RenFaire: RPFI: News: 1998-02.06-REC-Game

News: 1998-02.06-REC-Game

Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 20:01:34 -0800
From: Trey Butler 
Subject: ChuckleNews: more RenFair news

Friday February 6, 10:58 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

Simutronics Links Up with Renaissance Entertainment Corp. -- Leading Roleplaying Companies to Partner for Games and Growth

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 1998--Simutronics Corp., the leader in multiplayer online games, announced a partnership with Renaissance Entertainment Corp. (REC) (NASDAQ:FAIR - news), the largest and only publicly traded organizer of Renaissance faires in the United States.

Simutronics' role-playing games will be featured on REC's web site and in all their advertising for the upcoming faire season.

Simutronics and REC will cross-promote each other's products and services via the heavily trafficked realm of the Internet. Simutronics' vastly popular role-playing games will be accessible through REC's Web pages and Simutronics will gain access to REC's thoroughly profiled role-player audience.

The partnership will take the live ``16th century'' experience of the Renaissance fairegoer to the personal and interactive experience of the avid 21st century online gameplayer.

David Whatley, president and CEO of Simutronics, stated that ``the pairing of Simutronics' games with the Renaissance Faires audience is a natural fit. Our games give the fairegoers an opportunity to experience medieval times and activities throughout the year over and above the time spent at the faire.''

Under the agreement, REC will create a special web page to showcase Simutronics' roleplaying games for its vast network of roleplayers, featuring GemStone III, DragonRealms, and the upcoming Hercules and Xena: Alliance of Heroes. With Renaissance faires in five major national markets, REC reaches an audience of 800,000+.

The Renaissance faire industry itself enjoys an estimated total of 4.5 million visitors yearly. The addition of the games to REC's web site will enhance the experience of attending one of the faires and help fairegoers to stay in the spirit all year long.

Charles Leavell, chairman and CEO of REC, commented that ``the market for these game services is virtually limitless. The `electronic marriage' of Simutronics and REC creates an extraordinary opportunity for each company to tap into the runaway role-playing business. We believe we're looking at a tremendous potential for additional revenue streams for REC.''

About Simutronics

Simutronics Corp., a long-time leader in multiplayer gaming, specializes in the design, development, and management of games created specifically for collaborative play in virtual online communities.

Their Internet sites can be found at gemstone.net, dragonrealms.net, cyberstrike.net, and modusoperandi.net. Founded in 1987, Simutronics Corp. is a privately held corporation with offices in St. Charles, Mo., and Rockville, Md.

The company recently announced a partnership with Universal Studios, calling for Simutronics to create a mythological game environment based on the top syndicated TV programs, ``Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and ``Xena: Warrior Princess.'' The new game, Hercules and Xena: Alliance of Heroes is scheduled to debut on the Internet in April 1998.

Simutronics also just announced an agreement granting the retail rights of CyberStrike 2, the highly anticipated 3D-action game, to Sony Interactive Studios America. CyberStrike 2 will be available in both single-player and multiplayer modes in mid-1998.

About Renaissance Entertainment Corp.

Renaissance Entertainment Corp. is the only publicly traded company in the Renaissance Faire industry. The company's Faires currently serve five of the largest metro areas in the country including New York, Chicago/Milwaukee, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the greater Washington, D.C./Richmond area.

The Renaissance Faire is an outdoor family-oriented event that romanticizes the ambience of a Renaissance era marketplace, which includes craft shops, period food, dancers, jousters, musicians and historical characters from Elizabethan England. Fairegoers experience continuous entertainment from byways and multiple stages.

Simutronics is a registered trademark and service mark of Simutronics Corp. GemStone III, DragonRealms, CyberStrike 2 and Hercules & Xena: Alliance of Heroes are trademarks of Simutronics Corp. All other products or company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturer.