More Sega Channel prototypes dumped.

Sega Channel Argentinian Website! Including June 1997 line up.
It features the same five categories as the German July 1997 lineup (and different to the six US categories from this time). That one has seven of the same games as Argentina June 1997, and the Argentinian FAQ says 75% of games are changed each month, which was the same as Europe. I'm pretty sure that the European and South American Sega Channels were the same.

It turns out that the first international Sega Channel was in Taiwan around September/October 1995, so that seems to confirm that it launched in Taiwan. Sega Digital Communications also signed a deal with Universal Cable TV in Bangkok Thailand as well as Wharf Holdings in Hong Kong. Neither of those are confirmed to have launched. U.K., Malta, New Zealand and Australia were the countries where TCI were said to be most likely to launch the Sega Channel in. With the UK launch they announced that they had signed agreements with Deutsche Telekom in Germany, Eneco in The Netherlands, and Telenor in Norway. The latter is unconfirmed to have launched, the former two don't seem to have ever expanded from their test markets (Kaiserslautern, and Rotterdam respectively).

Sega Digital Communications (30 Games/Month)

Japan: 1994 ( Tokyo, Yokkaichi, and Suwa)
Taiwan: 1995 Sep/Oct
Hong Kong: Deal signed with Wharf Holdings in 1995. Unconfirmed Launch
Thailand: Deal signed with Universal Cable TV (Bangkok) by Jan 1996. Unconfirmed Launch
South Korea: Planned. Unconfirmed Launch.

Tele-Communications International (25 Games/Month)

U.K.: 1996 Jul Telewest (South East: Maidstone, Gravesend, Basildon, Chelmsford) 1996 Sep (North East: Gateshead, South Tyneside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside) 1996 Oct (North West: Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Wigan, Blackpool)
Netherlands: 1995 Nov Eneco (Rotterdam)
Germany: 1995 Nov/Dec TKS cable (Kaiserslautern)
Norway: Deal signed with Telenor in 1996. Unconfirmed Launch
Australia: Said to be distributed by Austar and Galaxy. Austar's only traditional cable network was in Darwin. Unclear if or where Galaxy had a traditional cable network. Unconfirmed Launch
France: TCI expected to involve Multithematiques S.A. Unconfirmed Launch
New Zealand: Expected to launch in 1996. Unconfirmed Launch
Malta: Expected to launch in 1996. Unconfirmed Launch

South America (25 Games/Month)

Argentina: 1996 Oct Cablevisión TCI
Chile: 1996 Metropolis Intercom

North America (50 Games/Month, later 35-40 Games/Fortnight)

U.S.: 1994 Jun (Test Markets), 1995 Jan (National Rollout)
Canada: 1995 Dec Shaw/Rogers (10% Canadian content)

 

Press release detailing the change to two weekly rotation and licensing Disney Interactive titles. Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow didn't get released in US on Sega Channel until 1997 (April 25th is the first known schedule where Disney Interactive titles appear, they got their own section too "Disney Picks").

http://segaretro.org/Press_release:_1997-01-06:_Sega_Channel_Pushed_Programming_to_New_Heights_in_1997

 

From the looks of things, the US Sega Channel got itself a "preview version" of Mortal Kombat 3 before the game was put to retail. Apparently something similar happened to Primal Rage too?

http://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AEGM2_US_17.pdf&page=33
(EGM2 #17, November 1995)

 

Nice find. Yeah, we have a lot of details about the Primal Rage promotion thanks to a Time Warner press release;

 

Well, I translated this image:


It apparently says: "Checksum Error! Receiver cartridge is abnormal. If many times this is an error, to contact do to cable TV stations available."

Neat.

 

I can't remember if I posted this:

http://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePlayers_US_0702.pdf&page=12

Game Players, February 1994

the key being "they're testing the system in 500 Japanese homes".


But I don't really know what this means. We can definitely deduce that Japan got the Sega Channel first because of this, but did the tests "finish"? Did they even actually start?

The photos definitely seem to be of a prototype version of the unit - with some digging we can probably find out exactly where it was shown off (see: late 1993, early 1994).


