May 10, 2004 – Montreal, Canada

For Immediate Release
Category: Interactive 3D Applications / Technology

California State Parks chooses Virtools technology for an educational multiplayer application

Montreal, Canada. May 10, 2004 - Virtools™, the leading provider of interactive 3D authoring solutions, was chosen by California State Parks to create an educational multiplayer simulation.

This realistic re-enactment of the building of historic Fort Ross , a 19 th Century Russian outpost in California , brings history to life. Through the use of the Virtual State Parks Initiative, students will have the opportunity to experience educational content and “role-play” in a multi-user online environment.

“The goal of the project is to provide school-age children with virtual access to the dynamic California State Parks System so that they may experience a significant period in the state's history.” said Elizabeth Prather, Project Manager. “ This ambitious role-play history simulation will give school children the opportunity to virtually act in an important historical period of the state while being immersed in a real-time 3D networked environment. Virtools enabled us to create a real-time, fully interactive, and visually stunning 3D networked environment.”

Virtools™ publishes an acclaimed and proven suite of software solutions used to create interactive 3D applications for simulation/virtual reality, as well as video games and marketing/multimedia applications. “We are glad that California State Parks chose our technology, including Dev, but also the Virtools Server and the VR Pack, for their Virtual State Parks project . This represents another major validation of Virtools stability and seamless production workflow”, said Virgile Delporte , VP sales Americas of Virtools Canada Inc.

A prototype of the application will be shown at the State Park Conference space #7142, during E3, May 12-14, 2004.

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 has become the leading provider of comprehensive software development solutions for building highly interactive 3D content.

With several thousands of users throughout the world, the Virtools Software Suite enables prototyping, development and deployment of offline and online/networked video games, along with applications in the fields of industrial simulation/virtual reality and marketing/multimedia.

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

Among its VR/Simulation partners, Virtools counts Barco, Orad, HP, Nvidia, Intersense, Ascension Technologies and Advanced Realtime Tracking.

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



About California State Parks

Our Mission
To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

California Department of Parks and Recreation manages more than 270 park units, which contain the finest and most diverse collection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources to be found within California. These treasures are as diverse as California: From the last stands of primeval redwood forests to vast expanses of fragile desert; from the lofty Sierra Nevada to the broad sandy beaches of our southern coast; and from the opulence of Hearst Castle to the vestiges of colonial Russia.

More information at: http://www.parks.ca.gov

Press contacts

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