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Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:14 am
by Warp2063
How many companies do you know of that announce their prototype plans that ended in the very early stages? For a system that was the least successful of its era, with an accessory that only a smallish percentage of its install base owned and utilized?

My guess is that only a few people ever actually worked on the project, and at the time, they weren't allowed to talk about it. Also, without any huge fan movements to remind them that they'd worked on such a tiny project... I can see how they'd forget about it for ages, especially if they weren't that excited about it.

I can see this system being very easy to make. I wonder if it even has a custom BIOS. i somehow doubt it.

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:07 pm
by xDerekRx
My only other real issue is that the bids went like this

$50
$7500 socalmike (apparently the websites owner)
$7600 me

Id hate to think the owner of the site just schill bidded it up to 7500 right at the start.

Either way Im surprised the price has held. I was thinking 10k but usually auctions have all the activity at the end anyhow

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:06 am
by NWA
xDerekRx wrote:Maybe its the money but the thought has creeped into my head... how do we really know only 2 of these exist? I would hate to find some day more are around. Although unlikely.

Also how come not a peep from sega for 14 years about this project?

These are just my natural concerns
Good point Derek, It's funny because I actually recently saw a photo on youtube by coincidence of a WHITE Sega Pluto o.O Maybe It's the japanese one?

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:13 am
by NWA

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:31 pm
by xDerekRx
Omg is that really a white Sega Pluto?

Why has no one talked about that. I wonder where he got that picture from.

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:02 pm
by NWA
Well I think the picture I just linked was the one warp was talking about as the sega black belt. I think back when the magazines were speculating about what the dc looked like they took the sega pluto proto picture, and ever since then it's been put under the balck belt category. here's some or on the topic (white pluto and blackbelt): http://www.rashly3dfx.com/products/blackbelt.html

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:05 pm
by NWA
here's a pic supporting the thought that magz thought it was a blackbelt proto. look at this sketch of what they though it might look like (oviously a mix of saturn) http://obscure-gaming.blogspot.ca/2012/ ... e-old.html

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:06 pm
by xDerekRx
Guys I have some bad news... although it may be mute if I get outbid anyway

5 hours left in the auction and Im still winning.

However my issues with how the auction has been handled are too great. If I pay this much money I want it to be legit.

The bidding went from 50 to 7500 and the 7500 was a bid from the websites owner. I hope he really wants the item but I have a feeling he is acting in poor faith as a schill bidder to help his own cause.

Im starting to wonder if this would have even sold for 3-4000 if he didnt bid so fast. Its unfair not to let an auction naturally find its high price.

Ive reached out to the guy asking if the auction ends at 7600 that he can indeed have the item for 7500. I want to call his bluff. If it gets relisted then I know he was schill bidding

He might be a nice guy and legit, I just find it very odd.

Again if this thing ends at like 10-12000 then its kinda mute anyway...

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:55 pm
by JerryTerrifying
SoCal Mike is a bit of a twat, at least I think so, so I do think there could be some hijinks going on but he may legitimately want to win it no one can really say.

Do I think the Pluto is legit? Absolutely! With the Saturn and Segas turmoil at the time by the time the Dreamcast was out most of the Saturn era employees were gone.

Also I've been in contact with both owners. The owner of the first one revealed has been here and told me to pass this along to you Derek.

"Hi, I just checked out saturnleague.com, and it seems like xDerekRx is pretty nervous about the device. Please tell him if he has any questions that he can PM me directly via this site, and I'll help out in any way I can. If he does win the other Pluto, then we'll be the only two owners of it, so it would be nice to be in touch with him."

Here's a link to the thread he first posted info about the Pluto. You can sign up and PM him from there.
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/sh ... Sega-Pluto

Like I said I don't doubt the validity of the Pluto itself after reading through all of that forum it does indeed seem to be a legit prototype. With Sega going through so much shit at the end of the Saturn era there was a lot of house cleaning so this getting shuffled around and forgotten doesn't seem to far fetched.

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:02 pm
by xDerekRx
I appreciate the kind words from the owner of Pluto #002.

I wish SoCal Mike would contact me back to reassure me. Makes me wonder even more.

Like I said, why would someone bid 7500 right after 50. Why wouldnt you bid 500, then if it out bid bit 1000 and so on. It makes no sense to bid 7500 right from 50 IMO.

Kidvid666 the owner of the Pluto seems pretty nice. IMO he should have listed this on EBAY... way more exposure despite the fees. More protection too. GameGavel seems to have a decent if not small following. I like the owners idea behind the site too.

In the end if it ends at 7600 and SoCalMike wants it at least itll be easier to discuss with him..


All that said and lost in all of this is how damn cool the Pluto is still

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:04 pm
by xDerekRx
Kidvid666 the owner of the Pluto has told me he would not like to sell it for $7600 (the reserve price is higher still)

I get the feeling he wants to get more, probably 10,000+

Nice kid overall. At least the system is in a cool guys hands.

I still really want this damn thing, I just got caught up with the bidding process. I feel even more confirmation now that it was pushed up on purpose.

I assume he will attempt to sell it again soon and hopefully we learn more about it and Ill probably make another run at owning it

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:33 pm
by xDerekRx
Very cool though the owner of PLuto 1 and me will hook up on Facebook.

If he visits New York we might meet up as 2 Saturn nerds. :)

Happy ending I suppose. Sad I wont own this but cool to feel connected to it in some fashion for now.

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:34 am
by xDerekRx
Sorry to keep updating the thread so quickly.

The owner and I have been chatting on FB for hours tonight.

Super cool guy. Hes planning on testing Duke Nukem on the machine and possibly making more videos ASAP. Hopefully I can help him test it long distance.

We shall see.

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 9:23 am
by JerryTerrifying
Well here's this thing about that kid wanting more money out of it. Saturn fans are a small majority of video game players, Netlinkers are an even tinier fraction. If he holds out and tries again there might be even less interest later on. Like I said earlier in the thread I would have been geeked if I got a few hundred bucks out of a one dollar investment. Not every video game rarity is going to get you $15,000 bucks.

Sucks you're not going to end up with a Pluto bro. I was rooting for you.

Re: Sega Pluto Saturn with built in Netlink prototype

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 6:30 pm
by xDerekRx
Jerry Im upset I cant own it outright, however after getting to know him a bit better... he actually wants to preserve the item and history himself. Hes not a netlinker like us but hes def a saturn guy.

He went out of his way to buy Duke Nukem and install analog phone next week to test and make more videos.

At least its in hands still that cares about exposing the system in a good way.

He was thinking and I wont speak for him since hes registered on the boards anyway... that he would get around what Stadium events would get.

Certainly Jerry in the end I think this might only be worth 5000-7000$ max. But its not my system and I wont argue with him about its value. To be fair we dont know any REAL value for something like this. But with all the pub this thing got, and it only got 1 real bid (and who knows if it would have went higher than 3-4000???)

But I respect his view. Its either he was going to make bank or just hang onto it for the coolness.

If he every sold it a second time Id be certainly lined up to grab it once again.