Support NeoGAF

[Bullet Club]

Sega Has Considered Dreamcast & Saturn Mini But Is Worried About Extreme Costs​

You can thank the pandemic

One of the highlights of the week was the announcement of the Mega Drive Mini 2 - Sega's next miniature console, loaded with 50 games from the Mega Drive and Mega CD libraries. It's launching this October in Japan and will include games like Sonic CD, Slipstream and Virtua Racing.

As exciting as this news is, it hasn't stopped fan requests for miniature versions of Sega's other consoles - like the Saturn and Dreamcast. So, why did Sega decide to release a Mega Drive 2 instead of something else? During an interview with Famitsu, Sega's classic hardware producer Yosuke Okunari explained how the pandemic shaped the outcome.

Here's what he had to say (courtesy of Twitter user @gosokkyu):

he's sure ppl will be like "what about Saturn/Dreamcast Mini?" [and] it's not like they [Sega] didn't explore the idea—the MD Mini's internals can't adequately handle Saturn games, and both developing and manufacturing new chipsets during the pandemic is a difficult & expensive process

...so, even if they'd forged ahead with a Saturn Mini anyway, it might've been extremely expensive—he jokes that he might like to release a mini that costs as much as an authentic modern console

And that's when the Mega Drive Mini 2 came into the picture, as an "extension" of the original one - making it a lot more manageable during a pandemic, in terms of the schedule and manufacturing. It's worth noting there will still be a "much lower production run" of this device - with the initial focus on stocking Japan. Okunari is aware of the demand overseas but remains focused on Japan for now, where the team knows the market.

Although the price of the second Mega Drive Mini system is higher - due to an improved chipset, more memory to fit Mega CD games, and the increased price of components, Okunari is confident the larger library of games will justify the price.

Okunari also mentioned how the team considered making another Game Gear Micro, but the increased price of semiconductors made costs of a second handheld micro-unit "1.5x the manufacturing price" of the original micro model. And the team supposedly couldn't risk selling at the same price and didn't want to increase the RRP.

Yosuke Okunari has previously mentioned how Sega has thought about creating other mini consoles, but for now, the focus is on the Mega Drive Mini 2.

Would like to one day see Sega release miniature devices based on the Dreamcast and Saturn? Would you be willing to pay more?

Source: Nintendo Life

 

[ParaSeoul]

Don't care,make them.

 

[lh032]

people still buy these nostalgia consoles? : S

 

[Kokoloko85]

Day 1.

If they are worried about cost, how about make a virtual console like store/service/app where we can download and play all the 1st Party Master-System, Megadrve/Genisis, Saturn and Dreamcast games.

Release it for Steam/PS/Xbox/Switch etc. Make a ton of money

Then slowly release some 3rd party titles they can sort licenses for….

 

[NeoGiffer]

...and extreme flop

 

[nush]

October in Japan and will include games like Sonic CD, Slipstream and Virtua Racing.

Slipstream?

 

[Bullet Club]

Slipstream?

Silpheed.

Or maybe it's a VCD version of the movie Slipstream.

 

[nush]

Silpheed.

Or maybe it's a VCD version of the movie Slipstream.

It's a solid hidden gem for sure.

 

[ACESHIGH]

It's usual Sega... forgetting these 2 consoles exist and porting the sonic trilogy for the umpteenth time.

 

[Black_Stride]

A DreamCast mini?
Id buy that for 200 dollars easy work.
As long as it comes with a controller, a VMU, Emulation+ mode and PAL coloring.
Fuck that NTSC red.

 

[Bullet Club]

It's a solid hidden gem for sure.

It wasn't bad.

It had Then Jericho's "Big Area" in it, which is a good song.

 

[p_xavier]

people still buy these nostalgia consoles? : S

I play them more than this gen's consoles. I have a dozen of them.

 

[nbkicker]

Id pay whatever to have a functioning dreamcast or saturn with hdmi and all the games on it, like always with sega they just stick with the megadrive and the same old games over and over , anyone with the first megadrive mini can mod it easily to run sega cd or 32x games

 

[nush]

It wasn't bad.

It had Then Jericho's "Big Area" in it, which is a good song.

I actually saw it in the cinema on release, it had Mark Hamill in it how could I not?

