Dreamcast JAP "Sample" Games

I had two of these Dreamcast Sample discs. Here are some pictures to share:

Ecco the Dolphin + Close-Up
Sega Tetris + Close Up

They have a "SAMPLE" sticker on the manual and the word "SAMPLE" printed onto the disc. As has been said before, the content is identical to the retail versions. My guess is that these sample versions were only made from games published directly by Sega (hint: same sticker) but i've seen to few to be sure.

That looks like a pinboard, doesn't it.

 

could anyone who still owns a few of them post their barcodes?

i´m curious if they differ from those of the retail versions

 

What barcode are you referring to? The back of the case doesn't have any...

 

Dreamcast games have their barcode on the spine card.

yakumo

 

Right!

It is gonna be difficult to compare barcodes since "Sample" games don't have spine cards...

 

ouch, yes - my bad!:banghead:

even though i just skimmed through some of my games and some spine cardless games indeed have their barcode printed on their back. most are dvd cased games though, but JRA pat for instance does have a barcode aswell.

 

no. all games ever released for dc in japan have been manufactured as a sample version. i've seen almost all and know a collector who owns all but MSR (if it exists).

maybe sega japan produced those for third-party publishers too. i dont know about that. but fact is these sample versions are not limited to games published by sega.

 

There's no MSR japanese version so no SAMPLE japanese MSR as well.
Plus I highly doubt there's a sample version for every single japanese DC game.

 

depends on how close to completion it really was- a few years ago i have read on some japanese sites (i think) that MSR and propeller arena samples actually have been sent to famitsu.

deedee planet for instance has definately been sent to japanese magazines (i have the dorimaga review here somewhere and it has also been reviewed by famitsu if i remember correctly)

have to admit that i have only seen "sample" games by sega- but this doesn´t mean much since i have only seen like 15-20 "sample" games or so at best.

 

I think you are referring to the GD-R versions of the Japanese MSR.

And about the samples' games number, I think that there can't be one for each game because I don't think that SEGA Direct only games, etc. have a sample version.

I don't know anybody that has seen more than 50 different ones and if we compare it to the PAL territory, there is not a single white label for each pal game.

 

who can actually tell (besides sega and the editors who eventually had the pleasure to play it)

i am not saying that it necessarily had to be a "sample" disc, but i wouldn´t rule it out either "just because it hasn´t seen a retail version"
as this applies to ddp aswell, and i think the chances are pretty high on this one that it has been a "sample" disc (though i am not 100% sure aswell of course)

why shouldnt these games be reviewed by magazines or what would make them different to "standard" retail games?

not saying your thoughts are wrong, as i know too little about the history of those, but saying it can´t be this way just based on assumptions?

true, but this doesn´t necessarily have to apply to other territories aswell

 

Well everything in Hong Kong is about money so if you have it you can have your home decorated the way you like! :110:

Seriously i dunno about the background of the Ecco "Sample" pictures as the seller took them before before he sent the game to me!

Anyhow, once again thank you guys for all the input given on this thread!

 

i've got the very same shen mue sample but opened and beside the one oval sticker, there are no differences to the retail version. not even a sample printed on the disc.

 

That's strange. Anyway thanks for telling us!

 

Is there always a "SAMPLE" on the label? I bought a Shenmue with the common blue SAMPLE sticker, but there is no "SAMPLE" on the discs. Is that correct?

 

That's what they say.

 

just found one other for the cheap:




this time, also the disc has the "sample" printed on, and not just the cheap sticker on the regular manual.