The PlayStation, despite its obvious (and continued) mass market success, is an ‘old’ machine. Even the best PS games are appearing dated and decidedly glitchy when compared to PC or even N64 counterparts. Early demos illustrate that PS2’s capabilities are reminiscent of, say, your average well-produced FMV sequence. And yet, these sequences are calculated and processed ‘on the fly’ – they aren’t simple movies spooled from CD. Think of how Lara appears in Tomb Raider 3’s cinematic asides. That is the level of graphical detail that PlayStation 2 promises…

Is it better than Dreamcast?

Naturally, Sega will be eyeing the reaction of the press and public alike within the next few months. PlayStation 2, on paper, appears a far more advanced machine than Dreamcast. Furthermore, the hi-res, polished countenance of most DC games is eclipsed by early PS2 demos.

Although certain Dreamcast games – such as Power Stone, or Sonic Adventures – are not without a considerable degree of technical merit, they don’t look significantly better than many PC games. This, to its PC-like core (or should that be ‘cast’?) is the Dreamcast’s problem.

At the time of the Super Nintendo or PlayStation launches, both machines offered visual performance that exceeded the capabilities of the average PC. Dreamcast, however, isn’t far removed in poly-moving prowess than current high-end PCs armed with 3D acceleration. On paper, or at a glance, PlayStation 2 is a markedly more capable machine than Sega’s console.

The Dreamcast’s strength is the ease with which developers can create games for both it and the PC. That, allied with aggressive pricing, a high level of software support and effective marketing, could ensure a high level of success for Sega.