Editing Dreamcast (section)

==== North America ====
Before the Dreamcast's release, Sega was dealt a blow when [[Electronic Arts]], the largest third-party video game publisher at the time, announced it would not develop games for the system. EA's chief creative officer [[Bing Gordon]] said that Sega had "flip-flopped" on the hardware configuration, that EA developers did not want to work on it, and that Sega "was not acting like a competent hardware company". Gordon also said that Sega could not afford to give them the "kind of license that EA has had over the last five years".<ref name="gamasutra1" /> According to Stolar, president of EA at the time, Larry Probst, wanted exclusive rights as the only sports brand on Dreamcast, which Stolar could not accept due to Sega's recent {{US$|10 million}} purchase of the [[sports game]] developer [[Visual Concepts]]. While EA's ''[[Madden NFL]]'' series had established brand power, Stolar regarded Visual Concepts' ''[[NFL 2K]]'' as superior and would provide "a breakthrough experience" to launch the Dreamcast.<ref name="IGN's History of Sega" /><ref name="gamasutra1" /> While none of EA's popular sports games were released for the Dreamcast, "Sega Sports" titles developed mainly by Visual Concepts{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=581}} helped to fill that void.<ref name="gamasutra1" />

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| quote = Let's take the conservative estimate of 250,000 Dreamcast units at presage—that's a quarter of a million units at {{US$|long=no|200}}. We'll have a ratio of 1.5 or two games for every Dreamcast unit sold. That's half a million units of software. We think we'll be .5 to one on [[VMU]]s and peripheral items such as extra controllers and what have you. This could be a {{val|p=$|60 |to| 80 |u=million}} 24-hour period. What has ever sold {{val|p=$|60 |to| 80 |u=million}} in the first 24 hours?
| source = —Peter Moore, speaking to ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' about the upcoming launch of the Dreamcast.<ref name="EGM122">{{cite magazine|title=Dreamcast: It's here...|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|publisher=EGM Media, LLC.|issue=122|date=September 1999|page=168}}</ref>
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Working closely with [[Midway Games]] (which developed four North American launch games for the system) and taking advantage of the ten months following the Dreamcast's release in Japan, Sega of America worked to ensure a more successful US launch with a minimum of 15 launch games.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pages=564–565}} With lingering bitterness over the Saturn's early release, Stolar repaired relations with major US retailers, with whom Sega presold 300,000 Dreamcast units.<ref name="gamasutra1" /> In addition, a pre-launch promotion enabled consumers to rent Dreamcasts from [[Hollywood Video]] starting on July 14.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Graser |first1=Marc |title=H'wood Video plays Dreamcast vidgame |url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/h-wood-video-plays-dreamcast-vidgame-1117503595/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=June 30, 1999 |archive-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409050951/https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/h-wood-video-plays-dreamcast-vidgame-1117503595/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sega of America's senior vice president of marketing [[Peter Moore (business)|Peter Moore]],{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=565}} a fan of the attitude previously associated with Sega's brand, worked with [[FCB (advertising agency)|Foote, Cone & Belding]] and Access Communications to develop the "It's Thinking" campaign of 15-second television commercials, which emphasized the Dreamcast's hardware power.<ref name="gamasutra1"/><ref name="Dreamcast memorial">{{cite web |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |date=September 3, 2009 |title=9.9.99, A Dreamcast Memorial |url=http://www.1up.com/features/9999-dreamcast-memorial |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140201012313/http://www.1up.com/features/9999-dreamcast-memorial |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |website=[[1Up.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 26, 1998 |title=Dreamcast: The European View |url=https://ign.com/articles/1998/08/27/dreamcast-the-european-view |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208064810/http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/08/27/dreamcast-the-european-view |archive-date=December 8, 2014 |access-date=December 5, 2014 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> According to Moore: "We needed to create something that would really intrigue consumers, somewhat apologize for the past, but invoke{{sic}} all the things we loved about Sega, primarily from the Genesis days."<ref name="gamasutra1"/> On August 11, Sega of America confirmed that Stolar had been fired, leaving Moore to direct the launch.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pages=564–565}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Sam |date=August 12, 1999 |title=A Post-Bernie Sega Speaks |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-post-bernie-sega-speaks/1100-2460797/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705034437/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-post-bernie-sega-speaks/1100-2460797/ |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |access-date=December 17, 2014 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref>

The Dreamcast launched in North America on September 9, 1999, at a price of {{US$|long=no|199}}, which Sega's marketing dubbed "9/9/99 for {{US$|long=no|199}}".<ref name="IGN History of Dreamcast"/>{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=564}}<ref name="Dreamcast memorial"/> Eighteen launch games were available in the US.<ref name="Dreamcast memorial"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Gantayat |first=Anoop |date=September 9, 2008 |title=IGN Classics: Dreamcast Launch Guide |url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/09/09/ign-classics-dreamcast-launch-guide |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030003140/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/09/ign-classics-dreamcast-launch-guide |archive-date=October 30, 2014 |access-date=October 29, 2014 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Kato |first=Matthew |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/10/30/which-game-console-had-the-best-launch-lineup.aspx?PostPageIndex=4 |title=Which Game Console Had The Best Launch Lineup? |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |page=4 |date=October 30, 2013 |access-date=November 5, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230142031/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/10/30/which-game-console-had-the-best-launch-lineup.aspx?PostPageIndex=4 |archive-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> Sega set a new sales record by selling more than 225,132 Dreamcast units in 24 hours, earning {{US$|long=no|98.4 million}} in what Moore called "the biggest 24 hours in entertainment retail history".<ref name="gamasutra1"/> Within two weeks, US Dreamcast sales exceeded 500,000 units.<ref name="gamasutra1"/> By Christmas, Sega held 31 percent of the North American video game market share.<ref name="businessweek.com">{{cite magazine |author=Edwards, Cliff |date=December 18, 2000 |title=Sega vs. Sony: Pow! Biff! Whack! |url=http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_51/b3712200.htm |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Bloomberg Businessweek|BusinessWeek]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203025342/http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_51/b3712200.htm |archive-date=December 3, 2013}}</ref> Significant launch games included ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'', the arcade [[fighting game]] ''[[Soulcalibur (video game)|Soulcalibur]]'', and [[Visual Concepts]]' football simulation ''[[NFL 2K (video game)|NFL 2K]]''.<ref name="gamasutra1"/>{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=565}} On November 4, Sega announced it had sold over one million Dreamcast units in North America.<ref name="BBC"/> The launch was marred by a glitch at one of Sega's manufacturing plants, which produced defective GD-ROMs.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 10, 1999 |title=Defective Dreamcast GD-ROMs |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/defective-dreamcast-gd-roms/1100-2460952/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401191004/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/defective-dreamcast-gd-roms/1100-2460952/ |archive-date=April 1, 2015 |access-date=December 9, 2014 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref>