Star Tech Journal

october 1994
STAR*ThCH JOURNAL
CATAPULT FLESHES
Out
GAME MODEM NETWORK
After making a splash by an- bers can add time to their smart launch in November. At launch,
nouncing its entry into the mar- cards by buying it at various re- the system will support five to
ket with a videogame modem, tail outlets. Blockbuster is sign- seven top games, including
Cupertino, CA based Catapult ing on as one of the first partici- Acclaim's NBA Jam and Mortal
Entertainment is moving full- pating retailers.
Kombat plus Sega's NFL Football
speed ahead on its modem and
'95.
gaming network, called XBAND.
Grosser said the company has 100
According to President Adam percentdistributionforXBAND, Players can store up to four char-
Grosser, the company will
acters in each modem,
initially introduce a Sega r- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , each with its own handle,
Genesis version of the sys- :
icon, opening "taunt,"
tern by Christmas of this 1
personal
information
up/ayers can choose
year in New York, Los
and password. Players
Angeles, San Francisco, 1
can
even send in their
random or specific
1
Atlanta and Dallas and---
photograph, which will
will follow up with a
. opponents and once
be scanned into the sys-
Nintendo SNES model
tem as a custom icon.
two players are
sometime in the first quar-
The system also ranks
ter.
players on a win-loss ba-
chosen/ the machines
sis.
THQ is handling distribu-
download their
tion for the modem, which
Network features in-
link game machines to a
clude auto-match, which
respective
phone
modem bank worksta-
chooses an opp,onent
tions via an 800 number
based
on skill and calling
numbers/
disconnect
programmed into the unit.
area, a player list,' mail-
Players can choose ran-
box and statistics. The
from the network and
dom or specific opponents
mailbox screen offers
and once two players are
players network news,
link them directly. u
chosen, the machines
Bandwidth (an elec-
L-----------•------------------~
download their respective
tronic publication) and
phone numbers, discon-
with chains such as the aforemen- mail c~pabilities.
nect from the network and link tioned Blockbuster, Babbage's,
them directly.
Target, Software Etc., Toys 'R For the future, Catapult sees
Us, Kay Bee Toys, Electronic plenty of opportunity interna-
Users pay $69.95 for the modem Boutique, Sears and K Mart plac- tionally and would like to start
and $7.95 per month for base ing orders.
overseas activities in six to nine
level service and can pay by
months, he said. Future plans also
check, credit card or a "Smart At this point, Catapult has orders call for next-generation models
Card," which is a debit card that for 100,000 to 150,000 units and for Sega Saturn, Nintendo Ultra
stores credits.
can't keep up, he said. XBAND 64, Sony PlayStation and 3DO.
has been alpha tested with 60
Catapult also is assembling a re- people and is currently in beta
Source: Interactive Update 8/23/94.
tailer program, whereby mem- test with more than 500 and will
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