Pluto (Ohga Shrugs)

Pluto is the name of Sega's seventh generation console, released on November 11, 2006. Its chief competitor was the Nintendo Revolution.

As the successor of the Dreamcast, it can play all Dreamcast games.

History[]

Sega officially revealed the Pluto at E3 2005. However, only tech demos were shown until the next year's event, where games were shown for the first time.

Launch[]

Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz — *Banana Blitz* was a part of a generally disappointing early lineup for the Pluto.

The Pluto launched on November 11, 2006 in America and Japan, and on the 17th in Europe. The system was available with either 512 MB or 20 GB of internal memory, and systems started at $300 with 512 MB of internal memory and a controller. Launch titles included Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and various sports games. Sonic the Hedgehog was planned to be a launch title, but was delayed for quality reasons.

Early Woes[]

2007 was a harsh year for the Pluto. Past hits such as Virtua Fighter and Virtua Tennis failed to leave much of a mark. Meanwhile, what was supposed to be the star of the Pluto's launch, Sonic the Hedgehog, was repeatedly delayed until June. When it finally did come out, it was a critical disappointment, and sold much worse than expected. Meanwhile, fewer titles were Sega-exclusive than last generation, including Ninja Gaiden Black.

The Pluto was further hurt by the low price and high availability of last-generation consoles, including its predecessor the Dreamcast, as well as the Revolution's strong first year. By the end of 2007, the Pluto had only sold about 6 million units. Even a minor price cut, including the introduction of a new sku, was not enough to help the ailing machine.

2008 was not much better. Although games like Sega Superstar Tennis and Valkyria Chronicles helped the system define itself, they were minor compared to Revolution games such as Super Smash Bros Brawl and Mario Kart X. The release of Metal Gear Solid 4 in June finally gave the Pluto a killer app, but by this point, the Revolution had several.

The turning point came in the fall. A major $80 price drop was announced for the Pluto, breathing new life into an ailing console. Combined with a holiday lineup that included the exclusive Sega Superstars Smackdown: The Skirmish and a variety of third party games, the Pluto was finally able to sind its place in the market. However, by the end of 2008, the Revolution had outsold the Pluto by close to 20 million consoles. Despite the best efforts of Sega, the Pluto would never be able to come close to catching up with the Revolution.

Settling for Second[]

2009 was the first truly good year for the Pluto. For one thing, Sega's exclusive partnership with Platinum Games began to bear fruit, including MadWorld and Bayonetta, games that gave the Pluto an advantage in the Action genre. For another, Nintendo's flow of major releases subsided somewhat. Furthermore, Sega games like Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games and Yakuza 3 were hits in their own right.

2010 was dominated by a strong showing from the Revolution, which had a number of major releases this year. However, thanks to ganes like Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, Shining Sun: Dark Dawn, and two Sonic platformers, the Pluto thrived in its own right.

Winding Down[]

Sonic Generations — *Generations* was one of the many *Sonic* platformers for the Pluto.

Eager to fix their mistakes from the Pluto's launch, Sega began reducing Pluto-support by early 2011. However, support for the system continued. Major games of 2011 included Rodea the Sky Soldier, Sonic at the 2012 Olympic Games, and Sonic Generations, in addition to third party games.

The Pluto's only major game from Sega in 2012 was Sonic Tennis Open and the Western Release of Yakuza Dead Souls.

Hardware[]

Most models of the Pluto can only be stood horizontally; however, a few versions can also be stood vertically. The system comes with a wireless controller that plugs into the main unit. The disc drive only accepts Dreamcast GD-ROMs and proprietary format DVD discs. Thus, the Pluto can not play most movies or music discs.

Specifications[]

The specifications of the Pluto are very similar to those of the Revolution. The CPU clocks in at slightly over 2,000 MHz, the GPU clocks in at about 350 MHz, and the system has 256 MB of RAM. The optical discs hold up to 4.7 GB of data, although a dual layer disc can hold up to 8.5 GB. Up to four controllers can connect to the system at a time, and the system's memory can be expanded through SD Cards. Video can be displayed in 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, and 720p.

