Dreamcast and Blue Sky

I’m in the planning stages of a art piece about nostalgia and when I look back, the most powerful image for me, as far as gaming, is that of the Sega Dreamcast. I’m 30 years old, so I was 11 when it came out and it was the first real gaming system I had. But, I think there is more to it than the timing.

I think part of it has to do with the functionality. It was a console that could support a Keyboard, Mouse, Microphone (to talk to an Ai fish man ...), internet capabilities and the VMU. That thing felt like the future and it came with a large format magazine in the states (also my first and last magazine sub).

I have my ideas of why it was such a big deal, but I kind of want to pool some thoughts and maybe bounce back a bit. Was it the software? Where they risky in design (Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, Seaman, Typing of the Dead) or was it just all attitude. Is this just what Sega did, or the next big step of what was expected? (PSO, Sonic Adventure, Virtua Fighter). Was it the design of the hardware, or marketing? Was it the direct influence of Japanese design philosophy?

And I’ve heard the term “Blue Sky” on the podcast, but I’m not sure what its references. Thoughts?

I think the "blue sky" thing is a term for a design aesthetic that a lot of Sega games had: colorful blue skies, cheerful music, and an upbeat personality. It makes me think of games like Daytona USA, OutRun, and that first level of Sonic Adventure. Jeff's not the only person I've heard use the term; it might have originated internally at Sega itself?

I didn't own a Dreamcast until it was already discontinued, but it definitely felt to me like a big visionary risk-taking system at the time. It had a modem built-in by default, and as you mentioned, a lot of really unique games were coming out for it like JSR, Shenmue, Seaman, and Phantasy Star Online before even Final Fantasy XI was a thing. Lots of unique peripherals, too: the Sambo De Amigo maracas, the Seaman microphone, the keyboard for Typing of the Dead, the numerous fishing controllers. There were also a lot of mediocre games to sift through, but that was true of every console.

Brb, i've got Outrun installed just gonna go take a screenshot of some Sega blue.

That's some prime Sega blue right there.
When i think of the Dreamcast i think 60fps, clean art style, positive vibes, i don't think anyone else could make a game called Bass Fishing and have it be so explosively entertaining.
When any electronic device fails it's usually because it's terrible, in that respect the Dreamcast is probably the only game console you could call a cult classic.

@cloudymusic: do you think this stands out because of the contrast in which gaming was headed? It’s hard to put my finger on, but I would say something like a “post Matrix “ attitude. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox were very much sold with the idea of “hardcore” gamers and power fantasy fulfilling software.

I’m other words, do you think it was trying to hold on to something that slipped away? Kind of in the way the GameCube was (or Nintendo) was not able to hold up well in that design environment?

@cikame: ok, I think I get it. It’s literally referencing the palette and music. I have a feeling that it might also be influenced by the arcade nature (and history) of Sega software. But yeah, I see the “blue” really clear haha. Thanks!

Not to bump an older thread, but Brad references the "blue sky" design aesthetic in the Jupiter & Mars Quick Look and I also wondered about its origins. I did some digging and the earliest reference to "blue skies" in games on the internet seems to be this 2005 Blue Sky in Games Campaign from humor site UK Resistance. This Glixel article by Kieth Stuart summarizes the history of the concept well. It doesn't seem to be a particular Sega initiative, but a useful descriptor nonetheless.

I also wonder if the GB crew's usage of "blue skies" comes from Ryan, who brought the concept up when discussing the USA Channel on the Bombcast once. While the term is different in the USA context, I suspect it was his usage of the term that made it enter GB parlance.