Sega's last effort at the console wars never lived up to expectations. Sega's last system
                         had no 3rd party support. Sega's last system was clearly inferior when compared to
                         Sony's Playstation and Nintendo's N64. If all this happened to their last system then
                         what's going to stop it from happening again? That is what we're here to find out. Over
                         the next year or so more and more info is going to be released on the Dreamcast as the
                         release date nears. And here is where you'll be able to find all the hot rumors and news.
                         Then perhaps when the dust settles we'll know whether or not the Dreamcast is really
                         worth it.

                         When the Saturn was launched in '94 Sega didn't do a very good job of marketing their
                         product. This time around with a estimated $500 million marketing effort they aren't
                         going to make the same mistake twice. Before the release of Dreamcast expect alot of
                         publicity. Another mistake not worth making twice is the horrible 3rd party support. So
                         the 3rd party support for this console is really strong; a very big plus. Most developers
                         already have their development kits and are furiously working on launch titles.
                         Supposedly 10 to 12 launch titles should be expected.....but don't hold your breath.

                         Remember when the Saturn was released? Remember the $399 price tag? This time
                         Sega's saying no way to a high price tag. Expect it somewhere between $199 and $250.
                         Its also known that the console will come with intenet technology. Online gaming? Who
                         knows....maybe. Expect Dreamcast in Japan late '98 and in the states late '99.

Update

                         Well, now that E3 is over many new details on Dreamcast (its not Katana anymore)
                         have been released. The japanese release date is November 20, 1998 and the U.S.
                         release date is Fall 1999. D2 is the first confirmed game and will be launched at the
                         same time the system is. Some other confirmed games include Daytona 2, VF3, Sega
                         Rally 2, Super GT and Resident Evil 4...yes, Resident Evil 4. It looks like Dreamcast
                         will be getting top of the line software. The price for the system in Japan will be between
                         20,000 and 30,000 yen which in american dollars is between 150 and 225. Rather
                         cheap when considering the specs. The 33.6 K modem it comes with has many people
                         angry because by today's standards that isn't very fast especially with ISDN and cable
                         modems becoming popular. But, the day after the Dreamcast announcement Sega told
                         the press the modem would be upgreadable and use of a cable modem would be
                         possible. It just gets better and better! As for the controller, the LCD screen is NOT
                         built in. The VMS is put into a slot in the back of the controller and the LCD screen on
                         the VMS is used. The controller has six total buttons. You've probably seen the four in
                         front but there are also two on the back of the controller. Also, it will not be DVD but
                         will use a high-density format (holds more then a standard CD). And as for internet
                         gaming Sega is developing an ISP type video gaming community on the internet. Cool
                         huh?
Dreamcast F.A.Q. Revision 2.2

Welcome to the Dreamcast FAQ. I'm currently working on a Project X FAQ that should be online sometime soon. As for this
FAQ, I compiled it from various e-mails I've recieved from people asking questions about the Dreamcast. Most of the questions
could have easily been answered by looking through the site but to make things easier I just put it all in one place. And here it
is...the Dreamcast FAQ Version 2.2. I would like to thank everyone who sent me questions (and there were alot of you!) and I
hope their answered. And if they're not, just send them again until we do answer them. The new questions are at the bottom.

1. What happened to the name Katana?

Katana was never meant to be used as the official name for Dreamcast. It was just a code name for the system like Project X is
for the VM Labs system. At first Dreamcast was code named Dural but was later changed to Katana by Sega.

2. When is it coming out? (UPDATED REVISION 2.2)

Dreamcast is being released in Japan on November 20, 1998 and in the U.S. sometime next year. Many think it will be this
spring but that's unlikely. A Fall 1999 release is probably a more accurate guess. In Europe and Australia the release date should
be around the same time that it's released in the U.S.

3. Possible Launch titles?

D2 has already been confirmed as the first Sega title and others that might be one of the 5 launch titles include VF3, Sega Rally 2,
Daytona USA 2, and Super GT.

