Dreamcast demo display shows up on eBay

Man, remember when the Dreamcast was all the rage, but no one actually had one, so you could only play on in-store demo units while fending off enraged Software, Etc. employees? No? Trust us, it was quite the thrill, especially topped off with some rockin' TCBY and maybe a pensive moment at the back of Spencer Gifts -- and now you can relive it all in the comfort of your own home, here in the future. Yep, a working Dreamcast demo station has just popped up on eBay, for the shockingly low current price of £230 ($456), although you'll have to be in the UK to pick it up (or be really, really dedicated to Sega). The Dreamcast is actually eminently hackable and still has quite a following, so you're well on your way to impressing your friends high-school style. Just try to not revive those raver pants while you're at it, slick.

[Thanks, Dan]

[Syn @ Mar 4th 2008 8:37AM]

Mmm Dreamcast. How I loved the good ol'days.

One of my favorite systems.

[StreetStealth @ Mar 4th 2008 2:02PM]

Every little thing about that system just felt so strange and futuristic, from the VMU to the tiny size of the console...

Even the demo display looks like it came from an alternate future, doesn't it?

[Chebwa @ Mar 4th 2008 8:37AM]

I would weep for humanity every time I walked by a Spencer's.

But Software Etc. definitely was sweet. I knew ONE kid with a Dreamcast. The only things we really played on it were Virtua Tennis and UFC. They were awesome. By the way...

"shockingly low current price?"

The thing has NINE DAYS LEFT. Everything on eBay is "shockingly low" until about 45 seconds before the auction ends. Thus, not so shocking.

[lol @ Mar 4th 2008 9:33AM]

Seriously, who were your friends? Until the PS2s launch, Dreamcast was THE system to have.

I agree with another comment that the gaming library wasn't what killed it. Sony didn't kill it, either. Mass bootlegging killed it. No mod chips, no swapping, no boot discs (after a while), so once that kicked in, it was done for.

However, there were definitely more than 3 good games for the system. Soul Calibur, the ONLY 4-player Marvel vs. Capcom, an exclusivity on MvC2 until its death, Skies of Arcadia, JGR, the 2K series of sports games, and I could go on, but someone already did.

By your logic of popularity and dollars, I suppose The Hulk was an awesome movie.

[Andrew @ Mar 4th 2008 9:54AM]

4 player Power Stone (1, not 2) was great fun back in the day. I think I still use my DC more than my PS2!

[Chebwa @ Mar 4th 2008 10:01AM]

"Seriously, who were your friends?"

Mostly, people with a limited budget who waited to spend their money on what would become the dominant and more widely supported console (the PS2). N64 and PS had life left in them for QUITE a while. A DC wasn't that sorely missed by most.

"However, there were definitely more than 3 good games for the system."

I never said there weren't. But the system was prematurely abandoned by consumers (that's what I meant by my three games comment) and then died. And where did I say that dollars dictate quality? I didn't. The Dreamcast wound up with less support and less variety than its competitors. That's all there is to it. This isn't a film, it's a video game system, and it wasn't a success no matter how many fond memories the few have for it.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 4th 2008 10:10AM]

I remember playing PowerStone nearly every day with my friends years ago...

[Flashpoint @ Mar 4th 2008 8:40AM]

Sega jumped the gun bringing Dreamcast to the market after it lost the console war to Playstation with its Saturn. They deserved their demise.

Sure Sega had plenty of sports games and Rpg's but, looking back, there wasn't a single game on dreamcast or saturn that made me wanna buy the system.

A death well deserved.

[Chebwa @ Mar 4th 2008 8:42AM]

Exactly. And now we're going to get to see a flood of "oh man, one of the best systems in the world" comments from people who either never owned one or had 3 games for it then shoved it into the closet.

Yeah there were diehard Dreamcast fans, but if as many people ACTUALLY loved it as claim to have, it wouldn't have absolutely tanked.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 4th 2008 8:51AM]

Chewba


GREAT POINT.

People vote with their dollars. By that logic, Sony murdered Sega and nearly got Nintendo. Gamecubes and Nintendo 64's never sold as well as Wii is selling now - only because its the cheapest, most accessible system.

But from Sega, the failure of the Dreamcast and Saturn were no suprise. I stopped trusting in Sega when I realized that their games were inferior quality on both the Game Gear and the Genesis to the SNES and the Gameboy. It wasn't until Sega CD and 32X that I realized Sega was absolutely off their rockers and would never be competitive again in the console market.

