Activeworlds.com Announces New Revved-Up Version of its Active Worlds Browser Technology @ [7/15/1999 2:39:48 PM] by: Activeworlds Press

Activeworlds Inc. the leading developer of 3D community based environments on the Internet, today announced the release of Active WorldsTM software version 2.2. Citizens and visitors to the Activeworlds.com Universe will enjoy greatly amplified graphics regardless of modem speed.

"The Beta testing went extremely well and user interest in the new software was overwhelming," said President and CEO of Activeworlds.com, Rick Noll. "We anticipate that the upgrades to our unique 3D streaming Web technology will impress our regular users as well as visitors new to the site. Our graphics are unlike anything else on the Web."

Once the Active Worlds software is downloaded users can explore a myriad of 3D generated worlds. Over 1 million citizens and visitors own land, create buildings and structures, shop at virtual malls and chat with other explorers in real-time. Activeworlds.com is a user modifiable environment and any number of users can simultaneously create changes with a simple drag and drop of the mouse.

"What sets Active Worlds technology apart from past attempts at 3D on the web is its scalability," touts Roland Villet, Active Worlds leading developer. "This smart 3D knows where you are within the program, designs only what you need and always downloads the most important objects in a scene first. You can move instantly within the Universe as objects are rendered around you. Active Worlds caches objects and thus eliminates normally long graphic downloads. This is very different from other "closed box" 3D technologies that can only render a spinning logo or force the user to wait for an entire graphic downloads."

"We have over 1,000 new users per day and over 50 new worlds created every month within the ActiveWorlds.com browser," said JP McCormick, CFO for Activeworlds.com. "Activeworlds.com has been one of the most downloaded shareware programs for the past year. Whether it's a virtual college campus tour, a movie premiere, or tradeshow our users are not just watching events but participating in them."

Version 2.2 includes several upgrades such as:

Native support for trueSpace COB objects
A new "color" action command - to change any object color
New bot features designed to increase game possibilities
About Activeworlds.com
Activeworlds.com, Inc. is a leading developer of three-dimensional (3-D), "community-based" environments on the Internet and among one of the only technology platforms developed that is completely interactive, operating in real-time to create a true to life virtual reality experience.
Activeworlds.com, Inc. offers a complete range of client, server, and development applications in a turnkey approach that enables the individual and business users to create rich and compelling online 3-D worlds. The company's 3-D multi-user environment, Active Worlds, is leading the trend towards "social" computing in 3-D, to create a sense of virtual reality. Activeworlds.com, Inc., has also developed a suite of software, clients, servers and authoring tools designed to allow people to communicate, play games and conduct business in an infinite number of shared environments on the Internet in real time.

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