4. Any other confirmed games?

A Sonic game has been confirmed to be in development and Capcom has confirmed Resident Evil 4 will be making an
appearance on Dreamcast.

5. How much will the system cost?

The retail price of the system in Japan is expected to be between 20,000 and 30,000 yen which in american dollars is equivalant
to $150-$225.

6. Isn't the 33.6K modem a little slow?

Many people became angry when finding out the Dreamcast will come with a 33.6K modem which by today's standards isn't
very fast especially with ISDN and cable modems becoming popular. But the day after the Dreamcast announcement Sega
calmed a few nerves when announcing the modem would be upgradable. Gamers will be able to use Cable modems with the
Dreamcast.

7. How many buttons does the controller contain?

The huge controller has four buttons on the front (click here for pic) and two on the back near the shoulders of the controller.
And yes the controller is comfortable. It was designed after the 3D pad (Nights) for the Saturn.

8. What about that LCD screen on the controller?

Many people are confused with the LCD screen on the controllers shown in all the Dreamcast pics. The LCD screen is not built
into the controller. Its part of the VMS which will be put into a slot in the back of the controller. (Click here for pic)

9. What CD media does Dreamcast use? DVD?

No DVD will not be the media used with the Dreamcast. Because of the high price of DVD Sega opted for a high-density format
CD. It holds about 1 gig of data which is more then a normal CD and should do just fine.

10. What resolution does the Dreamcast run at?

It normally runs at 640 X 480 using 16.8 million colors. But it also depends on what television your using. The PowerVR chip
renders in super high res and then scales it down to fit your TV. What does this mean? The better definition your TV has the
better the picture. If you have a HDTV the DC can output up to 1600X1200.

11. Is the Dreamcast backwards compatible with Saturn games?

No. Its not.

12. How will we play games over the internet?

Sega is developing an ISP-like video gaming community that gamers will be able to log into and play against other gamers from
around the world. Its not known whether or not direct-dial gaming will be possible.

13. What's the VMS for?

That little device is like an oversized memory card...only better. It is capable of playing its own games, transfering data from one
VMS to another, and transfering data from one VMS to an arcade machine like Daytona USA 2. The VMS even comes with a
calendar, clock and daily planner. Click here for pic.

14. When is the VMS coming out?

The VMS will be released this July 11, 1998 in Japan

15. Does the Dreamcast come bundled with a VMS?

No...just like the N64 and PSX memory cards they are sold separately

16. What launch titles does the VMS have?

The only known launch title is Godzilla. Its going to retail for 2,500 yen, roughly 17 U.S. dollars. The day its going to be released
is the day the Godzilla movie will debut in Japan. Sega should expect alot of sales.

                                Questions from Revision 2.0

17. Will we be able to play actual PC games on the Dreamcast?

No, we won't be able to play the actual CD on the Dreamcast. Many people thought that because the DC uses a PowerVR chip
it would be able to play PC games. This is not the case because the DC uses a completely new CD format.

18. Will we be able to surf the web on the Dreamcast?

Next Generation Magazine has reported that Dreamcast will come with Internet Explorer on a CD. Its a customized version of
Internet Explorer 4.0. Note: This has not been confirmed by Sega.

19. Will the Dreamcast have a keyboard?

Early speculations is that at some point Sega will release a keyboard and mouse. This would really be helpful when surfing the 'net
(if it happens).

20. When is the DC going to be launched in Australia?

The only dates known so far are November 20th in Japan, late 1999 (possibly sooner) in Europe and the States, and as for an
Australian release....probably late 1999.

21. Will Sega's online gaming service cost money?

It's highly likely that gamers will have to pay for the service. Sega may also start up its own ISP to offer to gamers who don't have
a local or national ISP.

22. Will we be able to dial up a local ISP to connect to Sega's service?

I definetly hope so. Since Sega's online service will be kind of like HEAT.NET there is no reason to think they won't let us use
our own ISP especially if we're paying for the service.

23. Will Dreamcast boot up like a computer because it has Windows CE?

According to PowerVR the custom CD interface will allow for lightning fast 3 second load time. I'll believe it when I see it.

24. What happens when a new Windows CE comes out and the DC one becomes
out dated?

There is no need for worry because Windows CE is loaded off the CD and not embeded in the Dreamcast. So when a new
updated version of CE comes out developers will just switch to that version.

25. Will Dreamcast developers have access to Direct X and OpenGL drivers?

Yes, the development kit comes with SGL-derived drivers, OpenGL API's, Direct X API's and other Sega API's that
developers will be familiar with.

26. I've heard that the 200Mhz Dreamcast can outperform a high-end Pentium II...is
that true?

Yes...sort of. When talking about just 3D graphics the Hitachi SH-4 processor running at 200Mhz can outperform a 400Mhz
pentium II because it is optimized for 3D-intensive calculations. What does this mean? It means that the DC can kick Pentium ass
when running games.

                                Questions from Revision 2.2

27. Is the Dreamcast 64-bit or 128-bit?

Sorry for having to tell all you Sega fans out there but.....its 64-bit. The processor the Dreamcast has is only 64-bit which in turn
makes the system 64-bit. Sega will be marketing the system as 128-bit but its only a super-powerful 64-bit system. (source:
videogames.com)

28. With the DC having a modem will I be able to play against gamers in other
countries like the UK and Australia if I'm in the US?

Nope....the lag would be so great that it just wouldn't be possible for Sega's fast-paced games. So don't plan on playing your
buddies in the UK if your from the US.

29. Will there be a territorial lock-out like there was on the Playstation and N64?

Yes, there will be a lock-out but like the Playstation and N64 there will probably be a converter sometime in the future. There is
still to be a lock-out that wasn't able to be by-passed.

30. Is the japanese version of the Dreamcast going to be any different from the US?
(This is for you impatient people out there like me who want to import this year)

Yes, the Japanese version will have an internal 33.6k modem that will not be upgradable. The U.S. version will have a modular
modem that will make it upgradable to a cable modem.

31. Will the controller that we all "love" be like the Sony DualShock or will we
have to buy a peripheral to make it rumble like the N64 Rumble Pak?

Well, if Sega even chooses to allow gamers the ability to have their controller rumble it will probably be a peripheral.

32. Is the Dreamcast more powerful than Model3 arcade board?

Sega says Dreamcast can do Model3 graphics standing on its head but I won't believe it till I see it.

Sega Dreamcast Specs

                         The following is a list of specs released by Sega on May 21 at their Dreamcast unveiling
                         press conference. Note, not all specs were release because Sega wants to be cautious
                         with its competitors.

                         CPU: Hitachi 128 bit graphics engine with an on-board RISC processor SH4
                         (operating frequency of 200MHz 360 MIPS/1.4FLOPS)

                         Graphics Chip: NEC PowerVR2 (rendering capacity: over 3 million polygons per
                         second)

                         Sound Processor: Yamaha Super Intelligent Sound Processor (64 sounds at a time)

                         Operating System: Customized OS using Windows CE (Supports Direct X)

                         Main Memory: 16MByte (64Mbit SD-RAM x 2) *note* 16Mb is no where near what
                         most people expected. This might be its only flaw to date.

                         CD-ROM Drive: 12-speed MAX

                         On-board Modem: 33.6Kbps modem *note* not the expected 56Kbps but it'll do

                         Controllers: Red, Yellow, Blue, and Grey

                         Console Dimensions: 7 7/16" X 7 11/16" X 3"

                         PDA (sold separately): A liquid-crystal display for game data backup and data
                         exchange.

                         PDA specs: CPU 8-bit
                         Memory 128 KB
                         Display 48 dot (W) x 32 dot (H) Monochrome
                         Display size 37 mm (W) x 26 mm (H)
                         Case dimensions 47 mm (W) x 80 mm (H) x 16 mm (D)
                         Power source 2 x button batteries, w. auto-off function
                         Sound 1-channel PWM sound source
                         Weight 45g