[bob @ Mar 4th 2008 9:14AM]

the death of the dreamcast had nothing to do with lack of love or good games (it had great games) it was sony having a dvd player at the right time that dvd was becoming popular and original psx backwards compatability, take them away and dreamcast would have wiped the floor.

[johnnychipface @ Mar 4th 2008 9:13AM]

The dreamcast had Shenmue which was definately a game worth buying one for.

[Davedave24 @ Mar 4th 2008 9:16AM]

Yeah, because popularity is always the best indicator of quality. And there sure weren't any good games for the Dreamcast, no sir!

Rez, Soul Calibur, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, Chu Chu Rocket, Power Stone, Mr Driller, Space Channel 5, Skies of Arcadia, Bangai-O, Virtua Tennis, Seaman, Crazy Taxi, Virtual On, House of the Dead 2 (Typing of the Dead, too), Phantasy Star Online, Samba de Amigo... Yep, nothing good or interesting there or in any of the other hundreds of games on the system.

[Chebwa @ Mar 4th 2008 9:16AM]

"them away and dreamcast would have wiped the floor"

Take away the differences that distinguish the loser from the winner and of course they'll become equals. Not making much of a point.

[CaptCaveman @ Mar 4th 2008 10:09AM]

@Flashpoint

I think the Sega got it right for the first time in a long time. I wasn't a fan of Sega since the Genesis. I actually returned my Saturn for a Playstation.

But the Dreamcast was something that me and my friends would play on a regular basis. And the on-line filled in when my friends weren't over.
I also thought that the VMU unit was the best thing ever to happen to a console football game period. Never again was there the stand-off of one player waiting for the other to choose a play or defense. Gone were the accusations or thoughts that your opponent was basing plays off what you choose.

And many of the games were very well done. Even my GF at the time was into them (she normally never strayed beyond handhelds).
I still have my Dreamcast. I think I'll need to grab it out of storage. And even though I've been thinking of freeing up some space by getting rid of stuff that I've not touched in years. And mostly getting rid of my pretty large collection of consoles. I think the Dreamcast will be something I'll be keeping.

Yep, I think this weekend I'll introduce the GF's kids to such gems as: Hydro Thunder, SF Rush 2049, Soul Calibur, and Chu-Chu Rocket.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 4th 2008 10:29AM]

Rush 2049? I still play that game on my N64. Great game- stunt kicks ass.

Chebwa, the only real reason the PS2 won is because of DVD. Had PS2 not had that, Dreamcast would have been the winner, no doubt, because it had far greater games earlier on- PS2 would have been dead from the start.

[Chebwa @ Mar 4th 2008 11:19AM]

"Chebwa, the only real reason the PS2 won is because of DVD."

Eeeeeh, I don't know about that. As far as my fence sitting went, I was very happy with the PSX and N64 lineups at that time. A LOT of people were. The best games for the systems were hitting. It was all in the timing. And think, if it had waited a little while, maybe they would have thought it over and also gone the DVD route. Timing is everything. DC and Saturn forgot that.

[Mic-B @ Mar 4th 2008 3:15PM]

My favorite game EVER on saturn, Three Dirty Dwarves, never made it to dreamcast (that i know of), so I never bought one. But dreamcast was MAAAD badass... wasn't dreamcast the first console to have a modem? I remember PSO being this amazing, unbelievable game...

[Juice @ Mar 4th 2008 8:41AM]

I still have my Dreamcast. Great games

[fg @ Mar 4th 2008 7:45PM]

Not to mention no mod chip needed for burned games.
It made Disc Juggler famous.

VMUs? Ya, they were great until I found out they didn't turn off automatically and my batteries were permanently dead after a month.

[szk @ Mar 4th 2008 8:43AM]

the winner will proly be some a hole in gary,indiana

[jonthemiller @ Mar 4th 2008 9:48AM]

No, it won't. You have to pick it up from the guy in the UK, RTFA.

[dexter fillmore @ Mar 4th 2008 12:21PM]

"(or be really, really dedicated to Sega)"
from the post.

[Jake E. @ Mar 4th 2008 8:44AM]

Ahh the good ol' days of the Dreamcast...

[Beddoes @ Mar 4th 2008 8:51AM]

Mitchell and Webb FTW!!

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Mar 4th 2008 8:53AM]

I have a DC, love burning my games for it. Thats the real downfall, LACK OF SECURITY on their games. Their own fault. BTW Raver Pants??? I still have/love/wear my SNUG 60inch leg bottom phat pants. TOP THAT!

