Making a Games Show of It

Video game vendor Sega enjoyed the spotlight on the first day of the Electronic Entertainment Exposition in Los Angeles with its announcement that its new game machine, the Sega Saturn, will be available sooner and more cheaply than expected.

Sega of America Chief Executive Tom Kalinske said the Saturn will be available immediately in the United States and Canada and will be priced at $299. Industry watchers were surprised both by the early availability of the Sega machine, which had been expected to make its debut in the fall, and by its price, which had been expected to be between $300 and $400.

The Saturn is one of a new generation of video game players to boast of greatly improved graphics and faster action. Sony Corp. said Thursday that its new machine, the Playstation, will go on sale in the United States in September and that it will cost between $300 and $350--also at the low end of the expected price range.

* Interactive games are shaping the players. A1