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== Specification ==
== Specification ==
A double-density format based on the [[CD-ROM]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kent |first1=Steven |title=Here comes Sega's Dreamcast |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/here-comes-segas-dreamcast/ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=[[ZDNet]] |date=November 23, 1998 |language=en}}</ref> that could hold up to {{val|1|ul=GB}}, it consists of a single-density [[track (optical disc)|track]] near the disc's center surrounded by a double-density track comprising much of the disc's capacity.<ref name="Unified" /> The GD-ROM was created in response to developers exceeding the typical {{val|650|ul=MB}} storage capacity of the CD-ROM; while [[DVD-ROM]] would have addressed this limitation, implementing its then-new technology would have made console production cost prohibitive.<ref name="Unified" /> Along with the format's general novelty, the extra capacity also had the theoretical benefit of curbing [[video game piracy]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ohbuchi |first1=Yutaka |title=New Look at Dreamcast |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-look-at-dreamcast/1100-2464977/ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=[[GameSpot]] |date=September 30, 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=John |title=Sega unleashes a 128-bit monster on the gaming world |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9909/09/dreamcast/ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=[[CNN]] |date=September 9, 1999}}</ref> a major concern of [[CD]]-based consoles that was validated by its rampancy on the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scullion |first1=Chris |title=The Dreamcast Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Sega Dreamcast |date=30 November 2023 |publisher=[[White Owl (books)|White Owl]] |isbn=978-1-5267-7224-4 |page=12 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vFXHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |language=en |chapter=The Games |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Diver |first1=Mike |title=THE CON50LE: 50 Years of Home Video Gaming |date=April 18, 2024 |publisher=[[White Owl (books)|White Owl]] |isbn=978-1-3990-4050-1 |page=120 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=byrqEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |language=en |chapter=Dreamcast |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
A double-density format based on the [[CD-ROM]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kent |first1=Steven |title=Here comes Sega's Dreamcast |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/here-comes-segas-dreamcast/ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=[[ZDNet]] |date=November 23, 1998 |language=en |archive-date=October 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008073703/https://www.zdnet.com/article/here-comes-segas-dreamcast/ |url-status=live }}</ref> that could hold up to {{val|1|ul=GB}}, it consists of a single-density [[track (optical disc)|track]] near the disc's center surrounded by a double-density track comprising much of the disc's capacity.<ref name="Unified" /> The GD-ROM was created in response to developers exceeding the typical {{val|650|ul=MB}} storage capacity of the CD-ROM; while [[DVD-ROM]] would have addressed this limitation, implementing its then-new technology would have made console production cost prohibitive.<ref name="Unified" /> Along with the format's general novelty, the extra capacity also had the theoretical benefit of curbing [[video game piracy]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ohbuchi |first1=Yutaka |title=New Look at Dreamcast |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-look-at-dreamcast/1100-2464977/ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=[[GameSpot]] |date=September 30, 1998 |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204104254/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-look-at-dreamcast/1100-2464977/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=John |title=Sega unleashes a 128-bit monster on the gaming world |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9909/09/dreamcast/ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=[[CNN]] |date=September 9, 1999 |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108140547/http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9909/09/dreamcast/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a major concern of [[CD]]-based consoles that was validated by its rampancy on the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scullion |first1=Chris |title=The Dreamcast Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Sega Dreamcast |date=30 November 2023 |publisher=[[White Owl (books)|White Owl]] |isbn=978-1-5267-7224-4 |page=12 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vFXHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |language=en |chapter=The Games |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Diver |first1=Mike |title=THE CON50LE: 50 Years of Home Video Gaming |date=April 18, 2024 |publisher=[[White Owl (books)|White Owl]] |isbn=978-1-3990-4050-1 |page=120 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=byrqEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |language=en |chapter=Dreamcast |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>


