DISCover Console Debuts at CES 2004

Digital Interactive Systems Corporation (DISC) today formally debuted the first next-generation game console, DISCover, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

DISCover PC Game Console technology gives Apex Digital and Alienware a way to enter the lucrative $13 billion game console market without having to spend hundreds of millions to first develop their own proprietary games. Apex Digital and Alienware DISCover consoles play thousands of unmodified PC games on a television or home entertainment system.

Apex Digital, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of DVD players, will introduce its ApeXtreme DVD player/DISCover Game Console for which Apex is a 2004 CES Innovations Award honoree. Alienware, the leading manufacturer of high-end gaming PCs, will unveil its Media Center PC and DISCover Game Console.

"A console designed to play PC games on a TV may find an audience among PC gamers looking for a unique and new type of game experience," said Schelley Olhava, IDC analyst, Consumer Markets, Gaming. "Historically serious gamers have shown a willingness to try new technologies, and if happy with the experience, will gladly spread the word among the mainstream gamer audience."

"Windows XP Embedded delivers the power of the Windows operating system in componentized form, enabling embedded developers to rapidly build reliable and advanced embedded devices," said Jane Gilson, group product manager in the Embedded Devices Group at Microsoft Corp. "As a Microsoft Windows Embedded Partner, DISC exemplifies how Windows XP Embedded enables manufacturers to quickly create home entertainment appliances that can play unmodified PC games and access digital entertainment."

Only DISCover offers true console capabilities for unmodified PC games. Users simply drop a game CD into a console and start playing using DISCover's Drop & Play™ technology. DISCover technology works transparently to automatically configure games for no-hassle convenience. This enables gamers playing on home entertainment systems (including HDTVs) to enjoy a new level of audio and visual excitement.



"The success of any game console depends on the number of titles it offers," said Avi DorEl, president of DISC. "The videogame console that offers the most games is always the most popular. Yet even the market leader only offers a limited number of proprietary titles compared to the thousands of titles available to the DISCover."

In addition, while the major videogame console vendors are just beginning to develop online gaming capabilities, DISC is partnering with GameSpy to immediately enable DISCover users to gain access to the world's largest community of online PC game enthusiasts via a built-in "DISCover Arcade."

"GameSpy and DISCover will be able to bring the excitement of online gaming to an entirely new community," said Jonathan Epstein, president of GameSpy Industries. "By using GameSpy's Arcade, DISCover console users will be instantly connected to the world's largest enthusiast online gaming community."