Clube Sega

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Clube Sega^[1] was an official Sega membership service for Portugal created by Ecofilmes sometime in 1992.

Membership to the club could be done, by filling in a subscription coupon^[2]^[3] (the console serial number was required as a proof of purchase), bundled with every Sega console sold in Portugal, and mail it back to Ecofilmes.

Members were then entitled to a membership card^[4] (two versions existed), the letters of their friend Sonic^[5]^[6] (pretending they were written by Sonic the Hedgehog himself), promotional flyers, merchandising, an official newsletter A revista do Clube Sega (initially mailed quarterly, but some few mailed monthly) and a free costumer service hotline called Linha Verde (literally, Green Line, Tel: 0500 2700^[7]) available every Monday to Friday, from 2 pm to 7.30 pm^[8].

Contrary to other similar membership services in other countries (i.e., Club Sega (France)), annual fees were not charged to members, and all the flyers and newsletters were offered free during the entire life of the service.

Internet was first unveiled to Portuguese public in April 1994^[9], but the commercialization and accessibility of the internet to the general public, would only start, from 1999/2000 onwards. Thus the membership service was one of two ways for getting information about Sega and their products (the other being the Mega Force magazine, the first Portuguese magazine dedicated to video games ever), and for this reason, it is remembered with great affection by all that generation of Portuguese gamers that became Clube Sega members back then.

The service ended in 1998.