Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 79

E2 THE HARTFORD COURANT: Thursday, November 23, 1995 ENTER Sly ill Fans remain loyal to 16-bit machines n-vss mm tjii ijiiim, isrm nam Playbill on-line The traditional home of the theater has long been Broadway. But these days, those who espouse the saying, "The play's the thing," have found another district to call their own. From the musicals of George Gershwin to the avant-garde experimentation of off-Broadway, theater lovers can find some lively productions on-line. One of the most useful publications for theatergoers is the traditional Playbill. But the white and yellow magazine given out in the American theater since its earliest days has made an impressive transition on-line.

The World Wide Web version of Playbill is fascinating, but a little sluggish in its operation. Address: http:www.webcom.com "broadway Look here for theater news and gossip, as well as trivia quizzes and polls. Also on tap: Theater industry jobs, cast bios and interviews with theater greats. Since the site may be difficult to access from time to time, however, you may prefer to use the magazine's forum on CompuServe instead. Visit CompuServe's Playbill section to attend a playwright's forum or learn about acting clubs.

Use Playbill's on-line library to get the lowdown on everything from the latest theater news to international theater tours. Address: CompuServe Go: Playbill Those who love musicals and operettas will find the coverage on-line is complete. The Gilbert and Sullivan archive serves as a complete guide to Gilbert and Sullivan festivals, productions and organizations, and enables users to pull up the complete libretto of every title from the H.M.S. Pinafore to the Pirates of Penzance (Librettos may even be downloaded as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect files take your choice.) A special treat here, for true lovers: "The Bab Ballads," William S. Gilbert's early poetry, Sony's PlayStation, among the new players introduced in the United States this year, has proved too expensive to win much of a mass market yet.

have abandoned the market is good for us," says Brian Farrell, chief executive of T.HQ a 16-bit developer in Calabasas, which returned to profitability this year. The Christmas lineup is dominated by Nintendo. It was derided in the industry for delaying the launch of its Ultra 64 advanced player to next spring from the fall, but its decision to focus on new games for its 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System now appears shrewd. Nintendo's "Killer Instinct" has sold more than 1 million copies since it was introduced in September, as has the Nintendo version of "Mortal Kombat III" and the company's recently released "Super Mario World: Yoshi's Island." Capping Nintendo's season will be the Dec. 4 release of "Donkey Kong Country 2," the sequel to the game that has sold more than seven million copies worldwide.

Nintendo is backing the three games with a combined $30 million in marketing. Another big performer should be Sega's "Vectorman," a slick fighting game for the company's 16-bit Genesis player. That game was released Oct. 24, and is being backed by $12 million in advertising. Sega's other big Genesis game, "Prime Time NFL," started shipping earlier this month.

But Sega backed off its old machines, allowing Nintendo to take the lead in 16-bit player sales with 52 percent during the 12 months ended in September, according to retail surveys by NPD Group a market-research concern in Port Washington, N.Y. Sega officials admit they were caught unprepared. "I think we didn't make enough Genesis machines," says Tom Ka-linske, president of Sega of America, Sega's unit in Redwood City, Calif. Sega needs some hits to offset the lackluster performance of its Saturn, introduced last May. Analysts criticized the Saturn as technically inferior to PlayStation, which came out Sept.

1, and only about 10,000 of them were sold in retail stores during September, compared with about 70,000 PlayStations, according to NPD Group. Demand for PlayStations has been so intense that "the Saturday after the launch was the biggest sales day in the history of our company," says Peter Roithmayr, merchandise director for Electronics Boutique, a retail chain based in West Chester, Pa. Sega officials blame the sales gap on their decision to postpone Saturn's marketing until this month. "We gave Sony September," Mr. Kalinske says, adding that he expects to sell out of his 600,000 Sat-urns.

"November and December are what really count." Sega hopes to enhance Saturn's sales with new games, including World Series Baseball and Sega Rally Championship. Sony, though, is preparing an offensive of its own with the impending release of "NFL Game Day," "Destruction Derby" and other games. "We think it's going to be a great Christmas," says Chip Herman, marketing vice president for Sony Computer Entertainment America. By JIM CARLTON Wall Street Journal Teenage video-game buffs aren't noted for deferring to their elders. they're showing surprising respect for one group of old-timers: their aging video-game machines.

Earlier this year, Sega Enter-prises Ltd. and Sony Corp. each un-: '-veiled new 32-bit video-game players. The machines have roughly the computing power of the 16-bit ones that have dominated the industry since 1992. That means the quality of the games played on them can rival arcade games, with richer "sound and more color and dimensional characters.

"'t Some industry executives expertised game fans mostly young males to rush to the new machines, faster action and wilder thrills. But a wave of innovative inspired by the graphical fireworks of Nintendo 1994 hit "Donkey Kong Country" has re-en- ergized the 16-bit category. Now analysts say the old genera- tion of players and games is likely to trounce the new players and games during the crucial Christmas selling season. That probably means strong holiday sales this year for much of the game industry, and it's great news for consumers, who will get top-notch entertainment without buying new players. "Customers are saying, 'Hey, this is a great playing game, and I can still use my 16-bit says Roger Goddu, an executive vice president at the Toys Us chain in Paramus, N.J.

All this is a turnabout from a year ago, when some pundits were proclaiming the imminent demise of 16-bit players. Most software developers have fled to the next genera-' tion of 32-bit machines, which in-1 eludes Sega's Saturn machine and Sony's PlayStation. But those $300 players, which were introduced in the United States this year, have proved too expensive to win much "of a mass market yet. Older ma-" chines cost about $100 each. Sega's Saturn has been a particular disappointment, with PlayStation out-' selling it by as much as seven to one in many stores.

Meanwhile, about 40 million of the old players from Sega and Nin- tendo remain in U.S. homes. A recent survey of 650 video-game households by the research firm Gerard Klauer Mattison Co. found 51 percent expected to buy as many or more 16-bit games over the next 12 months as they had in the past year. As a result, 16-bit games and machines will account for about 70 percent of this year's expected $3.85 billion in U.S.

video-game retail sales, Gerard Klauer 1 Nonetheless, 1 6-bit players are in i their second year of declining sales, ''-'and next year they are expected to "'n fall behind sales of 32-bit machines. "This is the last big year for 1 6 bit," says Gregory Fischbach, chief executive of Acclaim Entertainment a game maker in Glen Cove, N.Y. Industry sales overall are expected to drop 13 percent this year from JXy umni SIC stum published for "a song" in the magazine FUN under the pen name of "Bab." Students of theater will be fascinated to learn that these early ballads served as a is a source for the plots and songs' of lips the theater pieces we love today. Also check this space for parodies of the original Gilbert and Sullivan works. Address: i.i http:diamond.idbsu.eduGaS.

GaS.html Musical theater fans can also check out the Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber Page, where you cantake a quiz or listen to music from such favorites and Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera, and Gats. Address: http:www.reallyuseful.corni Shakespeare on Web Students of Shakespeare, meanwhile, can search his complete works, in hypertext1, on the Web. The Web's first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare divides the great playwright's work into comedy, history, tragedy and poetry. It also lists plays chronologically arid alphabetically, for those whdlike to search in those modes instead. Users may pull up the complete text of any Shakespeare play or search the complete archivesjfor a particular quote.

The plays a annotated in hypertext, so that readers may click on any obscure or dated term for the translation to appear on the screen. Address: tech.mit.eduShakespeare MAKE THE CONNECTION frj' To chat with theater lovers around the world, participate, with three active bulletin boards on the Web. News: rec.arts.theatre.misc; rec.arts.theatre.musicals; and recarts.theatre.plays. JO Los Angeles Times Syndicate For more of Navigating The Net, visit The Courant home page on the World Wide Web at http:www.courant.com. 1 0 p.m.

"Mel Torn, torch singer" on America Online. Location: Celebrity Circle. Keyword: Bowl 10 p.m. "Alan Parsons, Baattas engineer" on Prodigy. Chat with "Abtjey Road" orchestrator.

Location: Guest Spotlight. Jump: Chat Tuesday a 1 p.m. "MwFretesDoArnaral, U.N. president" on America Online. Discuss global Issues with General Assembly leader.

Location: Network. Keyword: Coliseum 1 0 p.m. "Drs. Lew Gloria RkMMd, marrlase therapists" on Prodigy. Get relationship tips from long-married couple.

Location: Guest Spotlight. Jump: Chat JJ, a 10 p.m. "Sid Bernstein, BeaUaa promoter" on Prodigy. Remember the Fab Four's famous NYC concerts. Location' Guest Spotlight.

Jump: Chat Wednesday a 4p.m. "JenBelmentAJimFarley, ABC News radio" on America Online. Discuss media bias with editor and reporter. Location: ABC Radio. Keyword: Cyberplex a 9 p.m.

"Roger McGidan David Crosby, Byrds founders" on America Online. Discuss foikies' "Forrest Gump" CD-ROM. Location: Multimedia Keyword: Rotunda a 10 pm "Peter MacNkol, former 'Chicago Hope' star" on America Online. "Sophie's Choice" star discusses stagem and screen. Location: Celebrity Circle.

Keyword: Bowl Sony Corp. AJ5 llVil! I 1 Sega Enterprises Ltd. sell more than one million copies each. Because the 16-bit games are now being made only by Nintendo, Sega and a handful of others, those companies stand to gain. "The fact that other publishers treasures, medikits and power-ups.

Good points, bad points: "Wolfenstein 3D" offers realistic graphics and sounds, giving you the feel of 1940s Nazi Germany. Now on 3DO, this former PC and Mac game is more fun than "Doom" because Nazis always make better bad guys than demons. The 3DO game system needs help; "Wolfenstein 3D" is a good start. Tips: Select various levels of fin mML 'Sff Another big performer should be Sega's "Vectorman," a slick fighting game for the company's 16-bit Genesis player. Week of Nov.

