INFO: MEGA ANSER megadrive answering machine

[ASSEMbler]

*edit notes*
(The previous article was taken from a prototype pic and featurette in Megadrive BEEP. It described the unit as being an answering machine, however with the addition of information to the SEGA site about Mega anser, it turns out to be a banking machine of sorts.)

Fromt he Sega Site:

1990 sale

* Price: 34,000 Yen [ basic set ](Mega drive + Mega modem ten-key pad + Mega answer cartridge)
72,800 Yen [ basic set + printer ]

With a home phone line this unit can check balances, make transfers, get loan information and other bank financial functions.

You can print out financial data on the printer.

I suppose in the age before ATM machines, this seems like sex in a box to someone of wealth. I really can't see them selling too many of these.

I'll see if I can get my hands on one, it's sure an oddball machine.

[the_steadster]

Cheers for the info, and good funny write up there

Did it include the mega-modem in the package, And whats the remote control Bit for?
Also is that lead from the controller port to the Mega Answer carrying audio? Because I wouldn't have thought that would be possible..

[ASSEMbler]

No, you still had to buy the damn modem. As to the rest I haven't a clue. Perhaps it orders a quality answering machine.

Looks as if it digitizes the message and sends it over the dongle to a cassette deck. The phone has a pad, the answering machine has a playback button.

I suppose instead of using a megadrive pad, you use that special remote to do things like rewind, save, erase.

I suppose it removes all trace of it being a "megadrive" except for the fact that you need half of your six tatami mat sized apartment for the damn answering machine.

[Paulo]

damn i want one!

[Blur2040]

Oh, that's awful.

[wheelaa]

Nice picture. I've got the modem and 10 key pad, but not the mega answer itself yet. I know the 10 key pad works on other things. You can use it with the Pro Yakyu Van modem cart. The directions obviously navigate the menus, the numbers you can input etc. (Of course the PYV service isn't running any more)

[Yakumo]

What a waste of space. Is it really for real? Sega had some pretty crazy ideas. By the way ASSEMbler, I loved your write up on that. Oh and that recording....... I glad I didn't live in japan back then :p

Yakumo

[Topic Archive]

I'm stunned, what ermm an amazing set up, if it was April 1st I would find it funny :P

...Oh and yeah I loved the write up, although the Grandmaster Flash piccy freaked me out a bit mainly 'cos I can actually remember 'em :)

[PrOfUnD Darkness]

More pics and info here: http://sega.jp/community/segahard/md/answer.html

So...the Mega Drive has to be on all day and night? I wonder how many days would take to the machine blow up!

[Yakumo]

WoW !! Did you see the price for the printer set up !! over 70'000 yen !! man you could buy a brand new XBOX, PS2 and Game Cube and probably a Dreamcast as well for that much money.

Yakumo

[d_liquid]

Wow, I want that. I remember finding the rom, not knowing what it was. Thanks for the info. So what are these things worth today?

[PhantasyStar]

LoL, that message is hilarious.

[ASSEMbler]

I need a $700 megadrive printer

[vanadium]

Nice. I've never seen one "in the wild" at all. I just got the Mega Modem the other day and always keep an eye out for any of the Mega Anser's accessories (or hell, any for the MD to begin with).

That said, if I could find one at the right price, I'd probably try and buy it. There isn't much for the MD I wouldn't buy if the conditions were right. :)

[nandy]

The frog! I hate that frog! The guy who created the frog is a shame for all swedes!

Well, the machine was pretty cool

[wheelaa]

Hey all. Sorry to revive an old thread but I thought I better just in case some people hadn't got the joke (if it was one).

The Mega Answer does NOT turn the md into an answerphone. It is purely an online banking system, hence the need for a printer for receipts, statements etc. The phone in the piccie above is purely for show as to how to set the stuff up (plus it looks nice too)

If you babelfish the link posted above (http://sega.jp/community/segahard/md/answer.html) you'll see.

What happened was Nagoya Bank approached Sega and said we want to do this banking service malarky using the md. So sega went off and designed the service for Nagoya. Sega then decided to market the service themselves, but Nagoya also decided to distribute the cart as their original service too (cheeky buggers). Hence the Nagoya Banking cart (Nicekun Mini) was born. Here is one that recently sold on Yahoo

http://www.rinkya.com/twview.pl?URL=...&Submit=Submit

It is a complete cart, but note that the instructions are for the Mega Answer! Why - because they are one and the same. The only difference between the two being the insert, the cart sticker, and the Nagoya logos when booting the Nagoya version (which I am assuming are not present in the generic Mega Answer)

Edit - as for the pad, all it is for is navigating menus and inputting numbers etc (quicker to use a 10-key pad for numbers than a regular controller to navigate around), and as I mentioned above is compatible with other modem carts, at the very least Pro Yakyu Van (the baseball results download service)

[vanadium]

Holy crap. 101,000 Yen for that cart? That's got to be the most expensive MD cart there is.

[ASSEMbler]

Good find on the sega site, I'll ammend the article.

[wheelaa]

I hope you find a set. The pad isn't too bad to find, nagoya or the mega answer crop up here and there, the modem very common. The printer though is excruciatingly tough to find, my japanese mates haven't seen one for ages. Keep us posted, lets get a member setup:)

[Adol]

Well,owning BOTH Carts (Nagoya Home Banking Nice Kun Mini and Mega Anser ) boxed,etc..that'd do 200000 yens for both :)

Add 100000 yens for Nikkei Pro Yakyo Van :)