Yep, that's right, Sega is bringing back one of it's most beloved consoles of all time in a virtual way. Starting with the re-releases of two of the biggest games for the DC, Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, you'll start to see some of your old fave's pop up on both LIVE and the PSN.
At this point I'm a little unclear on whether there will be a dedicated Dreamcast 'storefront', a la the Virtual Console on the Wii, or if the games will simply be listed along with all of the other DLC on the services.
Either way, this is a great idea by Sega. With many of their newer games not getting a great reception at the sales counters, offering classic titles may get quite a few more folks to bite- even if it is just for the nostalgia. Or just for the Trophy's and/or Achievements. Every game will be updated to include support for Sony and Microsoft's respective forms of digital crack.
Official stuff after the break.
SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced plans to bring classic titles from its popular Dreamcast™ console to Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PlayStation®Network later this year. Sonic Adventure™ and Crazy Taxi™ will be the first two classics made available, with Sonic leading the pack in Fall 2010 for the 11th anniversary of the launch of the Dreamcast in the United States.
Each game is based on the original Dreamcast incarnation, featuring all of the gameplay that older players fell in love with, whilst allowing a new audience to discover it for the very first time. The games incorporate all-new enhancements and features such as high resolution visuals and surround sound. Online leader boards are now implemented, allowing players to compare their skills with friends across the world! In addition to this, all-new Achievement and Trophy integration will be available for each game released.
Launched on September 9, 1999, the SEGA Dreamcast is one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed consoles of all time. Featuring a software library of over 650 titles, the system was widely hailed as being ahead of its time, and was the first to introduce online console gaming, with Internet support for games through a built in modem.
“The Dreamcast is fondly remembered by a large community of dedicated fans as a console that was ahead of its time in terms of graphics, quality and online gaming” commented Haruki Satomi, VP of Digital Business at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe. “There are few things that are more requested from us than making Dreamcast classics available for download in today’s digital market place. We’re very excited to begin offering gamers our beloved Dreamcast titles again on the current console systems.”
Sonic Adventure will be available for download in Fall 2010. Both Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi will be on display at SEGA’s booth (#2023) at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo.
