The Sega BlackBelt Console

[NEXT BOX]

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2789/blackbelt3qb.jpg
an alleged picture of the Sega BlackBelt or 'Black Belt' prototype console
which was *not* selected
to become Sega's final console.

the 'Dural' console *was* selected to become Sega's final console. 'Dural'
progressed into the 'Katana'
in 1997 and Katana was released as 'Dreamcast' in 1998 in Japan, and 1999 in
the U.S., UK and Europe.


what was under-the-hood of 'Black Belt' ? that can only be speculated on
as far as concrete details.
there are several possible combinations of CPU and 3D graphics accelerator
for Black Belt.


CPU possibilities:

1. Hitachi SH-4 200 MHz (like Katana-Dreamcast)
2. Motorola PowerPC 603e 166 MHz (like later SEGA MODEL 3 arcade boards)
3. MIPS R5000 200 ~ 250 MHz

3D graphics accelerator possibilities:

1. souped up Voodoo1 chipset
2. modified / souped up Voodoo2 chipset
3. Banshee or modified Banshee chipset
4. Banshee2 / pre-Voodoo3 chipset

the most likely combination was a PowerPC 603e CPU and Banshee2 /
pre-Voodoo3 3D accelerator.

 

[Carcon]

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2789/blackbelt3qb.jpg
an alleged picture of the Sega BlackBelt or 'Black Belt' prototype console
which was *not* selected
to become Sega's final console.

the 'Dural' console *was* selected to become Sega's final console.
'Dural'
progressed into the 'Katana'
in 1997 and Katana was released as 'Dreamcast' in 1998 in Japan, and 1999
in
the U.S., UK and Europe.


what was under-the-hood of 'Black Belt' ? that can only be speculated on
as far as concrete details.
there are several possible combinations of CPU and 3D graphics accelerator
for Black Belt.


CPU possibilities:

1. Hitachi SH-4 200 MHz (like Katana-Dreamcast)
2. Motorola PowerPC 603e 166 MHz (like later SEGA MODEL 3 arcade boards)
3. MIPS R5000 200 ~ 250 MHz

3D graphics accelerator possibilities:

1. souped up Voodoo1 chipset
2. modified / souped up Voodoo2 chipset
3. Banshee or modified Banshee chipset
4. Banshee2 / pre-Voodoo3 chipset

the most likely combination was a PowerPC 603e CPU and Banshee2 /
pre-Voodoo3 3D accelerator.

looks a bit like the original playstation.

 

[NEXT BOX]

looks a bit like the original playstation.

no way. oh you mean the casing/shell/external. yeah it does. heh, at
first i thought you meant the possible chipsets.

 

[Bateau]

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2789/blackbelt3qb.jpg
an alleged picture of the Sega BlackBelt or 'Black Belt' prototype console
which was *not* selected
to become Sega's final console.

Sega making consoles? Hahahaha. That's like Sanyo deciding to make
suspension bridges.

 

[Shinnokxz]

"NEXT BOX" <[email protected]> wrote:

Sega making consoles? Hahahaha. That's like Sanyo deciding to make
suspension bridges.

This was back in 1996-1997...

 

[Knight37]

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2789/blackbelt3qb.jpg
an alleged picture of the Sega BlackBelt or 'Black Belt' prototype
console which was *not* selected
to become Sega's final console.

the 'Dural' console *was* selected to become Sega's final console.
'Dural' progressed into the 'Katana'
in 1997 and Katana was released as 'Dreamcast' in 1998 in Japan, and
1999 in the U.S., UK and Europe.


what was under-the-hood of 'Black Belt' ? that can only be
speculated on as far as concrete details.

"can" be speculated. But probably not "should" be. I mean, who gives a rats
ass? It never happened. It is completely, and totally, irrelevant. It's not
even interesting, like one of those "what if Hitler hadn't attacked the
Russians" what-ifs. This what-if has zero interest whatsoever.

BTW, the Dreamcast was a damn good game console, except for two things:

1. Per usual, Sega ****ed up marketing and hyping it and let Sony steal the
thunder even though normal humans couldn't even BUY a PS2 for almost a year
after the PS2 launch.

2. The launch games were just "eh" apart from Soul Caliber.

3. They put a modem instead of a network card or both. If they'd have had
broadband Phantasy Star Online and broadband sports games before anyone
else, it would have done a lot better in their online service. I never
really bothered with Dreamcast online stuff because my ISP was broadband
and I didn't want to pay for a dial-up ISP just to play DC online.

So three things I guess.

Anyway, it's as they say, history. I am just as happy playing Sonic on my
Gamecube I suppose.

 

[Satanica]

"can" be speculated. But probably not "should" be. I mean, who gives a rats
ass? It never happened. It is completely, and totally, irrelevant. It's not
even interesting, like one of those "what if Hitler hadn't attacked the
Russians" what-ifs. This what-if has zero interest whatsoever.

BTW, the Dreamcast was a damn good game console, except for two things:

1. Per usual, Sega ****ed up marketing and hyping it and let Sony steal the
thunder even though normal humans couldn't even BUY a PS2 for almost a year
after the PS2 launch.

2. The launch games were just "eh" apart from Soul Caliber.

3. They put a modem instead of a network card or both. If they'd have had
broadband Phantasy Star Online and broadband sports games before anyone
else, it would have done a lot better in their online service. I never
really bothered with Dreamcast online stuff because my ISP was broadband
and I didn't want to pay for a dial-up ISP just to play DC online.

But to be fair there weren't all that many users on Broadband at the
time. As far as most people were concerned it was still far to expensive

 

[The Raptured]

The dreamcast is dead! Unless you have at least 5 publishers showing
interest or producing for it right now, it really does not have life.
However, I do not believe SEGA will sit and program for other consoles for
long. Just long enough to milk enough income from other platforms to correct
its own balance sheet. A Sega console will surface probably not in the next
generation of console, probably the one after. Sega has been around for a
long time, they know the market and how the tough game can be played. One of
the existing platforms will fall eventually. My guess it will be Sony, it
due for one!

Long live SEGA

 

[[ste parker]]

The dreamcast is dead! Unless you have at least 5 publishers showing
interest or producing for it right now, it really does not have life.
However, I do not believe SEGA will sit and program for other consoles for
long. Just long enough to milk enough income from other platforms to correct
its own balance sheet. A Sega console will surface probably not in the next
generation of console, probably the one after. Sega has been around for a
long time, they know the market and how the tough game can be played. One of
the existing platforms will fall eventually. My guess it will be Sony, it
due for one!

Are you in the habit of making replies that have precious little to do
with the post you're replying to, or did you just not bother to read it
at all in the first place? FU set to ugvd.

 

[Knight37]

But to be fair there weren't all that many users on Broadband at the
time. As far as most people were concerned it was still far to
expensive

Sega wasn't forward thinking enough. By the time the console WOULD have
been in full swing, broadband was ubiquitous. But since it only lived for 2
years or so, no. BTW, most of my friends had broadband. And I'm not saying
they shouldn't have included a modem, I'm saying they should have had both,
like the PS2 online adapter had. It REALLY SUCKED <tm> being a broadband
gamer and NOT being able to play my Dreamcast on it. Basically your
hardcore gamers a lot of em had broadband, and we're the ones who drive the
market, the early adopters so to speak. After we spread word of mouth about
how cool SOCOM is, well then hot damn, everyone suddenly seems to have
broadband.