From: anamr@cats.ucsc.edu (Ana M Rodriguez)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: Sega/Nintendo/Sony: News
Date: 16 Oct 1992 05:19:27 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu


This is the latest news I have collected for your information.
Didn't have time to reformat this...

>Enjoy


10/15 1358  SONY ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING INTRODUCES VIDEO GAME ...

NEW YORK (OCT. 15) BUSINESS WIRE - Sony Electronic Publishing Thursday 
announced the introduction of five CD-based video game titles in conjunction
with today's launch of the Sega CD gaming system. 
   The new titles, which combine digitized film of real actors, CD-quality
sound, and revolutionary new graphics, are expected to create new standards for
video game play. 
   The initial line-up, developed and marketed by Sony Imagesoft, the video game
subsidiary of Sony Electronic Publishing, includes: 
    -  Kris Kross/Make Your Own Music Video -- featuring platinum 
 artists Kris Kross performing their smash hits "Jump," "Warm It 
 Up," and "I Missed the Bus"; 
 -  C and C Music Factory/Make Your Own Music Video - featuring 
 platinum artists C and C Music Factory performing their hits "Gonna 
 Make You Sweat," "Things That Make You Go Hmmm," and "Just a Touch 
 of Love"; 
 -  Sewer Shark -- A breakthrough in video gaming, Sewer Shark 
 combines the elements of an interactive movie with an action video 
 game.  This futuristic action/"shooter" features live actors, 
 digitized movie footage and revolutionary graphics; 
 -  Hook -- based on the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film of the 
 adult Peter Pan, featuring digitized scenes from the film, music from 
 the film soundtrack, and never-before-seen computer graphics; 
 -  Chuck Rock -- the hugely popular 16-bit "pre-historic" classic 
 has been transformed for the Sega CD, with nine new levels of play and 
 CD-quality music. 
   The titles will be commercially availabe for the Christmas season and will
sell for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of between $49.95 and $59.95. 
   Sony Imagesoft's two music video titles mark the creation of an entirely new
category of video game.  For the first time, video gamers have the power to
create and edit their own music videos for Sony Music artists C and C Music
Factory and Kris Kross.  In these exciting new games, players select from three
windows of constantly changing video, including cuts from dozens of well known
motion pictures.  At the same time, players can add special effects, choosing
from a palate of 28 visual effects, including overlaying lyrics, splicing,
dicing and freeze frame.  If your video is good, the "VJ" will play it back.  If
it doesn't have the right stuff, you'll find out -- none too subtly. 
   For action-oriented video game lovers, Sewer Shark is another revolutionary
advance in game play.  Set in a post-nuclear-holocaust world, Sewer Shark
features live actors, digitized movie-like video, and extraordinary sound and
graphics, all combined in a classic action-shooter.  "Sewer jockeys" are
challenged to deliver their cargoes to distant human outposts through a
labyrinthine network of underground tunnels populated by mutant "sewer rats" and
other vermin.  A computerized droid is an indispensable companion,  transmitting
navigational instructions to help you avoid deadly encounters with tunnel walls.
   Completing its initial Sega CD line-up, Sony Imagesoft has adapted two
classic 16-bit titles for the Sega CD.  Hook combines real scenes from the
movie, twelve levels of intense play, never-before-seen computer graphics of
Hook's ship, and selections from the film soundtrack.  Chuck Rock, one of the
most popular video game characters ever, features an unlikely prehistoric hero,
battling his way through 28 levels of play, including nine new levels for the
Sega CD. 
   Sony Imagesoft Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Electronic Publishing Co.,
develops, manufactures, distributes and markets interactive software products
for the video game market, using the worldwide technological and entertainment
resources of Sony.  Sony Electronic Publishing creates, produces, and
distributes interactive and multi-media software products for the business,
entertainment and educational markets.  Sony Electronic Publishing, together
with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment, is a subsidiary
of Sony Software Corp., a division of Sony USA Inc. 
   CONTACT: Sony Electronic Publishing Co., New York; Peter Dille, 212/418-9439 


10/15 0848  SEGA INTRODUCES ULTIMATE VIDEO GAME SYSTEM - SEGA ...

NEW YORK (OCT. 15) BUSINESS WIRE - Sega of America Inc. takes its multimedia
vision to the "big screen" today as it launches Sega CD on the gigantic Sony
Jumbotron television in Times Square. 
   The high tech showcase demostrates Sega's breakthrough CD-ROM video game
technology and new multimedia software on the famous 750 square feet television.
   "It takes a video screen the size of more than 500 home televisions to
indicate how big an idea we think Sega CD and interactive cinema will be to
video gamers,"  said Tom Kalinske, president and chief executive officer of Sega
of America Inc.  "Sega CD puts a whole new spin on video games, giving players
the power to interact with and be challenged by their systems like never
before." 
   Sega CD, available at retail stores in November for the holiday selling
season, delivers Hollywood-quality animation, digitized video footage from real
movies, vivid special effects, enhanced graphics and audiophile quality CD
sound. 
   "The result is Sega has created an entirely new, interactive entertainment
experience,"  said Doug Glen, group marketing director for Sega. 
   According to Glen, "Sega CD creates a whole new dimension in video game play.
Up to this point video games have been animated characters.  Sega CD employs a
breakthrough technology called 'True Video,' allowing players to control real
actors.  It's like being in a movie theater and controlling the actors on the
screen." 
   A key part of Sega's strategy is that the Sega CD connects to the 16-bit
Genesis, which outsold all other 16-bit video systems last Christmas. 
   "If you have a Genesis, you already own half of a Sega CD system,"  continued
Glen.  "This modular approach allows us to offer Sega CD at a lower price and
pass the savings on to the consumer. The Sega CD system at $299 is far less
expensive than other CD-based products on the market today, which range from
$700 to $1,000." 
   Sega is expected to sell 200,000 Sega CD units by year-end, and will be
launching an $11 million advertising and promotion campaign, themed "Welcome To
The Next Level,"  in late October. 
   The Sega CD has a suggested retail price of $299.  A collection of video
games and music CDs valued at $300 is packaged with each Sega CD multimedia
entertainment system, providing added value to the consumer.  Included with the
system will be "Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective; a four-in-one compilation
of such big hits as "Revenge of Shinobi,"  "Golden Axe,"  "Columns"  and
"Streets of Rage;" a made-for-CD shooter "Sol Feace;" an audio  CD sampler with
They Might Be Giants and Saigon Kick and a CD+G sampler with Information Society
and Little Feat. 
   Sega of America Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of $1.6 billion Sega
Enterprises Ltd., Japan.  Sega is a worldwide leader in arcade and home video
entertainment systems. 
   CONTACT: Manning, Selvage & Lee Brenda Lynch or Charlene Gigliotti,
818/509-1840 