23-29 Today 1 1 p.m. "Dr. OiMa Carl, relationship ipadalitt" on America Online. Get advice on dating and love. Location: MTV Online.

Keyword: Cyber Rap Saturday 1 0 p.m. "Tom Brown, turvtvalitt" on America Online. Location: Backpacker. Keyword: Bowl Sunday 8 p.m. "Jimmy Johnson, 'Mo A Janls' creator" on America Online.

Celebrate 100 years of comics with cartoonist. Location: Sunday Funnies. Keyword: Comic Strip 10 p.m. "RuPaul, dra quisn" on Prodigy. Location: Guest Spotlight.

Jump: Chat Monday 8 p.m. "Ridley Pearson, 'Chain of Evidence' author" on America Online. Location: Time Online. Keyword: Globe 8:1 5 p.m. "Leslie Moonvea, CBS president" on Prodigy.

Will anything help David Letterman's ratings? Location: Guest Spotlight. Jump: Chat 1 0 p.m. "Stave Rubin, James Bond export" on Prodigy. Trade 007 trivia. Location: Guest Spotlight.

Jump: Chat Escape Nazi prison camp in 'Wolfenstein 3D' difficulty and pick surprise weapons; use the auto-map showing what level you are on as you try to escape. At the end of each level, you have the option of saving the game in progress. Every level has hidden treasures, and secret passages can be found almost anywhere. The verdict: Unlike the Stalag 13 of "Hogan's Heroes," escape from Wolfenstein is too realistic to be funny. Knight-Ridder Newspapers Game: "Wolfenstein 3D." Formate: 3DO.

Suggested list price: $49, Id Software, distributed by Interplay. Category: Action-adventure. Players: One. Recommended ages: 17 and older. How the game works: Before "Doom," Id Software created 1994, with the new players cushioning the drop.

Only about 50 new 16-bit games are coming out this year, compared with about 250 in 1994, but consumer demand remains so high that analysts expect several to "Wolfenstein 3D," the prototype maze shoot-em'-up game. This first-person virtual world is set during World War II within Castle Wolfenstein, the feared Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. Journey through 60 levels armed only with pistols, rifles and machine guns. But you can also defeat Nazi guards with fast reactions. Discover the powerful armored bosses and pick up their keys to open hidden Explore secret rooms to get Do I need a special VCR to play "surround sound" on video-cassettes? How can I tell if a certain tape has surround sound on it? Nearly all major motion pictures use some form of surround sound, a feature that was developed to make theatrical sound more realistic.

When a movie is transferred to videotape, the surround-sound portion is also carried over and is near-ly always present even if not specified on the tape packaging. Any hi-fi VCR can be used for playback, but to hear surround sound it's necessary to have an appropriate decoder. Surround sound decoding is performed by the audio-video receiver, which typically has multiple speaker outputs and arts as the control center of a good home sound Programmable timers for DSS; decoder needed for surround-sound "Solid Gold 300" 8) Winter Vacation Getaway To enter, list your three favorite oldies on the entry form below and send it in. Then listen to WDRC-FM 102.9, Big 103. Soon, we will select entries at random and could announce your name.

Hear it, and you'll have one hour to call Big at 242-0103 and win "Street Voices" doo-wop on CD! Every winner qualifies to win a getaway to any destination American Airlines flies within die contiguous 48 states, plus 4 day3 night accommodations from Professional Travel of Windsor. Entries will help compile this year's Solid Gold 300 Countdown, presented December 31, 1995 on Big Knight-Ridder Newspapers The current Digital Satellite System has a major drawback: to make unattended VCR recordings, the DSS tuner must be preset to the desired channel. You can set your VCR to turn on and off at a a. certain time, but it can't change channels. When will RCA or Sony -'incorporate the DSS tuner into a VCR? True, the first DSS tuners programmable timers for changing channels when you're not home.

But RCA's second-generation tun- ers arriving this month contain tim-w ers that allow up to four events to be programmed. As for combining a DSS receiver and VCR into a single unit, neither company has plans for such a product yet. ESfjOI "Solid Gold 300" Entry Form Then, place your advertising in The Connecticut Bulletin Board Directory every Thursday in Enter. Save up to 45 off open rates! Reach 534,000 readers each week Attention-grabbing bannered page Design and production included Call today! For more information and reservations, please call (203) 241-3954; 1-800-524-4242, ext. 3954.

1st: 2nd: 3rd: Name-Address-City CompUte contest rules and Mail to: Big 103 "Solid Gold fTfrnHnrnn iKsftfrtr'h State 869 Phone. Zip- regulations available at Big D. Blue Hills Bloomfield CT 06002. pTc 9 III 1 I 9 0 IBS I I 1 The Courant, electronically the current, is our site on the World Wide Web. It offers a tour of Connecticut, news and weather updates, and other news and information features.

Our address is http:www.courant.com. Courant Source Online, our electronic bulletin board system, offers news and information services, including local forums, a library of freeware and shareware, a digital archive of columns and stories and other special features. You can reach us by modem at (860) 246-2425. 7 ikai.