== Dreamcast console ==
== Dreamcast console ==
The Dreamcast was considered by the [[video game industry]] as one of the most secure consoles on the market with its use of the GD-ROM,<ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine |title=Sega Crushes Dreamcast Pirates |url=https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/ |access-date=June 15, 2024 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=July 20, 2000}}</ref> but this was nullified by a flaw in the Dreamcast's support for the MIL-CD format, a [[Mixed Mode CD]] first released on June 25, 1999, that incorporates interactive visual data similarly to [[CD+G]].<ref name="Kohler">{{cite book |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris |chapter=Retro-Hack the Dreamcast |chapter-url=https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/retro-gaming-hacks/0596009178/ch04s20.html |title=Retro Gaming Hacks |date=October 2005 |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]] |isbn=9780596009175 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="MIL-CD release - IGN">{{cite news |title=First MIL CDs released in Japan |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/29/first-mil-cds-released-in-japan |access-date=June 15, 2024 |work=[[IGN]] |date=June 28, 1999 |language=en}}</ref>{{efn|The MIL-CD is only compatible with Japanese Dreamcast consoles due to [[regional lockout]].<ref name="Kitahe - IGN">{{cite web |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=Soundtrack Review: Kitahe - Pure Songs and Pictures |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/08/soundtrack-review-kitahe-pure-songs-and-pictures |website=IGN |access-date=June 17, 2024 |language=en |date=June 7, 2000}}</ref>}}{{efn|Unlike other mixed mode CDs, MIL-CD was capable of muting its data section from playback on typical [[CD player]]s, preventing potential damage to connected speakers.<ref name="MIL-CD release - IGN" /><ref name="Kitahe - IGN" /> Some GD-ROM titles include such a warning as an audio track.<ref name="EGM115">{{cite magazine |title=Hands On: Dreamcast |last=Johnston |first=Chris |date=February 1999 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |issue=115 |page=26}}</ref>}} A [[hacker group]] self-named Utopia released their exploit in June 2000, having discovered that they could replace the visual data with Dreamcast code, enabling games burned onto [[CD-R]]s to run on the console without any [[modding]];<ref name="Kohler" /><ref name="Hackers">{{cite news |last=Borland |first=John |date=June 30, 2000 |title=Hackers break Dreamcast safeguards, distribute games online |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html |archive-date=October 29, 2014 |access-date=October 28, 2014 |work=[[CNET]]}}</ref> boot discs were initially used to facilitate this effort, but hackers subsequently discovered the ability to have burned games self-boot without the need for a boot disc.<ref name="Hackers" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Carless|2004|page=217}}</ref> While copying Dreamcast games onto a CD-ROM sometimes required the removal of certain game features, this did not affect their playability; such games were typically distributed on [[file sharing]] networks such as [[Internet Relay Chat]].<ref name="Hackers" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Sega Shuts Down Computer Game Pirates |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119647 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=July 21, 2000 |language=en}}</ref> Sega initially responded by aggressively pursuing [[cease and desist]] orders against online marketplaces selling pirated games, announcing the effort a month after the exploit's release;<ref name="Wired" /> the company eventually released a new revision of the Dreamcast hardware that removed MIL-CD support towards the end of 2000, closing the loophole.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carless|2004|page=199}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=Sega Kills MIL CD Format |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/17/sega-kills-mil-cd-format |access-date=June 10, 2024 |work=IGN |date=January 16, 2001 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zackheim |first1=Ben |title=The Dreamcast never dies |url=https://www.engadget.com/2005-01-27-the-dreamcast-never-dies.html |access-date=June 13, 2024 |work=[[Engadget]] |date=January 27, 2005}}</ref> Games released around that time also began to incorporate a more robust copy protection system to thwart illegitimate use.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bramwell |first1=Tom |title=Sega Fights Piracy |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29995 |access-date=June 15, 2024 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |date=January 18, 2001 |language=en}}</ref>
The Dreamcast was considered by the [[video game industry]] as one of the most secure consoles on the market with its use of the GD-ROM,<ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine |title=Sega Crushes Dreamcast Pirates |url=https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/ |access-date=June 15, 2024 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=July 20, 2000 |archive-date=June 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616185900/https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but this was nullified by a flaw in the Dreamcast's support for the MIL-CD format, a [[Mixed Mode CD]] first released on June 25, 1999, that incorporates interactive visual data similarly to [[CD+G]].<ref name="Kohler">{{cite book |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris |chapter=Retro-Hack the Dreamcast |chapter-url=https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/retro-gaming-hacks/0596009178/ch04s20.html |title=Retro Gaming Hacks |date=October 2005 |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]] |isbn=9780596009175 |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-15 |access-date=2024-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615171733/https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/retro-gaming-hacks/0596009178/ch04s20.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="MIL-CD release - IGN">{{cite news |title=First MIL CDs released in Japan |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/29/first-mil-cds-released-in-japan |access-date=June 15, 2024 |work=[[IGN]] |date=June 28, 1999 |language=en |archive-date=June 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615170242/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/29/first-mil-cds-released-in-japan |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|The MIL-CD is only compatible with Japanese Dreamcast consoles due to [[regional lockout]].<ref name="Kitahe - IGN">{{cite web |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=Soundtrack Review: Kitahe - Pure Songs and Pictures |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/08/soundtrack-review-kitahe-pure-songs-and-pictures |website=IGN |access-date=June 17, 2024 |language=en |date=June 7, 2000 |archive-date=June 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621053226/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/08/soundtrack-review-kitahe-pure-songs-and-pictures |url-status=live }}</ref>}}{{efn|Unlike other mixed mode CDs, MIL-CD was capable of muting its data section from playback on typical [[CD player]]s, preventing potential damage to connected speakers.<ref name="MIL-CD release - IGN" /><ref name="Kitahe - IGN" /> Some GD-ROM titles include such a warning as an audio track.<ref name="EGM115">{{cite magazine |title=Hands On: Dreamcast |last=Johnston |first=Chris |date=February 1999 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |issue=115 |page=26}}</ref>}} A [[hacker group]] self-named Utopia released their exploit in June 2000, having discovered that they could replace the visual data with Dreamcast code, enabling games burned onto [[CD-R]]s to run on the console without any [[modding]];<ref name="Kohler" /><ref name="Hackers">{{cite news |last=Borland |first=John |date=June 30, 2000 |title=Hackers break Dreamcast safeguards, distribute games online |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html |archive-date=October 29, 2014 |access-date=October 28, 2014 |work=[[CNET]]}}</ref> boot discs were initially used to facilitate this effort, but hackers subsequently discovered the ability to have burned games self-boot without the need for a boot disc.<ref name="Hackers" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Carless|2004|page=217}}</ref> The main protection was to scramble the EXE file on the disc. The Dreamcast console was unscrambling it into memory if a GD-ROM was inserted. Instead was loading directly the EXE file if a MIL-CD was used <ref name="Neperos">{{cite news |title=Dreamcast: GD-ROM vs Mil-CD |url=https://www.neperos.com/article/phial8003e01d77f}}</ref>. While copying Dreamcast games onto a CD-ROM sometimes required the removal of certain game features, this did not affect their playability; such games were typically distributed on [[file sharing]] networks such as [[Internet Relay Chat]].<ref name="Hackers" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Sega Shuts Down Computer Game Pirates |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119647 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=July 21, 2000 |language=en}}</ref> Sega initially responded by aggressively pursuing [[cease and desist]] orders against online marketplaces selling pirated games, announcing the effort a month after the exploit's release;<ref name="Wired" /> the company eventually released a new revision of the Dreamcast hardware that removed MIL-CD support towards the end of 2000, closing the loophole.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carless|2004|page=199}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=Sega Kills MIL CD Format |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/17/sega-kills-mil-cd-format |access-date=June 10, 2024 |work=IGN |date=January 16, 2001 |language=en |archive-date=May 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510120223/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/17/sega-kills-mil-cd-format |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zackheim |first1=Ben |title=The Dreamcast never dies |url=https://www.engadget.com/2005-01-27-the-dreamcast-never-dies.html |access-date=June 13, 2024 |work=[[Engadget]] |date=January 27, 2005 |archive-date=June 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615170232/https://www.engadget.com/2005-01-27-the-dreamcast-never-dies.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Games released around that time also began to incorporate a more robust copy protection system to thwart illegitimate use.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bramwell |first1=Tom |title=Sega Fights Piracy |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29995 |access-date=June 15, 2024 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |date=January 18, 2001 |language=en |archive-date=June 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614200102/https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29995 |url-status=live }}</ref>


