Consolers, Mark Your Calendars

On Monday, Sega Enterprises nailed down the exact date when it will formally announce its next system - May 21. A Sega spokesman told Reuters that details on the full content of the announcement could not yet be disclosed.

The machine is not expected to launch until 1999 in either the US or Japan.

In related Katana news, Sega of America's Dan Stevens confirmed to GameSpot News on Monday that "Katana has always been an inside code name" for Sega's new console system. As to a final name for the new product, he would only say "we haven't released a final name." Stevens said, "From a product perspective, we plan to release the name when we unveil the console."

As to whether or not that unveiling would take place during the upcoming E3 trade show, Stevens said "If you'd like to get the full story on what our future plans are, that would be the place."

Stevens also confirmed information which had been earlier reported in industry trade BrandWeek that the new Sega system would be introduced to consumers with 10-12 titles at launch and that the total number of titles on the market by the end of 1999 would number approximately 30.

See GameSpot News' earlier interview with Sega of America president Bernie Stolar for other "Katana"-related news.