Sega plans to allow legal distribution of modified Genesis games on PC through the Steam Workshop, Valve's repository for user-created content, in an unprecedented move for the storied Japanese gaming giant. Support will come alongside the new Sega Mega Drive Classics Hub (Mega Drive being the European, Japanese, and way better name for the Sega Genesis) on Steam, which also features a fully 3D-rendered '90s bedroom as a way to access your purchased Genesis games.

Sega says the following list of games will be supported in the hub; there are some odd omissions right now, like the Sonic the Hedgehog series, but according to the company "every single Mega Drive game" will get Steam Workshop support. And Sonic is in the promo video for the hub above, so the hedgehog with attitude should make it over at some point.

It's unclear just how deep modders will be able to go with these games, but official acknowledgement of the community on any level is a big step for a company like Sega — most older video game companies treat their back catalogs as sacrosanct, relegating fan-made mods to the domain of ROM hacking and emulators. The Sega Mega Drive Classics Hub launches on Steam on April 28th as a free update for anyone who owns any of the compatible games.