Multimedia software for video and computer games and "edutainment" was projected to hit a record high of $6.1 billion in 1998, up 20% from the prior year's high mark. While video games, led by Sony PlayStation (PSX) and Nintendo 64 (N64), saw the biggest jump-to an estimated $4.2 billion last year, compared to $3.3 billion in 1997-PC-game revenue was up a healthy 5.5%, to about $1.9 billion.

With the first titles for younger kids filtering into both the Sony PSX and N64 markets, in the PC area, kids' multimedia units were up strongly, according to Ilene Haase of The NPD Group's Leisure Activities division that tracks both software and hardware sales at retail point-of-purchase.

"Through last November, the 'creativity' category market share was 18.8%, compared to 13.4% in the comparable 1997 period," she says, "with units up 100% and dollars up 80%. For 'early learning' titles, market share was 35.8% vs. 29.2% the year before, with units up 75% and dollars up 40%. For 'reading and storybook'...