Sega possibly to leave hardware arena

[11.11.99] » Networked, online "e-services" seen as company's future.

   Crowds were surprised at a recent ceremony held at the Okawa Foundation when the chairman of Sega Enterprises, Isao Okawa, announced during a question and answer session on the Dreamcast's future that it would likely be Sega's last console. Earlier, incorrect reports labelled the original story as a mistranslation, but further investigation shows the statements were actually made. The future of the company instead rests on the Internet and software. "I will say that the future doesn't necessarily lie in the hardware business," said Okawa. "I think in the future there is the possibility of Sega becoming a software-only company." Moreover, when asked if Sega would make the shift if Dreamcast sales were unacceptable, he replied that "even if Dreamcast does sell, we will make that shift!" These bold statements fit well with earlier rumors that the company was considering a name change to Sega.com.

   Dreamcast owners need not worry, since Sega has no plans to prematurely kill the console. Evidence in support of this were the unveilings of the Dreamcast Zip Drive, Digital Camera, and microphone. Broadband supporters will be thrilled to know that an ethernet cable was in attendence, to boot. After the end of the DC's life span, however, there has been no sign of what form Sega's games would take: arcade titles, PC releases, or even development for other consoles such as the PS2 or Project Dolphin.

Dreamcast Zip Drive

Isao Okawa

Dreamcast Ethernet cable