Dreamcast online functionality
The Dreamcast is a home video game console by Sega, the first one introduced in the sixth generation of video game consoles. With the release of the Dreamcast in 1998 amid the dot-com bubble and mounting losses from the development and introduction of its new home console, Sega made a major gamble in attempting to take advantage of the growing public interest in the Internet by including online capabilities in the console as a selling point. As such, the Dreamcast was the first console to include a built-in modem for Internet support and online play.[note 1] Sega would end up leaning heavily into the online capabilities to sell the Dreamcast as hype grew for Sony's then-upcoming competitor, the PlayStation 2, which also promised online gaming in addition to its DVD capabilities.
To create further incentive for use of the Dreamcast's online capabilities, Sega went beyond the scope of their prior online ventures and invested heavily in the development of unified online services for it, a concept that predated former partner
Hardware
Sega produced two networking accessories for the Dreamcast worldwide, one for dial-up connections and one for broadband connections. A third accessory, also intended for broadband connections, was only available in Japan. All adapters are visually similar to each other; however, the first accessory includes a
Modem Adapter
The Modem Adapter is a
There are two models of the modem adapter, 670-14140A and 670-14140B. The "A" model can use power from the Dreamcast game console to allow it to operate without the need of power from the telephone line. The "B" model does not use power from the Dreamcast; thus, it is dependent on the power from the telephone line or a modem that runs power through the telephone line.[citation needed]
Custom dial-up server
There are multiple ways to create a server between a Dreamcast and a personal computer (PC) using the standard modem which allows the Dreamcast to share the PC's network connection.
- PC-DC Server using Windows 95/98.[17]
- PC-DC Server using a Linux distribution like Ubuntu.
- Dial-up Network by using a LAN modem (like a Netopia R2020) with a telephone line simulator.[18]
- PC-DC Server using Dreamcast Now software on a Raspberry Pi.[19]
Broadband Adapter
The Broadband Adapter is a
Only a few hundred thousand units of the Broadband Adapter were produced as worldwide broadband adoption was still poor at the time.[11] While it was solely mass produced in white to match the console's default model color, a black model was produced on a limited build to order basis; orders were accepted throughout much of December 2001, with a minimum of 2,000 units produced from February to March 2002.[24] Due to the adapter's launch late in the lifespan of the Dreamcast, only a handful of games supported the adapter as developers had to explicitly include support for the adapter in their games; the games that did support it were able to take advantage of the 10 and 100 Mbit speeds provided by the adapter.[23] However, it also had an unintended consequence of much faster Dreamcast GD-ROM copying, leading to a dramatic increase in game piracy towards the end of the console's North American lifespan.[29] CSI announced that it would discontinue production of the adapter on April 24, 2002, citing Sega's discontinuation of Dreamcast production and transition to third-party development.[30]
It is a common misconception that the Broadband Adapter was released with two model numbers (HIT-0400 for the US, and HIT-0401 for Japan); in actuality, both Japan and US models have the code HIT-0400 and use a Realtek 8139 chip. The code HIT-0401 refers to the Japanese model's packaging and documentation, while the code HIT-0400 refers to the adapter hardware.[31] Besides the Broadband Adapter, Sega also released the LAN Adapter in 1999 for sale in Japan only. The LAN Adapter is technically inferior compared to the Broadband Adapter as it supports only the low 10 Mbit speed with the use of a Fujitsu MB86967 chip; it is practically inferior as well since it is not compatible with any online Dreamcast games and works only with the included Japanese browser disk.[28][11][31]
Due to the decline of
Online services
Unlike the
Dricas (Japan)
Developer | Sega, ISAO Corporation |
---|---|
Type | Online service |
Launch date | October 28, 1998 |
Discontinued | September 28, 2007 |
Platform(s) | Dreamcast |
Website | dricas.com at the Wayback Machine (archived October 19, 2000) |
Dricas was an Internet service intended for Dreamcast consoles in Japan. The service launched the week of October 28, 1998, with only a few features such as e-mail available; the feature set expanded in the weeks preceding the Dreamcast's launch in Japan on November 27, 1998.
