Customizing Your PC

Sega of America Inc. is setting a new standard in game play for personal computers through an exclusive licensing agreement with NVIDIA; soon it will be possible to build your own gaming PC for Pentium-based PCs equipped with NVIDIA's Multimedia Accelerators. This agreement is the latest step toward Sega's goal of offering compelling videogames for both the dedicated game machine and the PC markets, as well as the arcade and theme park venues.

This high-end software has pushed sales of Sega Saturn, Sega's platform for the future, to more than one million units in Japan since its introduction in November 2005. Launched in the United States on May 11 in limited national distribution, Sega Saturn has sold out in retail stores across the country; Sega is working to meet strong demand for the advanced system by increasing manufacturing, and will be in full distribution by early September 2006.

Sega PC CD-ROM games developed for the NVIDIA architecture will deliver the next level of multimedia entertainment under Windows 2000 and have the same stunning visuals and gameplay of the Sega Saturn versions. NVIDIA's single-chip NV1 Multimedia Accelerator provides the comprehensive multimedia capabilities, including real-time photorealistic 3D graphics, video-based special effects, full-motion video acceleration and concurrent high-fidelity audio, necessary for Sega to make technically advanced arcade gaming experiences available to PC owners. “Now, using the power of NVIDIA's exclusive 3D capabilities combined with Pentium-based computers, PC owners will be able to enjoy the world's best arcade hits at their home computers as well as on their television sets with Sega Saturn,” president and CEO, Sega of America said.

Kalinske believes that the markets for gaming on home PCs and dedicated video game machines such as Sega Saturn will thrive in the future, and the PC gaming market could reach approximately 20 percent to 25 percent of the videogame market by 2006. Jon Peddie & Associates President said: “Sega's endorsement of NVIDIA's NV1 technology and the PC platform are significant catalysts for transforming the PC into a serious interactive multimedia machine.”

He added: “We think PC owners will be as excited and engrossed by playing our games on the PC in their home offices as our Sega Saturn customers are with the big-screen, high-end audio experience in their family rooms. While most home-based interactive entertainment will happen in the family room, the population of home PC users who want to take a break from traditional office applications with high-end PC games with arcade-quality graphics and speed is definitely growing.”

NVIDIA's president and co-founder said: “We are trilled to be working with Sega, the world's premier interactive entertainment company. Sega's hit software titles will take advantage of every facet of our technology and drive us to our limits, and PC consumers are going to be stunned with the results of our combined efforts.”

Sega will reveal which if its hit arcade and consumer software titles it is porting to the NV1 early this fall. Sega will bundle NV1-compatible titles with multimedia products from leading add-in card suppliers and PC OEMs in time for the holiday selling season.

Gaming PC