March 24, 2004 - San Jose, CA, USA

For Immediate Release

Virtools™ announced the upcoming launch of the Virtools™ Xbox™ Kit.

San Jose, March 24, 2004 - Virtools™, leading provider of interactive 3D development solutions, integrates Xbox™ specificities to its solution and announces the upcoming release of the Virtools Xbox™ Kit.

In response to the evolution of game's market and to fulfill Xbox™ game artists' technical and creative development needs, Virtools enlarges its offer to provide a greater flexibility with the Virtools Xbox™ Kit.

The Virtools Xbox™ Kit is an add-on library of building blocks geared to present the Xbox™ specificities. Especially created to allow users to develop a game adaptable to the Xbox™, the new interface in Virtools Dev allows managing the communication with the Xbox™ console.

The Virtools Xbox™ Kit becomes an advanced development tool that enables developers to focus on content and on gameplay. Developers take advantage of the Virtools unique and innovating graphical programming process to create rich stunning interactivity.

The Virtools Xbox™ Kit adds 19 new building blocks in Virtools Dev. These new behaviors enable handling game pads, memory units, saving or loading games using the Virtools schematic view.

As such, it supports almost all of Dev's features and building blocks, and it works with Dev's other add-on packs.

Thanks to its features, the Virtools Xbox™ Kit facilitates prototyping as well as the robust development needed for full-scale applications on Xbox™. While significantly reducing production costs and overall risks the Virtools Xbox™ Kit encompasses very useful specifics features :

•  With the Virtools Xbox™ Kit users have the possibility to edit and update shaders used in a composition on the fly to the Xbox™ without reloading the composition. It enables the shader writer to develop shaders in a real game situation and see the visual enhancement immediately.

•  The Virtools Xbox™ Kit SDK comes with the full Virtools building blocks source code. It can be quickly an easily customized to integrate your game loop, behaviors, managers and plugins. The Virtools Xbox™ SDK help you to packaging your game into an Xbox™ application to submit for Xbox™ technical certification. The Virtools Xbox™ Kit SDK also allows users to script gameplay though Dev's VSL Virtools Scripting Language). Thus specific low-level features can be developed through the Virtools Xbox™ Kit SDK .

•  Thanks to its specific editor in the Virtools Dev interface, the Virtools Xbox™ Kit facilitates the creation of game on Xbox™ and simplifies the way developers convert data. This specific editor offers different possibilities for exporting Virtools compositions, media, etc. according to specific Xbox™ features. Once a game has been created in Dev, testing it by transferring data or exporting to the Xbox™ becomes a simple, straightforward process and developers can choose the format in which they want media to be exported.

With the Virtools Xbox™ Kit game developers have now the possibility to create a game with Virtools technology and to play on Xbox™. By offering this new product, Virtools enables its clients to target a larger audience, especially the community of Xbox™' users.

About Virtools™

Virtools launched its commercial activities in 1993 with consulting and services targeting the VR sector. With the needs of this and other key markets in mind, Virtools built the company's initial software solution, Virtools Dev. As an Independent Software Vendor since Q4 1999, Virtools specializes in providing comprehensive software development environments for creating highly interactive 3D content. With several thousands of users throughout the world, Virtools is the leading provider of development environments for building interactive 3D applications.

The Virtools Software Suite is used for prototyping, developing and deploying offline and online/networked applications in the fields of industrial simulation, visualization and virtual reality, as well as video games and marketing/multimedia.

Virtools clients include major game studios such as Electronic Arts, Microïds, Microsoft Ensemble Studios, Warner Bros Online, Blue Fang Games and Ubisoft, as well as industry leaders such as EDF, EADS, CEA, CNRS, France Telecom, Matsushita, American Department of Energy, Intel, Publicis Networks/Renault, Arte TV and L'Oréal.

More information at: http://www.virtools.com

Press contacts

Virtools SA
93 rue Vieille du Temple
75003 Paris
Julie ERCOLANI
ercolani@virtools.com
+33 1 42 71 46 86