The stage is set for the next generation of consoles, and while the WiiU slowly starves to death in a corner, and the Xbox One continues to beat its head against the wall, it's starting to look a lot like a one-sided battle. While this might be great for Sony, and developers wondering which platform should be the lead development console for multi-plat games, this is invariably bad for the consumers. Any market without viable competitive alternatives tends to lend itself to price gouging and an overall drop in quality.
Now, I know you're probably thinking "Why a Dreamcast 2? Why bring up that ancient piece of hardware at all? Sega doesn't even make consoles anymore." For the most part, you're right, but where other console manufacturers played it safe, the Dreamcast was revolutionary. It was far ahead of its time, which may have lead to its downfall.
The Dreamcast was the first system to come bundled with a first party modem, and brought online play to the forefront, even though things like XBAND, and Sega Channel had existed before. The VMU, while not all that popular at the time, shares a lot of concepts and similarities with "new" ideas like PSP/Vita Remote Play, and SmartGlass.
With Nintendo worrying about its financials, Sony and Microsoft just trying to squeak past each other on a performance edge, and more independent consoles like the Ouya showing up dead on arrival, we need a former giant to return to the forefront, both with new innovations, and a tactical nuclear nostalgia bomb. Only Sega can make it happen. More importantly, it could reignite the rivalry with Nintendo, bringing that once great company back to the top of its game.
Is this something of a fantasy that is unlikely to ever occur? Absolutely, and I too doubt it will happen, but it could give a now-struggling games industry a much needed shot in the arm, and signal a return to greatness(and a lot less "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" shovelware).
Now, I know you're probably thinking "Why a Dreamcast 2? Why bring up that ancient piece of hardware at all? Sega doesn't even make consoles anymore." For the most part, you're right, but where other console manufacturers played it safe, the Dreamcast was revolutionary. It was far ahead of its time, which may have lead to its downfall.
The Dreamcast was the first system to come bundled with a first party modem, and brought online play to the forefront, even though things like XBAND, and Sega Channel had existed before. The VMU, while not all that popular at the time, shares a lot of concepts and similarities with "new" ideas like PSP/Vita Remote Play, and SmartGlass.
With Nintendo worrying about its financials, Sony and Microsoft just trying to squeak past each other on a performance edge, and more independent consoles like the Ouya showing up dead on arrival, we need a former giant to return to the forefront, both with new innovations, and a tactical nuclear nostalgia bomb. Only Sega can make it happen. More importantly, it could reignite the rivalry with Nintendo, bringing that once great company back to the top of its game.
Is this something of a fantasy that is unlikely to ever occur? Absolutely, and I too doubt it will happen, but it could give a now-struggling games industry a much needed shot in the arm, and signal a return to greatness(and a lot less "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" shovelware).
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