Before the Dreamcast was released, Sega "confirmed that Dreamcast owners will one day be able to upgrade the GD-ROM drive to DVD" as part of its general expansion system to keep it competitive against more powerful contemporaries.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/EGM_US_122.pdf |title=Dreamcast Expandability |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |volume=122 |date=September 1999 |page=204}}</ref> In June 1999, ''[[The Nihon Keizai Shimbun]]'' reported on the development of a DVD distribution system by Sega alongside [[Hitachi]], [[Nippon Columbia]], and an additional partner; one known planned use for it involved encrypted multi-title releases that were to be accessed via downloadable [[product key]]s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sega to Co-Develop DVD Technology for Use with Dreamcast? |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/09/sega-to-co-develop-dvd-technology-for-use-with-dreamcast |access-date=June 11, 2024 |work=IGN |date=June 8, 1999 |language=en}}</ref> Despite displaying a Dreamcast DVD display unit at E3 2000,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Justice|first=Brandon|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/12/e3-2000-first-look-a-dreamcast-dvd-player?amp=1|title=E3 2000: First Look – Dreamcast DVD Player|work=IGN|date=May 12, 2000}}</ref> the plans for a DVD add-on or fully separate unit never materialized during the short production run of the Dreamcast, rendering it the only [[sixth generation console]] to not adopt the format.
Before the Dreamcast was released, Sega "confirmed that Dreamcast owners will one day be able to upgrade the GD-ROM drive to DVD" as part of its general expansion system to keep it competitive against more powerful contemporaries.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/EGM_US_122.pdf |title=Dreamcast Expandability |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |volume=122 |date=September 1999 |page=204 |access-date=2020-06-18 |archive-date=2023-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404190232/https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/EGM_US_122.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 1999, ''[[The Nihon Keizai Shimbun]]'' reported on the development of a DVD distribution system by Sega alongside [[Hitachi]], [[Nippon Columbia]], and an additional partner; one known planned use for it involved encrypted multi-title releases that were to be accessed via downloadable [[product key]]s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sega to Co-Develop DVD Technology for Use with Dreamcast? |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/09/sega-to-co-develop-dvd-technology-for-use-with-dreamcast |access-date=June 11, 2024 |work=IGN |date=June 8, 1999 |language=en}}</ref> Despite displaying a Dreamcast DVD display unit at E3 2000,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Justice|first=Brandon|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/12/e3-2000-first-look-a-dreamcast-dvd-player?amp=1|title=E3 2000: First Look – Dreamcast DVD Player|work=IGN|date=May 12, 2000|access-date=November 14, 2020|archive-date=November 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116032301/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/12/e3-2000-first-look-a-dreamcast-dvd-player?amp=1|url-status=live}}</ref> the plans for a DVD add-on or fully separate unit never materialized during the short production run of the Dreamcast, rendering it the only [[sixth generation console]] to not adopt the format.


