Sega acknowledges existence of Sega Vision!

Sega's obscure media device, the Sega Vision, has had little or no official confirmation since it was first discovered back in October. Even its appearance at this year's ATEI left us with few answers.

This was enough to arouse speculation that the portable media player would never be released, or that some parts of Sega were unaware that the thing even existed.

But now, thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we know that Sega is aware of its own hardware's existence. Here is what they said, in response to a user question about the Sega Vision:

"The SEGA Vision? Sega Nerds can tell you all about that - they had a hands on a while back..."

Perhaps the Sega Vision is so neglected because it was only ever meant to be low-key? People in the Sega community have reported seeing them in various UFO Catchers around the UK, but they are still unavailable to buy directly.

The Sega Vision is supposed to be released this year, with a price tag of £70-£90. This seems expensive based on the system's poor game-playing capabilities, when fully-fledged handheld games consoles only cost slightly more. New, cheaper and more powerful PMPs have since come on the market, such as the Dingoo A320.

It now seems likely that the Sega Vision will remain in obscurity, only available through Sega Amusements arcade machines. It really wasn't the Game Gear 2 we were hoping for...

[Source: Sega's Twitter]

New Sega Vision info emerges

One lucky reporter over at Sega Nerds has actually gone to this year's ATEI, and has found out more information on Sega's portable media device the Sega Vision.

Unfortunately the Sega Vision will not be able to play games yet. The current model can play simple flash games, although the retail version has this feature cut out. Sega Europe have said that they do not want the games to look like a failed attempt to rival other handhelds, instead waiting until newer models with better specifications are released in the future.

The unit is slightly bigger than a credit card, and is extremely light. It has 2GB of memory and an SD card slot. There is no definite word on battery life, but apparently it can last for an entire film. The TV and radio functions are analogue, which is slightly useless in the UK as these signals are being switched off over the next few years. Sega have said future models will have digital capabilities.

Future models may even have a touch screen, which, along with better games, could bring it on par with the iPhone. Obviously it won't be able to make calls, but who uses the iPhone as an actual phone anyway?

The Sega Vision is being released this year at an estimated price of £70 - £90, with the £49.98 price being trade only. Hopefully we will have more information soon!

Sega Vision lives!

Amazingly, after months of quiet, it seems that the Sega Vision does indeed exist! Sega Amusements have been showcasing the portable media device alongside other gadgets and games at this year's ATEI, and I must say I am surprised.

The system was originally thought to be retailing at around £100, the same price as a DS, but is in fact half of that - just £49.98! It even comes in a snazzy box that reminds me of the Saturn. Someone over on SegaVision.info has all ready got their hands on one, giving it an extremely positive review.


The design and advertising remains unchanged, meaning that everything we discovered last October was official and not fake. I now really want one, and I can't wait until they are released to the public!

Anyone for some Sonic-themed tat?

Sega Europe have posted some of the things they will be showcasing at this year's Amusement Trades Exhibition, and some of the prizes you can win from the machines are pure tat. That doesn't mean us Sega fans don't want them though, does it?


These are some Sonic slippers, but are not guaranteed to increase your running speed. I have always wanted Tails' shoes, but it doesn't look like Sega will ever manufacture them. I'm still waiting for the Nike 2015s THAT AREN'T LIMITED EDITION.


Next is a giant Sonic MP3 player. It holds 1GB of memory, and the buttons are situated all over Sonic's body. Yes, even there. Now, I thought one of the main advantages of MP3 players was their portability, something this is sorely lacking. Anyway, it's yours for just £24.98!


Next are some plushies that you can win from this Sonic UFO machine, sans any Sega Visions. Thankfully they are not as deformed as ones I have seen.

Unfortunately I have never seen a Sega Amusements machine with anything Sonic related in, instead having rubbishy phones and iPods in them. JE VOUDRAIS UN CHEAPLY MADE SONIC PLUSHIE, S'IL VOUS PLAÎT!

Is the Sega Vision still alive?

It has been weeks since any news of the Sega Vision has appeared, but SegaVision.info has posted a video round-up of what's been happening so far. Expect people talking about things we already knew in their messy houses.

Sega Vision video disappears off YouTube

The video showcasing the new Sega Vision has been taken off Youtube, say SegaVision.info. The video was originally uploaded by Sega Prize Europe, with many people believing it was a hoax. This adds more speculation as to whether or not the Sega Vision actually exists.

Despite sightings in a London arcade and apparent official confirmation, the existence of Sega's new PMP is still debatable. Personally I think it would be better if Sega worked on a handheld console to challenge the PSP and DS rather than releasing a PMP in an already saturated market, although I still find the Sega Vision appealing.

Will we ever be able to play the Java mini game and more?

New "Sega Vision" handheld announced

I'm sure most of you will have heard by now, but Sega is making a return to the hardware market with the announcement of the "Sega Vision" on Friday. It is to be a Portable Media Player, or "PMP", and will boast a number of features: a portable TV tuner, movie player, music player, digital camera and video camera, an e-book reader, voice recorder, and the ability to play Java games.

WANT!

It's not all that exciting though. Touted by the press as a "PSP beater", the Sega Vision is apparently just a rebranding of an existing Chinese PMP. However, according to SegaVision.info, there is the possibility of Java versions of Sega's classic games coming to the Sega Vision. The system will have the power of a top mobile phone, so hopefully it will be able to handle these conversions.

With only 2GB of space, the Sega Vision's storage is small in comparison to the latest iPods (or iP3 players as they are called by adults), but is perfect for the people like me who struggle to fill their ancient 256MB MP3 Players.

The name "Sega Vision" conjures up images of the early 1980s to me, where all consoles/companies had "vision" in their name, for example "Colecovision", "Microvision" and "Activision". At least it's better than "iSEGA".

The Sega Vision will launch in the UK next year, with some already being available in a London arcade. People are speculating that the price will be around the same as the Nintendo DS. Although Sega's reëntry into the console market remains in the distant future, this is still an exciting announcement. I'm sure a lot of Sega fans have exclaimed "WANT!" at their computer screens already.