TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Nintendo Co. Unveils 64-Bit Game Machine: The Kyoto, Japan-based video game company introduced the Nintendo 64 at a software exhibition in Japan. It is the first 64-bit game machine to be produced by a major game maker and should be available in the United States and Japan in April. Nintendo said the machine is twice as powerful as 32-bit machines sold by rivals Sony and Sega Enterprises and that it will revolutionize the game market by providing much clearer graphics and more realistic images. Nintendo did not develop its own 32-bit machine and sales now are based on its 16-bit Super Famicom, which has recently suffered in competition against more powerful platforms. Some analysts questioned whether a successful launch would boost Nintendo’s profits as much as its prestige in the multibillion-dollar industry.