Sega, Square team up with 30 cablers

Dreamcast CATV 'Net service set up, PlayStation 2 awaited

By JON HERSKOVITZ

TOKYO -- Leading Japanese videogame makers Sega Enterprises and Square Co. announced alliances with communications companies Monday in anticipation of tough competish from Sony's new PlayStation console.

Sega said that it has teamed up with 30 cable TV companies -- including Japan's two largest, Jupiter Telecommunications and Titus Communications -- to set up a high-speed Internet connection for users of its Dreamcast game console. The service is expected to bow in April. Dreamcast users can already access the Internet with their game consoles, but the CATV linkup would be 20-30 times faster than conventional connections.

Japan's game market will change on March 4 when Sony introduces its Internet-linked/DVD-like PlayStation 2.