IBM ANNOUNCES OS/2 WARP ENTERTAINMENT TOOLKIT BETA

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 3, 1995...IBM today announced the availability of the
beta version of the OS/2 Warp Entertainment Toolkit on "The Developer
Connection for OS/2, Volume 8" (DevCon8). The beta has been distributed to
the more than 17,000 developers who are members of the Developers
Assistance Program (DAP).

The Toolkit offers new video, audio, joystick, and networking enhancements
from IBM that can help developers create exciting PC entertainment titles
for IBM's OS/2 Warp and build on the existing resources in DevCon. DAP
members receive tools, software technology and information quarterly on
the DevCon CD-ROM for use in OS/2 Warp development efforts.

"Developers want direct access to devices and cross-platform capabilities,"
said Lloyd Webber, IBM Personal Software Products worldwide games brand
manager. "The OS/2 Warp Entertainment Toolkit gives them those resources
for developing sophisticated interactive PC entertainment for the OS/2
market."

New Development Tools

The Entertainment Toolkit offers the following capability improvements in
areas ranging from sound and imagery to player interaction:

  o  OS/2 Warp Video offers enhanced software support to OS/2
     digital video and PC entertainment programs through features
     like Direct Interface Video Extensions (DIVE) with
     full-screen support, Direct Access to Video Buffer and 32-bit
     Virtual I/O.  DIVE, an API in OS/2 Warp, gives OS/2
     applications direct access to PC video hardware, enabling
     developers to generate the high-speed graphics needed for
     today's advanced multimedia software.  The DIVE graphics
     interface allows powerful, high-speed games and digital video
     applications to use a single high-speed API for such useful
     techniques as stretching (manipulating an image to fit any
     screen size), clipping (reusing a graphic in different areas
     of an application) and color conversion (dictating the color
     palates used in the application).

  o  OS/2 Warp 3D enables 3D graphics modeling and rendering to
     ensure maximum visual performance.  IBM integrates the
     BRender Power Rendering System, a real-time, 3D graphics
     software by Argonaut Technologies Ltd., to meet the speed,
     size, scalability, flexibility, and power requirements of the
     most demanding 3D designers.

  o  OS/2 Warp Audio features a direct audio interface that
     provides a high-speed audio alternative for applications,
     such as games, that cannot afford the more complex methods of
     synchronizing sound effects with actions.  IBM also provides
     a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) subsystem that
     produces the advantage of real-time processing of musical
     data within the driver itself.

  o  OS/2 Warp Input offers a standard interface for OS/2 PC
     entertainment programmers who want to utilize a joystick with
     their products.  OS/2 Warp Input also eliminates the joystick
     response "flicker" effect seen in many DOS games running
     under OS/2.

  o  OS/2 Warp Multiplayer Networking allows developers to write
     code that permits multiple players to play together and
     allows additional players to join the game in progress.  The
     host computer will ensure that the visiting player's client
     is immediately updated with the game's status.  Plus, all
     clients are informed of the presence of the new player across
     the network.

Additional ISV Support

Developers can access the OS/2 Warp home page at
(http://www.austin.ibm.com/os2games) to receive tools, information, and
DevCon updates. Developers also can use the home page to provide feedback
and sign up for free membership in DAP, which provides technical support
and assistance to developers working with OS/2.

The OS/2 Warp Entertainment Toolkit is expected to be complete in the first
quarter of 1996. The entire Toolkit will be available on DevCon and pieces
of it will be available on the OS/2 Warp games home page.

To assist OS/2 developers, IBM also sponsors Solution Partnership Centers
located in San Mateo, Calif. and Waltham, Mass. ISVs using the centers
have access to PC hardware and interaction with other software developers,
and receive technical support throughout the development process in a lab
environment.

Solution developer support of OS/2 Warp is growing. In 1995, 70 software
developers have announced development plans for more than 200 new native
OS/2 Warp applications on both Intel and PowerPC platforms, in addition to
the existing 2,500 OS/2 applications currently on the market. Nearly 3
million copies of OS/2 Warp have been sold since it was launched.

IBM news releases are available on the Internet, via the IBM Home Page at
http://www.ibm.com

The IBM Fax Information Service allows you to receive facsimiles of prior
IBM product press releases. Dial 1-800-IBM-4FAX and enter "99" at the
voice menu.
 
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