SEGA Pluto prototype found

[c2000]

Basically a Saturn with built-in Netlink modem. I can't believe this was found after all these years!
http://mobile.segadatabase.net/?p=1627

[Daltone]

Basically a Saturn with built-in Netlink modem. I can't this was found after all these years!
http://mobile.segadatabase.net/?p=1627

How cool is that? a) that it has been found, b) that design is pretty sexy!

[Tanooki]

Thanks for sharing, it's a total reminder of the past that never was. First thing to come to mind is like a bridge of saturn to dreamcast in connectivity design because it like the DC has the dailup jack built into it.

[RCM]

Wow, that's beautiful. There are now two Saturn units I'd pay thousands for.

[wiggyx]

Is there anything cooler than prototype hardware in the gaming world? Man, nothing gets me more amped up than stuff like this!

Makes me wanna model a shell up and print in out ;)

[PreZZ]

Is there anything cooler than prototype hardware in the gaming world? Man, nothing gets me more amped up than stuff like this!

Makes me wanna model a shell up and print in out ;)

Go ahead DO IT! and dont forget the neptune too... this prototype is badass but netlink is now pointless. Id still bid a grand or two if it shows up on ebay!

[gameofyou]

Go ahead DO IT! and dont forget the neptune too... this prototype is badass but netlink is now pointless. Id still bid a grand or two if it shows up on ebay!

Why exactly is Netlink pointless? I think all you do is dial up someone else that has one. Its still perfectly playable.

[Greg2600]

I like the design of that casing much better than the big bulky Saturn. Great find.

[wiggyx]

Go ahead DO IT! and dont forget the neptune too... this prototype is badass but netlink is now pointless. Id still bid a grand or two if it shows up on ebay!

Someone on CAG has been bugging me about a Neptune shell forever. I really wanna do a SNESstation ;)


Why exactly is Netlink pointless? I think all you do is dial up someone else that has one. Its still perfectly playable.

Wait, people still have landlines?!


(I know there are groups out there using the Netlink, though small groups).

[PreZZ]

wiggy would you be able to duplicate a neptune shell with your 3d printer if you had the original neptune shell? If so find that guys adress, im breaking in lol!! Having a modded genesis 2 (or maybe 3 since its much smaller?) with a 32x inside the neptune shell would be amazing. I know otakus store used to do this mod with a model 2 and sold them online, if you could do this mod with the clear audio mod, s-video, I would be very interested!

[wiggyx]

Good photos and a few rough dimensions would really be enough to get it 95% correct :)

[wingzrow]

Pluto no longer a planet.

SEGA no longer a console manufacturer.

[Greg2600]

Thanks for sharing, it's a total reminder of the past that never was. First thing to come to mind is like a bridge of saturn to dreamcast in connectivity design because it like the DC has the dailup jack built into it.

http://www.rashly3dfx.com/products/blackbelt.html

Link mentioned on sega-16, that this is basically the same case design of the Dreamcast system being developed with 3Dfx.

[Jack7]

Pluto no longer a planet.

SEGA no longer a console manufacturer.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7428291300_7ced43cf88_z.jpg

[The 1 2 P]

I just saw this on Game Informer. It's an interesting looking system but I still prefer the normal Saturn design.

[BricatSegaFan]

Pluto no longer a planet.

SEGA no longer a console manufacturer.

Ouch low blow :(

[slapdash]

And weirder yet, the Pluto *01* has shown up for auction! http://www.gamegavel.com/item.cgi?show_item=0000752122

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Odd that both have non-functional drive door latch mechanisms.

[TonyTheTiger]

What was with Sega and their "let's smush things together" phase? It's like they pulled every one of the permutations. Just wait. I bet someone will find a prototype for a Genesis/32X/SCD/Saturn console. The Sega Betelgeuse.

[Parodius Duh!]

Awesome to see, but whatever. Not like you can get on the net with it.... Its just a saturn in a cool shell at this point.

[wiggyx]

Odd that both have non-functional drive door latch mechanisms.

Considering that they are prototypes, it's entirely possible that the latch mechanism is something that just hadn't been sorted out yet. Based on the pics I've seen, the shell design is still in a pretty rough state, and there is no way that those parts came out of a tool intended for retail/production units.


That, or the same jerkoff at Sega didn't know the strength in his index finger and busted em both :P

[needler420]

Awesome to see, but whatever. Not like you can get on the net with it.... Its just a saturn in a cool shell at this point.

Exactly. It's a expensive paper weight meant for collectors to go look what I got but no one else does.


It's a useless shell like you said. It's neat but pointless.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Anyone have 7.6k monies?

http://www.gamegavel.com/item.cgi?show_item=0000752122

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Awesome to see, but whatever. Not like you can get on the net with it.... Its just a saturn in a cool shell at this point.

I believe that several games that have direct-dial unit to unit match ups still work fine. You don't need any Internet client or server to use those.

[Sundowner]

That is really cool! I wonder the history behind that specific prototype and how no one knew about it until now. I guess I can see how it was never released. It seems like a waste and could of done much cooler things like also include a genesis/32x/sega cd. That would of been something people would REALLY of wanted...maybe

[Ed Oscuro]

What I want to know is how its dimensions really stack up to a regular Saturn - it looks about the same as a Saturn with an extra sidecar tacked on. Gotta admit I'm kind of a sucker for the '90s Mac style design though.

Kind of surprised the modem took up that much space but that's the '90s for ya.

It wasn't really "found" so much as the member deciding to finally release some information about it (or maybe he finally took the time to cobble them together...who knows? :vamp: ) Makes you wonder what other stuff is out there that people aren't telling us about.

[BricatSegaFan]

What I want to know is how its dimensions really stack up to a regular Saturn - it looks about the same as a Saturn with an extra sidecar tacked on. Gotta admit I'm kind of a sucker for the '90s Mac style design though.

Kind of surprised the modem took up that much space but that's the '90s for ya.

It wasn't really "found" so much as the member deciding to finally release some information about it (or maybe he finally took the time to cobble them together...who knows? :vamp: ) Makes you wonder what other stuff is out there that people aren't telling us about.

Apparently one was "found" at a garage sale years before.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/rumor-second-sega-pluto-found-at-a-garage-sale/

[Ed Oscuro]

Actually, re-reading the Assembler page, this is something that landed in somebody's desk some time later. Oh boy, how I wouldn't mind coming across a piece of hardware that way!

[wiggyx]

What I want to know is how its dimensions really stack up to a regular Saturn - it looks about the same as a Saturn with an extra sidecar tacked on. Gotta admit I'm kind of a sucker for the '90s Mac style design though.

Kind of surprised the modem took up that much space but that's the '90s for ya.

It wasn't really "found" so much as the member deciding to finally release some information about it (or maybe he finally took the time to cobble them together...who knows? :vamp: ) Makes you wonder what other stuff is out there that people aren't telling us about.

Wouldn't be too hard to sort out based on what we know already (size of a CD, the controller ports, etc).

Remember, it IS a proto. It may have been a lot smaller in production.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, there's a shot with a CD inside. I'm not super familiar with the Saturn (despite having two of 'em) so it's hard to place for me.

The shell, despite some rough edges, looks like a pretty much finished design. What you say could be true though.

I don't think the unit was opened (yet) but it could also be that part of that space is taken up by an MPEG decompression card as well.

[Gunstar Hero]

Wow this is awesome!!! I love prototypes they are super badass especially ones that look as nice and complete as this one!

[Greg2600]

Apparently one was "found" at a garage sale years before.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/20/rumor-second-sega-pluto-found-at-a-garage-sale/

He paid a DOLLAR for it!!! SOB.

[BricatSegaFan]

He paid a DOLLAR for it!!! SOB.

Somehow I doubt it was a dollar.....suspicious

[wiggyx]

Yeah, there's a shot with a CD inside. I'm not super familiar with the Saturn (despite having two of 'em) so it's hard to place for me.

