Proposal for SDSC Product Code Standardization
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Version 0.01

April 8, 2001



The first digit correspond to the game size (45, 7, 9) but the idea is more
standardising the other digits so any games we release have a fresh and unique
product code that hasn't been used before.  programmers can apply for or
reserve free (realistically, not reserving 20 codes!)product numbers and, if
it's not too much for sdsc, keep a database of games and new releases.

Additional information (courtesy Maxim):

1. Japanese numbers

Japanese numbers seem to have some cross-platform similarities:

Number Type           Range used*

C-xx   SG cards       05-72
G-10xx SG carts       01-46 

B-xx   SC Basics      30, 40, 41, 50
E-1xx  SC             01-19

C-5xx  SMS cards      01-19
G-13xx SMS carts      01-73

G-3xxx GG carts       101-103 (32KB)
                      201-229 (128KB)
                      301-387 (256KB+)
                      401-436 (128KB+)

The T-xxxxx GG games have very wide ranges of numbers. I'm not even sure
if they're Japanese, Export or International codes.

* The ranges show are those in Meka.nam, plus those I've found using my
header reader. Generally, for Japanese numbers, the Japanese version either
has the international number or has not been dumped/released.


2. International SMS codes

(The more relevant bit)

2.1 Sega games

Number Type                             Range used

40xx   The Sega Card (32KB)             \ 01-07,
45xx   The Sega Cartridge (32KB)        / 81-84
       (Some games were released as card and cart;
       they had the same range number for both)
5xxx   The Mega Cartridge (128KB)       051-84, 100-123
55xx   The Mega Plus Cartridge          00-01
       (128KB with BB-RAM)
60xx   The Combo Cartridge              01-03, 80-81
7xxx   The Two-Mega Cartridge (256KB)   001-080, 100-124
75xx   The Two-Mega Plus Cartridge      00-06
       (256KB with BB-RAM)
80xx   The 3-Dimensional Mega Cartridge 01-08
       (Not all 1-mega = 128KB)
90xx   The Four-Mega Cartridge (512KB)  01-34
95xx   The Four-Mega Plus Cartridge     00-01
       (512KB with BB-RAM)

2.2 3rd-party games

They generally have the same numbering scheme as above, but they have
5-digit numbers starting with 2.

Number Type                             Range used

250xx  The Mega Cartridge (128KB)       01-14
27xxx  The Two-Mega Cartridge (256KB)   005-082
290xx  The Four-Mega Cartridge (512KB)  01-35

Some 3rd-party publishers in the US used their own numbers:

43xx   Parker Brothers                  50,60,70
500x   Activision                       1-4
301026-0160   Tengen

These were mostly also released elsewhere with "proper" numbers.

2.3 Brazil

I have no idea :o) Some games which were released elsewhere apparently
had different numbers there; some were only released there. The TecToy
hacks have the same number as the original.


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Regarding homebrew roms:

I suggest using the standard Sega scheme regarding sizes and battery-backed RAM.

While there are roms with "incorrect" product number data, the
high nibble of the version byte (AKA the high nibble of the product code)
is never 1 for any SMS rom that I have found (and I tested all I had
recently). So, this would be a good value to use.

So, a homebrew 32KB game might have a product code of 140xx. (While 145xx
would reflect a cart rather than a card, using 140xx will save any confusion
regarding BB-RAM.)