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05/19 06:47 The Learning Company to Expand Distribution of Brilliant Digital
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The Learning Company to Expand Distribution of Brilliant Digital CD-ROM Products
LOS ANGELES & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 1999--
- Relationship Increases Market for Follow-On Internet Sales -
Brilliant(TM) Digital Entertainment, Inc. (AMEX:BDE; bde3d.com), and The Learning Company, Inc. (NYSE: TLC), a leading provider of consumer software with brands such as Reader Rabbit, Sesame Street, Carmen Sandiego and Myst, announced today that they have entered into a non-exclusive retail CD-ROM distribution agreement for the CD-ROM versions of Brilliant Digital's Multipath(TM) Movies and Adventures.
Products are scheduled for shipment in the third quarter and will carry a suggested retail price of $14.95. Brilliant also announced an agreement with Midas Interactive Entertainment BV to include Multipath Movie previews in retail CD-ROM products that Midas will distribute worldwide.
The Learning Company's distribution efforts will focus initially on leading national computer stores, including Comp USA, and then extend to other retailers. The four titles to be distributed by The Learning Company are: -- Superman - Menace of Metallo - the first installment in the
Multipath Adventures of Superman, highlighting the world renown
"Man of Steel." Join Superman as he uses his super powers to save
the universe from destruction by the menacing Metallo and recover
the stolen Time Warp Ray. -- Xena: Warrior Princess - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Together,
you join Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer to find out why Bacchus has
gone mad. Together, you can stop him, before it's too late...
Only you can decide Xena's possible fate. -- Ace Ventura - The Case of the Serial Shaver - Join Ace and his
pet monkey, Spike, as you piece together clues to uncover the
real identity of the sicko with the scissors -- your choices
determine who makes the cut. -- Gravity Angels - Gravity Angels is a science fiction adventure
that takes place in the year 2098 on the moon Ganymede where six
misfits of Earth's society have been banished for twelve months.
The only problem is that most people on Ganymede turn up dead. Each CD-ROM will include "locked" versions of the other available titles. Users who wish to view one of the other titles can do so via the integrated e-commerce system built into Brilliant's web site (http://www.multipathmovies.com), where they can purchase a license to "unlock" one or more of the other titles included on their CD-ROM for $4.95 each.
Kevin Bermeister, President of Brilliant Digital Entertainment, commented, "The Learning Company agreement is significant in several respects. It represents an endorsement of Brilliant's Multipath genre by one of the leading consumer software companies, and it provides a very powerful partner to drive distribution of our content into U.S. retailers. In addition, the relationship also positions Brilliant for Internet-based transactions, which represent a very efficient and high margin means of distribution."
Optimized versions of the Superman and Xena titles are also being developed to take full advantage of the enhanced performance features of the new Intel(R) Pentium(R) III processor.
Brilliant also announced its preview bundling agreement with Midas Interactive Entertainment BV, a Netherlands-based publisher and distributor of mid and full price PC CD-ROM software as well as a recently launched range of budget software. Pursuant to the agreement, Midas will include previews of BDE's Multipath Movies in all possible CD-ROM retail products that it distributes worldwide. Midas estimates that BDE previews will be carried on as many as 3 million CD-ROMs to be distributed worldwide over the next 12 - 18 months. Midas will include the previews for no fee and will share in revenues derived from Internet purchases of Brilliant Multipath Movie episodes and Webisodes. About The Learning Company
The Learning Company, Inc. (NYSE: TLC) based in Cambridge, Mass., is one of the country's leading developers and distributors of consumer software for the entire family. The company publishes some of the best known education, reference, personal productivity and family entertainment brands in the U.S., including Reader Rabbit, The Oregon Trail, Sesame Street, Carmen Sandiego, Mavis Beacon, The Princeton Review, National Geographic, American Greetings, The Print Shop and Myst. The company's products are sold in more than 23,000 retail stores in North America and through multiple distribution channels including school sales, online, direct marketing and OEM. The Learning Company also develops, publishes and distributes internationally through subsidiaries in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Holland, Japan and Australia, and with distributors throughout Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim. For further information, please visit the corporate web site at www.learningco.com About Midas Entertainment
Midas Interactive Entertainment BV is a Netherlands-based publisher and distributor of mid and full price PC CD-ROM software, primarily in Europe. The Company's operations are focused on PC entertainment products, and it has recently launched a range of super budget software. About Brilliant Digital Entertainment
Brilliant Digital Entertainment (http://www.multipathmovies.com) is the production studio responsible for creating Multipath Movies, a new generation of digital entertainment to be distributed over the Internet, on CD-ROM, as television programming and for home video. Multipath Movies are developed using proprietary, technologically advanced software tools that produce three-dimensional, digitally animated stories, each with multiple user-influenced plot alternatives or paths that lead to a variety of distinct conclusions.
Brilliant Digital has formed alliances with DVD EXPRESS, Kesmai's GameStorm, Home and SlingShot to distribute its Multipath Movies in varying venues including the Internet's World Wide Web, CD-ROM and DVD and has acquired the exclusive worldwide interactive rights to Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers for the Choose Your Own Adventure series of interactive books. Brilliant has also signed content license agreements for the following properties: Ace Ventura (Morgan Creek Productions), the legendary rock group KISS, Popeye (King Features), Superman (DC Comics) and Xena (Universal Studios). The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with offices in Bondi Junction and Double Bay, Australia and Middlesex, England. Information about Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, financial results or projections, events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include Brilliant's expectation that The Learning Company will focus distribution of products initially on leading national computer stores and then extend to other retailers, that the distribution relationship with The Learning Company positions Brilliant for Internet-based license sales which represent an efficient and high margin means of distribution, and that Midas' estimate that Webisode or Multipath Movie previews will be carried on up to approximately 3 million CDs expected to be distributed by Midas over the next 12 to 18 months. Brilliant cannot guarantee that these forward looking statements will be realized, and such statements are subject to a number of factors beyond the control of Brilliant including the ability of both Midas and The Learning Company to successfully implement their respective marketing and distribution programs, and their ability to distribute Brilliant's products, or in the case of Midas, previews of Brilliant's products, on a timely basis. Brilliant's ability to attract Internet-based license sales is subject to a number of factors including the Company's ability to successfully predict consumer preferences, the ability of the Brilliant to convince consumers to initiate larger downloads over lower bandwidth connections, and the risk that Brilliant's promotional efforts and the promotional prominence provided for Brilliant's products may not be sufficient to attract consumer attention. Any of these risk factors could result in failure of the distribution arrangement to satisfy the expectations of Midas and Brilliant set forth in this release. Information about certain additional factors is contained in the Company's most recently filed Form 10-KSB report and 10-QSB report and are available from Brilliant Digital Entertainment's Investor Relations department and may be obtained by calling or writing to our investor relations company, Jaffoni & Collins at 212-835-8500 or bdejcir.com. --30--nmb/ny*
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