Difference between revisions of "Sega Game Card"

Latest revision as of 16:14, 2 October 2023

For the later system, see Game Card.

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The Sega Game Card (セガゲームカード) system was a method of payment introduced by Sega for arcade games in the 1980s.

Traditionally in Japan, a credit on an arcade machine would cost ¥100 (although more elaborate machines would double the price to ¥200 as the decade wore on) - while comparatively inexpensive to owning the actual machine, Sega noted that the price was enough to turn customers away from playing their arcade games, either through the perception of being too expensive, or the requirement of having the correct currency on hand.

The Sega Game Card system attempted to alleviate this problem by being pre-loaded with ¥500 or ¥1000. This meant the customer could make just one purchase and play 5-10 games, and get a collectable card in the process. Similar to arcade medal systems, the money could not be redeemed, and so all credit had to be spent within a Sega game center (or at least machines equipped with Sega Game Card systems). Sega City cabinets were among those often equipped with said systems. CSK developed the specialized readers for the Sega Game Card system, known as "Telepunch".^[1]

Game Cards also allowed Sega to offer visitors to Amusement Machine Shows or AOU Shows to play their products on display without limits (which had the knock-on effect of advertising the system to arcade operators).

The system was debuted at Amusement Machine Show 1986, and would go on to be tested at Hi-Tech Land Sega Kanda at the end of October that year.^[1] Despite its convenience for consumers, it is thought that Game Cards came into use at very few locations due to issues involved with installation and management,^[2] though new examples were still being produced by Sega as late as 1991.

Gallery

Fantasy Zone (500)
Gain Ground (1000)
Hot-Rod
Nippon Maru
Sega Super Circuit (1000)
Sonic the Hedgehog (500)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (500)
Space Harrier (500)
Space Harrier (1000)
Super Game Z (500)
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (500)

Video Game Series (ビデオゲームシリーズ)

3: OutRun (1000)
4: Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (500)
5: Super Hang-On (1000)
6: Dunk Shot (500)
7: Super Hang-On (500)
8: After Burner (500)
9: Super League (500)
10: Heavyweight Champ (500)
11: Thunder Blade (500)
12: Hot-Rod (1000)
13: Galaxy Force II (1000)
14: Power Drift (500)
17: Turbo OutRun (1000)
18: Super Monaco GP (500)
19: G-LOC: Air Battle (1000)
20: G-LOC: Air Battle (1000)
21: R360 (1000)

Japan Joshi ProWres (ジャパン女子プロレス)

Events

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Game Machine, "1986-12-01" (JP; 1986-12-01), page 7
↑ @yog49 on Twitter (Wayback Machine: 2020-05-20 04:24)

[:File:GameMachine_JP_297.pdf_p7-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Game Machine, "1986-12-01" (JP; 1986-12-01), page 7

[https:.2F.2Fweb.archive.org.2Fweb.2F20200520042430.2Fhttps:.2F.2Ftwitter.com.2Fyog49.2Fstatus.2F1262962059505020929-2] @yog49 on Twitter (Wayback Machine: 2020-05-20 04:24)

