US Dreamcast Light Gun Problems

GameSpot News has learned that both the Interact and Mad Catz light guns for the Dreamcast are having problems calibrating with many TVs. Having tested the retail Interact gun (StarFire) and an early version of the Mad Catz gun (Dream Blaster), we've found that no matter how hard one tries, the light guns simply don't calibrate with certain TV sets. So far, the companies haven't discovered a reason for the problems.

"We are looking into this issue, and unfortunately, right now cannot confirm whether it is a software, hardware, or external issue," an Interact spokesperson told GameSpot News. "If you are experiencing any difficulties, make sure you are not using a projection TV, and try using it with minimal external light in the room. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the complete gaming experience the StarFire provides."

GameSpot News also spoke with Mad Catz about its gun, the Dream Blaster. A company spokesperson stated that Mad Catz has not run into any calibration problems and that the early pre-production model we tried was likely flawed. However, it's interesting to note that the model worked on certain TV sets but not on others - the same problem plaguing the Interact gun.

Sega of America had no comment, stating that we would need to contact the individual gun manufacturers with inquiries.

House of the Dead (currently the only title that makes use of the Dreamcast light guns), which released earlier this year in Japan, came with a flawed calibration code. A month after the game's initial release, Sega of Japan allowed purchasers of the original flawed software to trade in their version for a new one.

As more information about the light-gun difficulties come to the surface, we'll make sure to make it available.