighter 3. This immediately captured our interest, as Virtua Fighter 3 was officially moved to an October release in the US, and, although not officially given a date, Sega Rally 2 was also slated for release later this year. Or so we thought.

In speaking with Sega of America representatives on Wednesday, GameSpot News has learned that Sega Rally 2 may be released sooner than we anticipated - without Internet support. The company is currently debating whether or not to release two versions of the game: one version to be released early without the Internet play enabled and then one version for a later release with Internet play support. The big question then was: When will the first incarnation of Sega Rally 2 be released in the US? Sega couldn't give a specific date.

As for Europe seeing titles like Sega Rally 2 and Virtua Fighter 3 before the US, Sega commented that for certain titles, the PAL versions of the games were given developmental priority. Europe uses PAL for its television display method, while the US uses NTSC, causing developers to alter certain code for the European games. Sega's US Dreamcast launch lineup is already crowded according to Sega of America, so the company feels it is OK to let certain titles release in the US later than in other markets.