A new slip-road has been added to the information superhighway: a video games console that allows Internet access through your TV.

Sega's Dreamcast - boasting superior graphics, more speed and a free web connection - has set industry records for popularity. Over 63,000 consoles were sold within four days of the machine's launch a few weeks ago.

An Eynsham family became the first owners in the UK. The Giles' - Peter, 12, Katherine, 14, and parents Dave and Rose - waited four hours outside London's Tower Records to buy the high-tech £199 machine. "We heard about the launch at an Arsenal match and decided to go," said Rose.

"We found ourselves first in the queue, which was great, and Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn both autographed the console's box."

Dave added: "Peter has been pestering us for one of these consoles for months.

"He's been very good at school and we thought the best way to reward him would be to buy him the best computer we could get him." Their son was "over the moon". Now he'll be able to kick box, zap aliens and send e-mail, as Dreamcast offers free Internet access through a built-in 33.6k modem and browser.

Eventually, Peter may be able to play games on-line, as well as shop and trade on the stock market.

The web connection is a fresh innovation. Dreamcast - plus a £19.99 keyboard - is currently the cheapest way to get on the Net.

BT is handling the dial-up and Internet connection, always eager to provide low-cost access. Initial enthusiasm clogged the system, as some 25,000 people in the UK registered for Internet use during the early hours. BT clocked 1.2 million Internet minutes over the launch weekend.

One customer tried to log on 110 times before alerting BBC's Watchdog. Sega has since trebled the number of phone lines.

"I know some people had difficulty in getting through to register," said JF Cecillion, chief executive officer of Sega Europe, "but Internet on the TV is a first and our consumers have shown great confidence in Dreamcast by breaking all previously-held sales figures. "Together with BT we have to put the right measures in hand for everyone to be accommodated."

Access problems aside, Sega's vision of an "on-line gaming community" may not fly in Europe. The old maxim about a horse springs to mind: you can bring him to water but you can't make him drink.

Dreamcast may lure gamers onto the web, but many dislike the idea of paying while playing.

Jeremy Smith, a web designer from North Oxford, is avoiding the Dreamcast frenzy. The 23-year-old warned that on-line gaming could develop into an expensive habit. "It's impractical at the moment, but will get cheaper eventually. It's not like in America, where local calls are free," he said.

Steven Lewis of College Computers in Cowley agreed: "I don't think Internet play will take off here.

"The modem opens up possibilities, especially for strategy games when characters battle each other. Networks have been done on PCs for a long time, but an Internet connection will just make it easier. Everything would be 100 per cent compatible, so you just boot up and go. Sadly, none of the games take advantage of the modem yet though." Meanwhile Sony is lurking in the wings, observing Sega's mistakes and perfecting its PlayStation 2.

It has taken a cue on the modem front, and may go one better with voice commands and DVD compatibility.

Nintendo is working on a similar machine, code-named Dolphin and Microsoft may develop a games console based on Windows.

Sony has local brainpower at its disposal, working with an Oxford company, MathEngine, which uses the laws of physics to improve animation. Chief executive Alan Milosevic praised PlayStation 2's "massive" power, which will permit smoother graphics.

Most importantly, the new console will be compatible with old Playstation games - a feature Dreamcast does not provide.

This could be a big selling point with parents, as games cost about £40 each.

None of this seems to discourage Dreamcast purchasers though. Initial orders overwhelmed suppliers and exhausted stocks. Steven despairs of even finding a display model.

"Sega underestimated their success. We just can't get hold of units, parts or peripherals," he said.

What about the hype? And the bigger, better PlayStation II promised by Sony in just 18 months?

Steven laughed, in tune with the times: "Dreamcast is the greatest game console.

"Until the next one comes out."

Story date: Friday 29 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.