Press release: 1995-10-30: Fujitsu and Sega to Collaborate in Multimedia Network Services

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: Fujitsu.com

                                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                        Fujitsu Limited

                                                        Sega Enterprises

Fujitsu and Sega to Collaborate in Multimedia Network Services

-Sega Saturn will be used to enable simple access to PC communication services

Tokyo, October 30, 1995-- Fujitsu Limited and Sega Enterprises announced today that the two companies will work together to launch new multimedia network services for customers of Sega Saturn, 32-bit game machine. Through this collaboration, for the first time, customers will be able to access personal computer communication services using a television game machine.

Collaboration between the two companies will consist of two steps. In the first step, beginning in March 1996, Saturn users will be able to:
1) Access NIFTY-Serve, the PC communication network that has over 1.2 million subscribers,
2) Access Fujitsu Habitat, the graphical on line communication service on NIFTY-Serve.

In the second phase of collaboration, starting in the second half of 1996, the companies will launch new network services designed especially for customers using the Saturn machine. These include:
3) Network-based entertainment services, including role playing games,
4) On line shopping services,
5) Edutainment and other educational services.

The Sega Saturn is one of the world's leading 32-bit game machines. Saturn was introduced in November 1994 and will have an installed base of about two million units through the end of this year. Adding network capabilities to the Saturn game machine will make PC communications services easy to use, even for people without any experience using computers.

NIFTY-Serve offers electronic mail services, bulletin boards and hundreds of different forums where people who share a common interest can communicate and exchange information. Also available on NIFTY-Serve is Fujitsu Habitat, a graphical on-line communication service. Habitat was originally developed by Lucas Films of the United States. Habitat is a Cyberspace Service that allows users to represent themselves in the form of an animated character and interact with other subscribers in a visual environment, that consists of a virtual community with public spaces and shops.

Fujitsu Limited is cooperating with Compuserve of the US to provide an upgraded version of the Habitat service, called WorldsAway, to Compuserve subscribers worldwide. The new technologies used in WorldsAway will be added to Habitat for the Japanese domestic market by Spring 1996, at that time, the upgraded Habitat services will be accessible from a Saturn machine.

Fujitsu and Sega will work together to develop new types of multimedia network services, including multi-player role playing games, on line shopping and edutainment services. The goal of this cooperation is to combine the two companies capabilities to make multimedia services available and easy to use for ordinary customers using a Sega game machine and their television.


Contact:  Fujitsu Limited, Public Relations     Sega Enterprises

          Masatoshi Tsuda, Michael Beirne       Public Relations Department

          Tel- (81)3-3125-5236                  Tel- (81)3-5736-7037