A TV Game Device Expands the Action With Remote Controls for Up to 6 Players

Board games come to your TV screen with the ZAPiT Game Wave, a souped-up DVD player that is designed to receive signals from as many as six remote controls simultaneously. Every member of the family can have an equal chance to win points, by guessing the name of a famous prison on the Hudson (Sing Sing) or the name of the giant English passenger ship sunk in 1915 by a German U-boat (the Lusitania).

Other differences from run-of-the-mill DVD players include an on-board graphics processor to handle interactive content like game menus and an extra cache of memory for remembering high scores. The remotes are color-coded and have four large multiple-choice buttons, as well as a numerical keypad, making it possible to send different types of answers.

The starter kit, which costs $130, comes with four remotes and one game, a trivia contest that promises 25 hours of play before a question is repeated. Additional remotes are sold in sets of two for $25. Additional software includes five titles, covering blackjack, the Bible, a letter puzzle and a dice game. When not used for games, the console can also play standard DVD's.