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GD-ROM
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<h2 id="specification">Specification</h2> <p>A double-density format based on the <a href="/facts/CD-ROM/JwuaYLJv">CD-ROM</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> that could hold up to 1 <a href="/facts/Gigabyte/s2hb2SEg">GB</a>, it consists of a single-density <a href="/facts/Track_(optical_disc)/0MIvpsa3">track</a> near the disc's center surrounded by a double-density track comprising much of the disc's capacity.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> The GD-ROM was created in response to developers exceeding the typical 650 <a href="/facts/Megabyte/RBF4XpWb">MB</a> storage capacity of the CD-ROM; while <a href="/facts/DVD-ROM/7fJsHJrN">DVD-ROM</a> would have addressed this limitation, implementing its then-new technology would have made console production cost prohibitive.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> Along with the format's general novelty, the extra capacity also had the theoretical benefit of curbing <a href="/facts/Video_game_piracy/gABMm5fo">video game piracy</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> a major concern of <a href="/facts/CD/0IntaWNj">CD</a>-based consoles that was validated by its rampancy on the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_(console)/z1vlbrvo">PlayStation</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="dreamcast-console">Dreamcast console</h2> <p>The Dreamcast was considered by the <a href="/facts/Video_game_industry/3hucMmbw">video game industry</a> as one of the most secure consoles on the market with its use of the GD-ROM,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> but this was nullified by a flaw in the Dreamcast's support for the MIL-CD format, a <a href="/facts/Mixed_Mode_CD/s3N8ohME">Mixed Mode CD</a> first released on June 25, 1999, that incorporates interactive visual data similarly to <a href="/facts/CD%252BG/z5Wcqj7d">CD+G</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> A <a href="/facts/Hacker_group/pPu6k66C">hacker group</a> 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 <a href="/facts/CD-R/yjBjpaIM">CD-Rs</a> to run on the console without any <a href="/facts/Modding/kAmIAcuP">modding</a>;<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> 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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> 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 <a href="/facts/File_sharing/7GISy0GJ">file sharing</a> networks such as <a href="/facts/Internet_Relay_Chat/oDr3VN9q">Internet Relay Chat</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> Sega initially responded by aggressively pursuing <a href="/facts/Cease_and_desist/jG0jqxUz">cease and desist</a> orders against online marketplaces selling pirated games, announcing the effort a month after the exploit's release;<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> the company eventually released a new revision of the Dreamcast hardware that removed MIL-CD support towards the end of 2000, closing the loophole.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23"><sup>23</sup></a> Games released around that time also began to incorporate a more robust copy protection system to thwart illegitimate use.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24"><sup>24</sup></a> </p><p>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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25"><sup>25</sup></a> In June 1999, <i><a href="/facts/The_Nihon_Keizai_Shimbun/v4yJ6dKq">The Nihon Keizai Shimbun</a></i> reported on the development of a DVD distribution system by Sega alongside <a href="/facts/Hitachi/KeK38e82">Hitachi</a>, <a href="/facts/Nippon_Columbia/BJgUsYpP">Nippon Columbia</a>, and an additional partner; one known planned use for it involved encrypted multi-title releases that were to be accessed via downloadable <a href="/facts/Product_key/vrIHASNj">product keys</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:26" href="#fn:26"><sup>26</sup></a> Despite displaying a Dreamcast DVD display unit at E3 2000,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:27" href="#fn:27"><sup>27</sup></a> 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 <a href="/facts/Sixth_generation_console/I5wIYIyg">sixth generation console</a> to not adopt the format. </p> <h2 id="arcade-systems">Arcade systems</h2> <p>GD-ROM was also made available as an upgrade for the Dreamcast's arcade cousin, <a href="/facts/Sega_NAOMI/0lGYf2XY">Sega NAOMI</a> and the later <a href="/facts/Sega_NAOMI_2/0lGYf2XY">Sega NAOMI 2</a>, providing alternate media to its cartridge-based software.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:28" href="#fn:28"><sup>28</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:29" href="#fn:29"><sup>29</sup></a> It is also used as an option on both the <a href="/facts/Sega_Chihiro/0lGYf2XY">Sega Chihiro</a> and <a href="/facts/Triforce_(arcade_system_board)/0lGYf2XY">Triforce</a>, respectively based on the <a href="/facts/Xbox_(console)/2FuQrJeX">Xbox</a> and <a href="/facts/GameCube/acH9qVxz">GameCube</a> consoles.