On Wed, 11 Jul 2001, RC5Stint wrote:

> > Well, to be honest, (I think I've said this before) I'm really looking to
> > interface with the core components, not just run X Windows on a TV.
> > There's a lot more potential for a Dreamcast than X Windows.
> 
> That is true, I agree.  There is a lot of potential.  I guess my point was
> that many people have been working towards that potential as best they can,
> with ingenuity and open source tools.  I was merely pointing you to their
> efforts.

I'm very well aware of their efforts, but people working on the dreamcast
and other devices for which there isn't a wealth of documentation for.

> 
> While current tools fall far from the ideal (even the Katana kit is not
> ideal) they are here, now, and many people have gotten good results from
> them.  We need dreamers and leaders to bring out the rest of that potential
> off.
> 

I agree.

> > I'd like to tap into the 3D capabilities natively.  Which is why I said we
> > might need the official DC dev package so we can get the tools easily and
> > move on, rather than guessing on what this or that does and slowly feeling
> > our way through the Dreamcast in the dark.
> 
> Nate, the Katana kit is not a panacea.  If all this potential we all dream
> of was possible with the Katana kit, Sega would have provided it right off
> the box. ;-)
> 
> The Katana kit costs money to license.  And Sega only licenses it to
> established game developers.  And with now that Sega is a third-party
> publisher, it has little incentive to allow new developers in.  They would
> have to bring one hell of a game design and bring Sega a ton of royalties,
> for Sega to be persuaded to let them in this late in the game.
> 
> So the tools I pointed out to you are all we got, bud.
>

I know that development licenses cost money.  However, with the rapidly
declining mainstream demand for a Dreamcast, if someone at Sega had a
lightbulb appear above their head, they could realize some aftermarket
value of their system for other uses besides video games.  If I was high
up in Sega and recognized an effort to use my console for other uses after
the profits were fully realized, I'd say "Here kid, see what you can do
with this."
 
> This stumbling in the dark is what open source console development is all
> about.  I sincerely hope you see this challenge as an open door.  You seem
> very enthusiastic, and I don't doubt you have great ideas.  I would prefer
> if you didn't get so turned off by the stumbling that you walked away.
> 
> RC5Stint
> 

Again, I fully agree that open source is stumbling in the dark and I don't
mean to tread on anyone that does.  I am very enthusiastic about DC
programming, if I had more experience in regards to programming and a
strong electronics background, you'd see me heading a project to do what I
want.  That's my ultimate frustration, is to sit on an idea and not have
the experiene or knowledge to carry it out.  I've invested too much
thought and time into these DC plans to quit now.