From: nessa@nwu.edu (vanessa dennen) Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: ANNOUNCE: VictorMaxx announces Car Wars LBE Date: 25 Oct 1995 03:29:23 GMT Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, US Message-Id: For Immediate Release October 18, 1995 For Further Information: Micah Jackson or Vanessa Dennen (708) 267-0007 VICTORMAXX TECHNOLOGIES TO PRODUCE VIRTUAL REALITY PRODUCTS BASED ON STEVE JACKSONS CAR WARS GAME Autoduel Project Will Include Location-based Entertainment Centers, On-line Games and CD-ROM Games Deerfield, IL, October 18, 1995 -- VictorMaxx Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of virtual reality products, today announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, a publisher of board and role-playing games, to produce virtual reality entertainment products based on Steve Jackson Games popular CAR WARS line. Under the agreements, VictorMaxx will be responsible for developing this multi-phase project, tentatively titled Autoduel,B2 which will includ e location based entertainment centers (LBEs), an on-line game and a CD-ROM home game. VictorMaxx will develop the LBEs as well as both hardware and software for the Autoduel project. Steve Jackson Games will act as technical advisor to the project, assisting with the development of rules , characters and the overall fiction, which will serve as the basis for the games. We are excited about the potential the Autoduel project offers, sai d VictorMaxx President and Chief Executive Officer Richard H. Currie. T he combination of the creative genius of Steve Jackson and our own hardware and software development capability should allow us to create a virtual reality entertainment experience superior to anything currently available. Beyond the game itself, the Autoduel concept will take virtua l reality into the mainstream of entertainment where its full market potential can be realized. The Autoduel concept fits extremely well into VictorMaxxs overall strategy for growth within the burgeoning virtual reality industry. The location based entertainment centers, likely to be called Autoduel Arenas, will be the first phase of the project. The prototype installation is scheduled to open in metropolitan Chicago during the summer of 1996 and will be the first of a series of fully-themed environments, each featuring a number of virtual reality simulators, a snack bar, retail merchandise areas and memorabilia from famous Autoduel characters. Over the long-term, VictorMaxx intends to develop the concep t into a network of LBEs located in major cities that will not only allow play on-site, but will also serve as hubs that will allow players to remain at home while competing on-line against other enthusiasts. Location based entertainment, particularly virtual reality based, is t he hottest trend in the entertainment industry, said Micah T.J. Jackson, Executive Producer of the Autoduel Project. The Autoduel concept is intended not only to take virtual reality gaming to the next technologica l level, it is intended turn it into a truly social experience by giving consumers more options and the ability to use the game in a variety of settings, Jackson added. The second phase of the Autoduel Project, the Autoduel on-line game, is expected to be released in late 1996. Players will be able to access Autoduel from their homes and play against other people from across the country. This product is expected to significantly expand the number of Autoduelists. Higher speed communications hardware has eliminated many o f the problems associated with home play and allowed the experience of the LBE to be duplicated in the home. The third phase of the project will be development of a CD-ROM game, currently scheduled for release in early 1997. This will complete the concept by giving consumers the ability to compete against the computer in addition to other individuals, greatly increase the potential market for the game, and encourage individuals to test their skills against live opponents. The CD-ROM will be compatible with VictorMaxxs consumer model virtual reality equipment and other peripherals such as pedals and steering wheels. Car Wars is a game involving road duels on the freeways of the future. Players build their own cars, selecting items such as chassis, weaponry and armor, and compete against each other in arena-based tournaments as well as road duels. The motto of the game is Drive Offensively. Steve Jackson Games Incorporated is the publisher of games, books, magazines and other entertainment and information material. The company is known for its INWO trading card game, GURPS role-playing game, and Car Wars, Illuminati and Ogre games. VictorMaxx Technologies, Inc. develops, markets and sells virtual reality products, including the CyberMaxxTM 2.0 head-mounted display, for home use in connection with personal computer-based virtual reality entertainment software. The companys common stock and warrants are traded on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market under the symbols VMAX and VMAXW, respectively. # # # [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Commercial postings are offered on this newsgroup as a public service. Their appearance here does not indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or its administrators.]