Dreamcast

Background

The Dreamcast was the last video game console produced by Sega. After the failure of the Sega Saturn, Sega created the Dreamcast to cut the prohibitive costs of their last console. Despite a successful American launch and a generally high-quality library, interest for the Dreamcast waned as soon as the PlayStation 2 hit the scene, not helped by Sega's American image being damaged by both the Saturn's stunted launch as well as the poor reception of the Sega CD and especially the 32X add-ons for the Genesis. After poor sales, limited third-party support and a change in leadership, the console was discontinued only three years after its original launch, and Sega quit the console market for good. Since then, the Dreamcast has amassed a large cult following and is seen as one of Sega's best consoles; it is known for a massive amount of acclaimed games largely seen as ahead of their time, as well as plenty of homebrew content.

1st Logo (1998)

Nickname: "The Dreamcast Swirl", "The Dot"

Logo: On a white background, a red dot bounces in from the right side of the screen and begins forming a red 3D swirl. The swirl at first goes inward and outward while it forms, but it finishes going inward first. The swirl revolves around as it forms, then it leaps back as the words "Dreamcast" in black with blue sides backflip in below it and quickly land letter by letter. The swirl and the letters become 2D images and the swirl's shadow disappears.

Variant: For PAL consoles intended for sale in Europe and Australia, the swirl is blue due to trademark issues with Tivola, as that company had a red swirl in their logo years before the Dreamcast used a similar one.

FX/SFX: The swirl forming and letters backflipping.

Music/Sounds: A glissando of dreamy synthesized chimes, followed by a 12-note synth theme that ends in a flourish.

Availability: Extinct. Only used as a prototype logo before the Dreamcast was available for commercial use. The development consoles have this logo.

Editor's Note: The "Dreamcast" letters suddenly appear before they backflip rather than coming in from offscreen, but this might have been because this logo was a prototype.

2nd Logo (November 27, 1998 - March 31, 2001 [end of production], March 8, 2007 [last game])

Nickname: "The Dreamcast Swirl II", "It's Thinking"

Logo: On a white background, we see a red dot coming from the left of the screen. Then it "bounces" forming the word "Dreamcast" letter by letter. The trademark "TM" symbol forms with the "t" in Dreamcast. After the word is completely formed, the red dot forms a red swirl above "Dreamcast", inward to outward.

Variants:

A blue swirl appears on PAL consoles in a similar fashion to the previous logo.
If you turn on a Dreamcast while the disc cover is open, a still version of the completed logo appears.

FX/SFX: The words "Dreamcast" and the red swirl being formed.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy synth chord with a dreamy synth note played in reverse as the dot drops down. When it bounces, a series of waterdrop-like sounds are played to the formation of the letters, along with a synthesized cymbal crescendo. When the orange swirl forms, two drumbeat-like synth sounds are heard.

Availability: Rare. Appears when you turn on a Sega Dreamcast system.

Editor's Note: Much better than the prototype logo. It's a favorite of many for its futuristic and soothing nature.