Vice City Dreamcast Port

[Miles]

GTA Vice City now has a Dreamcast port! It's still in development, but it's still insane that we can now play GTA 3 and Vice City at all on the Dreamcast!

https://dca3.net/

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

I heard about this project a few weeks ago and even watched some videos on YouTube — so cool to see it’s still going! Huge kudos to the team, because getting GTA Vice City to run on a Dreamcast is quite the challenge. This game was my very first GTA on PS2, so it holds a special place in my heart. I don’t own a Dreamcast and the PS2 version works perfectly for me, so I’m not waiting for this version on that platform, but I’m following the project with passion, because it’s fascinating to see what the developers can achieve on such different hardware!

 

[Miles]

I heard about this project a few weeks ago and even watched some videos on YouTube — so cool to see it’s still going! Huge kudos to the team, because getting GTA Vice City to run on a Dreamcast is quite the challenge. This game was my very first GTA on PS2, so it holds a special place in my heart. I don’t own a Dreamcast and the PS2 version works perfectly for me, so I’m not waiting for this version on that platform, but I’m following the project with passion, because it’s fascinating to see what the developers can achieve on such different hardware!

If it weren't for the GDI storage limitations, I think a San Andreas port would also be possible.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Those two and Half-Life SHOULD have been part of the original line-up.

Better late than never, I guess.

 

[Miles]

Those two and Half-Life SHOULD have been part of the original line-up.

Better late than never, I guess.

Yeah the Dreamcast REALLY needed those games. Those games might've been enough to save it!

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

Yeah the Dreamcast REALLY needed those games. Those games might've been enough to save it!

Without wanting to beat a dead horse, I’m afraid that even if GTA and Half-Life had been released on the Dreamcast, it probably wouldn’t have been enough to save it. The PS2 had a DVD drive and was more powerful, and considering the success of the previous generation with the PS1 compared to the Saturn, the Dreamcast was at a disadvantage from the start

 

[Miles]

Without wanting to beat a dead horse, I’m afraid that even if GTA and Half-Life had been released on the Dreamcast, it probably wouldn’t have been enough to save it. The PS2 had a DVD drive and was more powerful, and considering the success of the previous generation with the PS1 compared to the Saturn, the Dreamcast was at a disadvantage from the start

Sadly I think you're right. The good news is that the Dreamcast probably would've had an extra couple years on the market.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Yeah the Dreamcast REALLY needed those games. Those games might've been enough to save it!

Wasn't Half-Life even finished and ready to be released before being scrapped altogether? I'd have bought a Dreamcast much sooner if it included those titles.

I think that the true dagger to the Dreamcast's heart was the fact that very few of its games were known outside the system -- I didn't know what PowerStone was until I got a copy bundled with my console, for example.

 

[Miles]

Wasn't Half-Life even finished and ready to be released before being scrapped altogether? I'd have bought a Dreamcast much sooner if it included those titles.

I think that the true dagger to the Dreamcast's heart was the fact that very few of its games were known outside the system -- I didn't know what PowerStone was until I got a copy bundled with my console, for example.

It's cool that you had a Dreamcast back in the day! What made you decide to buy one?

 

[drizzes]

I wonder how 3 is currently doing in development. I haven't heard or seen anything since the first release that wasn't emulator compatible.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

It's cool that you had a Dreamcast back in the day! What made you decide to buy one?

I basically bought it off a friend after convincing him of buying it over the PS2.

Here's the full story: https://retrogametalk.com/threads/p...mories-of-a-night-playing-the-dreamcast.1529/

 

[Miles]

I wonder how 3 is currently doing in development. I haven't heard or seen anything since the first release that wasn't emulator compatible.

Hopefully an emulator compatible version will come out eventually.

 

[irkella irkella]

Without wanting to beat a dead horse, I’m afraid that even if GTA and Half-Life had been released on the Dreamcast, it probably wouldn’t have been enough to save it. The PS2 had a DVD drive and was more powerful, and considering the success of the previous generation with the PS1 compared to the Saturn, the Dreamcast was at a disadvantage from the start

Yeah, a lot of people seem to forget the fact that the PS2 not only had a DVD drive, but it was often even cheaper than a standalone DVD player when it released.

A lot of families justified the purchase partly on wanting to get a DVD player, and it actually being a relatively affordable option considering that it also played games for the kiddos. Sony definitely pushed the feature well.

The playback quality wasn't the same, but that didn't matter all that much for the average consumer with a CRT. There's also studies out there pointing to the fact that people will tend to buy a product based on its number of features or functions, even if they don't plan to use them.

Perfect positioning for Sony, bad timing for Sega.

Fun thread still kicking around from 2001 with tech enthusiasts discussing buying a PS2 vs DVD player: link

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Also yeah, the Vice City port has been in beta for a while now, pretty cool!

 

[semyaza]

dreamcast will soon run crysis and well still be like but muh dvd

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

A lot of families justified the purchase partly on wanting to get a DVD player, and it actually being a relatively affordable option considering that it also played games for the kiddos. Sony definitely pushed the feature well.

Well... the Dreamcast could play VCDs as well, but I'm not naive enough to consider that an advantage.