== Arcade systems ==
== Arcade systems ==
GD-ROM was also made available as an upgrade for the Dreamcast's arcade cousin, [[Sega NAOMI]] and the later [[Sega NAOMI 2]], providing alternate media to its cartridge-based software.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=JAMMA 2000: Naomi 2 Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/jamma-2000-naomi-2-revealed |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=September 20, 2000 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=SEGA Arcade Continues Its Dominance |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/sega-arcade-continues-its-dominance |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=February 9, 2001 |language=en}}</ref> It is also used as an option on both the [[Sega Chihiro]] and [[Triforce (arcade system board)|Triforce]], respectively based on the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] and [[GameCube]] consoles.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=JAMMA 2002: First Look at Chihiro |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/19/jamma-2002-first-look-at-chihiro |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=September 19, 2002 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=AOU2002: First Triforce Game Footage |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/21/aou2002-first-triforce-game-footage |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=February 21, 2002 |language=en}}</ref>
GD-ROM was also made available as an upgrade for the Dreamcast's arcade cousin, [[Sega NAOMI]] and the later [[Sega NAOMI 2]], providing alternate media to its cartridge-based software.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=JAMMA 2000: Naomi 2 Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/jamma-2000-naomi-2-revealed |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=September 20, 2000 |language=en |archive-date=June 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615170231/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/jamma-2000-naomi-2-revealed |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=SEGA Arcade Continues Its Dominance |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/sega-arcade-continues-its-dominance |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=February 9, 2001 |language=en |archive-date=June 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615170232/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/sega-arcade-continues-its-dominance |url-status=live }}</ref> It is also used as an option on both the [[Sega Chihiro]] and [[Triforce (arcade system board)|Triforce]], respectively based on the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] and [[GameCube]] consoles.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=JAMMA 2002: First Look at Chihiro |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/19/jamma-2002-first-look-at-chihiro |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=September 19, 2002 |language=en |archive-date=June 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615170233/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/19/jamma-2002-first-look-at-chihiro |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gantayat |first1=Anoop |title=AOU2002: First Triforce Game Footage |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/21/aou2002-first-triforce-game-footage |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=IGN |date=February 21, 2002 |language=en |archive-date=June 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628065713/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/21/aou2002-first-triforce-game-footage |url-status=live }}</ref>