10/13 0926  SONY ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING TO EXPAND CD-ROM VIDEO ...

NEW YORK (OCT. 13) BUSINESS WIRE - Following Nintendo of America's CD-ROM 
announcement, Sony Electronic Publishing Co. Tuesday announced plans to  develop
software for the new platform. 
   "CD-ROM video games, which combine digitized video, CD-quality sound,
tremendous memory and revolutionary graphics, will drive video and music
entertainment to the next level of truly interactive entertainment," said Olaf
Olafsson, president of Sony Electronic Publishing.  "Bringing CD-based video
games to the millions of Nintendo  game players is a very exciting development
for our company." 
   As a result of the continuing sophistication of CD-ROM technology and
expanding software opportunities, Sony Imagesoft, a Sony Electronic Publishing
subsidiary, will immediately begin planning for the new Nintendo CD-ROM
platform. 
   Sony Electronic Publishing is rapidly becoming a major force in the video
game industry, drawing upon the deep resources of Sony Music Entertainment, Sony
Pictures Entertainment and Sony Imagesoft.  The company is regarded as an
industry leader in multimedia and optical publishing. 
   Sony Electronic Publishing's commitment to the video game market is 
represented by its long-standing relationship with Nintendo.  Sony Imagesoft
develops and markets software for all current Nintendo platforms, including the
Nintendo Entertainment system (NES), SNES and Game Boy. 
   Sony Electronic Publishing creates, produces and distributes interactive and
multimedia software products for the business, entertainment and educational
markets.  Sony Electronic Publishing, together with Sony Pictures Entertainment
and Sony Music Entertainment, is a subsidiary of Sony Software Entertainment, a
division of Sony USA Inc. 
   CONTACT:  Sony Electronic Publishing, New York; Peter Dille, 212/418-9439 


10/13 0921  NINTENDO AND SONY SIGN PACT TO SET INDUSTRY ...

REDMOND, WA (OCT. 13) BUSINESS WIRE - Nintendo of America Tuesday announced an
agreement between Nintendo Co. Ltd. of Japan and Sony Corp. of Japan which will
pave the way for the emergence of an international industry standard for CD-ROM
technology in consumer electronics. 
   The agreement was executed by the representative directors of both companies
and is a worldwide agreement. 
   According to the agreement, Sony plans to manufacture and market a new game
system (hardware), which will combine Nintendo's Super NES home video game
system with a CD-ROM drive.  This new product will allow play of both Super NES
cartridge games and CD-based software. 
   Nintendo plans to manufacture and market a compact disc accessory for
attachment to the Super NES.  Nintendo's Super NES CD-ROM accessory will utilize
the advanced CD-ROM XA format.  All software, both cartridge and CD-ROM, will be
fully compatible across both the Super NES CD-ROM system and the Sony game
system. 
   The Nintendo CD-ROM system is tentatively scheduled to be launched in the
United States and Japan in August, 1993. 
   According to the agreement, Nintendo and Sony each plan to license
third-party companies to develop, manufacture and sell disc "game" and 
"non-game" software with Nintendo being the contact for all licensing  activity.
   In addition, Nintendo said it will continue working with Philips Consumer
Electronics to develop a CD-ROM XA "bridge-format" which will make Super NES
compact disc software compatible with Philips' Compact Disc Interactive (CD-I)
hardware. 
   It is Nintendo's intent to produce a superior CD-ROM accessory and in
alliance with Sony, produce a vast library of games and application software
compatible with both the Super NES and Sony hardware platforms. 
   "This agreement, which encompasses both hardware and software development, is
an important milestone in the video game industry.  The development and
marketing of the Super NES CD-ROM XA format by Sony and Nintendo will create the
accepted standard for CD programming around the world," said Minoru Arakawa,
president of Nintendo of America. 
   Nintendo of America Inc. is based in Redmond, Wash., and is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Nintendo Co. Ltd., Japan, the world's largest manufacturer and
marketer of video games. 
   CONTACT:  Nintendo of America Inc., Redmond 
    Bill White, 206/882-2040 
     or 
    Berkhemer Kline/Golin Harris, Los Angeles 
    Alison Holt Brummelkamp, 213/623-4200, ext. 0-720