Press Release

GemStone IV Players Log Over 1 Million Paid Hours in March

Rockville, MD – (April 18, 1997) – GemStone IV, the no. 1 multiplayer game in the online world, shattered online game records by becoming the first multiplayer title to top 1 million hours of paid usage. More than 100,000 paying consumers played GemStone IV during March 1997.

GemStone IV is a fantasy game where players create identities and earn points through feats of daring and adventure in a medieval land. In the seven years since its initial launch, GemStone has grown to include more than 11,000 unique game-world locations, hundreds of monster types, and dozens of magical spells. DragonRealms, another fantasy game focusing on the role-playing experience and a spin-off of GemStone IV, tallied 800,000 hours, maintaining its position as the no. 2 game title in the online world.

"GemStone IV and DragonRealms are not games you play, they’re places you go," said David Whatley, president and CEO of Simutronics. "Social interaction is an integral part of games play."

In total, Simutronics games crossed 2 million paid hours in March by about 200,000 customers. Other Simutronics games contributing to the record month are CyberStrike -- a 3D graphics, arcade game honored as Online Game of the Year by Computer Gaming World in 1993 -- and Modus Operandi, a modern-day, detective, role-playing game. All Simutronics titles are created especially for the online medium -- not adapted from CD-ROM computer games.

"These are record numbers," said Neil Harris, executive vice president of Simutronics. "Usage of Simutronics’ games is 6 times greater than it was a year ago."

Simutronics’ record numbers far outdistance competitor Kesmai. Total Entertainment Network (TEN), another provider of online gaming, has a subscription service with an announced 25,000 customers. Simutronics Games are available through most major online services.

About Simutronics

Simutronics Corp., the leader in multiplayer online games, specializes in the design, development and management of games created specifically for collaborative play in virtual online communities. Available on the World Wide Web and through major online services and publishers including Time Warner and Viacom, Simutronics' titles are the leaders in online play, serving more than 5,000 simultaneous players nightly and 200,000 players per month. Founded in 1987, Simutronics Corp. is a privately held corporation with offices in St. Charles, MO and Rockville, MD.