On March 30, 2000, Sega announced that Dream Passport 3, which was due for release on April 29, would include an online rental service called Dream Library, where users could download and play emulated
Dricas persisted until March 7, 2000, when the service was consolidated into ISAO's multi-platform online service, isao.net.[43] Broadband support arrived for the service a few months later on July 15 of that year, launching with the debut of the Broadband Adapter in Japan.[20] Isao.net maintained online services and game servers for the Dreamcast until Sega ceased the online servers for the last remaining Dreamcast game, Phantasy Star Online, along with its GameCube port on March 31, 2007.[44] Sega ultimately terminated the Dreamcast-dedicated portion of the isao.net service on September 28, 2007, officially eliminating the last remaining vestige of its ambitious plan for online gaming with the Dreamcast.[45]
SegaNet (United States)
Genuity | |
Type | Online service |
---|---|
Launch date | September 7, 2000 |
Discontinued | July 20, 2001 September 30, 2003 (online game servers) | (online service)
Platform(s) | Dreamcast |
Website | sega.net at the Wayback Machine (archived June 2, 2001) |
SegaNet was a short-lived
As a replacement for Sega's original
SegaNet originally offered a rebate for a free Dreamcast with a two-year contract along with a free keyboard to encourage sales of the console.
Dreamarena (Europe)
Developer | Sega, BT |
---|---|
Type | Online service |
Launch date | October 14, 1999 |
Discontinued | February 28, 2003 |
Platform(s) | Dreamcast |
Website | dreamarena.co.uk at the Wayback Machine (archived June 9, 2003) |
Dreamarena was a free
The first three versions of DreamKey (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) did not allow users to enter their own ISP phone number and login details, locking them with the ISPs that partnered with Sega; this resulted in Dreamarena being an expensive affair for many of the users.[77][78] After the discontinuation of the Dreamcast and its transition away from console hardware, Sega closed Dreamarena on February 28, 2002; subsequent online access required version 3.0 of DreamKey, which was released on February 1 and provided users the ability to access the Internet via an ISP of their choice.[77] Users ordering DreamKey 3.0 after the Dreamarena closure had to use a PC to visit Sega of Europe's website and order it there with their service credentials; European Dreamcast customers that failed to register for the service by its closure were completely unable to go online with the console.[79] Online functions for the Dreamcast continued to run for another year until they were shut down on February 28, 2003.[80]
Comma (Australia)
On November 2, 1999, Sega announced its partnership with
To gain access to the network, Australian Dreamcast users were forced to use Telstra's Big Pond service; the Internet access disc, which had Dreamkey software similar to the European version, was bundled with a voucher for 150 hours of free Internet access that users were required to use within three months of activation.[12][86][87][88] Upon connecting, the browser went to the default Comma web portal, which Sega hoped would develop similarly to Yahoo! as an all-encompassing destination for users' Internet needs; LookSmart powered the portal's search engine.[12][81]
Supported games
Despite the emphasis of online gaming by Sega, no games supported online play at launch despite a handful of games offering free downloadable content (DLC) to store on a VMU, including Sonic Adventure.[10][89] This caused much ire among consumers such that complaints were filed to the BBC's Watchdog programme and the Independent Television Commission (ITC) in the United Kingdom, accusing Sega of misleading advertising. The ITC subsequently forced Sega to remove references to online gaming in Dreamcast advertisements, with Sega deciding to switch European advertising agencies from WCRS to Bartle Bogle Hegarty as a result of the controversy.[90][91] The first game to support online play was ChuChu Rocket!, which first released in Japan on November 11, 1999.[10][92]
Online games on the Dreamcast initially allowed free access to their game servers with expectations of cost offsetting through SegaNet subscriptions and game sales.
See also
Competing online services
Prior online ventures by Sega
- Sega Meganet for the Mega Drive (Japan, Brazil)
- Sega Channel for the Genesis (United States)
- Sega NetLink for the Saturn
Notes
- Apple Bandai Pippin, released in 1996, included a 14.4 kbit/s external modem that plugged into a GeoPort-capable serial port.[1][2]
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{{cite magazine}}
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