VR-1 Makes N. American Online Gaming Debut

VR-1's First North American Title Fighter Ace Takes Off for the Massively Multiplayer Skies of Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone.

Boulder, CO, December 19, 1997 VR-1, Inc., a developer of "massively multiplayer" online entertainment, made its North American online gaming debut yesterday as its World War II aerial combat game, Microsoft Fighter Ace, launched as the first "premium" game on Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone (The Zone). Fighter Ace, an online-only game that can support more than 100 players in the same arena, is available in North America exclusively on The Zone (http://www.zone.com), one of the largest online gaming communities on the Web with more than 500,000 subscribers.

"The launch of Fighter Ace is an important milestone for VR-1 in that it marks our online gaming debut in North America, and establishes our company as a major player in the booming online gaming arena," said Mike Moniz, president of VR-1. "Our partnership with Microsoft is a great endorsement for the quality of our titles and technologies, and we are thrilled that our first title will be offered to the Internet Gaming Zone's 500,000 subscribers."

Fighter Ace offers 3D aerial combat with remarkably stunning graphics and authentic sound effects that create an exhilarating flying experience. The game supports more than 100 players from around the world in a single flight arena, and features 16 different aircraft, including the British Spitfire, the U.S. P-51 Mustang, the German Focke Wolfe 190 and the Russian Yak. Fighter Ace also features free-for-all, team play and private games, variable difficulty settings, player profiles and flight combat records. Users must be members of The Zone to play Fighter Ace, which will cost $1.95 per day or $19.95 per month.

"Fighter Ace is the perfect title to launch our premium games line, with great graphics and sound effects, intense game play and a range of features that appeal to both novice and experienced pilots," said Adam Waalkes, product unit manager, Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone. "In our recent beta test of Fighter Ace, hundreds of users experienced turbulence-free combat flying, thanks to VR-1's solid game design and the latency-reducing technologies of its VR-1 Conductor technology suite."

VR-1 is currently negotiating distribution and licensing agreements with other major commercial online services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in North America and abroad for its content and technologies. The company recently signed international content distribution agreements with DACOM and Samsung SDS, two of the largest ISPs in South Korea, and plans to announce further global expansion in the coming months.

Future multiplayer games from VR-1 include UltraCorps, a browser-based strategy game of galactic conquest; The S.A.R.A.C. Project, a game of futuristic submarine exploration and combat; Nomads of Klanth, a game of fantasy vehicle combat where humans, elves, dwarves and the undead battle for survival in strange and powerful crafts; and VR-1 Crossroads, a MUD-style game of conspiracies and intrigue featuring innovative 3D audio to enhance the experience.

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with development facilities in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Toronto, Canada VR-1, Inc. creates massively multiplayer online games and technologies. VR-1 uses its sophisticated VR-1 Conductor technologies to create digital entertainment that will be licensed to leading online service providers. VR-1 can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.vr1.com. The principal shareholders of VR-1 are represented by Becker Capital Management, Inc. (BCM), a private investment and management firm that invests in a broad range of diversified hi-tech growth industries including telecommunications, wireless and Internet-based emerging technologies.