Stumped by Game? Hot Line Offers Help

How do you beat the evil Marshmallow Man? And where do you find the hidden green scroll?

Judy Jette knows, but she might not tell you.

“I try to give hints,” says Jette, a telephone customer service representative for Sega of America who fields questions from teen-age video game players all day long. “But if someone is really stuck, I’ll tell them.”

Working at a telephone next to a video game system, Jette sometimes plays the video game

long-distance to find an answer while stumped players wait on the line. In the evenings, 27-year-old Jette plays more video games at home.

As part of their marketing efforts, Sega and its rival Nintendo have each established toll-free numbers that players can use to call for help. During one week around Christmas, Nintendo handled 13,000 calls from kids who couldn’t escape an evil electronic enemy without help. Sega’s video game experts field 300 calls a day.

The two firms also distribute magazines to young video game fans. The magazines, with titles such as Fun Club News and Sega Challenge offer video game tips and hype new video games. Nintendo also sells a players guide that gives hints to the solution of many of its games. It retails for about $15.

Jette says she and her fellow customer service reps meet weekly to devise solutions to especially tricky problems, such as evading the Marshmallow Man in the Ghostbuster’s video game. (Answer: Enter the room on the right when the Marshmallow Man’s mouth is closed).

Callers are grateful for the help. Jette says some older game players have sent candy and flowers in appreciation. She says, “I have the best job in the world.”