Oz Interactive and Intel Bring Real-World Party to 3D Internet; Party to take place simultaneously in New York's hottest nightclub and in a multi-user VRML model of it on the Internet

Business Wire, Dec 10, 1996

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 1996--OZ Interactive Inc., the leading Internet software company bringing entertainment to multi-user 3D worlds on the Web and Intel Corporation, the world's largest chip maker, will bring the wildest party of the season to the Internet using virtual reality motion-capture technology, streaming audio, Internet telephony and high-capacity dedicated Net access.

The party (http://www.december12.com), dubbed, "The Future is Now," will feature the first-ever live virtual reality concert on the Web. People from all over the world can watch and listen to all the events in real-time and talk to each other by downloading the latest release of OZ Virtual(TM) software from the Web (http://www.oz-inc.com).

Over a thousand partygoers will dance to live performances by international musicians and world class DJs at the event, which will be held Thursday, Dec. 12 from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. EST at Irving Plaza, situated in the epicenter of New York's Silicon Alley. Performers on the "real" stage will wear motion capture bodysuits and be represented as avatars on the Internet, in the virtual "Irving Plaza" created by OZ. The avatars lip-sync and mimic performers' movements in real-time.

"Intel is excited about `The Future is Now' because it fuses VRML, entertainment and our new Internet Phone with Video to present a compelling Internet experience," said Sally Fundakowski, director, Interactive Marketing, Intel Corporation. "This party is a prime example of the possibilities presented to Net surfers with Pentium(R) Processor-based PCs."

"We planned `The Future is Now' as a celebration of a new era in which Hollywood and Silicon Valley converge to make the new 3D Internet a household entertainment staple," said Skuli Mogensen, president of OZ. "With a staff that includes musicians, artists, programmers and artificial intelligence experts, OZ is the first Internet company to achieve a full synergy between the arts and technology."

Scheduled artists include:

-- Darren Emerson of the hit UK group Underworld featured on the Trainspotting sound track

-- Icelandic pop sensation and Sony recording artist Moa

-- Top international DJs and bands: Electric Skychurch (LA), Gus Gus (Iceland), dB (NY) and Marc Anthony (NY)

Also at the event:

-- The debut of the OZ Club including "Virtual Irving Plaza": A groundbreaking 3D Internet entertainment community with a host of characters from bouncers to clubbers to DJs all set to music.

-- The release of the OZ "The Future is Now" CD written and produced by OZ Interactive: the first enhanced CD to include Internet audio content (eight techno music tracks) and Internet virtual reality worlds and viewing software in one.

-- A demonstration of Intel's newly released Internet Phone with Video technology, which is available for downloading at connectedpc.com

-- A demonstration of the OZ Virtual Internet platform including the fastest 3D browser, dynamic avatar editors and powerful multi-user server software

The OZ family of products includes OZ Virtual, a VRML 2.0 compliant application with Java support, as well as dynamically linked compiled scripts; OZ Server which turns any VRML world on the Internet into a multi-user environment; OZ created multi-user 3D communities with rich graphics, video and 3D sound; Avatar and agent technologies; and voice and text chat.

About OZ Interactive Inc.

OZ Interactive was established as a high-end animation studio and advanced 3D graphics programming company in 1990, culminating in the company's development of the OZ Shader Libraries for SOFTIMAGE 3D, which the company developed for Microsoft Corp.

More recently, OZ has turned its attention towards 3D technologies, entertainment and social interaction, hiring creative minds in fields such as avatars, artificial intelligence and nightclubbing. It has synthesized this diverse skill set to emerge as the leader in providing media-rich social entertainment in 3D spaces on the Internet.

About Connectedpc.com

Intel's connectedpc.com is a virtual showcase for the latest "Connected PC" content; from Intel developed software, to connected CD-ROMs, to the latest, coolest connected technology sites on the Web. "The Future is Now" (http://www.december12.com) will be available at connectedpc.com because it combines technologies and features which allow users to interact via their PCs in a more compelling way.

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of personal computer, networking and communications products. Through innovative technologies, Intel is committed to improving the Internet experience for PC consumers. Additional information is available at http://www.intel.com/pressroom -0-

Note to Editors: OZ, OZ Virtual and the OZ logo are trademarks of OZ Interactive Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT: OZ Interactive

Andrew de Vries, 415/536-0506

andrew@oz-inc.com

or

Intel

Adam Grossberg, 408/756-1669

adam_grossberg@ccm.sc.intel.com