 

[Mattyp]

Real Sega fans already own the Dreamcast & Saturn’s but and have them respectfully connected to a CRT of the era

 

[Bullet Club]

I actually saw it in the cinema on release, it had Mark Hamill in it how could I not?

I saw it on VHS.

It did have some pretty big names in it but it's pretty much forgotten now.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

...so, even if they'd forged ahead with a Saturn Mini anyway, it might've been extremely expensive—he jokes that he might like to release a mini that costs as much as an authentic modern console

For christ's sake, you could just re-release the original Saturn and Dreamcast hardware along with the games and make a killing.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Worried about the extreme costs of re entering the console market full time with follow up consoles to those

 

[lostinblue]

Sega actually has ported at least some of the Saturn Library. So instead of emulating the Saturn, they should port them and make a collection.

A simple list lifted from Sega Ages collections, PC ports and newer ports releases into any other platform would look like this:

- Virtua Fighter
- Virtua Fighter 2
- Dragon Force
- Fighting Vipers
- Virtua Racing
- Last Bronx
- Panzer Dragoon
- Cyber Troopers - Virtual On
- NiGHTs Into Dreams
- Dynamite Deka
- Sega Rally
- Virtual Cop
- Virtua Cop 2
- House of the Dead
- Daytona USA
- Sonic 3D
- Sonic R
- Sega Worldwide Soccer
- Sega Touring Car Championship

Not too bad.

For christ's sake, you could just re-release the original Saturn and Dreamcast hardware along with the games and make a killing.

jesus christ, no.

Saturn was basically a final boss if you made an adventure/action game with a game developer main character. If you switched chips for flesh you'd get William Birkin from RE2 or something. Nightmare inducing.

Very prohibitive to do as a SoC, and compatibility with software would be shit due to changing parts and how low level everything was. They would have to do "blocks" in the chip to simulate the original hardware latency. Sega was having issues with the Saturn at the time precisely because it would be hell to miniaturize, but they couldn't drop prices otherwise.

I have no trouble believing that it would cost basically the same as a modern console if you wanted hardware compatibility.


Now, Dreamcast is easy tbh, both to emulate and do a SoC out of. (but there's no reason to go back and SoC it as emulation is so easy and accurate)

 

[worldwithpyramids]

Here’s hoping they reconsider them… there’s no “mini” consoles I would want more than Saturn/Dreamcast…

 

[RoadHazard]

people still buy these nostalgia consoles? : S

Nope. Nobody buys them. That's why these companies keep making them. To sell zero of them.

 

[RoboFu]

Idk how they would make a Saturn but if they did and put fighters mega mix on it … I would pay anything

 

[xpresstuning]

Sega actually has ported at least some of the Saturn Library. So instead of emulating the Saturn, they should port them and make a collection.

A simple list lifted from Sega Ages collections, PC ports and newer ports releases into any other platform would look like this:

- Virtua Fighter
- Virtua Fighter 2
- Dragon Force
- Fighting Vipers
- Virtua Racing
- Last Bronx
- Panzer Dragoon
- Cyber Troopers - Virtual On
- NiGHTs Into Dreams
- Dynamite Deka
- Sega Rally
- Virtual Cop
- Virtua Cop 2
- House of the Dead
- Daytona USA
- Sonic 3D
- Sonic R
- Sega Worldwide Soccer
- Sega Touring Car Championship

Not too bad.

It's a great idea, but i wouldn't recommend some of those games at all. I get that they're approachable from the standpoint that they're easy to port, but i can basically name like 3 games off that list that are in my 55 - 60 games that i highly recommend for the Sega Saturn. Fuck, might as well do a Model 2 Arcade collection.

 

[lostinblue]

Idk how they would make a Saturn but if they did and put fighters mega mix on it … I would pay anything

To be fair, if you want an emulator box, with the casing of a Saturn Mini, it's a matter of time until you can do it with a Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi 5 might just cut it, but I would wait for Raspberry Pi 6, specially because to emulate Saturn on an LCD I would like some extra image processing features.

 

[ShirAhava]

I'd foam at the mouth for a Saturn Mini day zero all the colors and versions!


Don't give a rats ass about the dreamcast mini most of the good stuff is playable everywhere at this point I'd want super obscure games they wouldn't include anyway

 

[Quasicat]

I would buy a Saturn mini in a heartbeat. To me, the worse news here is that they are only looking at Japan at the moment. Looks like I’m importing and hacking this into English.

