The Digital Home

If you've read the Digital Home for the past two years, you probably know that I hold a special place in my heart for Sega. I was always a heavy Genesis user and subsequent to that, I owned every console Sega released. That's precisely why a report from Siliconera has me excited.

According to the publication, Sega has trademarked two names, "Ringwide" and "Ringedge," as well as a logo containing rings. The trademark clearly says that the names will be used for "arcade game boards...stand alone video game machines, [or] arcade game machines with built-in screens."

Sega's new console logo?

(Credit: Sega)

So what can this mean? Obviously it's too early to tell, but some are saying that it could be Sega's return to the arcade business. I'm sure they would get excited about that, but the arcade business is a shadow of its former self. Since console gaming became a mainstay, it has lost much of its importance. I just don't see Sega investing in the arcade business.

But what if this filing is for a top-secret console the company is developing to compete with the next-generation of hardware? Will Ringwide or Ringedge take on the Wii 2, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 720?

I certainly hope so.

Sega should go back to the console business and forget about software. And least, that's what I think.

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Although few outside the video game community noticed, September 9 was the nine-year anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast's launch. I can still remember holding the Official Dreamcast Magazine in my hands with a huge picture of Sonic on the front just waiting for the console to be released. And once it was released, I couldn't have been happier.

But unfortunately, I was (and I'm probably still) in the minority. Back then, Sega was off its game. It was trying to recover from the Saturn debacle and the countless other false starts it had succumb to over the years with products like the Sega CD and arguably, the GameGear.

The Dreamcast seemed different to me, though. Unlike previous Sega consoles, which only copied competing products and failed to truly grasp what gamers wanted, the Great White Beauty sitting under my TV was different. For once, Sega was ahead of its time; the Dreamcast had the best graphics of any console in the space at that point, offered compelling games that people actually wanted to play, and even included support for online gaming.

Of course, it lacked some of the necessities that could have made it more relevant in succeeding years: it didn't offer a DVD player like the Playstation 2 and although it had connectivity options, Ethernet support wasn't built into the console, which put it at a significant disadvantage once Sony, and especially Microsoft, entered that generation's console war.

Worse, the Dreamcast was plagued by poor third-party support and even major titles like Shenmue were met with lackluster excitement. Everyone wanted to play the Playstation 2--it offered better graphics capability, a DVD player, and better third-party support. All the while, the Dreamcast sat on store shelves.

And in the end, the Dreamcast finally died before its time and Sega was forced to retreat from the console space and try its luck in software. It was a sad time for Dreamcast Fanboys, but they got through it. How you ask? By keeping it connected to their HDTVs at all times and telling themselves that no matter what sales figures say, the Dreamcast really did win the last console war.

Sega is in trouble. According to its latest filing in Japan, the company incurred a loss $501 million during its 2008 fiscal year and its video games division lost about $56.3 million. And as the company was quick to point out, something needs to be done on the video game front.

The Sega Dreamcast is not the right prototype.

(Credit: CNET.com)

"As rebuilding our consumer video game business is crucial, we now need to review our game title strategy more flexibly to adapt ourselves to changes in the trend of the market," said Koichiro Ueda, head of Sega's public relations department.

Of course, Sega did what it could to downplay the news of its impending failure on the video game front and said that it thinks it can turn things around, but I just don't see how that's possible with just games. Let's face it -- the company's once proud Sonic franchise is floundering and there's no indication that it's really that valuable on Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo platforms. Beyond that, the company has done poorly with other titles it has released and aside from a lingering desire for the return of the Shenmue series, few people even think about the developer any more.

With that in mind, Sega needs to change its strategy and turn things around. And the only way it can do that is to release its own video game console.

Yes, you should come back.

(Credit: Digital Home)

After writing a quick little something here on The Digital Home about my hopes for a second Dreamcast by 2009, a flood of news and rumors hit the Web about the future of Sega.

First, it was discovered that Sega filed for a "renewal of brand" on the Dreamcast name and that was quickly followed with rampant speculation that Sega may be planning on bringing back its venerable console. Unfortunately, the company quickly responded by telling Gamedaily that it "has no plans to get back into the console business" and that the company is "very happy being a platform agnostic company and have moved up the ranks the past three years from #11, to #9, and now stand at #6 in terms of our market share by units among third-party publishers. We like our current strategy and have no plans to change in the middle of this outstanding growth."

Huh?

Am I the only person who thinks this makes absolutely no sense? Sega is proud to be the sixth-largest game developer in the world and wouldn't want to do anything else? Does this company realize that it's competing in an extremely competitive environment and due to the recent merger between Activision and Vivendi, its chances of owning more shelf space are dwindling by the minute?

Sure, Sega has been successful in its software endeavor, but if it really wants to make a dent in this industry again, it should forget about its sixth-place spot on the software side and create the Dreamcast 2. If it doesn't, look for this company to flounder amid the rest of the small developers just waiting to get gobbled up by Activision-Vivendi or EA.

Do you want to know how to "move up the ranks", Sega? Let me explain it to you.

Where is my Dreamcast 2?

(Credit: Gamespot)

In a slight departure from my regular tone here on The Digital Home, I wanted to share an experience with you that has helped me regain my love for old video games and force me to reconsider my thoughts on what video gaming should be.

And although it wasn't one of the most welcome consoles in the history of video games, I truly enjoyed my Sega Dreamcast. Was it perfect? Certainly not. After all, this is a console that was advanced when it came out and disgustingly obsolete once the Playstation 2 hit store shelves just one year later.

But for all of its bad (can you say Sega's awful business practices?), the Sega Dreamcast was one of the greatest consoles of all-time.

Success in this business isn't always measured in sales and revenue, sometimes it's measured in what it does for the average person. And while Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo left Sega in their wake, the Dreamcast provided an experience that acted as the forerunner to many of the consoles we enjoy today.

Simply put, the Sega Dreamcast was great when it was released on 9/9/99 (in the US) and I'm a firm believer that Sega should release Dreamcast 2 on 9/9/09.