Sega channel?

[Guest bdolo]

I do not know how old most members are that post here.  But back about 7 or 8 years ago I had the sega channel.  

 

If you do not know what that is.  Well it was a little device that you put into your sega that was hooked up to your cable.  I remember I had to pay around 25 dollars a month to the cable company.

 

But you got around 40 different games a month(they switched every month).  In all different categories, rpg, sports, new releases, adventure, and so on.  It was fuckin awesome, I played it way to much.

 

Anyways, I was wonedering why not trying this again?  I wonder if it is even possible.  You would think that with alll the competition between sony, microsoft, and nintendo,  That this could be a selling point for one of the systems.

 

Well if they ever did it, I would get it for sure.  As long as is was'nt to expenisve.  I say no more than 40-45 dollars a month.

[Guest]

I remember that. Sega Channel was awesome. I had it from the time it began until the plug was pulled on the service. What I wouldn't give for something like that again.

[Guest Thoth]

That may have been one of the most brilliant things ever, especially for the consumer.  You got to play 40 games a month for $25, I mean... that's less than a dollar a game.  Even if you didn't play them all.

 

The only negative... and I'm pining here, was the load time as the game installed through the cable.  But it wasn't bad at all.  Too bad the CD/DVD based games of today would take forever to get through cable.  Though anything's possible, with a little enginuity.

[Guest DerangedHermit]

I had the Sega Channel too. It was a very cool idea. I wouldn't have been introduced to Phantasy Star IV (and eventually I-III), Kid Chameleon, Shining Force, Dynamite Headdy, Gunstar Heroes, Vectorman, Beyond Oasis, Road Rash, and hell - even Mutant League Hockey/Football - without it. Why the hell no one has ever attempted this again is beyond me. Sega was innovative - too bad bad decisions (like the 32x, almost no Sonic on Saturn, not dropping prices fast enough) killed Sega.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Well, one possible angle on the Sega Channel (which was one of the coolest and most innovative ideas out there in VG history) is that the rental stores may have put forth a slight bitch, since it had the potential to muscle out their claim on rentals and inspire other companies to do the same.

 

Past that, I think the problem was support - though now, in the age of broadband, one would think that being able to download and play Super Nintendo games on your Gamecube wouldn't be too unreasonable.  Back then, I think there could have been a lot of extra-curricular hook-up and transmission issues that may have given Sega some problems.

 

It's still a landmark of Sega's ingenuity and of how, like many other times, it often exceeded their capabilities.

[Guest Karnage]

I remember that too, my cable company back then which was Rogers had that.

Too bad they didn't think of online game play, but getting games right to your Genesis via cable is still an innovative idea.

Sega is the greatest when it comes to innovation.

[Guest]

Yeah I had it for a couple months on a free trial and it RULED.

[Guest mesepher]

my friend had this till the end.... it was awesome. We would spend hours upon hours playing it. Especially with the wide variety of games they offered... I really wish i still had my sega.

[Guest]

My friend has the Sega Channel for quite some time. Mega Bomberman was always fun.

 

I was more of an X-Band man myself though. Rocking that MKII and KI against people from across the country was quite the experience. Well, not when those mofos would disconnect right when you were about to beat them, but good times nonetheless.

[Guest JMTapes]

Guys,

 

Does anybody know when the Sega Channel was axed? I think X-Band was 97ish, but I'm not sure on SC. Anyone? Bueller...?

 

jmtapes.com