Loads Of People Are Suddenly Buying Up Old Dreamcast Consoles And This Is Why

We've got a soft spot for the SEGA Dreamcast.

A brilliant console design, amongst the first to offer players online gaming and then head-turning graphics, it failed to find commercial success for a list of reasons, from poor marketing decisions to stiff competition.

But now, some 16 years after it was first launched, the Dreamcast is finally having something of a revival. 

The cause? Shenmue III - a video game set for the current crop of consoles that successfully smashed its Kickstarter funding when announced at this year's E3 event.

The original Shenmue was released on Japanese Dreamcasts in 1999 to huge acclaim - praise that was duly repeated when the title received its western release in 2000. The open world adventure game was seen as one of the finest examples of its genre: an involving story, brilliant characters, superb action. Shenmue II followed in 2002, arriving on both the Dreamcast and Microsoft's Xbox. While it was equally well received, the cost of developing the games wasn't recouped by the title's sales, and Shenmue III was scrapped.

Related: The best video game releases of the week

Independent retailers have told industry website MCV that sales of pre-owned Dreamcast consoles have gone wild since Shenmue III was announced and funded. With many of the younger generation of gamers not even born when the original game came out (let that sink in), in addition to older games looking to reconnect with the original titles, copies of the original game are suddenly in huge demand. 

Another old title to have seen a similar spike is Final Fantasy VII, set to receive a glistening remake for new consoles. 

If you've got a copy of either Shenmue I, II or Final Fantasty VII stowed away in the attic, now is the time to either dig them out for a slice of nostalgia, or stick them on eBay.

[Via: MCV]