Sega Denies Dreamcast Resurrection

News from C&VG

<blockquote>Many thanks to Andrew Steele who has emailed us in a full translation of the Sega Direct webpage in question. The Dreamcast consoles for sale are indeed repaired and refurbished units that have been returned to Sega by customers. "The set that once cost 15,540 yen (including tax), has dropped to 10,000 yen (including tax)! If purchased as a stand alone unit, the price gets even better; 5,540 yen a unit!", Sega declares.
The company says that the machines function fine, although anyone purchasing one should expect the likes of scratches on the casing. The consoles are only available to Japanese punters, and it's a one-console-per-person deal and they can only be purchased through Sega Direct: ". We ask that you register with Sega Direct in order to purchase the machines. And we must also inform you that the number of units is limited, and so may sell out quickly."

Here's more from Andrew Steele's transcription/email:

Please take the time to read and understand the important points listed below.

What is the DC Resale?

We at Sega, have taken the Dreamcast units returned to us by customers, repaired them and refurbished them to a working state. The new units differ in no way to brand new machines.

Please be aware that, although these units no function as brand new machines, they still bare a little external damage in the form of scratches and other imperfections.

The DC Resale will be conducted through Sega Direct. We ask that you register with Sega Direct in order to purchase the machines. And we must also inform you that the number of units is limited, and so may sell out quickly.

About making a purchase

To Sega Direct customers,

Only those currently residing in Japan are eligible to purchase the machines

Point of importance:

Sales are limited to 1 unit per person.

Resale of the units is prohibited.

The repair and maintenance service for the resold units will expire on 31st March 2007 (The same length of time as the original units)

These machines are NOT compatible with MIL CDs.

About malfunctions:

If the machine malfunctions within 2 weeks of purchase:

Although we have taken great care to ensure that all machines function normally, in the unlikely event of a problem, please contact the Sega Direct Customer Centre within 2 weeks of purchasing the unit and we will endeavour to replace the machine. (Replacement machines are also resale models)

If the machine malfunctions after 2 weeks:

If the machine has been used correctly according to the included instruction manual, and is still within the guarantee period (within a year of the initial purchase), please send it, along with the guarantee form, to the customer service centre. We will repair the unit free of charge.

We cannot replace the machine with a new one.
++ UPDATE ENDS ++

Well, there you go. If you've read the rumour previous to this latest news and got a bit excited, sit down and drink grandma's large sherry. It'll make you feel much better. And finally, we can't bugger off without declaring that Sega's Dreamcast was a great console with some equally great games. Sadly, it only ever managed to live in PlayStation's shadow. It deserved better.</blockquote>

So it doesnt look like those bundles are good for Homebrew Dreamcast fans