Lancaster Eagle-Gazette from Lancaster, Ohio • 13

Lancaster Sunday January 6 1991 Page C-t Education Arts leisure Section 1 J- 1 4 I 1 -I 3 I 4 V. invasion pDimg Nintendo games inpact on American homes, businesses and schools 900420-6100. The captain answers about 6,000 calls weekly. Nintendo's magazine, "Nintendo Power," has gathered 1.5 million subscribers. A children's cartoon based on the popular character of Mario began last fall, syndicated now on 135 stations throughout the United States.

New products such as the portable player, Game Boy; 160 new game titles released in 1990; and new controls like NES Hands Free, which allows those with limited physical capabilities access to game playing' explain how Nintendo continues to expand in the market. Company figures predict Nintendo controls 80 percent of the video game market. Super Mario Bros. 3 sold more than eight million units after its introduction last March. Dr.

Mario, just released Nov. 15, sold 2.5 million in its first six weeks, of sales. Mario, that inigmatic cylindrical hero, has spun off an entire line of, merchandise ranging from sleeping bags to ceiling fans. Such a pervasive presence in American homes is bound to impact. Children are now growing up in a video game culture.

Typical of many high schoolers, Jason Boch has been playing video games since age 7, starting with the Atari game system. Boch, a senior at Lancaster High School, estimates he currently spends about five hours a day with video games, usually in late evening. Games have re- laced his television viewing. "I only ave two or three programs I enjoy watching," Boch said. If he weren't playing games, Boch said, "I'd probably be reading." A science fiction fan, he estimates he (See VIDEO GAMES, page C-3.) By WILLIE EHRLICH E-G Accent Editor It's an invasion of squat cylindric figures; of dragons, wizards and quests; of disjointed sport midgets demanding instant decisions; of target scopes and wild chases through jungles or oceans or outer space.

The invaders arrive in black plastic boxes about three by five inches, armored in such names as Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Faxanadu, Pin Bot or Rad Racer. They've captured huge blocks of recreational time and the imagination of an entire generation, the younger one, and is spreading upward as adults become more attuned to the power of the control stick. There's no question that in the video game invasion underway since the 1970s, Nintendo is the latest giant. According to company figures, Ninendo Entertainment Systems (NES) are in approximately 30 percent of American homes. Nintendo and its licensees accounted for $4.1 billion of the $5.1 billion in total sales of video games in America in 1990.

This is a 66 percent increase in Ninendo game sales from 1989. One reason Nintendo bites off the lion's share of the video game market is the company's steady introduction of new games, technology and services. It has created a culture as yet unexcelled to support their game system. More than 50,000 callers contact the 150 game counselors at Nintendo's telephone number, (206) 885-7529, for help each week. In addition the group answers 10,000 letters a week from players.

Game tips and product information are dispersed by Captain Nintendo to players who call shows her sister Brand! game playing strategies. Some educators are beginning to say that girls may be penalized in computer based careers if they don't also start off playing video games at young ages. Mario, the Nintendo game figure introduced in 1985 pictured top, continues to climb in popularity. He now has gained as much sight recognition by children and adults as Mickey Mouse claims. Jamie Kline, left, Eagle-Gazette photos by Dave Kline 1.