May 10, 1999 NEWS RELEASE
dot com Entertainment Group, Inc.
Olympic Tower, 300 Pearl Street, Suite 200
Buffalo, New York 14202
NEWS RELEASE
New software version of CyberBingo™ released
BUFFALO, NY: MAY 10, 1999 - dot com Entertainment Group, Inc. ("DCEG") (OTCBB: DCEG) announces the release of CyberBingo™ version 4.0. This latest version of cutting edge, interactive software includes some new features and incorporates many improvements to the game interface and server software. The CyberBingo™ 4.0 software upgrade was made available to it's licensee, the CyberBingo Corporation of Antigua on May 6th and was installed seamlessly without interrupting the game services to the players.
New features of CyberBingo™ 4.0 include a snazzier client game interface, an improved chatroom facility with tighter controls on security and also includes significant improvements on the server software side of the CyberBingo™ System. Another significant improvement of the CyberBingo™ 4.0 software product is the placement and management of rotating banner and streaming video advertisements directly on the game and the chatroom interfaces. The advertisement areas are hot linked directly to the advertiser's URL when the advertisement is clicked on. These strategically placed advertisements will add a new and untapped revenue stream for the Licensee's of the CyberBingo™ game system. Improvements not apparent to the players are improvements in the software system that will allow for new and improved prize and cost structures which is now in the process of being implemented by the CyberBingo Corporation.
The most obvious improvement in the CyberBingo 4.0 product is the enhanced graphics of the new client interface. The version 4.0 interface now incorporates a new 3-dimensional look and feel and includes an operational Bingo Calling machine that calls out the numbers to players. The new interface also uses a true auto-daub feature that allows players to play the game on "autopilot" while chatting with their friends in the chatroom. Another significant enhancement of the new game client is the player account maintenance facility which is built directly in to the game client. This new feature allows players to access their account information, purchase games, request payouts and so on without having to surf through their browser. We have also integrated a software update facility that will automatically notify the user when their current game version requires updating. The new software update facility will automatically download the newer version of CyberBingo™ and install it, requiring minimal effort and computer skill on the part of the user.
Significant improvements have also been made to the chatroom facility. CyberBingo's support staff can now be identified by special reserved aliases that no other player can acquire and will prevent misuse and misrepresentation by players. Player aliases (nicknames that players use to identify themselves to other players) are now centrally registered and maintained. This new functionality will prevent players from using the same alias on the system and will also prevent players from entering into the chatroom under a new alias.
The new chatroom interface also includes strategically placed advertising space that will allow CyberBingo™ licensees to post and manage visually stimulating animated GIFs, AVIs or streaming video advertisements for advertising sponsors. These advertisements can be targeted regionally since all players are identifiable to the system when they login, adding further value to the advertising real estate in the chatroom and game interface. The new chatroom also includes a game status window, which keeps players up to date on the time of the next game or the status of the current game. This is especially important for players who have limited screen resolution.
The developers at dot com Entertainment have managed to "tighten up" the back-end of the CyberBingo™ game server system in order to provide for improved system performance, better reporting capability and improved security features. The new back-end also features support for large jackpot prizes and a cash based repository system whereby players can deposit funds directly into their player account. The new cash repository functionality will allow players to purchase games directly from their cash account, eliminating the need to track and manage game credits.
The CyberBingo™ JAVA client has also been reworked to maintain compatibility with the new servers. "Although we find that about 85% of our players prefer to use the Windows Based downloadable game we are still very committed to our JAVA based clients. Providing JAVA client support to our licensees allows them to offer their games to all personal computers and network workstations, not just Microsoft Windows users. Many of the features found in CyberBingo™ 4.0 for Windows will now begin to appear in the JAVA version." comments Perry Malone, Vice President of Technology.
"The initial feedback that we've received from our client's players thus far is very favorable, everyone is extremely pleased with our CyberBingo™ 4.0 major upgrade. Many players report that CyberBingo™ 4.0 is the most pleasurable Bingo game on the internet today." remarked Ted Colivas, Vice President of Operations.
The .com website can be visited at www.dceg.com. This site has links to the CyberBingo™ game system (www.cyberbingo.net), which operates 24 hours per day, 220 times per day, and is played by players from countries throughout the world. .com plans to expand its Internet and commercial software product base in 1999 to become a leading provider of Internet entertainment software products and services.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Scott White, President or Andre Kern, Controller & Investor Relations at dot com Entertainment Group, Inc.: (416) 366-1444 akern@dceg.com
Investor Contact: Juan Dominguez & Dian Griesel, Ph.D.
Media Contact: Richard Land at The Investor Relations Group: (212) 664-8489
.com is a development-stage company. Certain of the information contained in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements", including but not limited to those with respect to the future revenues, the Company's development strategy, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the continued acceptance of the Internet, number of visits to the Company and it's affiliates web sites, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Keith Neumeyer
ironman@direct.ca
ph. (604) 541-9810 fax. (604) 541-9820 |
