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February 6th, 2001
A "Dream" Deferred, Weekend Box Office
This site, as you should know, covers video games. While
I've been focusing more on the main bulk, DVD, there is a
video game section (look forward to many updates to it in
the next few weeks, but that's a different story) and in the
past twenty five years, video games have become a pretty big
thing in media. However, after bad quarter losses, Sega,
once again, is closing up shop on their next generation
system, "Dreamcast". It's not dead just yet... Sega said
they would continue to develop games for the system, but
they would stop producing Dreamcast hardware. To clear
inventory, Sega has dropped the system to an astounding 99
dollars (I paid 199 at launch), while their recently
released "Smash Pack" will sell for 119. If you love good
gaming, this is definitely a package to consider.
Besides that point though, I was pretty saddened to hear
the news. Sega has always been an underdog of sorts and
probably my favorite gaming company. They create some great
home console games and great arcade games (many of which
have been ported to Dreamcast). In all truth, I personally
think Dreamcast is the best video game console yet (no, I
wasn't paid to say that and I have played a ton of games).
Sega is able to reproduce their great arcade games as I
mentioned to perfection, as well as create some great games
with sharp graphics plus online games that clearly blow
Playstation 2 out of the water.
But to make this news a bit more depressing (for me at
least), Sega announced that they would be developing video
games for Playstation 2 and Nintendo's latest handheld (due
out in Japan in March, U.S. in the summer), the Game Boy
Advance. Some "exclusive" titles would no longer be
exclusive - the underrated "Space Channel 5" and its
upcoming sequel would be ported to PS2, and rumors are
circulating that Acclaim will distribute the mega Dreamcast
and arcade hit "Crazy Taxi" for Playstation 2. GBA users
will be able to play "ChuChu Rocket" (which will have 2500,
yes, 2500 more levels than the Dreamcast version) and a new
Sonic The Hedgehog.
I can't blame Sega. I really can't. While so many
hardcore gamers just bash them and whatnot, I don't want
them to die and get screwed again. This will probably be
very successful for them and give them strong earnings,
because I know all gamers can't resist some of their
Dreamcast hits.
But I guess the thing that really annoys me is that some
of these games are no longer exclusive. These games made
Dreamcast owners proud to own a Dreamcast. For those who
mocked Sega fans, Sega fans could counter with "Haha! I have
'Crazy Taxi' and you don't!". But alas, it won't be the case
anymore. I guess I feel sort of shunned out . Like something
you love so much is being taken away from you. Something
like that. I just find it annoying. Oh well, again, I can't
blame Sega. While I have expressed my disappointment with
PS2 like so many others, it just goes to show you that a
system so many feel is not as good is mainstream and the
public goes along. Just like VHS and Betamax.
But again, Dreamcast is not dead yet. 3rd party
developers and Sega are still going to make plenty of games
for it, and with this price drop, everyone is going out and
getting a Dreamcast. Sega will benefit from that in someway,
but more in porting games to other systems. In fact, many
years back, Sega was going to do this with their industry
punchline machine the "Sega Saturn" under a company called
SegaSoft. They planned to port some Saturn games to
Playstation, but that never happened. But Saturn users got
bad versions of Playstation classics "Battle Arena
Toshinden", "Wipeout" and "Destruction Derby".
Does anyone think that the Dreamcast may be like the
Saturn? I hope. While the Saturn launched early and that
launch killed it critically, plus the lack of games,
Dreamcast's launch was pretty successful. However, sales
slumped. Maybe in a few years Dreamcast will have a very
nice cult audience of sorts. Importing games that never came
out, playing around with them, sort of like how there is
still a big community for Saturn players on the internet.
And you know what? I would like that very much.
Well, that's been the biggest DVDlaunch update and rant
yet! So how about the weekend box office?
In first again was The Wedding Planner with 10.6
million, and "J-Lo" now has the top movie and top album.
Valentine, the new horror flick came next with 10
million. In third was Cast Away, passing the 200
million mark with 7.3 million, in fourth was Save The
Last Dance with 7.2 and Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon was fifth with 6.8. Next weekend it should
surpass "Life Is Beautiful" as the highest grossing foreign
language picture of all time. Traffic was sixth with
6.3, the new Universal romantic comedy Head Over
Heels didn't score well with the critics or audiences
either, making a meager 4.8 million. Finding Forrester
was eight with 4.2, Snatch with 4.0 and rounding
out the top ten was Chocolat with 3.6 million.
Next weekend should be big... "Hannibal" opens
(ptbtbtbtbtbtbtb) and next week... Oscar® nods! Woohoo!
- Zach B.
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