Press release: 1998-01-13: Cable Game Channel set to play

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: www.zdnet.com (archived)

A Century City, Calif., company called Segasa Inc.

By Micheal Mullen, January 13, 1998 -- 00:00 GMT (00:00 GMT) 
Topic: Tech Industry

A Century City, Calif., company called Segasa Inc., along with The Services Games Group, has announced its intentions to field a daily entertainment network called Vega Universe, The Game Channel.

It's starting out fairly small, though, beginning with a two-hour, twice-a-week show called "The Tournament of Champions," which will begin airing on Los Angeles' KDOC and other TV stations starting April 1. Tournament of Champions will broadcast video and arcade game competition.

Michael Singer, president and chief executive officer of Vega Universe, predicts that the show will be "a combination of Mystery Science Theatre, Beavis and Butthead, and Mr. Bill." He said, "For the first time in history, we will be broadcasting competitors as they play over the web, with our animated, puppet, and human characters both commenting on the play and interacting with it."

Come this fall, Singer says, Vega Universe will become its own network, with six hours of programming every day, including video game shows where viewers play against each other, behind-the-scenes looks at the gaming industry, and animated series built around popular games.

The station also will broadcast movies that have to do with games - movies like Tron, The Last Starfighter, and Mortal Combat - and will include MTV-style dancing and videos set to the music from video games as part of its programming mix.

A web site is set to launch in conjunction with The Tournament of Champions show and the games network.

Segasa also announced that it has signed a deal with Disney to install Segasa's coin-operated arcade game, Thunder Run, in arcades throughout the country. Thunder Run is a mechanical game where miniature cars race each other, and if the player's car wins, he receives tickets, which can be redeemed for prizes.