The ROM files were compressed (often passworded) and uploaded during various moments of a game’s production by the producer or product manager and then downloaded by employees of other departments to be burned on EPROMs for play testing, media, and evaluation. The BBS was designed to handle only a small amount of users at the same time with transfer speeds as slow as 2400 bit/s to 9600 bit/s (only to be updated to Cable/DSL like speeds in the mid 90s). The BBS was also utilized for sending progress reports, internal memos, software bug databases, and other miscellaneous files. SEGA implemented their BBS for the purpose of distributing ROM files for quality assurance, testing, evaluation, and manufacturing.
A BBS is consisted of a network of computers running software that allows certain users to “dial into” the server remotely so that they can send messages and files (or in other words, a precursor to the World Wide Web). Communication problems, either due to internal politics or the lack of the ability to communicate quickly overseas, were also fairly common between America and Japan.Ĭertain branches of SEGA utilized their own BBS (Bulletin Board System) to help remedy some of these problems. In SEGA’s case, the company also had the disadvantage of being a relatively small company - both financial and in their employee quota. In the late 80s and early 90s, it was notoriously difficult for video game companies to create and manage backups of their software due to the technological limitations and cost of storage and long distance distribution.
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