Sega: ages of innovation

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Online gaming and motion sensitivity - why Sega was years ahead of its time

Think Xbox was the first properly online-enabled console? You could be forgiven, especially as Microsoft would tell you so. But Dreamcast was doing it in 1999. It launched with a built in 56 kbit/s modem and eventually released a broadband adapter, albeit a little too late for anyone to care. Sure, consoles had used telephone link-ups before it, such as the SNES and Sega Saturn, butSegaNet was a massive leap towards online console gaming as we know it.

But while the SegaNetsort of stalledat the on-rampof the information superhighway, the UK saw a much morethriving online communitywithDreamArena. The service had a homepage (below) not unlike the PlayStation Network screen, where you could browse for new content. The quality was good from the get-go, too, with a Nike-sponsored Sonic Adventure balloon hunting competition soon after launch. The Christmas tree in Station Square playedthat awful music from Christmas NiGHTSand everything looked rosy for Sega.

The service's high point had to be allowing for online deathmatches in Quake III: Arena. Even on a painfully slow (by today's standards) 56k modem, the game was smooth, fast and surprisingly lag-free. The Dreamcast Keyboard peripheral even allowed you to chat while you played... it really had everything new consoles are offering, only six years earlier. Later in the console's life, Seaman even offered a microphone - everything was in place for broadband to make the online dream a reality. What a shame it was all too early to catch on. Xbox picked up the baton and ran with it - and the rest is history.

Above: The Brits had it a little better with their DreamArena interface

The service's high point had to be allowing for online deathmatches in Quake III: Arena. Even on a painfully slow (by today's standards) 56k modem, the game was smooth, fast and surprisingly lag-free. The Dreamcast Keyboard peripheral even allowed you to chat while you played... it really had everything new consoles are offering, only six years earlier. Later in the console's life, Seaman even offered a microphone - everything was in place for broadband to make the online dream a reality. What a shame it was all too early to catch on. Xbox picked up the baton and ran with it - and the rest is history.

Justin Towell
Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.