Why I Will Buy A Dreamcast ----Kambei

Ever since sony announced the mammoth Playstation 2 specs, it seems like the Dreamcast is being treated as nothing more than an afterthought. Remember folks, a system is judged by its games, not its technical specifications. So if the Playstation 2 can (supposedly) do everything a Dreamcast can and more, why would I want to buy Sega's machine at all? Well here's why.

Naturally, the first reason you buy a system is for the games it supports, and Sega has taken all the necessary measures for the U.S release to have as many outstanding titles as possible. The list of killer apps goes on for quite a while already: Sonic Adventure, Soul Caliber, Marvel vs. Capcom, Biohazard: Code Veronica, NFL Blitz 2000, Virtua Fighter 3, Time Crisis 2, Lost World, a new Castlevania, and Shenmue. Now how can you resist all those games when the system alone is going to launch with a $199 price tag?

Also, all Dreamcasts are being shipped with a 56K modem standard. This means that console internet play will be first realized on Sega's machine, and since Dreamcast is using Windows CE as the programming system, many of the most popular PC multiplayer titles will be ported over to Dreamcast. Just imagine the possibilities. In the very near future, we could see Dreamcast versions of Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, Team Fortress 2, HalfLife, or even possibly Everquest(although EQ is set to be enhanced and upgraded and become a PSX2 launch title). Speaking of RPG's, Dreamcast will be the first console to have persistent online worlds in which players can interact with each other from different parts of the globe, a feature that has been one of the main attractions for the PC.

If you're thinking to yourself: "I already have a PC for internet play. So why wouldn't I just wait for Playstation 2?" I'll tell ya why you buy a Dreamcast for internet play. All games on a console system are optimized to run best on that particular system. However, in PC games, there are literally millions of different configurations that have to be accounted for. For example, my PC locks up when I run Quake because my sound card is not compatible with the game. Now would I have to worry about that crap if Quake was on the Dreamcast? I don't think so. No more downloading config files and drivers just to get a game to run. Everything you need comes right in the box. Ease of use has always been one of the main attractions of console systems, and if Sega keeps it that way with the Dreamcast, they should be in very good shape.

If you're still not convinced, don't forget that the Dreamcast is fully supported by arguably the best arcade games on the planet. Upon the systems release, look for all of Sega's trademark arcade series to make appearances on the Dreamcast. I'd buy it for the light gun games alone(as long as the Dreamcast gun is high quality). We should eventually see enhanced Dreamcast ports of Lost World and House of the Dead 2, and I won't even go into Namco's ports of Time Crisis 2 and Soul Caliber. A lack of great arcade ports has never contributed to the demise of any of Sega's systems.

Despite being overlooked very often, Sega systems offer some of the best RPG's around. Sega's Shining Force Series, second to only Square's Final Fantasy Series, provides an absolutely amazing blend of strategy and role playing that has not yet been surpassed. Games such as Vandal Hearts and Final Fantasy Tactics have tried to mimic the SF formula, but they always seem to come up short. You should also expect a Panzer Dragoon Saga update on the Dreamcast along with the already in development Grandia 2 and Climax Landers. As long as Sega ports over the good ones(which they failed to do with many of the great Saturn RPG's...ahem..Grandia...), the Dreamcast can be THE system for RPG's even without Square. Shining Force 1, 2, and 3 were all better than Final Fantasy 7 anyways.

And the final reason why I am going to buy this system is quite simply it comes out first. I want my instant gratification and waiting an extra year for the PSX2 just doesn't float my boat no matter how good its specs sound. Besides, Sega may release a Saturn emulator for Dreamcast, so I'd be able to play all my favorite Saturn and Dreamcast games on one system. Despite what many people think, Sega is far from being out of the race for dominance in the videogame industry. Besides, as long as the system has quality games, who cares who has the highest market share?

What do you guys think?