It also seems to hint at US test runs starting in March - we're saying they started in June - delays?



p.s. if we can get the Sega Channel page linked up with references that would be lovely

 

His translation is pretty accurate actually. The screen says:
??????????
????????????????
?????????????????????TV???????????

Which translates as:
Checksum error!
Receiver cartridge is out of order.
In case this error shows up multiple times, please contact the Cable TV company you're using.

 

I've been uploading a bunch of press releases, some of them Sega Channel-related.

All signs point to an "official" December 1994 release, though there seems to have been a staggered launch across the first half of 1995.

There were also as many as 12(?) test markets prior to December 1994 across the US. I can date this back until at least July 1994, so presumably there are schedules that only a handful of people got to play with?


EDIT: Maybe I should shut my face and actually read what I've posted/uploaded before.


Though here's a fun one: not-virtual reality virtual reality

 

1994-12-12 - the official US launch. Mario Lemieux apparently turned up.

But I'm out of the loop - did we spot this one?

 

This keeps turning up - I shouldn't ignore it

http://segaretro.org/Press_release:_1994-07-26:_CABLE_GIANT_TCI_AND_VIRTUAL_I/O,_INC._AGREE_TO_OFFER_HEADSETS_TO_SUBSCRIBERS_OF_NEW_INTERACTIVE_VIDEO_GAME_CHANNEL

http://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AEGM_US_066.pdf&page=68

There was an attempt to stick some sort of 3D Virtual Reality technology thing onto the Sega Channel in the US. I don't think it amounted to anything, but I might be wrong?

 

This is just a bit of info I remember. Sadly I can't find a lot of proof to back me up but eh.

In about 1995-1998 Thurrock Lakeside had a Kids Playarea (called Action Stations) open that had typical ballpit stuff but also high-tech offerings. I remember getting to go once and most of the consoles available at the time were Sega Mega Drives in demo booths that had Sega Channel cartridges. In fact as I recall they only had sega systems so I think it was a deal they had with the playarea company. Recall the systems running Sonic 2 at the time.

I lived in Essex then, but I can't say I ever heard of anyone in my area actually having Sega Channel outside this one instance. Generally I think the UK service had nowhere near the level of use the US one seems to have had.


Also not sure if anyone saw this Chris Bergstresser interview but seems to indicate some move was being made to take Channel beyond MD/Gen but ultimately nixed by company. But I'm not sure how that would have worked for Saturn and PC.

 

Kiosk; Wolcott , New York. October 13th, 1995. Looks to be playing Earthworm Jim 2, which was a Test Drive that month.

 

Looks like a Japanese schedule for September-November 1996 in a link previously posted.



Which shows that it lasted through most of 1996 at least. A full set of these would be amazing, but I'm guessing that they're ultra rare.

 

TLC

"Don't go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to"

"I don't want no scrub"

etc.


Forgettable 90s girl group. One of them is dead now. Anyway in 1995 they did a wishy-washy public service tour called "Believe in yourself" and it was sponsored by Sega Channel:

http://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AEGM2_US_15.pdf&page=26

Would anyone like the pleasure of finding more info? Apparently their music was due to be incorporated into the service

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsAmy9Kcvkk

 

https://storage.googleapis.com/tytopia/SEGA Disk Backups.zip

you guys might want to check that out. Shitload of sega channel stuff inside.

Some references to Garfield Lost Levels too, but no concrete game data I can find, only infodumps for the menus.

 

"Anonymous users does not have storage.objects.get access to object tytopia/SEGA Disk Backups.zip"

 

Well that's what happens when you don't mirror stuff for yourself.

Anyway, here you go, I recompressed it to RAR and also removed the 6000+ mac thumbnails generated into the folders (which conveniently also destroyed the folder modification timestamp when they were created... I thought we were free from the thumbs.db hell already).

SEGA Disk Backups.rar 629.4 MB
https://mega.nz/#!kw8GjbwI!8whjrw9OQf1cPOkc6m-f9Fwpt1nvyWBRRM8CmtRMDaM

 

THE ORIGINAL SONIC MANIA?