The Sega Channel was an online game service developed by Sega for the Sega Genesis video game console, serving as a content delivery system. Launched on December 12, 1994, the Sega Channel was provided to the public by TCI and Time Warner Cable through cable television services by way of coaxial cable. It was a pay to play service, through which customers could access Genesis games online, play game demos, and get cheat codes. Lasting until July 31, 1998, the Sega Channel operated three years after the release of Sega's next generation console, the Sega Saturn. Though criticized for its poorly timed launch and costly subscription fee, the Sega Channel has been praised for its innovations in downloadable content and impact on online game services.

History

thumb|left|A Model 2 [[Sega Genesis, released in 1993]]

Released in Japan as the Mega Drive in 1988, North America in 1989, and Europe and other regions as the Mega Drive in 1990, the Sega Genesis was Sega's entry into the 16-bit era of video game consoles.

In 1990, Sega started its first internet-based service for Genesis, Sega Meganet, in Japan. Operating through a cartridge and a peripheral called the Mega Modem, it allowed Mega Drive owners to play 17 games online. A North American version, the "Tele-Genesis", was announced but never released. and a remodeled version of the Mega Drive released in 1993 removed the EXT 9-pin port, preventing connections to the Meganet service.

In April 1993, Sega announced the Sega Channel service, which would use cable television services to deliver content. In the US, national testing began in June, and deployment began in December, During the planning stages of the service, Sega looked to capitalize on the rental market, which had seen some success with the Sega CD being rented through Blockbuster, and was looking to base the service's games and demos to sell more cartridges. two years after Nakayama shifted focus from the Genesis to the Saturn. In late November of 1997 it was announced that the Sega Channel would be shut down on June 30, 1998, The adapter connected the console to a cable television wire, doing so by the use of a coaxial cable output in the rear of the cartridge. located in Denver, Colorado. From the station, the signal was transmitted via Hughes Communications Galaxy 7 satellite, which uploaded at and downloaded at , to the local cable providers. however, some updates happened on a weekly basis. In 1997, Sega changed the number of games hosted at a time to 70 and the update frequency to biweekly. Games for the service included titles developed by Sega, such as Sonic & Knuckles, Eternal Champions, and Space Harrier II; as well as titles developed by licensees of Sega, such as Bubsy II and Aladdin. Some of these games had reduced content compared to their cartridge release so that they could fit the adapter's memory, such as Super Street Fighter II. The service also hosted contests, such as a promotion with Electronic Arts' Triple Play Baseball '96, and a 1995 event where players who completed Primal Rage during a brief 24-hour period where the full game was accessible were given a phone number to call, making them eligible to win prizes. The service would go on to garner as many as 250,000 subscribers; however, Sega had anticipated having over one million subscribers by the end of its first year, and had made the service available to over 20 million households.

See also

  • Apple Arcade
  • Family Computer Network System
  • GameLine
  • Nintendo Switch Online
  • PlayCable
  • PlayStation Network
  • Satellaview
  • Sega Meganet
  • Sega NetLink
  • Stadia
  • Teleplay Modem
  • XBAND
  • Xbox Live

References

  • (archive)
  • Sega Channel Developer Information