Press Releases
Total Entertainment Network Prepares for Online "Blood"-letting
TEN Inks Online Deal for Latest GT Interactive Fast-Action Game
SAN FRANCISCO April 28, 1997 Total Entertainment Network (TEN), the market and technology leader in online multiplayer gaming, today announced that it will soon be offering Bloodä, the latest hit title from GT Interactive Software Corp. (NASDAQ: GTIS), online for multiplayer network play. Developed by Monolith Productions, Blood is a first-person, fast-action shooter based on the advanced version of the Duke Nukem 3D Build Engine, and is the third GT Interactive-published action game to land on TEN. Blood shareware is already available for free download at (www.gtinteractive.com/bloodshare), while the full version will be available at retail later this spring. TEN expects to have both Blood shareware and the full version up and running on the TEN network in May, 1997.
"We're thrilled to be an online, multiplayer solution for both the shareware and full version of this great new action game," said Greg Harper, vice president of business development at TEN. "Our philosophy has always been that content is the key to success in this market segment. With the addition of Blood, we've strengthened our lead in the action game genre."
To optimize the performance of Blood on TEN, the two companies are working closely to implement a new TEN-proprietary technology call BULLET, which will speed data transfer and reduce latency. BULLET, which specifically enhances the performance of "lock-step" action games, is also expected to significantly improve the performance of other games on TEN in the coming months.
"TEN has done a terrific job of making online multiplayer gaming a phenomenon, and we're looking forward to similar results with Blood," said Holly Newman, vice president of Marketing for GT Interactive. "Combining TEN's broad reach and technical prowess with Blood's gripping gameplay, humorous scenarios, and explosive graphics, will surely have action game fans logging on in record numbers."
TEN's specific online and multiplayer activities for Blood have not been announced, but the company expects to provide orientations, tournaments, contests, and in-depth player rankings.
"In terms of an on-line multiplayer experience, Blood represents some great new twists, with sloped and slanted surfaces, overhead bridges, activity between levels/floors, exchange of enemy fire out windows, and so forth," said Sukhbir Sidhu, a producer at TEN. "All of these capabilities will be very attractive to avid online action game fans, a major faction within the TEN subscriber base."
To sign up for the TEN service, go to http://www.ten.net and download the software, or request a free TEN CD-ROM (Windows 95). Technical support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-800-8040TEN. Customer support is available daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST). For more details of Blood on TEN, and to download the shareware version of Blood upon availability, go to http://www.ten.net/blood.
Total Entertainment Network is the premier entertainment network for game playing consumers on the Internet. TEN has online rights to more than 30 games half of which are TEN exclusives by leading software publishers including 3D Realms Entertainment, Apogee, Blizzard, Eidos Interactive (formerly Domark), id Software, GT Interactive, Maxis, MicroProse, Sierra Online/Papyrus, SSI and Westwood Studios. Based in San Francisco, TEN was formed in 1995 from the merger of Outland, Inc. and Planet Optigon, Inc. TEN received its initial funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, with subsequent investors including: Ameritech; Goldman Sachs; Robertson, Stephens & Co., Vertex Management, and Wasserstein Perella.
Total Entertainment Network and the TEN logo are trademarks of T E Network, Inc. GT is a trademark of GT Interactive Software Corp. Blood is a copyright and trademark of Monolith Productions,Inc. All Rights Reserved. Created by Monolith Corporation. This game uses the Build engine and tools by Ken Silverman. Published and distributed by GT Interactive Software Corp. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners', without intent to infringe.
For More Info, Call
TEN Press Contact:
Garth Chouteau
Tel: (415) 778-3774
Fax: (415) 778-3520
Internet:
garth@tenetwork.com
Copyright 1997
T E Network, Inc.
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