Sega Says New Sony Console is Only a Paper Tiger

Computergram International, March 8, 1999

Sega of America has reacted to the launch of the new Sony Playstation this week, describing its rival's ambitious schedule - shipping in less than 9 months from the initial announcement - as a challenge. The president and COO of Sega of America, Bernard Stollar, admitted that the machine "looked impressive on paper" but said, "the fact is, it's still on paper, the Dreamcast is here now." Stollar also pointed out that the Sony console is likely to cost more than $400. He questioned whether the American consumer would be prepared to pay that much for a video games console. Sony, he claimed, was "no longer targeting the gaming audience but targeting an older demographic, the set-top box consumer."

Stollar also claimed that the Dreamcast was an "evolutionary machine" claiming that Sega could and would add DVD capabilities - part of the specifications of the new Playstation - but "only when the time is right." Stollar tried to cast doubt on the quality and number of games that Sony would have available at launch, claiming that the Sega machine, which is launching in the Fall in the US, would have nearly 30 games available by Christmas. Sega has not yet set a US price for the console, which was launched last year in Japan.