id Software Chooses Sandpiper Networks for Speedy Online Delivery of the Quake III Arena Demo

Business Wire, Nov 10, 1999

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 10, 1999--

Sandpiper's Footprint Content Delivery Service Allows Gamers to

Download On Demand, Quickly and Easily

Sandpiper Networks, the leader in comprehensive content delivery solutions, announced today its alliance with id Software(TM) Inc. and Activision Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI), for delivery of the highly anticipated action game QUAKE III Arena(TM).

id Software will use Sandpiper's award-winning content delivery service, Footprint(SM), to handle the online distribution of the QUAKE III Arena demo to millions of Web site visitors.

By employing Footprint on id and Activision sites, online gamers will be able to quickly download the QUAKE III Arena demo without experiencing unnecessary Web site congestion. Sandpiper serves content closer to the user, speeding Web site performance up to 10 times by distributing content from servers around the world.

To enhance the release of the QUAKE III Arena demo, id is committed to providing speedier content delivery due to the expected surge in traffic. Instead of adding more servers to handle the increased traffic, or building a custom web server to support the download, id has teamed with Sandpiper for an immediate solution for additional capacity and improved Web site performance.

"id wants to ensure that when the QUAKE III Arena demo is released, gamers all over the world will be able to download it quickly and easily," said Todd Hollenshead, id Software's chief executive officer. "As one of the top content delivery services, Sandpiper's server capacity can accommodate users, guaranteeing that QUAKE III Arena fans will get what they came for, regardless of heavy traffic requests."

According to Leo Spiegel, Sandpiper's president and CEO, Footprint is the perfect solution for id where there is a need for additional capacity on an as-needed basis. "We understand the need to prepare for expected high-traffic events like the release of a highly anticipated demo like QUAKE III Arena," said Spiegel. "Regardless of the traffic levels, Footprint ensures consistent downloads and continues to set a new standard for the speed at which users can download information."

Developed by id Software, and distributed by Activision, QUAKE III Arena is paving the way for the next revolution in 3-D interactive gaming. Its enhanced graphics engine will display realistic 3-D environments using advanced features such as curved surface rendering and high detail textures. By building on a completely new gaming technology engine, which enables the latest capabilities in 3-D graphics, the title will bring gamers the quality and excitement of id's past blockbusters along with more action, more intensity, and more grandeur.

Launched last year, the Footprint service speeds Web site performance up to 10 times by distributing content from worldwide network of servers, putting web content closer to the consumer and shortening the delivery path. The Footprint network will have more than 1200 servers worldwide by year-end.

About id Software

id -- Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth -- has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. As a renown leader in the industry, id Software has forged frenetic titles such as Wolfenstein 3-D, DOOM, DOOM II, QUAKE and QUAKE II. With intense graphics and mind-blowing adventure, id's games continually break retail and shareware sales records. id's advanced QUAKE II engine is leading the next revolution in 3-D interactive games with both single and multiplayer technology. And, in keeping with tradition, id Software amplifies the world of adrenaline pumping 3-D gaming with the development of their latest action title, QUAKE III Arena. Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.com.

About Activision

Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Activision Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted revenues of $436 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, The Netherlands and Belgium. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at http://www.activision.com.

About Sandpiper Networks

Sandpiper Networks is the world's first content delivery service provider for the Internet. Founded in 1996, Sandpiper has built the largest and most comprehensive Content Delivery Network (CDN). The company's initial service offering, Footprint, gives leading e-businesses the power to deliver Web sites more efficiently and profitably while dramatically improving site performance. Footprint ensures the delivery of fresh Web content of all types while providing management statistics that are vital to Web-centric businesses.

Current customers using the award-winning Footprint service include CNBC.com, WireBreak, E! Online, Intuit, LATimes.com, Live On Line, MusicNow and University Netcasting. For more information, visit www.sandpiper.net. The network is changing. Adapt to it(SM).