"Sample" Dreamcast games

[Abhisara]

Are these basically promos?

I recently bought a Japanese DC game and it has a small sticker on the manual saying "SAMPLE" and also has "SAMPLE" printed in small letters on the disc itself. It came sealed as a new game would but without a spine card.

Apologies if this is old news for some of you, but it's the first time I've come across one of these.

[Valken]

It's prob just a promo that was handed out for demo machines or something. It certainly sounds better than those annoying white PAL promo discs Sega sent out.

[MD]

Yeah most Jap DC sample discs just have Sample stamped to the inside edge of the CD, some have Sample stickers on the front. These are generally review or shop play copies. I've got about 8 or 9 of them for DC.

It's the same with PS1 and PS2 discs although they will have SAMPLE stickers over the barcode. It's to stop people from reselling them in shops.

In the UK Microsoft and Nintendo send out full versions of games, so most journalists supliment incomes by selling games to games shops. Sega and Sony were smarter so just sent out White and Blue discs out accordingly, these were general CDs only with limited or no instructions. PS2 ones come in a funky blue CD single case tho.