Conspiracist claims that the Sega Spectrum console is on the way

A conspiracist on Facebook by the name of “Brians Computers and Games” claims that Sega is, and always have been, trying to get back into the hardware market and that the Sega Spectrum as well as a series of exclusive games are on the way.

This particular fellow has written out a lengthy description containing what he believes to be “evidence” supporting the notion that Sega have been trying to develop and release a new console since 2003. He starts off by describing Sega’s portable Dreamcast follow-up code named “Capricorn/Hikaru”, then he moves onto a rang of different Sega hardware projects before finally getting to the upcoming “Sega Spectrum Ultrabook”. This revolutionary new machine will allegedly be supported by a range of games including “Yakuza Chronicles“, “Project Hatsune Miku Diva Ultra“, “Anarchy Reigns DX”, “Sega Rally Revo Maximum” and more.

Personally, I think the entire post is the work of a very creative individual who quite possibly wants to draw attention to their American retro gaming shop. Even so, it makes for a ruddy good read. The entire post-Dreamcast “history” of Sega as told by Brian can be read after the jump.

[Source: Facebook]

Sega Spectrum information WOW that’s a lot of info I CANT WAIT

right now, I’d like to provide some very juicy information regarding SEGA’s new Ultrabook console “Sega Spectrum”. I’ve got not only info on what it looks like, I’ve also got B.O.M. figures, the budget, the skinny on its development and what it almost became: “Kids Pad” as well as a glimpse on its features,apps,OS and some games in development for it!

The Spectrum’s internal codename is “Gamus Vision”. This codename is a antonym for “Gaming Idea”. The codename was taken from the RingWide based portable Sega of Europe was planning and developing in 2007.

SEGA has been trying to get back into the hardware business for 10 years now. Starting in 2003, despite being financially challenged, Sega had attempted to develop a handheld Dreamcast console codenamed “Capricorn/Hikaru” which would have been shaped like a PDA device and would have used the NAOMI/Katana hardware. The handheld would have outperformed and competed against PSP. In fact all of the SEGA projects on PSP were originally going to be “Sega PDA” games. The Sega PDA would have used SD cards for ROMs.

Sega had also started planning a 7th gen game console codenamed “Phoenix”. The console would have been based off of cheaper Lindbergh hardware. The name originally planned for was “Cosmic Smash” and would have used a different moniker outside of Japan “Dreamcast Beyond”. The CPU SH-8 “Aoi” would have be a ARM32 variation of the Intel Pentium 4 HT Cedar Mills CPU. The GPU would have been Nvidia GeForce 8800GS(in the same line as PS3’s RSX) and NEC Power VR 4 VDP. The media would have used DVD Multi Layer with 20 GBs of storage, but unlike PS3/360 all of its games would have been running in full HD and used Open GL 3.3(PS3/360 only use 3.0) and most games standard HD) Both Sega PDA and Cosmic Smash/Dreamcast Beyond were planned for release in 2005 and 2006.

So what happened? SEGA was looking for a buyer to fund the projects, when Sammy took over, its owner Haijime Satomi saw the shape SEGA was in. In his best interests he knew that only a few years after 2001, SEGA was in no shape to get back in the console business. Satomi also saw that the software divisions were profiting, and that the Arcade market was improving and recovering. Satomi in May 2005 ordered both projects scrapped for good. Naka left because he wanted SEGA back in and had supervised the Sonic Next Gen project for the Lindbergh/Pheonix codenamed “Sonic Legends”.

Satomi really did want SEGA to make consoles again, he just personally felt the time wasn’t yet right. Over the next 4 more years he supervised and carefully strategized secret home consumer projects. In 2006-2007, SEGA concepted and planned a Cloud device Streaming console similar to On-Live, the RingEdge 1 would have powered this device. Around the same time, Mike Hayes CEO of Sega of Europe started secretly planning his own project a new portable called “Sega Vision” which would have used hardware similar to Tegra 2 or RingWide. Satomi felt in 2008 that portables were being phased out by iPhone and new Mobile phones, he ordered the project canned much to Hayes’ dismay. The Streaming project codenamed “Wide Range” also went south during 2008, SEGA around that time had worked tirelessly and relentlessly to renew their licenses for game hardware. They had regrouped Away-27/AM4 in October of that year.

Finally in March 2009, one month after the scrapped Streaming device and portable became the Ring series Arcade boards, Satomi scrapped Wide Range and ordered their new partnership with Apple, R&D on the iPad and Tablet devices, from there, a Tablet game device was planned, codenamed “Gamus Vision”. SEGA of Japan kept the project military grade top secret and scheduled another bigger 8th gen console project to begin September 9, 10 years after Dreamcast. At first, this project was internally codenamed “Super System/Neptunia. SEGA had been planning a Model 4 board since 2006 and felt that by 2012 they’d successfully be able to launch Lindbergh’s successor. The console was originally going to be x86 based using Fujitsu Venus 8 and was always going to use Power VR 6 Logic and GeForce 680 GTX. SEGA abandoned x86 in 2011 altogether. Instead, SEGA got to see and discuss Nvidia’s project Denver, and has based SH-16 “Athena” off of Denver.

