Sega Plans to Stop GD-ROM Production 02/2007 ?

[Mark30001]

Via Dreamcast-Scene

It is nearly certain that Sega of Japan plans to discontinue production of GD-ROM media in February, 2007. This media is used almost exclusively by the Sega Dreamcast home console, and the NAOMI arcade system. By stopping production, future official games (licensed by Sega) on the Dreamcast or NAOMI will not be possible.

(The NAOMI is important, because games such as Ikaruga, Border Down, Puyo Puyo Fever, and nearly all official import DC games from 2004-2007 originated on NAOMI.)

If GD-ROM production is discontinued, this means:

* No more NAOMI arcade games
* No more NAOMI ports to Dreamcast (Recent NAOMI ports include Under Defeat and Radirgy)
* Trigger Heart Exelica (February 2007) and Karous (March 2007) will unexpectedly be the final official Dreamcast games.

This doesn't need to happen, as developers are fond of the NAOMI for its relative low cost, ease of production and accessibility, and straightforward ports to the Dreamcast home console. Warashi returned to the scroll shooting genre with Trigger Heart Exelica on NAOMI, and Milestone would likely gladly continue to produce further games following Karous on the system as well.

Sega themselves have recently presented Dynamite Deka EX running on NAOMI. If GD-ROM production continues, there is a much greater chance that we'll see a home console port of this game on DC within a year. Please speak up now, and help us to ensure the continuation of GD-ROM production.

In order to show your opposition for the ceasing of production of GD-ROM media, please click on the image below, save and print, sign and date it, and then mail it to Sega of Japan, located at the following address:

Sega of Japan
1-2-12 Haneda
Ohta-ku, Tokyo, 144-8531
Japan

Because of the urgency of this matter, we, as Dreamcast-Scene, do not have time to compile collected signatures and send them in a large package as usual. These letters will need to be sent straight to the source. If you bring the sealed and addressed envelope to your local post office, they will be able to affix the exact amount of postage.

Click image to enlarge



Time is of the essence. Please do this as soon as you can. Thank you. - Dreamcast-Scene.com, and Dreamcast fans everywhere.
digg the story

[JKKDARK]

Believe me, these news are killing my heart (seriously).
I will try to help now

[Azuki]

To use GDrom for Dreamcast game release, people must have the official devkit (software and hardware) so the use of GDrom in DC is exclusively dedicaced to almost japanese companies.

Japanese companies deving on DC nowadays are a few (2 or 3), there are perhaps 2 or 3 games on GDrom made a year and very often shoot them up.

The most activity on DC nowadays is by homebrew coders (emulators and games) : they could not use legally GDrom anyways.

[JKKDARK]

The only way to get a console alive is releasing official software. Maybe there are not a lot of official games released every year, but it's enough if we want Dreamcast alive.
Anyway, Sega didn't announce it officially, Dreamcast-Scene is only assuming

@ Mark30001: I think you need to update your post adding it

[ShmupFighter]

I think I'm gonna be sick. I knew this would come sooner or later, but I never thought it would be this soon. Damn it!

[JKKDARK]

I think I'm gonna be sick. I knew this would come sooner or later, but I never thought it would be this soon. Damn it!

It wasn't announced by Sega!
It's like to say: "Oh what about id PS2 consoles are not produced after Feb '07? We need to make a petition!"
Did you understand?

[Elven6]

Damn, mabye we should show Sega we still love our GD-ROMs, flood the petitions and buy some of those new offical Dreamcast games coming out. And unless Homebrew games are loaded onto the main ram it will start deteriorating the laser faster, so we still need GD-ROMs!

[Christuserloeser]

As long as we don't have a reliable source or official statement by SEGA this is just another internet rumor, so I moved it from the news forum to the general gaming forum.

[Christuserloeser]

On another note:

And unless Homebrew games are loaded onto the main ram it will start deteriorating the laser faster, so we still need GD-ROMs!

This is another rumor. Dreamcast is made to read both formats - just like your DVD player. Homebrew does in no way affect the GD-ROM drive's lifespan.

So even if this whole thing would be true, SEGA could use common cds for NAOMI and Dreamcast. Remember that NAOMI even allows storing the game data on ROMs!

http://www.dreamcast-scene.com/commu...ic.php?p=10145

Seeing that [using CDs] would lower the publishing costs without significantly reducing the number of potential custumers, that's at least something I would do if I were in a position to decide. And seeing as none of the games we've recieved on Dreamcast during the past years included lots of FMV and use the AICA soundchip to generate the music instead of CDDA soundtrack, there wouldn't be a space problem on a common cd too. I mean we're talking about Arcade games and no big scaled RPG or adventure productions.

The good thing about a petition is however, that we indeed would show we care about the future of Dreamcast / NAOMI.

[SSaxdude]

I'll do a dance if they keep making GDs... ok that might not work. I'll sign a petition.