From: avatarp@well.sf.ca.us (Peter Rothman)
Subject: EVENT: Paramount Press Release on STAR TREK Centers
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 07:06:11 GMT


Crossposted from WELL (192.132.30.2)  vr conference.  Rothman is the host
(moderator).


Topic  44:  VR Event Announcements
#206: Peter Rothman (avatarp)      Mon, Oct  5, '92  (17:08)      77 lines
 
 *****************************************************************
 
                        PARAMOUNT PICTURES
 
                    CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
 
                                         Contact : Harry Anderson
                                                   213/956-5845
                                                        or
                                                   James Arnold
                                                   213/956-5767
 
                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 STAR TREK BEAMS INTO MALL ENTERTAINMENT Paramount Pictures
 and Edison Brothers Entertainment Inc. Sign Virtual Reality
 Licensing Agreement
 
 HOLLYWOOD, September 24 -- Paramount Pictures has entered into a
 licensing agreement with St. Louis-based Edison Brothers
 Entertainment Inc. under which Edison Brothers will develop
 shopping mall-based virtual reality entertainment centers themed
 after the Paramount television series "STAR TREK: The Next
 Generation," it was announced today. Making the annou@cment were
 Brandon Tartikoff, chairman of Paramount Pictures, and Andrew Newman,
 chairman of Edison Brothers.
 
 "For 25 years, STAR TREK has been synonymous with the ultimate
 in technology," Mr. Tartikoff said. "Our agreement with Edison
 Brothers will, for the first time, permit STAR TREK fans across the
 country to actually board the USS Enterprise and experience the
 excitement and adventure of the 24th Century today."
  
 One of the largest lessees of mall real estate in the United States,
 Edison Brothers will unveil the first STAR TREK center in 1993.
 Initial plans for the centers include virtual reality attractions
 as well as restaurants and merchandise areas. Visitors to the
 STAR TREK virtual reality centers will choose among a number of
 game scenarios and the characters they want to portray. Many of
 the famed elements of the Enterprise -- including the bridge,
 the holodeck, the transporter room and engineering -- will be
 recreated as environments for the various virtual reality and
 simulation attractions.
 
 "We are enthusiastic about teaming up virtual reality and STAR
 TREK to create the ultimate in experiential retailing," Newman said.
 "The odyssey of STAR TREK is virtually real to millions of Americans.
 We're proud to be associated with one of the entertainment industry's
 premiere properties of all time."
 
 Considered to be the boldest innovation yet in entertainment
 technology, virtual reality gives a participant the ability to
 move about and interact with others in a "virtual world." The STAR
 TREK virtual reality attractions are expected to incorporate software
 created by Spectrum HoloByte Inc., the Alameda, Calif. based enter-
 tainment software company that holds the license for home computer
 and video game software based on "STAR TREK: The Next Generation."
 
 Edison Brothers Entertainment is a division of St. Louis-based
 Edison Brothers Stores Inc., which owns and operates more than
 2,800 speciality stores in all 50 states. Its apparel and footwear
 operations include such national chains as J. Riggins, JW/Jeans
 West, Oaktrees, Bakers, Leeds and Wild Pair. Its entertainment
 units include Time-out, Space Port and Exhilarama entertainment
 centers and Dave & Buster's restaurant entertainment complexes.
 Edison's Horizon Entertainment division is the exclusive U.S.
 distributor of Virtuality, the only virtual reality entertainment
 system currently available to the public. "STAR TREK: The Next
 Generation" is currently beginning its sixth season on television.
 It is the highest rated weekly series in first-run syndication and
 is seen on more than 200 stations across the nation, Paramount
 Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Paramount
 Communications Inc. ###
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds