POWERVR GIVES 'UNREAL' A REAL ADVANTAGE

Speed, Environment, Visual Realism Key ElementsTo Game LAS VEGAS -- November 17, 1997 -- NEC Electronics Inc. and VideoLogic^&REG today announced “Unreal^TM ,” the first person action game developed by Epic MegaGames, Inc.^TM, and published by GT Interactive Software Corp. (NASDAQ: GTIS), which has become one of the most anticipated titles in video game history, will join the PowerVR Ready™ program when it ships in the first half of next year.

Full of rich graphics and fast-moving action, “Unreal” uses the PowerVR^TM 3D graphics acceleration technology to increase the speed of the game, greatly enhancing the mood and realism. “Unreal” features huge numbers of highly detailed texture maps and one of the most sophisticated 3D engine designs. With PowerVR, players can experience the expansive, detailed world of “Unreal” with high resolutions and accelerated frame rates.

PowerVR combines on-chip hidden surface removal with a unique method of texture mapping and a reduced memory architecture to bring 3D images to life. Using bilinear and adaptive bilinear filtering, fogging and dithering from 16- to 32-bit color, PowerVR takes the already stunning creatures, landscapes and action in “Unreal” to the height of gaming intensity.

“‘Unreal’ is a fantastic example of how the right 3D graphics technology can really make a difference in a game,” said Charles Bellfield, product marketing manager, multimedia strategic business unit, NEC Electronics. “PowerVR’s speed and filtering lend an element of realism to ‘Unreal’ that will make players question what is real -- and what is just a game.”

“Right now, PowerVR is the only 3D technology value-leader capable of delivering the high-end performance required to run a game as sophisticated as ‘Unreal,’” said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic MegaGames.

‘Unreal’

In “Unreal,” players take on the role of a criminal whose transfer ship has crashed on the mysterious planet Gryphon, where a peaceful race known as the Nali have been hunted and enslaved by bloodthirsty aliens called Skaarj. To dominate Gryphon and mine its precious Tarydium, the Skaarj command legions of other menacing species like the gigantic Titans, the bio-engineered Brutes and the pack-hunting Krall. “Unreal” combatants must survive in the midst of this inter-species warfare armed with an array of deadly weapons. Players will visit ancient Nali ruins, underground mines, cities in the sky, spacecraft wreckage and even the mysterious Skaarj Mothership in this deadly hunt in which every character is both predator and prey.

PowerVR with PCX2

PowerVR, from NEC and VideoLogic, is an advanced 3D graphics technology for personal computers, game consoles and arcade systems. The PowerVR-based PCX2™ 3D graphics accelerator provides users with outstanding performance, offering a sustained fill rate of 40 million pixels per second on an Intel Pentium^&REG Pro 200MHz PC.

PowerVR offers PC users outstanding 3D effects. These include hardware-accelerated realtime shadows, true exponential fogging, precise 32-bit Z buffer function (hidden surface removal), smooth shading and realistic translucency for water, fire and explosion effects.

On a PowerVR-equipped system, images appear clearly through bilinear filtering and games run at resolutions anywhere from 320 x 200 up to 1024 x 768 pixels using 16-, 24- or 32-bit color. Unlike competing 3D graphics processors, PCX2 does not require special cabling, but runs directly on a PCI bus at any resolution, and can operate in a windowed environment or full-screen. PCX2 is compatible with Direct3D™, RenderWare^&REG , SurRender^&REG and the GLQuake engines, as well as PowerSGL Direct^TM , PowerVR’s native API. More than 100 titles from the world’s leading game developers have been developed for or ported to the PowerVR architecture, including industry sales leaders such as WipeOut, Tomb Raider, MDK, GLQuake and Hexen II.

Purchasing PowerVR

The PowerVR 3D graphics accelerator is available in the U.S. through PowerVR-enhanced systems, including Compaq^&REG Presario^TM 8000 and Gateway 2000^&REG Destination^TM Big-Screen PC-TV, and add-in graphics cards from companies including Matrox Graphics, VideoLogic Multimedia Systems, NEC Home Electronics (Japan), Melco and I-O Data. PowerVR-equipped products can be purchased through retailers including Best Buy, CompUSA and Electronics Boutique.

About VideoLogic

VideoLogic, founded in 1985, is a leading international supplier of PC multimedia products. The company develops highly integrated advanced multimedia semiconductors, software and add-in multimedia PC cards, with distribution in more than 50 countries through OEMs, value added resellers, retail channels and directly from VideoLogic offices. The company has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom, its U.S. headquarters in San Bruno, Calif., and offices in Frankfurt, Germany. VideoLogic has development agreements with Compaq and NEC, and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FOOTSY:VDL). Product details, news, technical support and the latest software are all available on the VideoLogic web site at http://www.videologic.com/.

About NEC Electronics Inc.

NEC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., designs, manufactures and markets an extensive line of electronic products including ASICs, microprocessors and microcontrollers, 3D graphics accelerators, digital signal processors (DSPs), memories and components including flat panel displays and lithium ion batteries. In 1996, the company ranked fourth in semiconductor sales in the U.S. The company operates a 709,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Roseville, Calif. NEC Electronics is an affiliate of NEC Corporation (NIPNY), a $41 billion international manufacturer of computer, communications and semiconductor products. For more information about products offered by NEC Electronics Inc., please visit the NEC U.S. website at http://www.nec.com/.