While minimal, the attempt at adding internet connectivity to an otherwise already ambitious game was Sonic Team’s first indication of where they wanted to go with the online capabilities of the Dreamcast hardware.
The website even ran a bulletin board (or messaging board) and even hosted its own IRC channel. While Sonic Adventure did not support online play, it had an internet component by utilizing a website that allowed users to download additional seasonal content, participate in contests, participate in rankings, and upload Chao data for additional perks for those who were interested in raising their Chao. Sonic Team, one of Sega’s flagship developers even to this day, started experimenting with internet connectivity at the beginning of the release of Sonic Adventure. This meant that many Japanese developers had to do a lot of experimentation and development in order to figure out how to produce online games and content. The majority of MMORPGs created at the time were developed mostly by developers in the West, while all gaming consoles that were still relevant at the time of the Sega Dreamcast were developed in Japan.
However, traditional gaming consoles at the time couldn’t hope to facilitate games of that size and caliber. This provided gamers with seemingly an entire lifetime of experiences to enjoy in a world that was constantly growing. Unlike other online games that were restricted to a fixed cap of online players in a given amount of time, MMORPGs could present a gigantic world with thousands of players worldwide playing in real-time, 24/7. One of the more promising online genres to arise from this time period was the introduction of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), such as Ultima Online and EverQuest.
Games like Quake and Diablo were some of the more popular games PC gamers were enjoying online at the time. The efforts of Sega’s implementation of online play paved the way for the console online gaming that we see to this very day.Īt this time, online gaming in general was becoming more popular, particularly for personal computers.
It would eventually be the first to introduce a broadband adapter (BBA) to enable those with cable/DSL to connect online as well. What made the Sega Dreamcast’s online attempts more adaptable at its release was the fact that a modem was included in every Dreamcast sold, enabling all users the ability to hop online with almost no additional hurdles. During its short lifespan, it garnished a very large selection of titles that had various internet capabilities, such as online multiplayer, leaderboards, and even downloadable content. While it wasn’t the first console to have online capabilities, it was the very first to be successful at doing so. The Sega Dreamcast itself needs no introduction at this point, as it was possibly one of the most influential consoles in regard to online gaming.
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