an agreement making Excite@Home as the exclusive portal partner for SegaNet. Microsoft participated somewhat in the development of the service, but they terminated their relationship with Sega just a few months before its launch over differences in its direction. SegaNet launched on launched on September 7, 2000, and originally offered a rebate for a free Dreamcast and keyboard with a two-year contract. Because of the Dreamcast's discontinuation, Sega announced they would discontinue the service on July 20, 2001, just less than 11 months after launch. Online support for Dreamcast games via SegaNet continued until 2003. Dreamarena was a free dial-up-based online gaming service provided for Dreamcast consoles in Europe, launching with the debut of the Dreamcast in Europe on October 14, 1999. The service was created and operated for Sega Europe by a partnership between ICL, BT and various ISPs. The service was accessed via the DreamKey browser, which was also built into some games such as Sonic Adventure 2. After the discontinuation of the Dreamcast, Sega closed Dreamarena on February 28, 2002. Reception and legacy In December 1999, Next Generation rated the Dreamcast four out of five, writing: "If you want the most powerful system available now, showcasing the best graphics at a reasonable price, this system is for you." However, Next Generation gave its future prognosis three out of five, noting that Sony and Nintendo were both due to release more powerful consoles. At the beginning of 2000, five Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers scored the Dreamcast 8.5, 8.5, 8.5, 8.0, and 9.0 out of 10. In 2001, the Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers scored it 9.0, 9.0, 9.0, 9.0, and 9.5 out of 10. BusinessWeek named the Dreamcast one of the best products of 1999. Reasons cited for the failure of the Dreamcast include consumer excitement for the PS2; a lack of support from EA and Squaresoft, the most popular third parties in the US and Japan respectively; disagreement among executives over Sega's future, and Okawa's lack of commitment to the product; Sega's lack of advertising money, with Bellfield doubting that Sega spent even "half" the $100 million it had pledged to promote the Dreamcast in the US; that the market was not ready for online gaming; Sega's focus on "hardcore" gamers over mainstream consumers; poor timing; and damage to Sega's reputation caused by its several poorly supported previous platforms. In GamePro, Blake Snow wrote of "the much beloved