NEC Corp has shrugged off news that it is only getting yields of 20% to 40% on production of chips for Sega’s Dreamcast games console, and says that there are always some issues when introducing a new technology product to production. The 128-bit chip, designed by UK company VideoLogic, is extremely difficult to manufacture, according to Shoichiro Irimajiri, president of Sega. A spokesperson for NEC in Toyko said the chip is being fabricated in a 0.25-micron process which is the real leading-edge of contemporary semiconductor production. Problems with the chip’s production has limited supply of the Dreamcast console, crucial to Sega’s future. But Dreamcast is still on schedule to launch in Japan this year and the US and Europe by Spring next year.