 

[Esppiral]

I play them more than this gen's consoles. I have a dozen of them.

I play more ps2/Dreamcast/psx/Gamecube etc on my Series X than current gen games, actually it's been a month sin I bought Horizon Forbiden west to install it and never touch it again while I've been playing ghosthunter and Primal on my Xbox. (play those games, they are amazing!)

 

[darkangel-212559]

DREAMCAST MINI BELIEVE.

Best console EVER.

Fuck make it online and add PSO and Planet Ring. Now that's MY porn!

 

[Fuz]

For christ's sake, you could just re-release the original Saturn and Dreamcast hardware along with the games and make a killing.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Dreamcast mini would be fine cost concerns is a truth if the matter.

 

[Kokoloko85]

people still buy these nostalgia consoles? : S

Yeah its nice to have all your classic games on the mini console, plus 2 classic wireless controller

 

[Kokoloko85]

It's usual Sega... forgetting these 2 consoles exist and porting the sonic trilogy for the umpteenth time.

Yep and then saying maybe we will do some other games in the future. And then releasing another Megadrive collection service on iphone/android lol

 

[RoboFu]

people still buy these nostalgia consoles? : S

I have most of them. Funny enough the most disappointing one the PlayStation mini became my best emulator device without having to hack it.

 

[Esppiral]

The problem with the Dreamcast is that you need dirext11 or equivalent hardware in other to emulate correctly the independent order translucent meshes otherwise the game will look incredible corrupted.

 

[Shifty1897]

I would pay an irresponsible amount of money for a Saturn mini.

 

[wipeout364]

Saturn mini could be something really special but they would probably screw it up. Dreamcast had a lot of really cool games as well although we have a lot more ports of those titles around.

 

[Little Chicken]

They could always launch official emulators for existing consoles and charge $5 - $10 a ROM which I think is perfectly reasonable.

 

[Elios83]

Dreamcast mini is the only mini console I'd buy from Sega so not a good decision from my point of view.

 

[normalguy09x]

Honestly. I dont understand the appeal of these mini consoles. Why not just re release all the games over PSN, XBL, and Steam?

 

[Dutchy]

people still buy these nostalgia consoles? : S

They're surprisingly popular among young families. I know a lot of people who play these consoles with their kids.

Me personally, I would easily put down 150+ for a Dreamcast mini. Can't be bothered hooking up the real deal anymore with all those ancient cables.

 

[Dutchy]

Honestly. I don't understand the appeal of these mini consoles. Why not just re release all the games over PSN, XBL, and Steam?

From what I've noticed working in retail when the first couple of mini consoles got released is that a big portion of the target audience are not your average gamers. Plenty of people who have all the Mini nintendo stuff but no PS/XB/PC etc.

 

[ZoolNL]

Pretty strange knowing Chinese companies can make handhelds for cheap playing these devices..

 

[RAIDEN1]

It is a load of trash, it has been more than 20 years since both consoles became obsolete....and in all that time they have been dragging their heels in getting a Saturn mini and Dreamcast mini created...the convenient excuse of the pandemic came up to hide that fact....if Nintendo announced tomorrow the release of the N64 mini....that might give Sega something to think about...

 

[H4ze]

Day 1 for both, just do it Sega! God damnit

 

[Kilau]

They should stealth launch the Saturn mini to stay true to form.

 

[Kiddo Cabbusses]

What are the actual cost logistics anyway?

We are reaching a point where unlicensed clone hardwares are starting to do Saturn and Dreamcast to at least some extent, and Dreamcast-based games like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 are being featured in things like Arcade1up.

This sounds a lot like "we need more powerful hardware to do a 32X mini" even though hackers could put 32X games in the first Genesis Mini.

 

[Joelenheimer]

They can't afford to make these cool products after dumping too much money into Sonic's continued downfall.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

No wondr they're worried about costs, I mean let's be honest, beyond a relatively small amount of middle aged people, is anyone really going to give a shit about a mini Dreamcast and especially a mini Saturn?

 

[Bullet Club]

They should stealth launch the Saturn mini to stay true to form.

And it will still sell better than the Playstation Mini.

"Discounted to $29.99. *mic drop*"

 

[TLZ]

Master System mini fgs. Cheaper and does the job for now.