PS2 vs the Dreamcast

[lindbergh]

The Dreamcast was launched a bit earlier than the PS2. It had some great titles under its belt and had some good 3rd party support. But when the PS2 launched, the Dreamcast suddenly went down the drain. But for all it's worth, it was a pretty good console but I think that it was really no match for the PS2. So, what do you guys think of the Dreamcast? How does it match up to the PS2 in terms of games, exclusives, hardware...?

 

[themarting]

Tech specs wise the PS2 had NOTHING on the Dreamcast.

The reason the Dreamcast went under was brand awareness. Sony had done a big thing with the PS1, and Sega had fouled up the Saturn. People didnt quite trust the Dreamcast or SEGA this time around. Developers didnt sign on with hit titles, because they thought noone was going to buy, so, since there werent as many big titles PROMISED, more people didnt buy. Its a vicious cycle, one we're seeing again with Blackberry smartphones.

Anyway, the dreamcast had better hardware. Online play from the get go with dedicated servers, the VMU, and tons of other cool peripherals. The graphics were better, sound was better. It just didnt have weight behind it like the PS2.

 

[lindbergh]

Tech specs wise the PS2 had NOTHING on the Dreamcast.

The reason the Dreamcast went under was brand awareness. Sony had done a big thing with the PS1, and Sega had fouled up the Saturn. People didnt quite trust the Dreamcast or SEGA this time around. Developers didnt sign on with hit titles, because they thought noone was going to buy, so, since there werent as many big titles PROMISED, more people didnt buy. Its a vicious cycle, one we're seeing again with Blackberry smartphones.

Anyway, the dreamcast had better hardware. Online play from the get go with dedicated servers, the VMU, and tons of other cool peripherals. The graphics were better, sound was better. It just didnt have weight behind it like the PS2.

Whoa man, the way you say it, I'm now feeling really bad for Sega. Yes, they screwed up with the Sega CD and the 32x and they didn't really do that good in the Saturn but when they made it up to people with the Dreamcast, it was already too late. I agree that the Dreamcast had better extras like online play, a cool controller, etc. but people just shrugged these off and went for the PS2. I'm one of those people. Don't get me wrong, I love the PS2. But I think that the Dreamcast deserved more love than it received.

 

[themarting]

Whoa man, the way you say it, I'm now feeling really bad for Sega. Yes, they screwed up with the Sega CD and the 32x and they didn't really do that good in the Saturn but when they made it up to people with the Dreamcast, it was already too late. I agree that the Dreamcast had better extras like online play, a cool controller, etc. but people just shrugged these off and went for the PS2. I'm one of those people. Don't get me wrong, I love the PS2. But I think that the Dreamcast deserved more love than it received.

Well, they also shot themselves in the foot going with an untested media (GD-ROM). Although it had higher capacity and a faster capable read speed, it ended up being the most copyable media ever.

As a matter of fact, you can go to a pawn shop or thrift store, probably find a dreamcast for next to nothing, and play any game you want on it right away!

I still have my original dreamcast, and all the memory cards i bought. When i play it takes me WAAAAAY back!.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

As a matter of fact, you can go to a pawn shop or thrift store, probably find a dreamcast for next to nothing, and play any game you want on it right away!

Really no contest here the dreamcast was nothing compared to the PS2. I remember a friend of mine actually saw a dreamcast selling for some $10 in a store near his house with 2 or 3 free games with it and that was around the time PS3 came out. I am pretty sure that tells you how far the Dreamcast had fallen.

 

[JoanMcWench]

I loved the Dreamcast for a few reasons but the games they had available were fantastic. Also, the ability to easily burn said games was an option as well... *wink wink* *nudge nudge* Though, in retrospect, I am pretty sure that helped with the fall of the system.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

The one thing I find confusing is why Sega continued to used the GD-ROM even after the failure of Dreamcast. I think they used it for things like Triforce and Chihiro.

Plus, GD-ROM didn't have a larger storage capacity than the DVD-ROM which PS2 was using, so there was absolutely nothing going for it.

 

[daemeonp]

I was a proud owner of both systems. But... I played the PS2 WAY more. The Dreamcast had the potential to be great, it just didn't have the developers on their side.

 

[RaggaJungle]

I think the Dreamcast had some good titles for it, but overall the PS2 completely downtrodded it. I never actua lly owned a Dreamcast but did get to play it quite a lot. As soon as I got a PS2 I almost forgot about it.

 

[CaptainWoodzy]

PS2 has it beat by a million miles when it comes to quality titles, but Dreamcast was so quirky and different that I have a huge soft spot in my heart for it. They tried really hard to bring something different and it's a shame that it didn't pan out.