[Paulo @ Mar 4th 2008 8:53AM]

How is this news?? These things are rotting away all over the uk and its not hard to get one if you want to.

[chris hanson @ Mar 4th 2008 8:57AM]

man that thing looks so cool

[mac @ Mar 4th 2008 9:05AM]

the VMU's were pretty good*

*useless

[CaptCaveman @ Mar 4th 2008 10:11AM]

The VMU was golden for football games with friends over. I would pay to have an add-on for the current consoles to use something like this.

[mattydread @ Mar 4th 2008 12:31PM]

The VMUs were the best part of the system, IMO. I really wish they were around on the current systems. Or atleast the idea of each player having a personal, private screen on the their controller.

[Joel @ Mar 4th 2008 9:11AM]

Playing Soul Calibur on a Gamestop DC kiosk was one of the most mind-blowing experiences of my teenage life.

[Valgas @ Mar 4th 2008 9:12AM]

Every time I read something about the Dreamcast, a tear drops from my eye.

[Brodie-san @ Mar 4th 2008 9:19AM]

@Chebwa

Ironically I *actually* have one in my closet.
:)

[Clete R. Blackwell II @ Mar 4th 2008 9:27AM]

I believe that you would be impressing your friends geek middle-school style.

[lol @ Mar 4th 2008 9:37AM]

my mistake, the dollars comment was made by the ever-intelligent flashpoint, not you.

[The White Russian @ Mar 4th 2008 9:53AM]

TCBY!! . . . SPENCERT GIFTS!!!, Man what a friggin blast from the past - Thank you for that!

[SDreamer @ Mar 4th 2008 9:59AM]

I'd love to be able to get that. Wish Sega would rerelease it so I can get another T_T. *goes back to playing Skies of Arcadia, one of his 50+ DC games*

[dvsbstrd @ Mar 4th 2008 10:03AM]

Oh Dreamcast, I knew ye well.

[Alex Padilla @ Mar 4th 2008 10:04AM]

Man, it seems that a lot of people are forgetting one of the Dreamcast's major contribution to gaming: the Trigger shoulder button! It's one of the things that distinguished the original Xbox controller. It was so good for the Dreamcast and Duke and Controller-S that Sony semi-copied it on the PS3!

To me, if nothing else, the Dreamcast will have forever changed the look and feel of shoulder buttons. Well, at least while controllers are still actually used...

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 4th 2008 10:08AM]

Personally I'd be more interested in one of those large DC devkits, some of which have also made their way on to eBay.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 4th 2008 10:13AM]

Obviously FlashPoint and Chebwa never played PowerStone.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 4th 2008 10:16AM]

I thought they were pretty damn neat. Maybe not the most useful devices ever, but a memory card with it's own games was clever.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 4th 2008 10:17AM]

Damn this reply system.

[MJ @ Mar 4th 2008 10:41AM]

I always find it funny that people bash Sony for stealing ideas, yet the vmu was done on the PS1 with the Pocketstation in 98.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 4th 2008 10:47AM]

Sorry but it was done by Dreamcast first- November 27, 1998 was the release date in Japan. The Pocketstation was only available in Japan and released on December 23 of that same year.

Dreamcast had the first VMUs.

[Peter B @ Mar 4th 2008 10:59AM]

"I always find it funny that people bash Sony for stealing ideas, yet the vmu was done on the PS1 with the Pocketstation in 98."

Yep, considering the VMU launched in late 97, and the Japaneese launch of the DC was in 98, thats really good proof you have there. Sony is an inovator. Yep.

Because the VMU debuted BEFORE the dreamcast launched as a teaser for the new console. Sega released the Godzilla VMU as sort of a virtual pet, to hold Japan over for the DC's launch.

The DC failed for on big reason. EA. NFL2k1 was superior to Madden on the PS2 in almost everyway but people were too brainwashed by sony's BS hype machine.

Remember when Kurtagi said the PS2 will be like "Jacking into the Matrix" ? Yeah, if the matrix was bland, slow, and jaggy as hell.

[Lazmoe @ Mar 4th 2008 10:39AM]

I bet this baby never got the RROD in its display case. It hasnt got any rings but w/e.

[Davedave24 @ Mar 4th 2008 10:53AM]

red spiral of death?

[Wes @ Mar 4th 2008 10:52AM]

Despite being 10 years old, my DC still shuffles on. Although mainly the kids use it as a SNES emulator. :)