What perplexes me is the fact that Nintendo never even considered something like that for the GameCube, even when they KNEW they were the underdog on that race -- Panasonic had to step in and license the whole thing just for the GC to even stand on the ring. It's mind-blowing in a way.

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

Yeah, a lot of people seem to forget the fact that the PS2 not only had a DVD drive, but it was often even cheaper than a standalone DVD player when it released.

A lot of families justified the purchase partly on wanting to get a DVD player, and it actually being a relatively affordable option considering that it also played games for the kiddos. Sony definitely pushed the feature well.

The playback quality wasn't the same, but that didn't matter all that much for the average consumer with a CRT. There's also studies out there pointing to the fact that people will tend to buy a product based on its number of features or functions, even if they don't plan to use them.

Perfect positioning for Sony, bad timing for Sega.

Fun thread still kicking around from 2001 with tech enthusiasts discussing buying a PS2 vs DVD player: link

------------------------------------------

Also yeah, the Vice City port has been in beta for a while now, pretty cool!

It wasn’t because of the DVD drive that I ended up with a PS2 instead of a Dreamcast or another console. Back in the early 2000s, my parents made the choice for me. I just told them I wanted a console for Christmas without saying which one, and since they didn’t know much about games, they asked the salespeople at supermarkets and stores. The recommendation was the PS2, so that’s what I got.

Looking back, even though I appreciate Sega’s retro games, I don’t regret starting with the PS2 instead of the Dreamcast. And like you said, the DVD drive helped Sony a lot since it made the console cheaper to own, but in our case, it didn’t matter much. My dad and I each had our own PCs with DVD drives, and I was the only one playing on the PS2 anyway (I’m an only child and my parents weren’t gamers).

The DVD drive definitely contributed to the success, no doubt, but I think the previous generation’s success also played a big role. Back then, people didn’t only talk about the DVD drive, but it was definitely a strong selling point and heavily advertised.

It’s sad how things ended for SEGA, but I think it mainly came down to marketing mistakes — near the end of the Genesis with too many add-ons like the Sega CD and 32X, and then the Saturn, which just couldn’t compete with the PS1. The Saturn was rushed to market, was difficult to develop for, and lacked strong third-party support compared to Sony. We can’t change the past, but well… that’s how it went.

And then came the Dreamcast, with features maybe a bit too far ahead of its time, like online play, and graphics that were amazing back then — just look at Sonic Adventure.

Edit: Anyway, if they manage to get Vice City running on Dreamcast, I hope they can do the same with Vice City Stories. In theory, it should be possible since the game uses a similar—or even identical—engine and isn’t any larger. For me, Vice City Stories is the ultimate version of Vice City: the same city and gameplay style, but improved, with swimming and other features that make it much more complete. I’m really looking forward to seeing other ports running on Dreamcast if they continue with more games, not necessarily just GTA. I’d be curious to see what progress they make in the years to come.

 

[Miles]

Edit: Anyway, if they manage to get Vice City running on Dreamcast, I hope they can do the same with Vice City Stories. In theory, it should be possible since the game uses a similar—or even identical—engine and isn’t any larger. For me, Vice City Stories is the ultimate version of Vice City: the same city and gameplay style, but improved, with swimming and other features that make it much more complete. I’m really looking forward to seeing other ports running on Dreamcast if they continue with more games, not necessarily just GTA. I’d be curious to see what progress they make in the years to come.

The Dreamcast ports are based on the PC versions, so the stories games might not be possible to port yet. Also, the main trilogy is the main focus at the moment.

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

The Dreamcast ports are based on the PC versions, so the stories games might not be possible to port yet. Also, the main trilogy is the main focus at the moment.

Ah, okay, I didn’t know there were PC versions GTA VC. As I mentioned in my message, I wasn’t only talking about GTA… it could also be other games, for example Mafia (GTA-like) and Max Payne, a third-person action game also released on PC in the early 2000s, as well as other older games that could potentially be ported and run well on the Dreamcast

 

[Miles]

Ah, okay, I didn’t know there were PC versions GTA VC. As I mentioned in my message, I wasn’t only talking about GTA… it could also be other games, for example Mafia (GTA-like) and Max Payne, a third-person action game also released on PC in the early 2000s, as well as other older games that could potentially be ported and run well on the Dreamcast

GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas all had PC ports. The stories games didn't.

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas all had PC ports. The stories games didn't.

Yes, I already knew well in advance that VCS was only on PS2 and PSP. What I didn’t know, however, was that the port already made for Dreamcast, which runs like in the video you showed, was based on the PC version. I had thought it was originally a console version port. Now you’ve taught me that they only worked on the PC version, so I know it thanks to you. On reflection, it actually makes sense, probably because it’s simpler, I imagine. I don’t really know, though—I’m not a programmer, so I have no knowledge in that area.

 

[Miles]

Yes, I already knew well in advance that VCS was only on PS2 and PSP. What I didn’t know, however, was that the port already made for Dreamcast, which runs like in the video you showed, was based on the PC version. I had thought it was originally a console version port. Now you’ve taught me that they only worked on the PC version, so I know it thanks to you. On reflection, it actually makes sense, probably because it’s simpler, I imagine. I don’t really know, though—I’m not a programmer, so I have no knowledge in that area.

From what I understand it's a lot easier to modify PC versions of games, so it's going to be easier to port that to other systems.