The shell, despite some rough edges, looks like a pretty much finished design. What you say could be true though.

I don't think the unit was opened (yet) but it could also be that part of that space is taken up by an MPEG decompression card as well.

Retro-engineering has sort of become a staple of what I do lately, and I've become pretty adept at "eyeballing" it ;)

I agree. It's a clean design, no doubt. The shell was likely cast from hand-built parts or CNC'd from a block of ABS or something else. I expect the former based on the imperfections in the form. I'm SURE there would have been tweaks to it before production, but the form factor seems pretty well fleshed out.

I wonder if the guy with the $1 unit ever opened his up. Anyone have a clue how to contact him? I know the guys at Assemble would literally kill to see the gutty-wuts.

[Greg2600]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Pluto-/251269226255?pt=Video_Games&hash=item3a80d01f0f

One of two Pluto owners is trying to sell on ebay. Bidding at $10G's but not at reserve yet.

[Buyatari]

Current bid:US $9,999.99 reserve not met.

Nothing funny going on here. I wonder what the reserve price could possibly be.

[PreZZ]

its a little bit strange that no one has heard of the pluto or even knew it existed for over 15 years and know 2 of them showup in auctions... could it be a very well made scam?? It looks legit, but hey if you can make 2 professionally looking prototypes and sell them for over 10,000$ each, thats a nice profit for sure.

[Buyatari]

its a little bit strange that no one has heard of the pluto or even knew it existed for over 15 years and know 2 of them showup in auctions... could it be a very well made scam?? It looks legit, but hey if you can make 2 professionally looking prototypes and sell them for over 10,000$ each, thats a nice profit for sure.

I assumed that this was the same one that did not meet reserve on Gamegavel. They only made 2 of these...so possible but fishy if this is the second one.

[Bojay1997]

I assumed that this was the same one that did not meet reserve on Gamegavel. They only made 2 of these...so possible but fishy if this is the second one.

It is the same as the Gamegavel one. This guy is totally unrealistic about its value.

[8-Bit Archeology]

Why would both units not have controllers? Watch the unit will sell and a week later.....Hey I found the cables and controllers. Who wants em? Followed by another auction.

[Bojay1997]

Why would both units not have controllers? Watch the unit will sell and a week later.....Hey I found the cables and controllers. Who wants em? Followed by another auction.

Because it would have used stock Saturn controllers. Sega, like a lot of video game companies, had a sloppy way of handling their prototypes in the old days. This probably just got plucked out of R&D and stuck in a box or cabinet somewhere and the cables and controllers were lost or stuck somewhere else. It's not like they designed custom controllers just for this thing.

[Greg2600]

Why would both units not have controllers? Watch the unit will sell and a week later.....Hey I found the cables and controllers. Who wants em? Followed by another auction.
They're prototypes, but they likely used actual Saturn controllers. Obviously the purpose was to prototype/test the Netlink modem somehow.


its a little bit strange that no one has heard of the pluto or even knew it existed for over 15 years and know 2 of them showup in auctions... could it be a very well made scam?? It looks legit, but hey if you can make 2 professionally looking prototypes and sell them for over 10,000$ each, thats a nice profit for sure.
The first Pluto revealed was by the former Sega employee, who had it obviously for a decade and a half. He's now living in Japan. The fact that he didn't reveal it until now is completely unsurprising. This happens all the time, because the guys who have them and worked in the industry often no longer follow gaming and don't think about what the worth or historical value might be.

The second one revealed, by the kidvid666 guy, (real name Roger Vega) is the one that was on game gavel and for which he appeared on YouTube in, and such, and is being auctioned. The unit is legit, it's not a fake, and he says he's had it for 5 or 6 years after getting it at a flea market in Stockton, CA. That's in the Bay Area, where Sega of America resided. Prototype games and systems are often found in that region at flea markets and garage sales. Here's what he told about it. http://patrickscottpatterson.com/CulturePluto


"It was about six years ago, and all I remember is getting it from a flea market in Stockton, California," he said. "I remember asking the seller how much he wanted for it and that he responded he wanted $5. He thought it was a VCR. I offered him a dollar for it because the lid would not stay closed and he accepted."

Since the Pluto prototypes came with a Sega Saturn logo on the case, Vega said he had no idea what he'd actually purchased at the time.

"My thoughts about it at the time were that I just thought it was cool looking, with no idea of what it was, and went about the rest of my day," Vega recalled. "It was later told by someone that they thought it was a knock-off and I never really gave it a second thought since, but I still thought it was very cool and held on to it."

I think his story is very believable, he thought it was a knock off of some kind. I do find it odd that he wouldn't have posted pictures on a Sega forum by now, but again, you'd be surprised how many game collectors rarely go onto game forums.

[8-Bit Archeology]

Never had a saturn so the controller port wasnt obvious to me. But if they work and that power cord is a dime a dozen. Than why are people saying its a paperweight. It would work right?

[Bojay1997]

Never had a saturn so the controller port wasnt obvious to me. But if they work and that power cord is a dime a dozen. Than why are people saying its a paperweight. It would work right?

"People" aren't saying it's a paperweight. Needler who is a troll said that, but he believes collecting is stupid and still continues to post here despite the fact that he contributes nothing and is against everything this forum and community was founded to support.

[Greg2600]

Even IF it didn't work at all, it would still carry a decent monetary value. It's very rare, only two known, and from Sega, a major and very popular console maker. Some people hate on the folks who find these things, but in reality it's great that they do, because otherwise you'd never see them. Also why projects like the Video Game History Museum are so important, because you can physically lay eyes on pieces like this, which otherwise sit in some old dude's collection never to see the light of day.

[8-Bit Archeology]

Even IF it didn't work at all, it would still carry a decent monetary value. It's very rare, only two known, and from Sega, a major and very popular console maker. Some people hate on the folks who find these things, but in reality it's great that they do, because otherwise you'd never see them. Also why projects like the Video Game History Museum are so important, because you can physically lay eyes on pieces like this, which otherwise sit in some old dude's collection never to see the light of day.

I like seeing all the retro stuff that has been hidden. And yes a museum needs to happen. I wanted to turn my family's old furniture store into one. 65,000sqft of games....ugh would have been amazing. The first time i saw a pic of a powerfest 94snes cart i freaked. That was the day i realized there are treasures to be found. And i started my collection hunt then. I still dont have any crazy finds or anything like the pluto. But the searching is so fun. The day I got a Turbo Express was a day to remember.

[BlastProcessing402]

That thing looks pretty ugly. More like an answering machine (remember those?) than a video game.

[Greg2600]

Time for a blast from the past. First, SEGA nerd Adam Koralik reviews one of the two known Sega Pluto prototypes....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lD3kMcFr1o

Then Ben Heck goes ahead and attempts to fix it for the owner, similar to his work on the SNES Playstation!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeGoYHx_k90

[Greg2600]

Pretty cool video of Adam at the NVGM with their Neptune, Pluto, and the one he's been carrying around. A reunion (black Pluto and Neptune) that has never been together before.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3XwFV-RoDs

Ben Heck fixed the disc lid so it closes and the finnicky controller port. The HDD is a Seagate ST9546A "Marathon 541" 2.5" 540MB IDE commonly used laptop hard drive, released in 1995. He tried reading it on Linux or Windows but no dice. Ben also did not feel like the HDD was even being powered in the prototype and suggested not even putting it back in. He then suggested my old trick, which is to buy a working HDD (same model) and swap the electronics.

Then later were able to access the drive, but it was EMPTY! Futhermore, they discovered the installed NetLink modem doesn't work either, at least with retail games. So at the end of the day, seems like the prototype is barely more than a physical demo like the others, which have less or zero hardware inside.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVr2h7nMBKA

[peeingas]

So in other words it IS a paperweight. Think they owe needler an apology?

[gbpxl]

username cracks me up