SEGA ON COMPETITION
April 28, 2000

Apparently, when it comes to Dolphin, Sega knows more than we do. In a recent interview with MCV Magazine, Sega of America's VP of Development, Greg Thomas, says that Dolphin is a bigger threat to them than PS2 or X-Box.

"I don't care how many polygons X-Box can put out," Thomas said. "It's all about who can deliver the next great gameplay experience. I'm not nervous about X-Box or PlayStation2, because we think we can make better games. No one will have head-to-head Internet play but us. What does worry me is Dolphin's sensory controllers [which are rumored to include microphones and headphone jacks] because there's an example of someone thinking about something different."

We're well aware that Nintendo has patents on sensory technology to be "used in future controllers." A benefit of this technology would be communicating in real-time voice with other players in a online game. Voice-over-IP, which would make this benefit possible, has already made it onto Nintendo's to-do list, and will likely be used by an incorporated microphone in the controller. Anything more about the top-secret Dolphin controller is mere speculation.

Of course, Sega's input comes as no surprise. The two game companies seem to be focusing on each other, while the two more than game companies are also focusing on each other. It depends on whether gamers want just games or more than just games as to how well this strategy pans out (and to who is more successful in the long run).

Source: N2HQ