|
|
|
History
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Sega explored online services for the Mega Drive. On 3 November 1990 the company released the Mega Modem (HAA-2951) in Japan for ¥12,800 (or ¥9,800 without the Game Toshokan cartridge). The device allowed owners to connect to the Sega Game Toshokan (Sega Game Library) for an additional monthly fee of ¥800. Users could download extra content and, in a small number of titles, play peer-to-peer matches.
The Mega Modem had several practical drawbacks: it was relatively expensive, completely occupied the telephone line (preventing simultaneous voice calls), and could become costly because charges were based on connection time. A North American version under the name “Tele-Genesis” was announced but never released. Overall software support remained very limited—only about ten titles ever used the Mega Modem.
Release
In 1992 Sega released an updated network accessory called the Mega Terminal (MEGA ターミナル, model HMT-2952). Unlike the Mega Modem, which used a standard analog telephone line, the Mega Terminal was designed for ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, which were becoming more common in Japan.
ISDN offered two clear advantages:
- Simultaneous voice and data transmission, so the telephone remained usable while the modem was connected.
- Billing based on the amount of data transferred rather than connection time, which could make online play cheaper for slow-paced games that exchanged little data (such as Go).
The Mega Terminal plugged into the DE-9 expansion port on the rear of a Model 1 Mega Drive only (the port was removed on the Model 2). Data rates were in the range of 1,200–2,400 bps. The accessory was released exclusively in Japan and is one of the rarest official Mega Drive peripherals.
Demise
Sega’s online ambitions for the Mega Drive never gained significant traction. The combination of high hardware cost, very limited software support, and the rapid shift of development resources toward the Mega-CD (and later the Saturn) led the company to abandon the service. Remaining Mega Modem stock was sold at a discount, and the Mega Terminal itself received almost no further promotion.
Today the Mega Terminal is exceptionally scarce and is primarily of interest to collectors of obscure Sega hardware.
Software
Software support for the Mega Terminal was extremely limited. Only two titles are confirmed to have supported it:
No further games are known to have been developed for the device.
Technical Specifications
- Model Number: HMT-2952
- Connection: DE-9 expansion port (Mega Drive Model 1 only)
- Network type: ISDN
- Data rate: approximately 1,200–2,400 bps
- Region: Japan exclusive