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:30" href="#fn:30"><sup>30</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:31" href="#fn:31"><sup>31</sup></a> </p><p>The GD-ROM drive in the Dreamcast reads data in <a href="/facts/Constant_angular_velocity/MIFTgq2k">constant angular velocity</a> (CAV) mode at up to 12× speed.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:32" href="#fn:32"><sup>32</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Nintendo_optical_discs/Kh5UeX5j">Nintendo optical discs</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Double-density_compact_disc/CF2FBn0a">Double-density compact disc</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/MIL-CD/QKJYPnIc">MIL-CD</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Universal_Media_Disc/URj8mFCS">Universal Media Disc</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="bibliography">Bibliography</h2> <p><a href="/facts/Simon_Carless/MAqwwBwN">Carless, Simon</a> (2004). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC"><i>Gaming Hacks</i></a>. <a href="/facts/O%2527Reilly_Media/Fr3Kv7sm">O'Reilly Media</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-596-00714-0 – via <a href="/facts/Google_Books/lnGRMWXs">Google Books</a>. </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080218151806/http://mc.pp.se/dc/gdrom.html">Sega's GD-ROM Presentation</a></li> <li><a href="https://segaretro.org/images/5/5d/Gdfm_k214e.pdf">GD-ROM Format Basic Specification Ver. 2.14</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Hagiwara, Shiro; Oliver, Ian (November–December 1999). "Sega Dreamcast: Creating a Unified Entertainment World". IEEE Micro. 19 (6): 29–35. doi:10.1109/40.809375. <a href="/wiki/IEEE_Micro" target="_blank">/wiki/IEEE_Micro</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Kent, Steven (November 23, 1998). "Here comes Sega's Dreamcast". ZDNet. Retrieved July 5, 2024. <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/here-comes-segas-dreamcast/" target="_blank">https://www.zdnet.com/article/here-comes-segas-dreamcast/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Hagiwara, Shiro; Oliver, Ian (November–December 1999). "Sega Dreamcast: Creating a Unified Entertainment World". IEEE Micro. 19 (6): 29–35. doi:10.1109/40.809375. <a href="/wiki/IEEE_Micro" target="_blank">/wiki/IEEE_Micro</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Hagiwara, Shiro; Oliver, Ian (November–December 1999). "Sega Dreamcast: Creating a Unified Entertainment World". IEEE Micro. 19 (6): 29–35. doi:10.1109/40.809375. <a href="/wiki/IEEE_Micro" target="_blank">/wiki/IEEE_Micro</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Ohbuchi, Yutaka (September 30, 1998). "New Look at Dreamcast". GameSpot. Retrieved July 5, 2024. <a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-look-at-dreamcast/1100-2464977/" target="_blank">https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-look-at-dreamcast/1100-2464977/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Robinson, John (September 9, 1999). "Sega unleashes a 128-bit monster on the gaming world". CNN. Retrieved July 5, 2024. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9909/09/dreamcast/" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9909/09/dreamcast/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Scullion, Chris (30 November 2023). "The Games". The Dreamcast Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Sega Dreamcast. White Owl. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-5267-7224-4. Retrieved July 4, 2024 – via Google Books. <a href="978-1-5267-7224-4" target="_blank">978-1-5267-7224-4</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Diver, Mike (April 18, 2024). "Dreamcast". THE CON50LE: 50 Years of Home Video Gaming. White Owl. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-3990-4050-1. Retrieved July 4, 2024 – via Google Books. <a href="978-1-3990-4050-1" target="_blank">978-1-3990-4050-1</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"Sega Crushes Dreamcast Pirates". Wired. July 20, 2000. Retrieved June 15, 2024. <a href="https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Kohler, Chris (October 2005). "Retro-Hack the Dreamcast". Retro Gaming Hacks. O'Reilly Media. ISBN 9780596009175. <a href="9780596009175" target="_blank">9780596009175</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"First MIL CDs released in Japan". IGN. June 28, 1999. Retrieved June 15, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/29/first-mil-cds-released-in-japan" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/29/first-mil-cds-released-in-japan</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>The MIL-CD is only compatible with Japanese Dreamcast consoles due to regional lockout.[10] <a href="/wiki/Regional_lockout" target="_blank">/wiki/Regional_lockout</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Unlike other mixed mode CDs, MIL-CD was capable of muting its data section from playback on typical CD players, preventing potential damage to connected speakers.[9][10] Some GD-ROM titles include such a warning as an audio track.[11] <a href="/wiki/CD_player" target="_blank">/wiki/CD_player</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Kohler, Chris (October 2005). "Retro-Hack the Dreamcast". Retro Gaming Hacks. O'Reilly Media. ISBN 9780596009175. <a href="9780596009175" target="_blank">9780596009175</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Borland, John (June 30, 2000). "Hackers break Dreamcast safeguards, distribute games online". CNET. