Press release: 1996-05-06: Sega Entertainment turns PC into arcade machine, creates new category of action PC games

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: The Free Library

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 1996--Sega Entertainment Inc., the new joint venture between Sega of America Inc. and SOFTBANK Holdings Ltd., is turning the home PC into an arcade machine with 12 software titles shipping this year that bring the best of Sega's arcade and character-based console software to life on the PC.

Through advances in PC software programming, the company will bring Sega arcade hits ``native'' to Pentium 100/Windows 95 PCs without added acceleration required, making high-end arcade gaming available to the mass-market PC gamer.

Under this plan, Bill White, senior vice president and general manager of Sega Entertainment, said, the company is creating a new category of PC entertainment titles that are technically superior to today's high-end action PC games.

``To date, PC entertainment has primarily consisted of strategy, simulation and role-playing games geared for niches in the PC gaming market,'' White said.

``Recent studies indicate that the new mass market of PC consumers want to experience true arcade gaming on their home computers. With Pentium power and speed, and Sega's superior software technology and content, we're creating a new category of gaming which involves higher frame rates, richer 3-D images and faster game interaction that has never been seen on the PC,'' White added.

Sega Entertainment will deliver products under three gaming categories in 1996: arcade-to-PC translations, sports and family fun titles based on popular Sega video-game characters.

Sega Entertainment will debut products from its summer and fall lineup at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles May 16-18. Stop by Booth 10321 in the South Hall of the L.A. Convention Center for demonstrations of some of the highest coin-drop arcade games and the most successful Sega console titles -- now on the PC.

Currently, three Sega Entertainment PC games are available at software stores nationwide. ``Comix Zone,'' ``Ecco the Dolphin'' and ``Tomcat Alley'' were released in November 1995 as part of a brand test for Sega's entrance into the PC gaming market.

Sega Entertainment is also supporting the high-end PC gamer who is utilizing the NV1 multimedia accelerator chip on the Diamond Edge 3-D graphics accelerator board. ``Virtua Fighter Remix'' and ``Panzer Dragoon'' have already been released for this platform.

Sega Entertainment is a new joint venture between Sega of America, the arm of Tokyo-based Sega Enterprises Ltd. responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega video-game systems and video games in the Americas, and SOFTBANK Holdings, one of the world's largest distributors of computer software, peripherals and systems, as well as Japan's largest publisher of computer-related magazines and books.

Sega Entertainment is responsible for creating, marketing and distributing PC-based entertainment that utilizes Sega's arcade and console-based games and characters. The company has headquarters in Redwood City. -0-

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Manning, Selvage & Lee

213/782-6600, ext. 252/241

or

Dan Stevens

Sega Entertainment Inc.

415/802-3996
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