News: 1998-02.10-REC-Game


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Tuesday February 10, 9:01 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

SOURCE: Renaissance Entertainment Corporation

Renaissance Entertainment Corporation Links to Simutronics For Fun, Games and Growth

BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Renaissance Entertainment Corporation, (REC) (Nasdaq: FAIR - news) an industry leader in the Renaissance Faire entertainment niche, today announced that it has entered into a world premiere agreement with Simutronics Corporation.

A privately held corporation with its principal place of business in Rockville, MD, Simutronics was founded in 1987 as a major online games creator with the #1 market share in online games services.

REC and Simutronics will cross-promote each other's products and services via the heavily trafficked realm of the internet. Simutronics' vastly popular roleplaying games will be accessible through REC's web pages, and Simutronics will gain access to REC's thoroughly profiled roleplayer 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.

Charles Leavell, Chairman and CEO of Renaissance, stated 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 tremendous potential for additional revenue streams for REC.''

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.

REC, in conjunction with Simutronics, has agreed to discuss the development of an online Renaissance game and cybercastle faire site. Barbara Hope, VP of New Ventures for REC, said that she ``firmly believes this is the next step in REC's exciting diversification program.''

REC will receive revenues for each player it directs to Simutronics' site. REC printed material and its web site will steer surfers to Simutronics' #1 online game of all time, ``GemStone III.,'' ``DragonRealms,'' ``CyberStrike,'' ``Modus Operandi,'' and the soon to be released ``Hercules & Xena,'' are additional cyberfantasy offerings. Simutronics' current subscriber roster consists of 40,000 players per month.

Simutronics and Cyberstrike are registered trademarks and service marks of Simutronics Corp. ``GemStone III,'' ``DragonRealms,'' and ``Hercules & Xena: Alliance of Heroes'' are trademarks of Simutronics Corp., and ``Modus Operandi'' is a trademark of Time Warner Electronic Publishing.

Renaissance Entertainment Corporation 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 entertainment event which romanticizes the ambiance of a Renaissance era marketplace and includes craft shops, period food, dancers, jousters, musicians and historical characters from Elizabethan England.