The Sega dreamcast.

[EvilDragon]

Awesome, I always hoped you picked up Sturmwind (as I was unable to complete a sale on the publishers website for technical reasons I didn't isolate).  I hope you pick up the next project that team is working on, assuming it's anything like as good.

Well, it depends if developers are interested in it.

I can offer to handle the full production incl. distribution, but if devs don't want it, it won't work.

I've also asked the developers of the Viking-game (where a free DC-Version exists), but I didn't even get a reply.

 

[NoeleyC]

Awesome, I always hoped you picked up Sturmwind (as I was unable to complete a sale on the publishers website for technical reasons I didn't isolate).  I hope you pick up the next project that team is working on, assuming it's anything like as good.

Well, it depends if developers are interested in it.I can offer to handle the full production incl. distribution, but if devs don't want it, it won't work.

I've also asked the developers of the Viking-game (where a free DC-Version exists), but I didn't even get a reply.

I think I remember reading somewhere that the Dreamcast port of that game was done by one programmer just as a personal project, maybe they wouldn't want a commercial version in case any bugs or issues might be held against any other version?

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Yes, they did put a disclaimer on the dc port of Volgarr the viking, to the effect of, you use this at your own risk and it's not an official port etc.

As it's already been released for free, adding some extras and making it a limited edition copy, would hopefully incentivise people to buy it and not just download the free version.

 

[rygD]

Yes, they did put a disclaimer on the dc port of Volgarr the viking, to the effect of, you use this at your own risk and it's not an official port etc.

As it's already been released for free, adding some extras and making it a limited edition copy, would hopefully incentivise people to buy it and not just download the free version.

Not needing to burn it yourself is already a good incentive.  Add some cover art and stuff and it will be decent enough as long as it isn't too pricey.  That, and to give a few bucks to the person(s) that put time into making the game, is why I would buy it.

(I had a hell of a time trying to burn Half-Life.  I would rather someone else deal with that stuff.)

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Yes, they did put a disclaimer on the dc port of Volgarr the viking, to the effect of, you use this at your own risk and it's not an official port etc.

As it's already been released for free, adding some extras and making it a limited edition copy, would hopefully incentivise people to buy it and not just download the free version.

Not needing to burn it yourself is already a good incentive.  Add some cover art and stuff and it will be decent enough as long as it isn't too pricey.  That, and to give a few bucks to the person(s) that put time into making the game, is why I would buy it.

(I had a hell of a time trying to burn Half-Life.  I would rather someone else deal with that stuff.)

Yes, I had much trouble trying to burn volgarr. It won't work... and now my dreamcast is behaving oddly.

 

[___]

I still adore my dreamcast. It's such a perfect game system, I am still amazed how Sega could screw everything up like that. It's so sturdy and compact, you can take it everywhere with you (even more mobile with the tft screen but i never got that for mine) and with four controller ports, multiplayer fun is guaranteed. I bought my DC a couple of years ago at a flea market, so I was able to buy a lot of good games cheap and also get into the homebrew scene right away. This console is basically what started it all. Lots of emulators and homebrew games and a huge scene that still continues to this day. I love how all these indie developers are still making commercial games for the dreamcast. Thanks for the links guys! Lots of titles I hadn't heard about. I am especially interested in any sort of rpg for the DC.

Most of the decent shmups are fetching high prices today, good thing you can always use a backup if you are not into collecting. I have a sega naomi too but am thinking about selling it. Most gdrom games have great ports for the dreamcast and play just as well on a TV setup.

I am still missing the microphone and seamen game in my collection. Also I always used to want the broadband adapter... but I can't see myself playing phantasy star online nowadays.

Well now, have I got a console for you:

No... No you do not have anything there, really. I have a gamecube already for some games but this P.O.S. does not compare to a dreamcast at all games wise or in build quality. It's close... but not close enough, software library sucks bad when compared to DCs.

and let me ask you this: is there still people developing games for the gamecube? Nope...

 

[WizardStan]

On that bit of a side note, are there any Indie dev GC games at all?  Is it even possible?

 

[Klumpen]

On that bit of a side note, are there any Indie dev GC games at all?  Is it even possible?

It seems to be possible since there are ports of Sqrxz 1-3 for GameCube:

http://pdroms.de/news/gamecube/

 

[levi]

I guess the problem for GC, while it has a Linux port IIRC to help with development, getting those mini discs pressed is too expensive.  The copy of Fruit'Y I bought appears to have been published on a plain old CD-R - I guess most are, though I don't know about bigger releases like Sturmwind.

FWIW, it appears Fruit'Y has been released for GC, but I guess you need the broadband adaptor and Linux to be able to load the binary onto the system.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Yes, indeed there may be a potential indie market on the gamecube; it has it's diehard fans no doubt, and was also the underdog much like the dreamcast.

I guess the problem is those small discs. I guess only nintendo have the rights to that disc format?

It's the mil cd functionality of earlier dreamcasts that led to the cdr loophole. Segas GDROM format is no longer in production and Sega own the rights to it no doubt.

If someone could find a solution for the gamecube discs could a potential indie market spring up?

