Macromedia Shockwave(TM) and Flash(TM) Players Incorporated Into Windows 98

Consumers Can Experience Compelling Web Multimedia Without Downloads

SAN FRANCISCO, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Macromedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACR) announced today that its critically-acclaimed Internet products, the Shockwave and Flash players, are pre-installed with every copy of Microsoft's newly released Windows 98 operating system. Without downloads, rich media content is now instantly available for millions of users.

Windows 98 users can now automatically experience the speed and unparalleled sensation of Shockwave streaming media and CD quality audio in games, animated interfaces, interactive demos and instructional presentations. Windows 98 users can also seamlessly access high-performance Flash content -- including vector-based Web graphics, cartoons, illustrations, animated Web pages and more.

Shockwave and Flash are featured in a full spectrum of Web content from entertainment sites like Sony Pictures Entertainment ( http://www.sony.com/movies ), to product tours like that of 3Com's Palm III(TM) organizer ( http://www.palm.com/shockVR/ ). Other companies that feature the Shockwave and Flash players on their Web sites include: the International Olympic Committee, Suzuki, and Sony Camcorders Europe.

"Macromedia and Microsoft are improving the online experience for millions of Windows 98 users," said David Mendels, general manager of Macromedia's Graphics, Internet and Multimedia Business Unit. "Developers can create more compelling, effective Web sites that bring viewers back again and again; and consumers get a more exciting Web experience without having to worry about downloading and installing technology. Now that our players are included in every version of Windows 98, the excitement of Shockwave and Flash-based content is accessible to anyone creating or viewing rich media Web pages."

"We're excited to be able to offer Windows 98 consumers the easiest, most complete and personalized Internet capabilities that are available on the market," said Rob Bennett, Microsoft's group product manager of the Windows platform at Microsoft Corp. "Macromedia Shockwave and Flash players provide customers with a rich, engaging Web multimedia experience, and we're pleased to provide them as valuable additions to Windows 98."

About Macromedia Players

Daily downloads of the Shockwave and Flash players (available at http://www.macromedia.com/) have continued to grow to a rate of 310,000 per day, totaling more than 93 million downloads worldwide to date.

Since its introduction in December 1995, Macromedia Shockwave technology has brought multimedia to the Internet, transforming the Web from a static, text-based medium into a dynamic, interactive experience. Shockwave content is created with Macromedia Director(R). Director, now in version 6.5, is an industry standard for creating powerful multimedia content. (For more information, visit http://www.macromedia.com/software/director/).

Macromedia Flash products bring compelling, interactive multimedia content to life on the Web. Professional Web designers use the Flash authoring tool to create and deliver compact, fast, and beautiful vector-based graphics and animation for the Web. Macromedia Generator(TM) is new server-based software that uses templates created in Flash to deliver Web graphics on- the-fly from dynamic, real-time data. The free Flash player enables Web consumers to display Flash and Generator content that streams, or plays, as it downloads from within a Web browser -- even when surfing the net with standard 28.8 kps modems.

Macromedia recently published the popular Flash file format (.swf) as an open Internet binary standard with widespread support from industry-leading companies including Microsoft, IBM, RealNetworks, Netscape, Associated Press, @Home and Broderbund. The move establishes Flash as the Web standard for vector graphics and animation, provides a more attractive environment to content publishers, allows Web designers to make animation a standard element in their designs, and enables developers to deliver Flash-compatible authoring and editing tools. For more information, visit www.flash.com.

About Macromedia

Macromedia's mission is to add life to the Web. By providing its award-winning Web Publishing, Web Traffic, and Web Learning solutions to Web designers, consumers, and the enterprise, Macromedia is delivering a completely new generation of Internet tools and technologies designed to transform the Web experience. Headquartered in San Francisco, Macromedia has more than 550 employees worldwide and is available on the Internet at http://macromedia.com. Macromedia also hosts one of the most engaging entertainment sites on the Web at http://www.shockrave.com.

NOTE: Shockwave, Flash, Director and Generator are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macromedia, Inc., as indicated. Other company names, brand names and product names may be trademarks of others.

SOURCE Macromedia, Inc.

    -0-                             07/28/98

/CONTACT: Benita Kenn of Macromedia, Inc., 650-481-4837/

/Web site: http://www.flash.com/

/Web site: http://www.shockrave.com/

/Web site: http://www.macromedia.com/

(MACR)

CO: Macromedia, Inc. ST: California IN: CPR MLM SU: PDT 

PD-KP -- SFTU007 -- 7042 07/28/98 08:01 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com