AOL to license DirectX 7

America Online is going to license Microsoft's DirectX 7 multimedia technology so that its customers can run the latest multiplayer Windows-based games using the online service. It's an odd agreement between two companies that have been at each other's throats for over four years.

"We are thrilled to have DirectX 7.0 available through AOL," said Microsoft's Ted Hase, group program manager for DirectX. "Consumers now have an additional resource from which to obtain the latest version of Microsoft's multimedia API for an enhanced, intensified multimedia gaming experience."

DirectX is Microsoft's multimedia and gaming technology that's been built into Windows since Windows 98. Upgraded yearly, DirectX makes it easy for game developers to incorporate the latest 3D graphics and sound, Internet multiplayer capabilities, and other related features into Windows applications. The latest version, DirectX 7.0, will be built into Windows 2000 when it is released early next year.

"America Online works to make it as easy as possible for our members to get new resources and technology," says Lawrence Schick, the executive director of AOL Games. "We are pleased to add Microsoft DirectX 7.0 to the multimedia downloads we currently provide on AOL.