235 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
235 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
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3DO announces M2
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EXCLUSIVE First Pics of 3DO M2 Technology!
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Check out these shots of a new 3DO racing game utilizing the announced
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M2 chip captured by the GURU's own Kraig Kujawa and Brian Goss. The
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official press release from 3DO follows.
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[*][I][*][I]
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[*][I][*][I]
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3DO Unveils 64-Bit M2 Technology
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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 1995--The 3DO Company today unveiled
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its highly anticipated, next-generation M2 technology. 3DO's M2
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64-bit architecture is designed to create a quantum leap in advanced
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CD entertainment technology. Leveraging 3DO's high-end 3-D image
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and sound processors and IBM and Motorola's PowerPC microprocessor,
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M2 technology rivals image quality and performance of workstations
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and the most popular arcade machines.
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"It's a quantum leap for the industry in both graphics speed and
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quality," said Trip Hawkins, 3DO's President and CEO. "We're raising
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the bar again."
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M2 Performance Breakthrough
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3DO designed the M2 architecture to deliver breakthrough processing
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performance and the highest quality graphics and digital video for
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consumer interactive entertainment software.
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"The M2 polygon performance alone is phenomenal," said Hugh Martin,
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3DO's Chief Operating Officer. "M2 easily beats many expensive
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graphics workstations and outpaces popular coin-op arcade systems.
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With its advanced graphics, video, and sound capabilities, M2's
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powerful 64-bit architecture will enable software developers to
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create titles that provide a whole new level of realism and engaging
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experiences not previously available on advanced CD entertainment
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systems."
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Based on 10 revolutionary custom graphics, sound, and I/O processors
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designed by 3DO, and an IBM PowerPC 602(TM) microprocessor specially
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designed with 3DO interactive applications in mind, the M2 architecture
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processes more than one million polygons per second. Each of the
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multiple M2 processors is dedicated to specific tasks to optimize
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superior image quality and performance.
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These processors are supported by the powerful system resources
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that M2 technology provides, including a 64-bit data bus, 48 megabits
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of memory, and a memory subsystem capable of delivering 528 megabytes
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per second. MPEG-1 digital video decompression technology is also
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designed into the core M2 architecture for built-in VHS-quality
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digital video capability.
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"The superior price and performance of the PowerPC 602 is enabling
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new classes of advanced home entertainment software," said Phil
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Hester, General Manager, Systems Technology and Architecture Division,
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IBM. "Working together with 3DO, we've defined the 602 with unique
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capabilities to make M2 the best possible technology for interactive
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entertainment applications. 3DO's 64-bit M2 system architecture
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will forever change the way people play, learn, and interact."
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The highly integrated M2 architecture was developed from the ground
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up and is the result of working with the world's leading processor,
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graphics, and audio system designers.
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"IBM and Motorola's world class manufacturing process will allow
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us to achieve superior performance through higher integration," said
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Hawkins. "With the PowerPC microprocessor and 3DO's custom M2 processors,
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we have a processor family that offers truly next-generation performance."
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Beyond the Bits
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M2's revolutionary image quality and performance features will enable
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development of interactive entertainment software that provides
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an unprecedented level of realism, with richly detailed interactive
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worlds containing multiple, complex 3-D characters. With photorealistic
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images, high frame rates, VHS-quality video, and theatre-quality
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sound, the M2 interactive software experience will be radically
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better than anything consumers are familiar with today.
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"The M2 capabilities demonstrated today go far beyond anything currently
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available on the market or in development for the advanced CD entertainment
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market," said Martin. "Feature like Gouraud shading, filtered textures,
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3-D perspective correction, and complex scenes requiring performance
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in the hundreds of thousands of polygons per second, will take gamers
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into a whole new dimension of realism and fun."
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"With the first 3DO system, we delivered the very best interactive
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entertainment experience for the home," added Hawkins. "M2 will
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once again set the standard--this time for the 64-bit advanced
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CD entertainment experience."
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Advanced Graphics and Video Features
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M2 technology was designed to enable software companies to provide
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consumers with complex, photorealistic 3-D worlds and characters
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and full motion digital video mixed with computer-generated graphics
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that move seamlessly. M2 will enable software companies to develop
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interactive entertainment titles that offer lifelike graphics at
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tremendous speeds with considerably more action than has previously
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been possible in interactive titles.
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3DO's M2 architecture includes several key features for achieving
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breakthrough image quality and performance. These features, which
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are built into and performed by the M2 hardware, will enable software
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developers to easily and efficiently provide richer, more sophisticated
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graphic images and engaging entertainment experiences. Software
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designers simply apply these advanced effects to an image and the
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M2 technology does the rest of the work.
