The Japanese giant has confused the industry, however, by announcing a policy that, in effect, suggests that Dreamcast hardware will be ‘updated’ periodically. It has also hinted that special add-on devices will be marketed to owners of ‘old’ machines.

The industry is cynical that such a ploy would work, and not annoy or confuse consumers. A specific example is the mooted introduction of DVD compatibility to Dreamcast in the not-too-distant future - obviously, a knee-jerk reaction to the PlayStation 2’s abilities in that area.

But what of existing owners? How will they react to the introduction of such an integral feature mere months after buying a now-obsolete model? It’s a thorny issue. It doesn't help that the shadows of the 32X and Mega CD still continue to cast a pall over Sega’s reputation.

The Dreamcast’s head start over PlayStation 2 gives developers the time to accustom themselves to its architecture. Sega will need to encourage the coding community to genuinely push the machine’s capabilities – to establish the format as a ‘home’ to exclusive, high-quality games.

You see, on paper – and this has, Future Gamer will add, yet to be proved in gaming practice – PlayStation 2 is a markedly better console. And, it goes without saying, Sony will be keen to emphasise such a fact…