The GD-ROM drive in the Dreamcast reads data in [[constant angular velocity]] (CAV) mode at up to 12× speed.<ref name="Unified" />
The GD-ROM drive in the Dreamcast reads data in [[constant angular velocity]] (CAV) mode at up to 12× speed.<ref name="Unified" />

Latest revision as of 06:37, 5 November 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:Optical disc authoring The GD-ROM (gigabyte disc read-only memory) is a proprietary optical disc format developed as a collaboration between Sega and Yamaha for the Dreamcast and other Sega systems.[1]

Specification

A double-density format based on the CD-ROM[2] that could hold up to Script error: No such module "val"., it consists of a single-density track near the disc's center surrounded by a double-density track comprising much of the disc's capacity.[1] The GD-ROM was created in response to developers exceeding the typical Script error: No such module "val". storage capacity of the CD-ROM; while DVD-ROM would have addressed this limitation, implementing its then-new technology would have made console production cost prohibitive.[1] Along with the format's general novelty, the extra capacity also had the theoretical benefit of curbing video game piracy,[3][4] a major concern of CD-based consoles that was validated by its rampancy on the PlayStation.[5][6]

Dreamcast console

The Dreamcast was considered by the video game industry as one of the most secure consoles on the market with its use of the GD-ROM,[7] but this was nullified by a flaw in the Dreamcast's support for the MIL-CD format, a Mixed Mode CD first released on June 25, 1999, that incorporates interactive visual data similarly to CD+G.[8][9]Template:EfnTemplate:Efn A hacker group self-named Utopia released their exploit in June 2000, having discovered that they could replace the visual data with Dreamcast code, enabling games burned onto CD-Rs to run on the console without any modding;[8][10] boot discs were initially used to facilitate this effort, but hackers subsequently discovered the ability to have burned games self-boot without the need for a boot disc.[10][11] The main protection was to scramble the EXE file on the disc. The Dreamcast console was unscrambling it into memory if a GD-ROM was inserted. Instead was loading directly the EXE file if a MIL-CD was used [12]. While copying Dreamcast games onto a CD-ROM sometimes required the removal of certain game features, this did not affect their playability; such games were typically distributed on file sharing networks such as Internet Relay Chat.[10][13] Sega initially responded by aggressively pursuing cease and desist orders against online marketplaces selling pirated games, announcing the effort a month after the exploit's release;[7] the company eventually released a new revision of the Dreamcast hardware that removed MIL-CD support towards the end of 2000, closing the loophole.[14][15][16] Games released around that time also began to incorporate a more robust copy protection system to thwart illegitimate use.[17]

Before the Dreamcast was released, Sega "confirmed that Dreamcast owners will one day be able to upgrade the GD-ROM drive to DVD" as part of its general expansion system to keep it competitive against more powerful contemporaries.[18] In June 1999, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the development of a DVD distribution system by Sega alongside Hitachi, Nippon Columbia, and an additional partner; one known planned use for it involved encrypted multi-title releases that were to be accessed via downloadable product keys.[19] Despite displaying a Dreamcast DVD display unit at E3 2000,[20] the plans for a DVD add-on or fully separate unit never materialized during the short production run of the Dreamcast, rendering it the only sixth generation console to not adopt the format.

Arcade systems

GD-ROM was also made available as an upgrade for the Dreamcast's arcade cousin, Sega NAOMI and the later Sega NAOMI 2, providing alternate media to its cartridge-based software.[21][22] It is also used as an option on both the Sega Chihiro and Triforce, respectively based on the Xbox and GameCube consoles.[23][24]

The GD-ROM drive in the Dreamcast reads data in constant angular velocity (CAV) mode at up to 12× speed.[1]

File:Triforce hardware (2).png
GD-ROM drive as an option on Triforce

See also

Notes

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References

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  1. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Bibliography

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External links

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