Zoo Digital Group PLC
13 October 2003
ZOO Digital Group plc
('ZOO' or the 'Company')
ZOO SIGNS FURTHER EXCLUSIVE EUROPEAN LICENSING AGREEMENT
WITH UNIVERSAL PICTURES
ZOO, the DVD technology and videogame publishing company, is pleased to announce
the signing of a second exclusive licensing agreement with Universal Pictures UK
('Universal'), one of the world's leading publishers of DVD-Video titles.
The licensing agreement is to create an interactive football DVD game using its
DVD-ExtraTM authoring system. Under the terms of the deal, ZOO will earn cash
advances and substantial ongoing royalties.
Licensing Agreement
ZOO has signed an exclusive seven-year deal with Universal to deliver
Interactive Championship Challenge, using the DVD-ExtraTM authoring system.
Interactive Championship Challenge is an interactive game celebrating decades of
international football that includes four quizzes and a statistics section. It
also incorporates official Premiership footage licensed from TWI and other
football images for which rights have been acquired from Action Images.
Interactive Championship Challenge will be released in the UK in November 2003.
DVD-ExtraTM
DVD-ExtraTM is a new authoring technology that, without any amendments to
current hardware standards, allows the creation of far richer and more advanced
interactive content for use on standard DVD players. By unlocking the existing
interactive capabilities within standard players, DVD-ExtraTM can transform the
DVD player from a passive high quality playback medium into a truly interactive
entertainment platform, capable of gameplay.
The DVD-ExtraTM technology (patent pending) was successfully piloted by ZOO in
2002 and a commercial version of the authoring system 'DVD-Extra Studio' is now
available for studios and DVD developers worldwide to create their own content
under licence from ZOO.
Ian Stewart, CEO of ZOO, commented:
' DVD gaming has arrived and this a great demonstration that the appetite for
DVD software extends beyond movies and special interest programming. ZOO is
strengthening its leadership in this sector with another ground-breaking title.
Interactive Championship Challenge is an absorbing celebration of international
football, conceived to satisfy the enormous market for sports entertainment. I
am delighted that ZOO has partnered with Universal Pictures for the second time
to bring this title to the market alongside our Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
releases.
I believe that ZOO's unique DVD-ExtraTM technology and Universal's marketing
expertise will establish DVD as the platform of choice for social gaming.'
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Contact Details
ZOO Digital Group plc
Ian Stewart, Chief Executive +44 (0) 114 241 3700
Noble and Company Limited
Alasdair Robinson +44 (0) 131 225 9677
Beattie Financial
James Chandler / Gemma Smith +44 (0) 207 398 3300
Notes to Editors
________________
ZOO Digital Group Plc (www.zoodigitalgroup.com)
ZOO Digital Group, the technology and games publishing company, was founded in
1999 by Ian Stewart (previous owner and founder of Gremlin Interactive plc). In
April 2001 it reversed into AIM listed technology company Kazoo 3D. ZOO has
strong expertise in two areas - games publishing and DVD authoring software.
DVD Authoring Software
In DVD, ZOO has developed a technology called DVD-ExtraTM. The software enables
DVD authors to introduce new interactive functionality - playable on standard
DVD players - to the DVD. Additionally, it vastly reduces the time and cost
taken to produce such content. DVD-ExtraTM enables the DVD industry - from
Hollywood to corporate and educational institutions - to provide highly
interactive stand-alone and bonus content for DVD at lower cost and time than
ever before possible. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? will be released on DVD
this November 2003. 40 DVD Authoring houses are currently part of a DVD-ExtraTM
'Early-Adopters' programme including Technicolor and Warner Bros (GDMX).
Games Publishing
In gaming, ZOO concentrates mainly on licensing and publishing existing games
rather than on the development of new titles. This is a lower risk business
model that has been adopted due to the low break even sales levels required and
the ever-increasing costs development. ZOO has published and distributed a
wealth of quality titles predominantly on GBA, PS2 and PC platforms including
Medal of Honour Underground, Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, Premier Manager, Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Sim City 2000. Over 60 sku's will be released in
Q4 2003.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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