Sega launched an online gaming service called Mega Net in Japan in November 1990, a full decade before Xbox Live. The system used a 1,200 bps dial-up modem plugging into the Mega Drive's EXT port, allowing users to download compact games (under 128 KB) in 5–8 minutes. Two titles offered actual online multiplayer — both turn-based due to latency constraints. Beyond gaming, the Mega Anser add-on enabled online banking. The service struggled to gain traction and was effectively dead by 1992–1993. A separate but inspired Mega Net service launched in Brazil in 1995, offering email, fax, and an electronic magazine. Despite being a commercial failure, it laid groundwork for Sega's later online efforts with the Saturn and Dreamcast.
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