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{otherPage|desc=the later system|page=Game Card}}
 {{stub}}The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' (セガ ゲームカード) system was a method of payment introduced by [[Sega]] for arcade games in the 1980s.
 Traditionally in Japan, a credit on an arcade machine would cost {{currency|JP|100}} (although more elaborate machines would double the price to {{currency|JP|200}} as the decade wore on) - while comparatively inexpensive to owning the actual machine, Sega noted that the price was enough to turn customers away from playing their arcade games, either through the perception of being too expensive, or the requirement of having the correct currency on hand.
-The Sega Game Card system attempted to alleviate this problem by being pre-loaded with {{currency|JP|500}} or {{currency|JP|1000}}. This meant the customer could make just one purchase and play 5-10 games, and get a collectable card in the process. Similar to arcade medal systems, the money could not be redeemed, and so all credit had to be spent within a Sega arcade (or at least machines equipped with Sega Game Card systems). [[Sega City]] cabinets were among those often equipped with said systems.
+The Sega Game Card system attempted to alleviate this problem by being pre-loaded with {{currency|JP|500}} or {{currency|JP|1000}}. This meant the customer could make just one purchase and play 5-10 games, and get a collectable card in the process. Similar to arcade medal systems, the money could not be redeemed, and so all credit had to be spent within a Sega game center (or at least machines equipped with Sega Game Card systems). [[Sega City]] cabinets were among those often equipped with said systems. [[CSK]] developed the specialized readers for the Sega Game Card system, known as "Telepunch".{{magref|gamemachinejp|297|7}}
-The Sega Game Card system also allowed Sega to offer visitors to [[Amusement Machine Show]]s or [[AOU Show]]s to play their products on display without limits (which had the knock-on effect of advertising the system to arcade operators).
+Game Cards also allowed Sega to offer visitors to [[Amusement Machine Show]]s or [[AOU Show]]s to play their products on display without limits (which had the knock-on effect of advertising the system to arcade operators).
-It is not known how long the Sega Game Card system was in operation, however new cards were being produced as early as 1986 and as late as 1991.
+The system was debuted at [[Amusement Machine Show 1986]], and would go on to be tested at [[Hi-Tech Land Sega Kanda]] at the end of October that year.{{magref|gamemachinejp|297|7}} Despite its convenience for consumers, it is thought that Game Cards came into use at very few locations due to issues involved with installation and management,{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20200520042430/https://twitter.com/yog49/status/1262962059505020929}} though new examples were still being produced by Sega as late as 1991.
 ==Gallery==
+<gallery>
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Fantasy Zone]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Gain Ground]]'' (1000)
+HotRod PhoneCard JP Front.jpg|''[[Hot-Rod]]''
+Notavailable.svg|Nippon Maru
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Sega Super Circuit]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Space Harrier]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Space Harrier]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|[[Super Game Z]] (500)
+Notavailable.svg|''[[Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair]]'' (500)
+</gallery>
 ===Video Game Series (ビデオゲームシリーズ)===
 <gallery>
 Notavailable.svg|3: ''[[OutRun]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|4: ''[[Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|5: ''[[Super Hang-On]]'' (1000)
 Notavailable.svg|6: ''[[Dunk Shot]]'' (500)
 Notavailable.svg|7: ''[[Super Hang-On]]'' (500)
 AfterBurner PhoneCard JP Front 1.jpg|8: ''[[After Burner]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|9: ''[[Super League]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|10: ''[[Heavyweight Champ (System 16)|Heavyweight Champ]]'' (500)
 Notavailable.svg|11: ''[[Thunder Blade]]'' (500)
 Notavailable.svg|12: ''[[Hot-Rod]]'' (1000)
@@ Line 23: / Line 42: @@
 Notavailable.svg|18: ''[[Super Monaco GP]]'' (500)
 Notavailable.svg|19: ''[[G-LOC: Air Battle]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|20: ''[[G-LOC: Air Battle]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|21: [[R360]] (1000)
 </gallery>
+===Japan Joshi ProWres (ジャパン女子プロレス)===
 <gallery>
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Fantasy Zone]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Gain Ground]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|
-Notavailable.svg|''[[G-LOC: Air Battle]]'' (1000)
+Notavailable.svg|
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Heavyweight Champ (System 16)|Heavyweight Champ]]'' (500)
+Notavailable.svg|
-HotRod PhoneCard JP Front.jpg|''[[Hot-Rod]]''
-Notavailable.svg|Nippon Maru
-Notavailable.svg|[[R360]] (1000)
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Sega Super Circuit]]'' (1000)
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (500)
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Space Harrier]]'' (500)
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Space Harrier]]'' (1000)
-Notavailable.svg|[[Super Game Z]] (500)
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Super Hang-On]]'' (1000)
-Notavailable.svg|''[[Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair]]'' (500)
 </gallery>