Features[]

The Pluto's primary purpose is playing games, but it has many more non-gaming features than its predecessors. Photos can be viewed on the system, applications can be downloaded to view movies, and web browsing is available. However, these services require a SegaNet account, which in turn requires a monthly or annual fee.

Sales[]

As of the end of 2011, the Pluto is roughly in line with its predecessors' sales, with a total of 41 million systems sold worldwide, including 7 million in Japan and 20 million in America. However, these numbers pale in comparison to its competitor, the Revolution, which has sold nearly twice as many units.

List of Best-Selling Games[]

The following is a list of million-seller games on the Pluto. Note that the list may be incomplete or include out of date information.

Assassins Creed 3 — The *Assassin's Creed* series was a big hit on the Pluto.

Assassin's Creed - 5 million
Assassin's Creed II - 5 million
Metal Gear Solid 4 - 5 million
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - 4 million
Batman: Arkham City - 4 million
Sega Superstars Smackdown: The Skirmish - 4 million
Sonic at the Olympic Games - 4 million
Sonic Unleashed - 4 million
Assassin's Creed: Revelations - 3 million
Batman: Arkham Asylum - 3 million
Resident Evil 5 - 3 million
Sega Superstars Tennis - 3 million
Sonic Colors - 3 million
Sonic the Hedgehog - 3 million
Bayonetta - 2 million
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - 2 million
Need for Speed: Shift - 2 million
NBA 2K10 - 2 million
NBA 2K11 - 2 million
NBA 2K12 - 2 million
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing - 2 million
Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games - 2 million
Sonic Generations - 2 million
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 2 million
Street Fighter IV - 2 million
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz - 2 million
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - 1 million
Devil May Cry 4 - 1 million
Epic Mickey - 1 million
FIFA 08 - 1 million
FIFA 09 - 1 million
FIFA 10 - 1 million
FIFA 11 - 1 million
FIFA 12 - 1 million
FIFA 13 - 1 million
Final Fantasy XIII - 1 million
Guitar Hero - 1 million
Guitar Hero 2 - 1 million
Madden NFL 08 - 1 million
Madden NFL 09 - 1 million
Madden NFL 10 - 1 million
Madden NFL 11 - 1 million
Madden NFL 12 - 1 million
Madden NFL 13 - 1 million
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 - 1 million
Mortal Kombat - 1 million
Prototype - 1 million
Tekken 6 - 1 million
Sonic at the 2012 Olympic Games - 1 million
Soul Calibur IV - 1 million
Valkyria Chronicles - 1 million
Virtua Fighter 5 - 1 million
Virtua Tennis 3 - 1 million
Yakuza 3 - 1 million
Yazuka 4 - 1 millon

Price History[]

Note that some models were introduced or discontinued later in the Pluto's life.

United States[]

November 11, 2006 - $300 for the 512 MB model, $400 for the 20 GB model
August 2007 - $280 for the 512 MB model, $350 for the 20 GB model, $400 for the 60 GB model
September 2008 - $200 for the 512 MB model, $300 for the 60 GB model, $400 for the 120 GB model
June 2010 - $150 for the 4 GB model, $250 for the 60 GB model, $300 for the 120 GB model, $400 for the 250 GB bundle with one of several games
October 2012 - $130 for the 4 GB model, $200 for the 60 GB model, $250 for the 120 GB model

Note that these configurations were standard prices of systems sold with a controller but without any games. The only exception was the 250 GB model, which was only available in bundles with one of several Sega or third party games, including Bayonetta, Yazuka, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, and Assassin’s Creed 2.

Reception[]

The Pluto has received somewhat mixed reviews. On one hand, its hardware was praised at launch for being easy to develop for and being reasonably powerful for its starting price. However, the launch lineup was panned, in stark contrast to the Dreamcast launch of 2000. Furthermore, the online system, though deemed superior to Nintendo's, has been criticized for its relatively high prices in some countries.