Sega appears to be getting increasingly downcast over Dreamcast. According to reports, the company is now offering buyers a $50 rebate (C$100 in Canada).

Given that the company is already giving the console away to anyone who subscribes to its Sega.Net ISP - you have to buy the machine yourself, but Sega will refund the $200 asking price - offering to give a further $50 back smacks of desperation.

Sega.Net's monthly subscription comes to $21.95, making for a total payment of $526.80 over the two-year period users must sign up for in order to get the $200 rebate. $50 won't dent that too much, so clearly the new cash-back offer is aimed at user who aren't going to sign up for Sega.Net. That suggests the original offering may not be proving as tempting as Sega would have hoped. ®