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s Best
Peripheral of 1996 (behind the Saturn analog controller). Despite the media excitement over the device and its prominent appearance in Sega's marketing campaign, less than 1% of Saturn owners purchased the NetLink in 1996. Over its lifetime, an estimated 50,000 NetLink units were sold in North
73:
The Net Link connected to the internet through standard dial-up services. Unlike other online gaming services in the US, one does not connect to a central service, but instead tells the dial-up modem connected to the Saturn's cartridge slot to call to the person with whom one wishes to play. Since it
152:
with prepaid credits. The Saturn had a floppy drive and printer cable converter (both Japan only) which could be used with the Net Link. A web browser from
Planetweb was included, and a mouse and keyboard adapter were available to simplify navigation. Sega also released a dedicated Saturn mouse and
113:
According to Yutaka
Yamamoto, Sega of America's director of new technology, the Saturn's design allowed it to access the internet purely through software: "Sega engineers always felt the Saturn would be good for multimedia applications as well as game playing. So they developed a
176:
matchmaking system, then connect peer-to-peer via modem, or alternatively, use two NetLinks to connect two
Saturns and two televisions set up in the same room (thus eliminating the need for a phone line and essentially using the NetLink to emulate the Saturn Link Cable).
137:, the Sega Net Link enabled players to choose any ISP that was within its technical specifications. The device was capable of connecting at a 28.8 kilobit/s connection in America and 14.4 kbit/s in Japan. However, it suffered from memory limitations; the modem's
153:
Saturn keyboard. In addition, to allow users to browse with just the Saturn joypad, Sega produced a series of CDs containing hundreds of website addresses. The browser included a space magnifying function.
171:
Five games were released that supported the NetLink. All five were released in late 1997, nearly a year after the NetLink itself. Players could search for other players either on the
Internet or using the
160:, and runs on just 570 KB, whereas a typical PC browser of the time used up about 6 MB. At the time most television screens ran at a lower resolution than computer monitors, so the browser used
145:, leaving only the Saturn's limited internal RAM for any downloaded data. This makes it impossible to download audio or video clips, save e-mail messages, or put previously loaded web pages into cache.
391:
190:
America, half of Sega's original goal. Another 1,100 units were donated by Sega of
America to schools, in partnership with the nonprofit group Projectneat.
50:
through their console. The unit was released in
October 1996. The Sega Net Link fit into the Sega Saturn cartridge port and consisted of a 28.8 kbit/s
74:
requires no servers to operate, the service can operate as long as at least two users have the necessary hardware and software, as well as a phone line.
58:
199, or US$ 400 bundled with a Sega Saturn. In 1997 Sega began selling the NetLink Bundle, which included the standard NetLink plus the compatible games
180:
Launching at 15,000 yen in Japan and $ 199 in the USA, it was considered very inexpensive compared to competing online services. It was a runner-up for
245:
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213:. These servers were originally run by Sega employees but were given over to be run by Net Link chat users Leo Daniels and Mark Leatherman.
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125:
While the Net Link was not the first accessory which allowed console gamers in North
America to play video games online (see
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54:, a custom chip to allow it to interface with the Saturn, and a browser developed by Planetweb, Inc. The unit sold for
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to smooth out the edges of onscreen text characters. The browser could not properly display web sites which use
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Sega Saturn NetLink League: Information about the NetLink and a resource to find other NetLink players
209:(IRC) server irc.sega.com which was changed to the server irc0.dreamcast.com on the release of Sega's
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Sega Saturn
Netlink Games With Voip 2017 (Sega Rally And Daytona Usa, Bomberman and Virtual On)
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An official Sega-branded keyboard for the Saturn, used for browsing the internet with Net Link.
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Sega Saturn
Netlink Games With Voip 2017, Virtual On And Saturn Bomberman Netlink Editions
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In 2017, fans were able to make the NetLink work a modern highspeed connection with
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keyboard adapter, required for connecting a keyboard to the Saturn for web browsing.
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In Japan, however, gamers did connect through a centralized service known as
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228:, carrying the same name in Japan. The European counterpart was called
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17:
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455:"Internet Access, Network Games Hit Saturn - For Less than $ 400".
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22:
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133:(ISP) to connect. While Sega recommended that players use
823:
833:
81:, which would later be taken offline and converted for
533:"Saturn to Get Internet Connection Facilities in '96!"
240:
The following games are compatible with the Net Link:
129:), it was the first to allow players to use their own
392:"Discovering the World Through a Sega Saturn NetLink"
16:"NetLink" redirects here. For the Linux program, see
1177:
1139:
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1032:
1016:
990:
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904:
871:
824:Netlink & Dreamcast Old Users @ Way2Live4U.com
849:
8:
366:"E3's Best Deal: The $ 99 NetLink Bundle".
343:"Nintendo, Sega, & Sony Under One Roof"
337:
335:
316:"Sega Turns to Net Link and Digital Camera"
148:In Japan, the Net Link required the use of
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834:
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274:Virtual On: Cyber Troopers NetLink Edition
67:Virtual On: Cyber Troopers NetLink Edition
42:game console to provide Saturn users with
141:could store only account information and
502:
500:
474:
472:
390:Vinciguerra, Robert A. (4 August 2010).
829:Official Sega Saturn NetLink VoIP Guide
814:Learn Planetweb's Self-Download Feature
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
307:
679:"Who Won the Videogame Wars of 1996?"
