8 Ways Sega Was Ahead of Its Time

Younger gamers mostly think of Sega as a fun game publisher responsible for characters like Sonic the Hedgehog. However, once upon a time, they were Nintendo’s chief rival and a major player in the home console market.

Older gamers remember (and rightfully so) that Sega made a number of puzzling decisions that ultimately spelled doom for their home console manufacture. Before they crashed and burned, though, Sega just happened to predict every major gaming innovation for the next few decades!

Here are just eight of the ways Sega was wildly ahead of its time.

1. Online Gaming

Online is now a staple of gaming. We download games on services like Steam and Xbox Live and then play with fellow gamers all around the world.

Many credit Xbox Live with bringing online gaming to the console world in 2002. But two years earlier, the Sega Dreamcast allowed gamers to play Quake III Arena and Phantasy Star Online, beating Xbox Live to the punch.

However, Sega actually started online gaming way before that. In 1994, Sega launched “Sega Channel.” This allowed people to pay a a monthly subscription and download many different games through a cable television service.

And a few years before that, Sega launched “Meganet,” a service that allowed limited online gaming… in 1990! It’s pretty basic in retrospect, but this was online competitive console gaming a full 12 years before Xbox Live!

2. Portable Power

It feels like Nintendo has had the market on handheld gaming cornered forever. And with the Nintendo Switch, they have finally provided a portable, fully-powered gaming system that can also help you stream your favorite videos and movies.

However, Sega got here first! The Sega Nomad came out back in 1995. What made it special was that it was a fully portable Sega Genesis. Nintendo, however, was only offering handhelds like the Gameboy that were far less powerful than the home console.

Admittedly, the Sega Nomad ate quite a few batteries. However, this system remains the definitive way to play actual Sega Genesis cartridges on the go. And thanks to innovations from companies like TerraOnion, you can even play Sega CD on this system.