The entire hardware development history of Dreamcast through Next Generation magazine

[parallaxscroll]

I've been wanting to have these articles for a long time.

The beginning of Dreamcast (Katana) hardware development was certainly not Sega's first effort to find a successor or replacement for Saturn -- That actually began in late 1994, just before the Saturn launched in Japan, and continued through 1995 with Nvidia and Lockheed. As for the two internal pieces of hardware that competed to become what we knew as Dreamcast, I figure they must have been started sometime in 1996. By March 1997, Next Generation learned of one of them, and that's were this begins.

Some of you will find it pointless, others should find it quite interesting. I do hope you all enjoy.

[parallaxscroll]

[continued]








































Also, a nice related video.

[Einzelherz]

Thanks for posting these, they're awesome!

I've never seen a VMU cover cap in the wild. Did they ever actually exist? I also didn't know that the prototypes had a round start button.

[parallaxscroll]

Thanks for posting these, they're awesome!

I've never seen a VMU cover cap in the wild. Did they ever actually exist? I also didn't know that the prototypes had a round start button.

No problem.

Funny, I didn't even notice the VMU cover cap and don't know anything about them.

[celerystalker]

If you mean just the basic plastic cap that covers the plug on the VMU, they were included with every single Sega VMU sold. All 6 of my VMUs have them. People just lost them a lot.

[parallaxscroll]

NG's interview with 3DFX's top brass following Sega terminating the graphics chip contract with them in favor of NEC / VideoLogic.








When 3DFX released their Initial Public Offering in June 1997, it contained a ton of references to the Sega/3Dfx Chipset for Sega's new console (although no specific technical details)
but it pissed Sega off so much, they killed the deal, and went with NEC / VideoLogic PowerVR for Dreamcast. That became final I think in July of that year.

You can read the IPO that 3DFX filed with the SEC here: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/da...-97-002713.txt

DEPENDENCE ON RELATIONSHIP WITH SEGA

In March 1997, the Company entered into a Technology Development and
License Agreement with Sega (the "Sega Agreement"), under which the Company will
develop and license to Sega the technology for a 3D media processor chipset (the
"Sega/3Dfx Chipset") for use in Sega's next generation home game console product
(the "New Sega Game Console"). The Sega Agreement grants Sega the exclusive
right for three years to the Company's architecture solely for use in home game
consoles. Through the end of 1998, the Company expects to earn development
contract revenues and certain development bonuses provided that certain
milestones set forth in the Sega Agreement are met. The Company will derive
royalty revenue for each Sega/3Dfx Chipset incorporated into products sold by
Sega. Therefore, the timely development of the Sega/3Dfx Chipset by the Company
and the successful introduction and sale of the New Sega Game Console by Sega
will be critical factors affecting the Company's future business, financial
condition and results of operations. The Company has not yet completed
development of the Sega/3Dfx Chipset, and there can be no assurance that the
Company will successfully complete such development or, if such development is
completed, that the Sega/3Dfx Chipset will perform as expected. Despite
pre-release testing of the Sega/3Dfx chipset by the Company, there can be no
assurance that, once the Sega/3Dfx Chipset is made available to Sega,
performance errors and deficiencies will not be found, or if discovered, that
the Company will be able to successfully correct such performance errors and
deficiencies in a timely manner, if at all. If the Company is unable to complete
the development of the Sega/3Dfx Chipset or successfully deliver it to Sega, the
Company's business, financial condition and results of operations would be
materially adversely affected.

[CRTGAMER]

I've been wanting to have these articles for a long time.

The beginning of Dreamcast (Katana) hardware development was certainly not Sega's first effort to find a successor or replacement for Saturn -- That actually began in late 1994, just before the Saturn launched in Japan, and continued through 1995 with Nvidia and Lockheed. As for the two internal pieces of hardware that competed to become what we knew as Dreamcast, I figure they must have been started sometime in 1996. By March 1997, Next Generation learned of one of them, and that's were this begins.

Some of you will find it pointless, others should find it quite interesting. I do hope you all enjoy.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I forgot all about this Thread until your recent additional scans. I right clicked and saved the very clear scans with all numerical by year followed by month number and page number to keep the same order for reading as an offline reference.

Your first scan in your latest Reply (Next Generation 1998-09 Page 001) is smaller then the others, the words cannot be read. Can you resubmit a larger scan?