Sega Entertainment Ltd has announced a visual memory unit (VMU) for its Dreamcast console that will hit the US market on September 9. The dual-purpose device is a 128K memory card with a built-in liquid crystal display. Customers can use the VMU to play games on, save games on and trade games with other people.
The VMU is Sega’s latest attempt to add features to the Dreamcast that put it ahead of the competition in what promises to be a fierce battle for hearts and minds of US gamers. Sony Computer Entertainment and Nintendo Co have already turned up the heat on Sega, cutting the price of their existing Playstation and N64 consoles to $99. Sega, which posted a loss of $367m for the last financial year, recently announced that its COO and president Bernard Stolar had stepped down, but gave no reasons. The VMU will be launched at the same time as the Dreamcast, priced at $25.