GV originally was Tegra 3 based, SEGA also had planned on selling it as a family friendly iPad and would have sold it under a trojan horse premise, but Apple wouldn’t allow iPad’s patent design to used by SEGA unless they sold the Kids Pad as a game device. SEGA retooled the entire GV project in the Summer of 2010, they also had started development on RingEdge 2 in which they decided to base Gamus Vision off of in a System 16 Mega Drive like situation.”hardware is similar between Board and Console, Arcade board is just beefier and has higher RAM ,separate converters and more memory” SEGA had also gotten tips regarding Playstation 4, they kept hearing it would be AMD Bulldozer based which allowed then to design RE 2 and GV in what is the Spectrum.

SEGA scheduled the design in which they wanted to cross Tablets and Laptops together for its taping and assembling for Early Spring 2011. SEGA asked Hitachi and ARM to assemble an off-the-shelf ISA of Intel i7 Lynnfield Super Hitachi 12 or SH-12 production was set for February 2011, delayed until May. The March 11 Tsunami also led to shortages with SH-12, SEGA couldn’t produce enough until later that summer.

Gamus Vision was finalized and completed in September 2011. The names SEGA played with were “RingWide” and “RingBook. The Spectrum name came as an afterthought. Sort of a way of saying “we’re hiding”. Here’s the final spec Sheet:

CPU: Toshiba Super Hitachi ARM32 SH-12 “Sakura” 12 32-bit Cores L3 Chache 2X 32MB 3.5 GHZ Clock Speed using GDDR3 and GDDR4 PC RAM 12 GBs. , 28nm 60W 384-bit.(ARM based off-the-shelf design of Intel Sandy Bridge E) 32GB Bandwidth Bus.

GPU: Nvidia “Miles Prower” Modified and customized GeForce 560 Ti GTX 384MBs of GDDR5 RAM at 6GBs. 800 MHZ clockspeed. 22nm 60W. 384-bit. Shader Model 5.0 Open GL 4.2 Open CL 1.0 Average performance of 560 GTX max performance Averaging 4GBs of RAM.

VDP: NEC Power VR 5 RL “Rouge” 384 MBs of GDDR 3 RAM at 2 GBs. 615 MHZ Clockspeed similar in performance to ATI Radeon 6220. with API: Caustic Graphics CausticOne. Open RL 1.0

RAM: 12 GB.

Sound Pioneer PCI Card 2X 64-bit. Dolby DTS Channel 5.1

Storage: 16GB or 32GBs of Internal Storage.

Connectivity: 4G or Wi-Fi.(Always online)

Media: Digital Download 2GBs or Toshiba/SEGA POD(Portable Orbi Disc) Disc 32 GBs single layer, 64GB Dual Layer.(For offline games and movies) With built in DVD Multi-drive. Backwards compatible with GD-ROM.

OS: Novell Vibe 4.1 “Sega Mars OS”.

Resolution: 1080i HD.

SEGA/SEC will sell two SKUs. Model # ORBI2600 Which will be called Sega Spectrum “Genesis Elite Edition/Mega Drive Edition” in America and Europe will be ’12 Inches long with a plasma multi-touch LCD screen. The color will be Charcoal black and the SKU will come with PlaySega controllers. The unit will come with Sonic Dash Adventure as a pack-in game and have 16GBs of Internal Storage

This SKU will known as the “SEGA Spectrum Saturn Edition” in Japan.

Model ?#?ORBI3200? Will be known as “Dreamcast Edition, it is Icy white, and will be sold with 2 6 button Dreamcast controllers and Blackberry VMUs carrying 4GBs of Storage with 32GBs of Internal storage, like the GEE, it will have a built in DVD Multi-drive.

Japanese version is called SEGA Spectrum DCME “Dreamcast Memorial Edition”. It is believed that the Japanese version will use a multi- Blu-Ray Drive.

SEGA begin taping of this final design in May 2011. The final version and prototype was completed in September and development kits went out early last year. SEGA had planned on launching it in 2012, but the ORBI paperwork has held it back.

The GEE/Saturn Edition will be sold for $149/199 or 18,500 yen($205) The Dreamcast Edition or DCME will retail for $199/249 or 23,000 yen($250)

The SEGA Spectrum resembles the Intel Ultrabook, except smaller ’12 and sturdier and thicker. Storage will be both internal and Blackberry VMUs in the Dreamcast controllers( these are VMUs, except larger and have Blackberry/PDA features and functions, like VMU their watch battery powered.

Spectrum will use both a multi DVD drive and have a slot for POD disc games and movies.

The controllers will be both the wired and wireless.(SegaLP will use Wi-Fi, DC Bluetooth will use BT.)

Here’s a list of Spectrum apps and features:
(all non mobile)
NetFlix.

TIVO.

YouTube

The Weather Channel.

Hulu.

iTunes.

QuickTime.

Apple Store.

Facebook.

Twitter.

Android Store.

