GTE Entertainment announces worldwide launch of TIMELAPSE for the PC and Mac; TIMELAPSE: The Search for Atlantis Has Begun!

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 1996--GTE Entertainment announced the simultaneous shipment of PC and Macintosh versions of TIMELAPSE, the breathtaking graphical adventure that explores the alien link between four ancient civilizations and the fabled lost city of Atlantis.

The U.S. launch will be followed closely by internationally localized versions in the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Asia and South America. TIMELAPSE: The Official Strategy Guide from Prima Publishing is also being launched concurrently with the four CD-ROM game.

More than two years in the making, TIMELAPSE combines movie-quality special effects with stunning, full-screen (640x480) 3-D photo-realistic graphics to immerse players in the recreated environments of some of earth's most intriguing and mysterious lost civilizations. Through the use of ray-traced graphics, water and other outdoor images are accurately brought to life, complete with true shadows and reflectivity.

Rather than limiting gameplay to dark, indoor environments, TIMELAPSE graphics fill the entire screen with bright, full-color images of the Yucatan Peninsula, the banks of the Nile, the ancient cliff dwellings of Colorado and the sunken undersea world of Atlantis. This title is one of the first games to use full-screen, ray-traced graphics of this outstanding quality. Other special product features include 360-degree panoramic turns, as well as more than 500 animations in the form of animals and spirits throughout the game's five worlds.

Also unique to TIMELAPSE is an "instant camera" feature that allows players to take photos of important clues throughout the game, thus eliminating the need to make detailed sketches or take extensive written notes.

"TIMELAPSE was an in-house title from conception to execution and we are very proud of the results," said Mike Nelson, vice president of marketing at GTE Entertainment. "The launch of this game is being supported with on-line activities and in-store promotions. In addition to demo CDs, advertising and radio promotions, there is also a national `grass roots' user group tour targeted at reaching key computer influencers and opinion leaders," said Nelson.

Lori Nichols, the game's producer and lead designer, took the opportunity to improve upon the Myst-style games by taking TIMELAPSE to the next level. "With stunning, full-screen graphics, a compelling story that capitalizes on human interest in lost civilizations and hours of challenging gameplay, I strongly believe TIMELAPSE will rival any other graphical adventure title on the market today," said Nichols.

TIMELAPSE draws on well-researched historical facts to support the game's fictional storyline. In addition, all terrain, plant life, animal life, artifacts, artwork and sound effects are indigenous and faithfully recreated with respect to the various civilizations. Similarly, the more than 50 challenging puzzles found in these worlds are native to each culture and seamlessly integrated into the environment.

Using hieroglyphics, stelae and other indigenous clues, players push the limits of their reasoning and logic as they make their way to Atlantis, their final destination. Depending on what players do in Atlantis, there are several different outcomes to the game which can be experienced.

"We are breaking new ground with this title," said Mike Yuen, product marketing manger for TIMELAPSE. "We've carefully orchestrated a nearly simultaneous worldwide launch of both the PC and Mac versions of the game so that U.S. and international gamers will be able to embark on the TIMELAPSE adventure without delay.

"Also, the launch of the game coincides day-and-date with the shipment of Prima's TIMELAPSE: The Official Strategy Guide written by Rick Barba, the co-author of the best-selling hit book for Myst. That's a plus, not only for gamers, but also for retailers who can take advantage of merchandising and selling both the book and the game at the same time."

TIMELAPSE also has a robust life on the Internet with a richly detailed Web site. Complete with a gallery of art work from each of the various worlds, the game backstory, a gamer's forum, contests, demo disks, tips/hints, and even a downloadable game trailer, the TIMELAPSE section of the GTE Entertainment home site (http://www.im.gte.com) adds yet another dimension and user experience to the game.

Minimum system requirements for TIMELAPSE are a 486/66 MHz processor with 8 MB of RAM, 640x480 SVGA graphics, double-speed CD-ROM drive, 100 percent SoundBlaster-compatible 16-bit sound card, external speakers, and Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 for the PC. Macintosh computers must be capable of displaying 256 colors or more with a 68040 processor, 8 MB of RAM, double-speed CD-ROM drive, and System 7.0 or higher. Suggested retail price is $69.99.

GTE Entertainment was founded in 1990 as a unit of GTE Corp., the largest U.S.-based local telephone company. Based in Carlsbad, GTE Entertainment is a worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of digital interactive entertainment. GTE Entertainment has quickly established its presence in the interactive network entertainment market. Building on corporate technology and access to emerging networks, GTE Entertainment is poised to be a premier provider of on-line entertainment and multi-player gaming.

CONTACT: GTE Entertainment

Rik Sandoval/Valerie Motis, 619/431-8801