Hitachi Ltd is joining forces with recording and audio equipment Nippon Columbia Co Ltd to create Afoon, a multimedia label for entertainment and education software written to run under Microsoft Corp’s Windows95 operating system. Hitachi says the label represents a major expansion in its multimedia operations and those of Nippon Columbia. The label plans to release its first CD-ROM title, a shooting game, in July. The first edutainment title is already out: it is an English learning program featuring characters from a popular children’s show on Japan’s NHK public television. The label will also issue titles for the Hitachi Hi-Saturn version of Sega Enterprises Ltd’s Saturn games player, and for other games machines and Apple Computer Inc’s Macintosh.