SEGA/SEC will soon register 16 new domain names, all of these are for the Spectrum’s GUI:

segaprism.com SEGAPRISM (NEW Cloud service joint venture between SEGA and Direct TV)
segaorbinetwork.com SEGAORBINETWORK (Sega Net rebranded)
segaheritage.com SEGAHERITAGE (SEGA’s VC for SEGA only retro games and IPs from SG-1000 to Saturn.)
segalp.com SEGA Let’s Play (SEGA’s XBLA,PSN,eShop formely, “PlaySega”)
segaspectrum.com SEGASPECTRUM(console domain name. SEGA chooses unique names to avoide cybersquatting)
segalliance.com SEGAALLIANCE(Part of SEGA’s special 3rd party policy. SEGA will return to licensing all IPs. The Seal of Quality will return.)
segadrive.com SEGADRIVE( New game engine for Spectrum’s fast CPU. Like blast proccessing.)
familysega.com FAMILYSEGA(Family Friendly hub for all casual games,entertainment,educational games also will double as optional parental filter)
segasteam.com SEGASTEAM(Sega’s Steam market service for Spectrum,RingEdge 2)
dreamcast-remastered.com DREAMCASTREMASTERED (New hub that allows full access and management to DC,allows debugging,developement kits for Dreamcast, unlreleased Dreamcast games, and DC games upscaled in full HD)
segatube.com SEGATUBE Sega’s Share app that will allow up to 30 minutes of recordable gameplay footage online.
segaanimemarket.com SEGAANIMEMARKET (SEGA’s Anime app for watching and streaming anime)
segasans.com SEGASANS(VC for Non Sega games,NES,SNES e.t.c)
segacasino.com SEGACASINO( 18 and Up to access will require parental key code to activate)
segatestdrive.com(Testing games)

Rumored titles planned for Sega Spectrum:

SEGA
Gesen Love
Under Night in Birth
Sonic Dash Adventure(Secret Probe game)
Billy Hatcher 2
Border Break Unit
Shining Force Cross Ultra
Sonic Generations 2(Also planned for PC Steam and Xbox One. MS will publish the XBO version)
Several unamed Probe Projects
Yakuza Chronicles(will contain Yakuza’s 1-4)
Yakuza 5 HD
Rise of Nightmares 2
Company of Heroes 2
Alien VS Predator 2.
Aliens: Colonial Marines Remastered.
Project Hatsune Miku Diva Ultra
Project Mirai 2 HD
Rome Total War 2
Project 575 HD
Demon Tribe HD
Go Dance
Sands of Destruction HD
Sega Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed EX
Anarchy Reigns DX
Bayonetta 2 Special Edition
New incoming Sega of America projects.
NEW Ecco The Dolphin
Samurai and Dragons HD
Samurai and Dragons 2
Initial D Arcade Stage 7
Sega Rally Revo Maximum
Transformers Human Alliance
KO Drive
Dark Bringer
NEW Sega Sports.
All in development since May 2011.

List of publishers having signed on Dev kits were sent out in early 2012 RingEdge 2 will also be the first 3rd party friendly Arcade board since Naomi:

Japanese
Capcom,Sqaure Enix(they are doing business with Sega now),Taito,Konami,Marvelous Entertainment,Level 5,Atlus,Toshiba/Irem,SNK Playmore,Broccoli,D3, NIS Software,Key Visual.

American:

EA,WB Games,Epic,Valve,ActivisionBlizzard,Take2/Rockstar,Bestheda. Disney Interactive.

European:

Atari,Ubisoft.

Some rumored 3rd party titles:

Capcom: Mega Man .EXE HD, Mega Man Legends 3, Super Street Fighter IV Special Championship Edition, Street Fighter EX 3, Monster Hunter 4,Power Stone 3.

Square Enix: Final Fantasy Dimensions R(originally a Japanese iOS game.) FF XV Kingdom Hearts 3, Tomb Raider R, Duex EX Human Resolution Director’s Cut.

Atlus: Persona 4 UR, Arcana Heart 3. Guilty Gear XX Core Accent Plus R.

EA: Madden 25, Crysis 3, Mass Effect 4.Battlefield 4.

Epic: Unreal Tournament 3.

Valve: Portal 3. Portal 1&2, Half-Life 3.

Disney: Iron Man 3, The Wolverine. Wreck It-Ralph. Epic Mickey 3 DX.

SEGA Spectrum will have “optional DRM”. Each unit will have a manual filter that functions like Net Nanny this is for casual appeal.

All unlicensed games will be blocked. SEGA wants to license ALL IPs from its 3rd party partners and receives half royalties back. SEGA controls ALL DRM content on the console. Unlike Sony, SEGA will STOP any publisher from using consumer DRM. Game budgets and development costs will be SUPERIOR and inexpensive on Spectrum compared to PS4.

SEC will not do business with GameStop retailers. They will sell and carry Spectrum at Apple Stores,Radio Shacks, mobile providers,Best Buy,Wal-Mart,Target small used game retailers. Spectrum will be sold online only at Gamestop.com

_________________
It BEGINS. 8/13/13 SEGA Orbi Enterprises.

SEGA ORBI. “Urbi et de Sega Orbi” http://trademarks.justia.com/855/17/orbi-85517210.html