Deku said:
If you can't see beyond graphics chips and the amount of RAM then you don't deserve to have an opinion/
In terms of philisophy both were very similar. In terms of the evangelical core of fans having absolutely no impact on the eventual outcome, they are also similar.
The most striking thing is that both represent down and out players trying to make a play for the top spot. There's a burst of intense creative action, calls of 'innovative design' and revolution. The Dreamcast didn't get there, the Wii did. The parallels weren't lost to many armchair commentators here, which explains why so many were so sure Wii would fail. They've seen it before.
Of course, there are notable differences. Whereas the Dreamcast followed the disastrous alienation Sega caused with the Saturn, the GameCube, equally disastrous as product had a relatively soft landing and the DS managed to set the scene for the Wii in a way Sega wouldn't have been able to.
Opinions are not deserved.
A console it´s a machine, an idea, an architecture and pieces of hardware to make that idea a reality. Dreamcast was born as the most advanced system on its time, there was technical ambition and a desire to compete with the future PS2. Wii has not technical ambition, only a creative one. For me, creativity must be sustained with technology.
Wii completely ignores their competitors and ignores the advancements produced on the programming and technical field. While companies were spending millions on R&D and working hard on the engines and techniques that would allow the studios to fulfill their next gen ambitions, Nintendo decided all that was worthless and went with a cheaper system with a new focus on control.
Take the animation from Assasin´s Creed or Uncharted , for me that is absolutely beautiful and make the investment on the console worth, it give me a new feeling about the game and the character I´m playing. Developers will never be able to use that animation technique on Wii in all its extension.
Nintendo strategy has no praise from me because I have other ideas about the industry. It´s just a personal statement that is not related with the excellent quality and production values of Nintendo titles, so there is no need to attack me or my ideas.