Sega Card
| Media type | ROM cartridge |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 32 kilobytes |
| Developed by | Sega |
| Usage | SG-1000 and Sega Master System software medium |
The Sega Card, known in Japan as Sega My Card, is a memory card format used as game storage for the SG-1000/SC-3000 and the Mark III/Master System. Produced from 1985 to 1987 by Mitsubishi Plastics, the cards are plugged into onboard cardslots or into compatible adapters. Several versions of the format were created, including a rewritable one that allows new titles to be downloaded to a card. While substantially cheaper to produce than cartridges, the storage limitations of the format resulted in Sega exclusively distributing games on cartridges. Despite the failure of the Sega Card, NEC found more success with its own memory card format, the HuCard, which was primary storage medium for its PC Engine game console.
The format was originally released in 1985 in the Japanese market, under the name My Card. Initially it was for use with the SG-1000 via an optional accessory, the Card Catcher. Later Sega products, the Sega Mark III and the original Sega Master System, have built-in card readers. The intention of the format was to provide cheaper distribution means than the more conventional game cartridges. The Sega Card product consists of less material and has smaller packaging. Sega Cards, while cheaper than cartridges, have significantly smaller storage capacities (4 to 32 KB of ROM), than contemporary cartridges, which have 16 to 512 KB of ROM. As games became larger, card releases gradually ceased. The final release, in Japan, was Woody Pop, released on 15 March 1987.
Overall, Sega published only a dozen games in the format for the Mark III/SMS (in 1986–1987) before moving to using solely game cartridges. The revised model of the Sega Master System, Sega Master System II had no Sega Card support. reflecting Sega's move away from the format.
Similar but incompatible formats, also manufactured by Mitsubishi Plastics, are used by other computers and consoles: the BeeCard on the MSX, and the HuCard on the NEC PC Engine.
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