156:The Planetweb browser was written in
7:
541:. No. 5. March 1996. p. 8.
507:Ramshaw, Mark James (January 1996).
764:Itsstillthinking (17 March 2017).
205:The Net Link Zone connected to an
122:to support communications tasks."
14:
747:Itsstillthinking (16 July 2017).
598:"'Sega City' Nears Online Launch"
1247:
1246:
246:Daytona USA CCE NetLink Edition
236:Games compatible with Net Link
1:
783:"NetLink: The Saturn Savior?"
626:Dan Elektro (December 1997).
376:. September 1997. p. 74.
224:was launched in 2000 for the
718:. February 1997. p. 22.
610:. November 1996. p. 19.
586:. December 1996. p. 24.
328:. December 1996. p. 33.
267:Sega Rally Championship Plus
1195:Gulf and Western Industries
781:Scary Larry (August 1997).
576:"Navigating the Net Link".
479:The Whizz (December 1996).
38:) is an attachment for the
1299:
1273:Online video game services
563:Emap International Limited
15:
1242:
711:Electronic Gaming Monthly
691:. April 1997. p. 18.
667:. March 1997. p. 90.
660:Electronic Gaming Monthly
579:Electronic Gaming Monthly
458:Electronic Gaming Monthly
369:Electronic Gaming Monthly
355:. August 1996. p. 9.
183:Electronic Gaming Monthly
131:Internet Service Provider
1200:Sega Technical Institute
730:"NetLink Internet Modem"
628:"The Saturn's Net Worth"
481:"Online with the Saturn"
465:. July 1996. p. 18.
565:. July 1996. p. 8.
423:"Saturn Surfs the 'Net"
421:The Whizz (June 1996).
61:Sega Rally Championship
1033:Online gaming services
110:
98:
28:
1227:Video game franchises
127:online console gaming
104:
96:
26:
924:Mega Drive / Genesis
770:– via YouTube.
753:– via YouTube.
558:Sega Saturn Magazine
538:Sega Saturn Magazine
36:Sega Saturn Net Link
1210:Sega Sammy Holdings
1185:Development studios
906:Video game consoles
402:on 16 December 2013
207:Internet Relay Chat
1190:Gremlin Industries
1055:Dreamcast services
396:The Rev. Rob Times
111:
99:
29:
1260:
1259:
1157:Sega World Sydney
1017:Licensed consoles
795:. pp. 22–23.
652:"The Best of '96"
640:. pp. 32–33.
27:The Sega Net Link
1290:
1250:
1249:
1221:Sega v. Accolade
1215:SCSK Corporation
1162:SegaWorld London
1140:Amusement venues
965:Portable devices
886:Pinball machines
858:
851:
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835:
797:
796:
791:. No. 107.
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636:. No. 111.
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553:"See the World!"
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398:. Archived from
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260:Saturn Bomberman
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120:operating system
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714:. No. 91.
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684:Next Generation
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603:Next Generation
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517:. No. 13.
514:Next Generation
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372:. No. 98.
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348:Next Generation
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324:. No. 99.
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44:internet access
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803:External links
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561:. No. 9.
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46:and access to
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1278:Sega hardware
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521:. p. 31.
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201:Net Link Zone
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162:anti-aliasing
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34:(also called
33:
32:Sega Net Link
25:
19:
1219:
1120:
1065:Sega Forever
1049:
1045:Sega Channel
1040:Sega Meganet
991:Dual systems
881:Arcade games
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404:. Retrieved
400:the original
395:
367:
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287:Sega Meganet
272:
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70:, for $ 99.
65:
59:
35:
31:
30:
1283:Sega Saturn
1074:Accessories
998:LaserActive
509:"Generator"
406:16 December
40:Sega Saturn
1267:Categories
1205:Sonic Team
1152:Sega World
1081:Atomiswave
734:Sega Retro
716:Ziff Davis
665:Ziff Davis
584:Ziff Davis
463:Ziff Davis
374:Ziff Davis
297:Dreamarena
230:Dreamarena
150:smartcards
139:static RAM
135:Concentric
1169:GameWorks
1116:Sega Card
1024:Sega Zone
1003:TeraDrive
972:Game Gear
956:Dreamcast
809:Planetweb
703:"Tidbits"
226:Dreamcast
217:Successor
211:Dreamcast
143:bookmarks
83:Dreamcast
1252:Category
1147:Joypolis
1096:Dreameye
281:See also
1178:Related
1126:Sega VR
1111:Menacer
1106:Lock-On
1060:ALL.Net
914:SG-1000
788:GamePro
633:GamePro
486:GamePro
428:GamePro
321:GamePro
292:SegaNet
222:SegaNet
118:in the
89:History
85:usage.
79:SegaNet
18:Netlink
1101:GD-ROM
982:Gopher
951:Saturn
166:frames
116:kernel
977:Nomad
706:(PDF)
655:(PDF)
303:Notes
187:'
174:XBAND
52:modem
48:email
946:Pico
939:Mini
896:VR-1
891:R360
865:Sega
408:2013
195:VoIP
107:PS/2
64:and
56:US$
1131:VMU
934:32X
793:IDG
638:IDG
491:IDG
433:IDG
326:IDG
1269::
929:CD
785:.
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708:.
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105:A
857:e
850:t
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158:C
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
