Dear Future Gamer

I am furious! As if Sega delaying Dreamcast's launch until October 14 wasn't bad enough, I now find out that they still haven't delivered any supplies to the company I've ordered my unit from (Excitement Direct). Have they done this to other independent outlets? It takes the piss, because there are plenty available right now in the shops, but if you don't want to pay the full £200 then you're stuffed. Sega's treatment of independent retailers is abysmal, and surely not legal - how can they justify oversupplying the big High Street stores and conveniently not supplying any, even on release day, to the indies selling it at a cheaper price?

Louis Badcock

FG: Shocking! Sadly, small independents like Excitement Direct don't have the buying power of High Street multiples like Dixons and are therefore often at the bottom of the list when it comes to supplies. This is a situation that's always existed and is always likely to exist. Sega can't be singled out because everyone treats small independents this way to a greater or lesser degree. It's got nothing to do with independents selling the machines at a lower cost though, because Sega can't tell anyone to sell the machine at a certain price. A recommended retail price is just that - recommended.