I have a passing fondness for the GC as I once owned one- 

 

[WizardStan]

The GameCube's disks were just mini-DVDs with the data going from outside in, rather than inside out like on a normal disk.  I remember programs that allowed you to make copies of disks by, presumably, reversing the bit order and padding out the ISO accordingly so that it would actually burn something the GC could read.

 

[levi]

Well, the Wii homebrew community grew out of the GC homebrew community.  The former, supporting SD cards, never really needed the disc format to be cracked to be a viable homebrew platform.  Homebrew and indie while being related genres aren't exactly the same thing though, and I wasn't even aware of any indie releases for either platform until I learned about Fruit'Y.

Edit: As far as I understand it, you'd need to include Nintendo's DRM key to make something bootable by an unmodded GC without using any sort of bootloader disc.  That said, Datel have apparently found some legal way of doing it with their freeloader discs.

 

[___]

also there used to be casemods available for the gamecube which would allow you to use standart size dvds. but really, there wasn't anything cool to burn back when those things were in circulation. well unless you wanted to pirate gc games or play imports.

I think I own all relevant eu releases, except for baten kaitos (which I am not really that interested in) and compared to the dc library, it's just a console made for kids with the exception of resident evil and a few other select titles.

 

[gunrock]

Just to let you know, I finally got a GD-EMU. Then found out it doesn't work in my Jap launch machine (a VA0). Lucky I have a boxed PAL VA1  machine it will work in (picked up in the Dreamcast end-of-life firesale at HMV on Oxford Street for 20 quid)!

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

New dreamcast game but it's more rudimentary than 'Fruit Y' and is priced way too high. They should have bundled several games on disk for that price.

Ed's price for fruit Y' was very fair by comparison.

http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=7736

 

[LuSimon]

Hey guys, people here are normally so helpfull and have quite some knowledge about tthe dreamcast hardware, I have had a litle problem these days with crazy taxi and already asked for some tips on the Dreamcast-talk forum support but so far no one could help me out yet if some of you could help me fix this issue I have been having it would be much apreciated. 


Here is what I posted in the forum:

Spoiler

Hi everyoneBefore telling the problem I want to make it clear that my dreamcast can read any other games with no problems and even some of my games are very scratched (the previous user of the dreamcast used to be a child that was psycho to the max), I never played burned copies of dreamcast games and every game I have is legit. And my Dreamcast and games are PAL.- I bought a copy of Crazy taxi a month ago, and even back when I bought it the seller said the game was brand new untill a few months back when he unsealed it. And I can say that it does seem like it because the case is very well preserved the manual is perfect and there is even a pamphlet with promos of 2001 games to look forward eheh. - The disk is in a really good condition and almost barelly scratched (and the few scratches it has, are very few and small) I also cleaned the disk with ethilic alcohool with the same cloth that is used to clean glasses because it had small spots with dried dirtiness.- However, even tho the game boots up normally and is perfectly playable during a good while, a warning sooner or latter eventually appears at the bottom of the screen saying that the disk is scratched or that it has dirt or something (I will edit this part telling what it really says when I can reproduce the problem again).- Plus that happens specially when the music stuters for a few seconds and that is when the game starts to get the warning... - When that happens the warning wont dissapear and the game starts working really bad untill it gets unplayable.- There isn't even any disk rot that is noticeable!I have searched this issue on google but I couldnt find anything that could solve my problem.Any help and insight to what is happening would be much apreciated, and thanks for the attention, I've written quite a big text but I wanted to detail the issues as clearly I could. Crazy Taxi is a gem that deserves to be played with no issues.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

It sounds strange that the game itself would state that the disc is scratched. It could not know that I'd say.


It might take it to be corrupt media.


Was there any known buggy versions of this game or bad disc presses?


I can no longer get last hope or neo xyx to work on my dc. Annoying; the dc resets on an infinite loop at the boot screen for both games.


It's not the reseting hardware flaw because gunlord, shenmue and rush rush rally racing all work just fine.


Both discs are probably just shiny beermats now I'd say.


I though it could be a laser recalibration issue but I don't really know. 

 

[Fzero]

@LuSimon  I am not sure, but do you know about this?


http://www.instructables.com/id/Dreamcast-cd-reading-issue-repair/


Tweak to a potentiometer sensor which adjusts how much power the laser can use.


It's fixed a few peoples' DC's but think it is more for those not reading discs at all, so perhaps not going to fix your issue where just the one disc gets affected, but thought I'd mention it

 

[TrashyMG]

@LuSimon  I am not sure, but do you know about this?


http://www.instructables.com/id/Dreamcast-cd-reading-issue-repair/


Tweak to a potentiometer sensor which adjusts how much power the laser can use.


It's fixed a few peoples' DC's but think it is more for those not reading discs at all, so perhaps not going to fix your issue where just the one disc gets affected, but thought I'd mention it

I had to tweak one of mine to read CD-Rs consistently, it would read every legit DC game I owned, but for CD-Rs a small tweak of that potentiometer did the trick.

 

[rygD]

I had to tweak one of mine to read CD-Rs consistently, it would read every legit DC game I owned, but for CD-Rs a small tweak of that potentiometer did the trick.

I wonder if that would have helped with my issue when I burned several copies of Half-Life before it worked.