3DO Launches "Station Invasion;" Kid's TV will never be the same!REDWOOD CITY Redwood City, city (1990 pop. 66,072), seat of San Mateo co., W Calif., on San Francisco Bay; inc. 1868. Manufactures include commmunications, electrical, electronic, and medical equipment. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 1994--The 3DO Company announced the availability of "Club 3DO: Station Invasion," a revolutionary new interactive children's title. This educational product blends TV-style video entertainment and curriculum-based electronic problem-solving with fast-paced, catchy humor humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was to create a highly stylized styl·ize tr.v. styl·ized, styl·iz·ing, styl·iz·es 1. To restrict or make conform to a particular style. 2. To represent conventionally; conventionalize. look and feel to keep players involved and learning for hours. "Station Invasion" was developed and published by Studio 3DO exclusively for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system and is targeted at boys and girls boys and girls mercurialisannua. , ages 7 to 14. "3DO's advanced technical capabilities made it possible for us to create the first truly interactive TV show for kids," said JuliAnn Appler, "Station Invasion" producer, Studio 3DO. "`Station Invasion' enables kids to identify strongly with real-life video peers, and gain a sense of accomplishment while developing critical thinking, memory, and deductive de·duc·tive adj. 1. Of or based on deduction. 2. Involving or using deduction in reasoning. de·duc problem-solving skills." What Happens When Kids Take Over a Television Station? After saving their allowance and money from selling lemonade, mowing mow 1 n. 1. The place in a barn where hay, grain, or other feed is stored. 2. A stack of hay or other feed stored in a barn. lawns, and babysitting, a group of enterprising young kids take over their local TV production studio, where they must improve the station's ratings. Up to five players each select a television show to produce -- "Sundaes of Our Lives," a steamy soap opera soap opera Broadcast serial drama, characterized by a permanent cast of actors, a continuing story, tangled interpersonal situations, and a melodramatic or sentimental style. ; "The Sopha Sinfree Show," a lively talk show; "Mysteries Shmysteries," a madcap mystery adventure series; "What's That Smell?," an outlandish out·land·ish adj. 1. Conspicuously unconventional; bizarre. See Synonyms at strange. 2. Strikingly unfamiliar. 3. Located far from civilized areas. 4. Archaic Of foreign origin; not native. game show; and "I'm Grounded," a hilarious sitcom. As producers, players interact with the stars of the shows, and are faced with production problems that must be solved through brain-tickling puzzles and challenges. During the 10-week TV season, producers see how well they performed when the hosts of "Entertain Us Tonite" announce each week's ratings and show a clip from one of the programs. As the season progresses, the problems become more challenging. At the finale, the season's winner is presented with the Envy Award at a wacky awards ceremony. The result is a captivating cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. , challenging, highly entertaining, and educational experience for kids. Broad-Based Curriculum Designed to build timed-testing skills, the curriculum for "Station Invasion" was developed in conjunction with Charles Dorn, an award-winning professional educator with a degree in educational technology from Stanford University Stanford University, at Stanford, Calif.; coeducational; chartered 1885, opened 1891 as Leland Stanford Junior Univ. (still the legal name). The original campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. David Starr Jordan was its first president. . Unlike typical educational software that is designed to offer children under the age of 7 with in-depth exploration of one topic, "Station Invasion" provides second through seventh graders with a broad-based curriculum, including math, science, language arts language arts pl.n. The subjects, including reading, spelling, and composition, aimed at developing reading and writing skills, usually taught in elementary and secondary school. , social studies, art, and music. "Our goal with `Station Invasion' was to design an environment in which kids can have an amusing and effective learning experience," said Dorn, "Station Invasion" curriculum specialist. "The educational content is creatively presented by child actors, enabling the players to interact with kids their own age." "Station Invasion" adapts dynamically to an individual player's abilities by tracking player responses to problems in each subject. If a child is having difficulty in a topic, "Station Invasion" provides new challenges at the same difficulty level or at a lower level until proficiency is gained, while presenting increasingly advanced challenges in the areas at which the player excels. As the player's ability progresses, the content increases in breadth as well as depth. Hollywood Meets Silicon Valley "Station Invasion" blends Hollywood film production techniques and 3DO's advanced graphics, video, and audio technology to incorporate extensive use of live video characters into animated computer- generated environments to create an interactive entertainment TV show never before accomplished in children's software. To create this experience, Studio 3DO commissioned a Nickelodeon veteran and award-winning screenwriter and director; a premiere director of photography and lighting designer, whose credits include "Honey I Shrunk shrunk v. A past tense and a past participle of shrink. shrunk Verb a past tense and past participle of shrink shrunk, shrunken shrink the Kids" and "Look Who's Talking Too;" costumers; entertainment producers; and top storyboard A sequence of images and annotations for a cartoon, animation or video. Storyboards are previews of the final version and typically contain mockups rather than final art and images. Before computers, storyboards were drawn with pen and ink on lightweight cardboard. and computer graphic artists. A total of 46 actors, mostly children under the age of 14, were chosen for the title from a pool of 250 individuals who auditioned. Characters were filmed on a green screen and then composited with computer-generated artwork and animations to create a highly realistic and engaging interactive experience. "This was my first venture into the interactive arena," said Michael Seitzman, "Station Invasion" screenwriter and video director. "The biggest treat for me was painting with this new palette. The 3DO system is so advanced -- I was amazed a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. at how seamlessly it worked. We shot a feature-length interactive program that was both challenging and rewarding for all of us. We were shooting everything green screen so there were no real sets or props, but because kids are so used to make-believe worlds, the actors were able to adapt quickly." "Station Invasion" is available now and can be purchased by calling 3DO Direct Sales at 800/336-3506, and at select software specialty, consumer electronics, mass merchant, and toy stores A toy store, or toy shop, is a retail business specializing in the services of selling toys. No longer held to the limitations of the brick and mortar outlet, the toy store has successfully created a presence within the e-commerce industry. . "Station Invasion" retails for about $50. Studio 3DO, The 3DO Company's internal software production team, develops and publishes innovative and compelling titles that optimize 3DO's advanced graphics, video, audio, and interactive capabilities. Several exclusive new Studio 3DO titles are scheduled for availability in 1995. Based in Redwood City, The 3DO Company develops and licenses advanced interactive technology to hardware and software companies worldwide. The company's initial product design, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system, was created to deliver a breakthrough in interactive entertainment at an affordable price. 3DO also develops, publishes and distributes CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). software for the 3DO system. -0- Note to Editors: 3DO, the 3DO logos, Interactive Multiplayer, and Station Invasion are trademarks of The 3DO Company. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Additional information and screen shots are available. Contact Diane Hunt at 415/261-3214 or Wendy Smith at 415/261-3245. CONTACT: The 3DO Company, Redwood City
Diane Hunt, 415/261-3214
Access Public Relations
Mark Smotroff or Dan Stevens, 415/904-7070
ext. 270 or 265
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