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Borland, John (June 30, 2000). "Hackers break Dreamcast safeguards, distribute games online". CNET. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Carless 2004, p. 217 - Carless, Simon (2004). Gaming Hacks. O'Reilly Media. ISBN 978-0-596-00714-0 – via Google Books. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Borland, John (June 30, 2000). "Hackers break Dreamcast safeguards, distribute games online". CNET. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093337/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-242686.html</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"Sega Shuts Down Computer Game Pirates". ABC News. July 21, 2000. Retrieved July 4, 2024. <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119647" target="_blank">https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119647</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"Sega Crushes Dreamcast Pirates". Wired. July 20, 2000. Retrieved June 15, 2024. <a href="https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/2000/07/sega-crushes-dreamcast-pirates/</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Carless 2004, p. 199 - Carless, Simon (2004). Gaming Hacks. O'Reilly Media. ISBN 978-0-596-00714-0 – via Google Books. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>Gantayat, Anoop (January 16, 2001). "Sega Kills MIL CD Format". IGN. Retrieved June 10, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/17/sega-kills-mil-cd-format" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/01/17/sega-kills-mil-cd-format</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:23"><p>Zackheim, Ben (January 27, 2005). "The Dreamcast never dies". Engadget. Retrieved June 13, 2024. <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2005-01-27-the-dreamcast-never-dies.html" target="_blank">https://www.engadget.com/2005-01-27-the-dreamcast-never-dies.html</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:24"><p>Bramwell, Tom (January 18, 2001). "Sega Fights Piracy". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 15, 2024. <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29995" target="_blank">https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29995</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:25"><p>"Dreamcast Expandability" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. Vol. 122. Ziff Davis. September 1999. p. 204. <a href="https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/EGM_US_122.pdf" target="_blank">https://retrocdn.net/images/2/26/EGM_US_122.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:26"><p>"Sega to Co-Develop DVD Technology for Use with Dreamcast?". IGN. June 8, 1999. Retrieved June 11, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/09/sega-to-co-develop-dvd-technology-for-use-with-dreamcast" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/09/sega-to-co-develop-dvd-technology-for-use-with-dreamcast</a> <a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:27"><p>Justice, Brandon (May 12, 2000). "E3 2000: First Look – Dreamcast DVD Player". IGN. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/12/e3-2000-first-look-a-dreamcast-dvd-player?amp=1" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/12/e3-2000-first-look-a-dreamcast-dvd-player?amp=1</a> <a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:28"><p>Gantayat, Anoop (September 20, 2000). "JAMMA 2000: Naomi 2 Revealed". IGN. Retrieved June 12, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/jamma-2000-naomi-2-revealed" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/jamma-2000-naomi-2-revealed</a> <a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:29"><p>"SEGA Arcade Continues Its Dominance". IGN. February 9, 2001. Retrieved June 12, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/sega-arcade-continues-its-dominance" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/sega-arcade-continues-its-dominance</a> <a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:30"><p>Gantayat, Anoop (September 19, 2002). "JAMMA 2002: First Look at Chihiro". IGN. Retrieved June 12, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/19/jamma-2002-first-look-at-chihiro" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/19/jamma-2002-first-look-at-chihiro</a> <a href="#fnref:30" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:31"><p>Gantayat, Anoop (February 21, 2002). "AOU2002: First Triforce Game Footage". IGN. Retrieved June 12, 2024. <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/21/aou2002-first-triforce-game-footage" target="_blank">https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/02/21/aou2002-first-triforce-game-footage</a> <a href="#fnref:31" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:32"><p>Hagiwara, Shiro; Oliver, Ian (November–December 1999). "Sega Dreamcast: Creating a Unified Entertainment World". IEEE Micro. 19 (6): 29–35. doi:10.1109/40.809375. <a href="/wiki/IEEE_Micro" target="_blank">/wiki/IEEE_Micro</a> <a href="#fnref:32" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>