Microsoft, Sega Collaborate on Dreamcast: The Ultimate Home Video Game System

    REDMOND, Wash., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:   MSFT)
 today announced it will collaborate with Sega Enterprises Ltd. on Sega's new
 Dreamcast home video game system, slated for release in Japan on
 Nov. 20, 1998, and in the rest of the world in 1999. As a result of the
 collaboration, Microsoft will provide an optimized version of the Microsoft(R)
 Windows(R) CE operating system with integrated DirectX(R) services as the
 operating system for use with Dreamcast.
     The Microsoft and Sega collaboration marks a leap forward in game console
 technology. Dreamcast will include advanced hardware technology in 3-D
 graphics, sound and input devices, as well as an on-board modem to support
 Internet access and network gaming. The inclusion of Windows CE with DirectX
 provides a flexible, versatile development environment, supported by Microsoft
 development tools, that eases title development and makes possible true
 cross-platform title compatibility with Windows-based PCs. The result is a
 powerful platform that enables creative and technical advances in video games
 to reach entirely new levels.
     "We have worked very closely with Sega for nearly two years to optimize
 Windows CE to provide the services and level of performance necessary for the
 exacting development requirements of video games," said Harel Kodesh, general
 manager, consumer appliances group at Microsoft. "We are tremendously excited
 by the opportunities the Dreamcast system offers to traditional video game
 developers and the PC gaming community."
     "Sega is excited to announce that Dreamcast is the first home
 entertainment system to be designed for use with Windows CE," said Shoichiro
 Irimajiri, president of Sega Enterprises Ltd. "We are confident that our
 collaboration with Microsoft will create an unequalled environment for
 developers that will lead to the greatest selection of high-quality game
 titles ever seen on a home video game system."
 
     Windows CE and DirectX
     With the inclusion of Windows CE, Dreamcast will bring the benefits of an
 advanced Windows-based development environment to the world of console game
 development for the first time. Using Windows CE, developers will be able to
 create cross-platform titles more efficiently by taking advantage of
 well-established Win32(R) and DirectX APIs that are source-code-compatible
 with the Windows operating system on the PC. Incorporation of DirectX will
 also allow the Dreamcast system to capitalize on the momentum toward PC gaming
 and the ever-increasing body of developers creating games for the Windows
 platform.
     The Windows CE environment has been minimized in terms of memory
 requirements and optimized in terms of game performance, giving developers the
 confidence that software developed for Dreamcast will take full advantage of
 every hardware capability in the system.
     An additional benefit of this new software platform will be the key
 services provided by the operating system and DirectX-based game libraries,
 including support for input devices, sound, 3-D graphics, and memory and CD
 file management. Support in Windows CE for standard Internet protocols,
 Winsock and the DirectPlay(R) API will allow developers to take advantage of
 the Dreamcast system's modem capabilities. In addition, the modular
 architecture of Windows CE means operating system components and DirectX-based
 services can be eliminated if not required, or replaced by the developer's own
 custom libraries.
 
     Development Tools
     The development tools provided with the Dreamcast system's Windows CE
 Software Development Kit (SDK) are built around the Microsoft Visual Studio(R)
 development system version 5.0 with well-tested and refined Visual C++(R)
 development system-based tools. The tools enable video game developers to
 develop Dreamcast games on Windows-based PCs, taking advantage of the
 productivity and convenience features of the same advanced integrated
 development environment (IDE) used by developers for the Windows desktop. The
 initial SDKs are expected to be available to Sega-licensed developers by the
 end of May 1998.
     Microsoft Windows CE is a 32-bit, Windows-compatible operating system
 designed to fill the need for a small, flexible, scalable operating system
 that works in a broad selection of products, including mobile computers,
 embedded products and home digital information and entertainment appliances.
     Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software for
 personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services
 for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it
 easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of
 personal computing every day.
     The information contained in this release relates to prerelease software
 product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial
 release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect
 the software product when first commercially released. The release is provided
 for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or
 implied, with respect to the release or the information contained in it.
     NOTE:  Microsoft, Windows, DirectX, Win32, DirectPlay, Visual Studio and
 Visual C++ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
 in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names
 herein may be registered trademarks of their respective owners.
 
 

SOURCE  Microsoft Corp.

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