Some folks see images of the Virgin Mary in their toast, but if you own this toaster, you’ll see a different figure. And it’s not just your imagination — it’s a product of your toaster. Sega, the Japanese video game company, is branching out of games and into home appliances by way of a toaster that burns an image of Sonic the Hedgehog directly into your morning meal. Because nothing says good morning like a piece of slightly overcooked (but artistic) bread.
In order to bring this weirdly wonderful creation to life, Sega turned to crowdfunding, which seems to be a rather popular practice among established companies in Japan. Not so long ago, for example, Sony launched its own version of Kickstarter called First Flight, and has since brought a number of products to life through this platform. The idea is to help the company get a feel for what early adopters want to see, and eventually buy, without having to take considerable risk by fully developing a retail-ready version in its entirety first.
And now, it’s Sega’s turn to rely on the goodwill of its customers for its latest invention.
Of course, Sega’s crowdfunding system doesn’t work in quite the same way as, say, a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. Rather than a fundraising goal, Sega has noted on its toaster’s product page, “This product will only be produced if at least 1,000 units are supported by July 12.” Luckily, this has already happened, with more than 1,300 sold as of press time.
“Are you tired of the same old toast? Do you find yourself constantly on the go and need a quick breakfast before you head out to collect those rings? Well, do we have the toaster for you!” Sega notes in its product description. The toaster requires a standard 120 volt plug, and seems to be available to folks in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
If you’ve gone ahead and pre-ordered one of these toasters, you can expect your unit to arrive on October 1 of this year. Up until then, you’ll just have to resign yourself to the same boring, design-less toast that you’ve been subjected to all your life.
