Sega launches “PlaySega”, offering free Sonic games online!

Looking to hop on the social networking bandwagon, Sega launched this week their new free online gaming site, PlaySega. There, Sega fanatics and the casual crowd alike can log in to play a handful of free games, collect prizes, and communicate with fellow gamers. But is it just another social networking site, or does Sega have more to offer than just a MySpace with Sonic?

Once you register at PlaySega.com, you’re issued your user profile, which they’ve nicknamed your “Escape.” Your “Escape” is the virtual environment that you use as a personal dashboard to interact with the site and is the swingin’ pad for your avatar. While these features aren’t available yet on the site, you’ll soon be able to communicate with fellow members, save a list of your favorite games, etc. Sound boring? It is!

But seriously… We all know where the real meat of the site is: The games! Still in beta, the site offers what I hope will grow beyond just a handful of free Flash-based twitch games. According to reports, at least 30 more games are in development for the site, many of which feature Sega’s memorable brands. At present, there’s a variety of game categories, only holding one title each so far.

Of course you have your token Sonic the Hedgehog game, this one being a port of Sonic At The Olympics (note the exclusion of Mario from this version). To make the games more challenging, you can play for high scores and achievements or to accrue Sonic’s trademark golden rings as a form of collectible points.

I found the use of said rings to be the most charming part of the site. You can win points by playing the games—giving you incentive to play them often—to which you can later spend on prizes, customizations for your avatar, entering contests, and more. This feature will be plenty to draw users in and keep them occupied until the site’s social networking functions are completed. Great for Sega freaks like myself with the occasional down time at school or work.