Fallen Earth: Communication Stock Rises
VIVOX™ GIVES VOICE TO THE
BATTLE FOR FALLEN EARTH™
FRAMINGHAM, MA – September 5, 2006 – Icarus Studios and Vivox, Inc. announced today that Icarus’ highly anticipated massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) Fallen EarthTM will include on-demand, in-game voice communication as the result of a technology integration agreement between the two companies. Vivox will provide Icarus with game-embedded voice communication services customized for and integrated into Fallen Earth. The MMOG is set in a near future post-apocalyptic world struggling to emerge from the collapse of civilization brought on by viruses and environmental disaster.
Fallen Earth players are able to speak at will with other players in-game, create discreet team audio conference channels and join, leave and rejoin voice channels during game play without impacting game performance. All voice communication is hosted and mixed on Vivox servers in order to ensure no lag in game play and minimal drain on CPU resources. On-screen indicators show players which channels are monitoring audio communications and which player within a channel is speaking. Players will also have moderator privileges to kick, mute, ban and un-ban other players, all synchronized with the team and raid privileges of the in-game group leader.
“We pride ourselves on our cutting edge, internally developed technology, but when it comes to offering real-time voice communications to our players, we turned to Vivox for their ability to deliver superior server side VoIP technology and easy expansion for external and cross-game IP voice chat,” said Jim Hettinger, CEO of Icarus Studios. “The Vivox Network managed service offering allows us to get up and running quickly. In addition, they have been great partners in the development effort to bring our vision for in-game communications in Fallen Earth to life.”
"Industry veterans and visionaries such as the Icarus team continue to raise the bar for richer gaming experiences in an exhilarating MMOG market,” said Vivox CEO, Rob Seaver. “Including real-time voice in Fallen Earth demonstrates their commitment to innovation and to the immersive player experience. By partnering with Vivox, Icarus Studios will open communications to players inside and outside the game, improving game play and strengthening community around the title and their brand. It’s this kind of innovation that will further revolutionize the industry and keep players engaged for the long term.”
Icarus Studios will offer a sneak peek of Fallen Earth for the first time to the game industry, and demonstrate the embedded voice solution in the Vivox booth number 314 at the Austin Games Conference, September 6-8, 2006 in Austin, Texas.
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VIVOX™ AND BIGWORLD PTY LTD ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
- Vivox Voice Solution and Service to be Integrated into the BigWorld Technology Suite -
Framingham, Mass. – September 5, 2006 – Vivox Inc., a leader in integrated online voice communications, today announced a joint marketing agreement with BigWorld Pty. Ltd. and the inclusion of the Vivox Precision Studio™ integrated voice solution into the BigWorld Technology Suite.
The BigWorld Technology Suite provides operators and studios with a lower total time-to-release and cost of ownership through several innovations. The BigWorld Server architecture allows operators to run several games on a single server cluster, dramatically reducing the cost of running the game, while the enhanced content creation pipeline reduces the time and cost of building and filling out the complex worlds required in next-generation games.
With its carrier-grade managed service, Vivox empowers game developers to integrate communications that allows players to communicate dynamically in groups or privately one-on-one within the game. Unlike third-party applications, Vivox communication services are fully integrated into the game. As a result, all players can communicate clearly and naturally – talking, strategizing, plotting and negotiating with each other with no impact on game server performance. Vivox empowers game developers to open communication capabilities to their entire player base without limitation or concern. Real-time communications are integrated, clear, and massively scalable. And because all communication is done through the Vivox Network, there is no impact on the game servers and minimal drain to CPU resources.
“BigWorld is the leading provider of advanced development solutions for game designers and producers,” said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. “BigWorld’s selection of Vivox’s integrated voice communications is a clear example of their ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible features and solutions to their customers. Finally, developers will be able to include a voice solution in their games that is deeply integrated, massively scalable and supported by a team of communications experts. We’re excited to be working with BigWorld and their customers to support their development of visionary new games.”
BigWorld Technology Suite is an integrated set of tools, software and systems that provides all of the underlying technology and content development tools required to produce an MMOG. “There is no doubt that the next-generation of online games includes voice,” commented John De Margheriti, CEO, BigWorld Pty Ltd. “By partnering with Vivox we can now offer the scalability service to our developers that they require to expand their game worlds and player base.”
Vivox and BigWorld will be co-exhibiting at the Austin Games Conference, September 6-8, 2006 in Austin, Texas. The integrated solution will be demonstrated in the Vivox booth number 314 and the BigWorld booth number 502.
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Vivox and Precision Studio are trademarks of Vivox, Inc. BigWorld Technology is a registered trademark of BigWorld Pty. Ltd.
ABOUT FALLEN EARTH Fallen Earth is a massively multiplayer online game set in a post-apocalyptic future where plague, war, and famine have brought civilization to its knees. Within the game world of over 7,000 square kilometers, the players take part in a wide variety of story lines and activities, from battling over towns in player vs. player combat to building mercantile empires. Fallen Earth uses a classless character system, allowing players complete control on the development of their characters, and numerous factions are available in the game for players to join. For more information visit http://www.fallenearth.com.
About Vivox, Inc.
Vivox strengthens online communities with an integrated IP communication service that enhances online social interactions. Vivox brings the intelligence and richness of physical world communication to the web, creating more powerful and natural connections. Vivox’s innovative communications solution Precision Studio™ is delivered via carrier grade managed service, Vivox Network, and provides the best of IP technology, Instant Messaging, VoIP, video and presence, with a cutting-edge rules engine. This simple to integrate and customizable solution helps online communities enhance offerings and generate revenue opportunities. www.vivox.com
About BigWorld Technology®
BigWorld is a leading games middleware company, focused on next-generation tools and development environments for Massively Multiplayer Online Games. BigWorld has a worldwide game developer base and a global focus and is used in such titles as Netease's 'Tian Xia II', and Farlan's 'Dark and Light', along with titles in development in the US, Europe and Asia. With its eye on commercial, affordable development for next-generation interactive and multiplayer content, BigWorld delivers a comprehensive development solution. It’s integrated 'from the ground up' client, tools and MMO server architecture is unparalleled in the industry. www.bigworldtech.com
ABOUT ICARUS STUDIOS
Icarus Studios is the first company with the design, production and business experience to create and operate massive multi-user entertainment applications for computers, game consoles, and mobile phones. The company produces and deploys cross-platform enabling technology to deliver a fully connected and immersive entertainment experience, regardless of location or device. For more information visit http://www.icarusstudios.com.