 

[Dame6089]

In general, the PS2 stomps all over the DreamCast. Of course things like Shenmue make the DreamCast stand out. And of course the 4 controllers is something that the PS@ didn;t have. Other than that, the PS2 was significantly more powerful.

 

[themarting]

In general, the PS2 stomps all over the DreamCast. Of course things like Shenmue make the DreamCast stand out. And of course the 4 controllers is something that the PS@ didn;t have. Other than that, the PS2 was significantly more powerful.

I wouldnt call it significantly more powerful. Sure by the end of the PS2 life cycle the games looked much better, but compare SNES games at launch to the end of its life cycle. They ALSO looked much better, The Dreamcast never really had a chance to mature. Halo was originally being worked on for the Dreamcast.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

The Dreamcast never really had a chance to mature.

Which is exactly why Dreamcast is nowhere in competition to the PS2. The thing couldn't even survive.

 

[themarting]

Which is exactly why Dreamcast is nowhere in competition to the PS2. The thing couldn't even survive.

competition and sales numbers wise sure, but tech specs raw power and onnovation wise, id still take a dreamcast any day over a PS2. The PS2 is one of the consoles ive never really cared to own. I had almost every other console, but the PS2 to me, while undeniably successful, was just lackluster to me.

 

[mareebaybay]

I agree, that the Playstation 2 was the way better system. I actually owned both systems, and I rarely played the DreamCast when I first got my Playstation 2. I also think Playstation had a better game selection as well.

 

[DrRipley]

If I'm not mistaken, I think fighting games are a lot better on the Dreamcast, much like on the Saturn. Being a fighting game enthusiast myself and having owned the Saturn, I have to believe the comments that say so even if I never really owned a Dreamcast myself. Seeing all the comments now even make me want to experience it myself, to be honest, I've never been too happy with 2D fighting games on the Playstation systems.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

competition and sales numbers wise sure, but tech specs raw power and onnovation wise, id still take a dreamcast any day over a PS2. The PS2 is one of the consoles ive never really cared to own. I had almost every other console, but the PS2 to me, while undeniably successful, was just lackluster to me.

The Dreamcast's most well known innovation was the GD-ROM and we all know how that turned out and I'd argue that the games on PS2 actually looked better than the ones on the Dreamcast. I suppose if you don't like the console than you don't like it. To each his own then.

 

[SpaceTiger]

I liked PS2 in the long run as it lasted, but DC was more of a total system as soon as the box was opened. PSX popped up towards the end of SNES' run and at the start of N64's run. There was an attachment for the SNES that allowed for four players, N64 had it out of the box, PSX had an adapter for it--no big deal, it's their first console. Saturn had a net adapter for online, again no big deal--first console.

Then we get to PS2, DC, Xbox, and GC. Three had online out the door as well as local multiplayer...had to get a bunch of extra stuff for PS2 hat luckily didn't cross over into Sega CD/32X territory. The DC was just ready made. However, the PS2 had the benefit of Sega dropping the ball Atari-style prior to that and being an intriguing console overall. Sure it didn't have the simple stuff a console at that time should've had, but it had staying power.

I still enjoy playing both to this day and as a wrestling fan DC had some Japanese wrestling titles that I was able to play without to jump through hoops. PS2 had the RPGs though. That's where it stood out to me, it was like SNES-era on that front.

 

[themarting]

The DC was just ready made.

Exactly this. It was internet ready out of the box. 4 player ready out of the box. The games looked better than the ps2 games did to start with. As ive said before, the final ps2 games may have looked better, but thats to be expected out of a system that had the chance to mature.

im not denying that the PS2 was a bigger success. it obviously was, and with that comes more games, in the long run better looking games. Im saying that the dreamcast was better hardware.

Was sega better at marketing and follow through, guess not.

 

[Ballistic_BG]

Tech specs wise the PS2 had NOTHING on the Dreamcast.

The reason the Dreamcast went under was brand awareness. Sony had done a big thing with the PS1, and Sega had fouled up the Saturn. People didnt quite trust the Dreamcast or SEGA this time around. Developers didnt sign on with hit titles, because they thought noone was going to buy, so, since there werent as many big titles PROMISED, more people didnt buy. Its a vicious cycle, one we're seeing again with Blackberry smartphones.

Anyway, the dreamcast had better hardware. Online play from the get go with dedicated servers, the VMU, and tons of other cool peripherals. The graphics were better, sound was better. It just didnt have weight behind it like the PS2.

Sega also lost the hacker wars, any Dreamcast game could be ripped and burned onto a CD with no protection at all.
Sega did not know that the age of video game piracy was upon them.

Pirating played a big role in Sega dropping out of the console wars. I wish they were still in it though. Just imagine the consoles they would have now a days.