BDE NEWS. . .Carmen SanDiego, Myst, Sesame Street, Reader Rabbit. .The Learning Company [NYSE: TLC]. . .
Wednesday May 19, 6:32 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
The Learning Company to Expand
Distribution of Brilliant Digital
CD-ROM Products
- Relationship Increases Market for Follow-On Internet Sales -
LOS ANGELES & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 1999-- Brilliant(TM)
Digital Entertainment, Inc. (AMEX:BDE; bde3d.com), and The Learning Company,
Inc. (NYSE: TLC - news), 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® Pentium® 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 - news) 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 bde@jcir.com.
Contact:
Company:
Brilliant Digital Entertainment
Kevin Bermeister, President
Michael Ozen, CFO
818/615-1500
info@bde3d.com
or
Investor Relations:
Jaffoni & Collins
David Collins, 212/835-8500
bde@jcir.com
or
Media:
Richard Lewis Associates
Richard Lewis, 818/955-5481
rlewis@abc.com |
