SegaNet
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2006) (Find sources: SegaNet – news, books, scholar) |
SegaNet was an internet service provided by Sega for the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast video game consoles.
Contents |
[edit] Saturn
SegaNet is Sega's online service for the Sega Saturn in Japan. Unlike other online services, one does not connect to a central service, but instead tells the dial-up modem connected to the Saturn's cartridge slot to call to the person whom one wishes to play with. Since it requires no servers to operate, the service can operate as long as at least two users have the necessary hardware and software, as well as a phone line.[citation needed]
[edit] Dreamcast
SegaNet was a short-lived internet service operated by Sega, geared for dial-up based online gaming on their Dreamcast game console. A replacement for Sega's original, PC-only online gaming service, Heat.net, it was initially quite popular when launched on September 10, 2000. Unlike a standard ISP, game servers would be connected directly into SegaNet's internal network, providing very low connection latency between the consoles and servers along with standard Internet access.[citation needed]
SegaNet originally offered a $200 rebate with a two-year contract, to encourage sales of the Dreamcast. Sales continued to drop, and in July 2001, Sega announced they would discontinue the service, causing this online service to last a short-lived life of 11 months. At this point, all subscribers were given the option to transfer their accounts to EarthLink.[citation needed]
Online games on the Dreamcast initially allowed free access to their game servers, to be offset by SegaNet subscriptions and game sales. But with the demise of SegaNet,most games shut their servers down while Phantasy Star Online version 2 charged a monthly fee. [1][2], but was closed for the last time at the end of the year.[citation needed]
The European online service counterpart to SegaNet, Dreamarena, was discontinued in March 2003.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ SegaNet: no longer pay-to-play" – an article announcing the elimination of subscription fees for SegaNet
- ^ "SegaNet is free now, but nobody is playing" – a 2002 article on the decaying state of SegaNet
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This Sega-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