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-- Gouraud Shading and Lighting--M2 technology allows designers
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to apply a significant number of lighting effects to an object or
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scene. Light sources are then reflected realistically off of objects
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based on where the light source is in relation to the object. Gouraud
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shading is applied to the object to create the appropriate colors
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and shadows in the scene. The result is images and scenery with
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brilliantly curved and smooth surfaces.
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-- Texture Mapping--Texture mapping is used to apply a graphic
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texture to polygon-based models to give the modelled object the
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desired look. 3DO's M2 texture mapping capability renders polygons
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delivering more than 100 million pixels per second and supports a
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wide range of data types, including video.
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-- Filtering--Filtering is the process used to make objects and
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textures appear smoother and more natural by averaging and softening
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an image's pixel edges. Filtering creates more realistic images
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while using simpler geometry.
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-- Mip mapping--Mip mapping is used to provide a smooth texture
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appearance as an object moves closer to or farther away in a scene.
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Through mip mapping, the system dynamically uses different levels
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of texture detail based on the object's distance from the camera.
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The images will appear to scale more smoothly and maintain their
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visual clarity regardless of camera distance, yet only the original
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texture is needed.
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-- Z-Buffer - A two-dimensional world is described by two axes -
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- X and Y, or horizontal and vertical. A three-dimensional world
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adds a third axis, Z, which allows objects to be placed anywhere
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within a three-dimensional space.
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When one object sits in front of a second object, the Z dimension
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tells the system where each object is relative to others.
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The Z-buffer manages complex objects intersecting dynamically and
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enables automatic hidden surface calculations. The system automatically
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knows for any given visual perspective what the user will see, and
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therefore which polygons to render. For example, if a car drives
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in front of a tree, the system automatically determines that it
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does not need to render that portion of the tree which is hidden
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behind the car. M2 Z-buffering is provided in the hardware as with
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coin-op arcade machines and workstations, while other systems only
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allow for Z-buffering to occur in software. Z-buffering provides
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a big performance gain when using complex graphic models.
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-- Perspective correction--3-D perspective correction takes the
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Z dimension into account when mapping a texture to a polygon. The
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M2 technology automatically modifies the textures in a scene to
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appear with the proper perspective, based on user interaction. This
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results in fewer artifacts and simpler geometry than for competing
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systems.
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-- Transparency--Transparency enables complex images and special
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effects to be built with simple geometric models. The M2 architecture
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also provides alpha channel support, which enables software designers
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to control the level of transparency in a model pixel by pixel in
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real time. For instance, one large polygon can be drawn and a texture
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can be mapped with transparency applied to appropriate pixels to
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create the desired effect.
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-- Hardware-based MPEG-1 video decompression--The M2 technology
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is designed with built-in MPEG-1 video decompression to provide
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VHS-quality digital video capability. In addition to using digital
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video decompression for playback, M2 treats decompressed video like
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any other type of data. This advanced technique enables designers
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to apply decompressed running video to an object like any other
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texture. With this feature, M2 hardware has the video effects capability
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of machines costing many thousands of dollars. Additionally, multiple
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streams of digital video can be incorporated in a title at one time.
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Software Development Environment
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Software design expertise in developing 32-bit 3DO titles is scalable
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to the new M2 architecture. As part of its M2 technology strategy,
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3DO has taken advantage of its current operating system and development
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tools to minimize the M2 development learning curve. The company
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leveraged and migrated many critical components of its 32-bit platform
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development environment to the M2 development environment, including
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its core operating system, enhanced with new 2-D and 3-D graphics
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functions to enable software companies to produce M2 titles faster
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and more easily than developing first titles for other new architectures.
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M2 Product Designs
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The M2 system architecture was designed to provide 3DO hardware partners
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with the flexibility to produce products to meet a variety of consumer
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needs, including add-on upgrades for current 3DO Interactive Multiplayer
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customers, as well as integrated standalone M2 systems.
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"3DO was first to market with a 32-bit system, and others have adopted
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our concept of the product," said Hawkins. "But nobody else has
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anything like M2."
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The company expects to announce M2 hardware and software partners
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and specific M2 product launch plans at a later date.
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Based in Redwood City, Calif., The 3DO Company (NASDAQ:THDO) develops
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and licenses advanced interactive technology to hardware and software
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companies worldwide. The company's award-winning product design,
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the 32-bit 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system, was created to deliver
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a breakthrough in interactive entertainment at an affordable price.
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3DO also develops, publishes, and distributes CD-ROM software products
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and peripherals for the 3DO system. The current 3DO system is available
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worldwide from Panasonic, GoldStar, Sanyo, and Creative Labs.
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-0-
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Note to Editors: 3DO, the 3DO logos, and Interactive Multiplayer
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are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of The 3DO Company.
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All other brand or product names are trademarks and/or registered
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trademarks of their respective owners.
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