Author Topic: dreamcast price history help, please.  (Read 4501 times)

Offline Sega Stylista

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dreamcast price history help, please.
« on: October 01, 2010, 02:40:32 pm »
Hi,

was wondering if some one could help me put together a DC price history (primarily interested in NA territory though glad to hear about EU/JP) throughout its short retail life.  I'm not lazy and have been researching this, and you know DC had a rather complex price/rebate history in a short time span, so I would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.

This is what I have so far:

NA Launch Sept, 9, 1999 MSRP--$199.99
Sept ?, 2000 $50 reduction MSRP--$149.99
Sept 7, 2000 Seganet rebate--$149.99
*When was price dropped to $99.99 before PS2 launch/holiday 00???
Edit update: price dropped to $99.99 from $149.99 on Feb 4, 2000. price was $149.99 against PS2 launch holidays. Bundles?
*What was the price when the "plug was pulled" circa Feb 2001? $99.99???
Edit update: repeat of above price was $149.99 dropped to $99.99
August 12, 2001 MSRP--$75.99
End of Year 2001 MSRP--$49.99 is this correct?

Edit: appears date of $49.99 drop was Nov. 21, 2001

*comments about bundles/packages appreciated.

Another key statistic I'm after--what was worldwide and territory sales at the time the plug was pulled?

thanks.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2010, 03:58:38 pm by Sega Stylista »

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Offline George

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Re: dreamcast price history help, please.
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2010, 02:43:49 pm »
I'm pretty sure it was still 150 during the PS2 launch.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 pm by Guest »

Offline fluffymoochicken

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Re: dreamcast price history help, please.
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2010, 03:10:23 pm »
Man, it's times like these that I still had my old ODCM magazines so I could help you. I only have the demo discs now. But just wait, Barry is sure to have them. :P

I bought the system when it was $199. It was strange watching it slip down in price so quickly, to the point where they were essentially giving Dreamcasts away with their Seganet rebate. ^^;;; Sometimes, I really didn't want to believe that I had invested in a sinking ship...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 pm by Guest »

Offline Barry the Nomad

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Re: dreamcast price history help, please.
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2010, 03:36:27 pm »
I have all the ODCM issues and during the holidays they had a buyers guide, I also think they reported price drops. i'll scope it out tonight! I swear I bought a second DC for $99 while it was new, but it may have been a used console.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 pm by Guest »

Offline Sega Stylista

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Re: dreamcast price history help, please.
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2010, 03:55:30 pm »
okay, guys, thanks for your feedback.

I can confirm George's statement as accurate:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2680518.ht ... Btitle%3B1

Quote
Sega announces drastic restructuring

Sega of America announces that it plans to become a third-party publisher and drops the Dreamcast price to $99.95.

Sega of America has officially announced a drastic restructuring strategy to become a multiplatform third-party software publisher. The company also confirmed a drop in the price of its Dreamcast console from its current $149.95 price point to $99.95.

The Dreamcast price drop will become effective on February 4 in North America. As expected, production of the Dreamcast console will be discontinued on March 31.


So, DC was $149.95 at the time of the PS2 launch and throughout the holidays becoming $99.95 officially on Feb 4.

Any bundle/software discount information for 00 holiday would be interesting.

Still looking for installed base worldwide and territorial at the time of cancellation in Feb, 2001.

got this so far:

Quote
By the time Sega decided to cease development of Dreamcast, about 10 million consoles had been manufactured. While this number may seem impressive, more Dreamcast systems were sitting unsold in warehouses, retail and distribution channels at the time than had actually been sold to the public. Massive price cuts were quickly instituted in order to move the abundence of unsold hardware and the system had quickly dropped to prices as low as 49.99 USD new.

Edit update:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/08/18 ... es_shrink/

Quote
Not that it would say how far current Dreamcast sales are off target. Indeed, Sega said it was sticking to its projections of annual sales of 2.5 million consoles in the US and 1.2 million more in Europe, all in the 12 months to March 2001, the end of Sega's fiscal year.

Sega noted that Japanese sales continue to match expectations - one million units by fiscal year end

So projections for March 2001 were:
2.5 million U.S. annual
1.2 million Euro annual
1 million Japan annual

If Sega projected sales of 4.6 million for 2001 which it didn't meet then whatever the 1999-2000 sales were added to that should give the total at the time of cancellation which is looking around 6 to 7 million units?

Update 2:
Quote
According to the company, the Dreamcast will exceed the 500,000-units-sold mark during the upcoming weekend and reach 650,000 units in January, shortly after the Christmas holiday.

Sega Europe's president JF Cecillon has also stated that he expects to reach the one-year target of one million units by Easter 2000.

Just need Japan and NA first year..
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 pm by Guest »

[size=150]SEGA DIGITALISTA[/size][/color]

Giant corporations. . . The assassin\'s underworld has become a commodity. A chance for profit AND entertainment for the masses. But shadows from the wilder days still linger. . .

Offline Orta

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Re: dreamcast price history help, please.
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2010, 02:50:15 pm »
I believe it cost 50000$00 in old Portuguese currency at launch. It converts to €250.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 pm by Guest »