DIGITIZED SHAQ ATTACKS MULTIMEDIA

     In this morning's USA TODAY, Mike Snider reports that
Shaquille O'Neal "has transcended the basketball court to become
a multimedia superstar."  His first video game, "Shaq-Fu," from
Electronic Arts, just hit the shelves, and his second rap album,
"Shaq Fu: da Return," has logged-in at No. 25 on this week's
BILLBOARD R&B chart.  The video game, which retails for $69.95,
transports Shaq "into a magical, mystical martial arts world"
(USA TODAY, 12/1).
     HOME IMPROVEMENT:  "The Nintendo and Sega game systems
plugged into TV sets in four out of 10 U.S. homes already are
targeted for retirement, although they're only 5 years old,"
according to Joseph Gelmis in today's N.Y. NEWSDAY.  In the face
of new technology and the threat of competition from digital CD,
Sega "has been extending the life of its aging Genesis system
with major big-bucks implants" and developing a CD-based game,
while Nintendo -- which "has balked at adopting the CD game
format" -- is preparing to launch a 64-bit cartridge based game
(N.Y. NEWSDAY, 12/1).