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Paragraph 3-D Online Service To Launch In Japan 10/28/96


TOKYO, JAPAN, 1996 OCT 28 (NB) -- By Martyn Williams. The People World online service has said its delayed three-dimensional (3-D)-based system will debut on Wednesday. The new service is accessible via the Internet and is based on technology developed by ParaGraph International of California. People World previously announced a deal with Worlds Inc., to supply the same system, but switched partners during development.

The alliance between Paragraph and People World was announced on May 14 this year and came around six months after a similar announcement between the online service and California based Worlds Inc. The November 1 Worlds Inc., announcement said the two would work together to create a service called People Space.

People World's Hideya Araki told Newsbytes the company decided to switch partners after changes at the two companies, "As regards the development and technical support skill, Paragraph is more reliable than Worlds Inc.," he said. "Mr. Mitra, who is an expert of VRML (virtual reality modeling language) quit from Worlds Inc. and moved to work at Paragraph," he continued.

He also cited Paragraph's developers as a reason for the switch, "Paragraph has 150 engineers who have high abilities in VRML or server systems."

Worlds Inc., has since formed a partnership with Nissho Iwai, half owner of Japan's largest online service NiftyServe, to develop similar virtual reality and 3-D online systems.

Using the new service, dubbed "People Space," members will be able to communicate and interact with others in an online 3-D based world by taking the identity of an avatar. Communications is accomplished through a text-based chat application and "digital ink," a white-board- like application which adds free-form handwritten communication capabilities.

Two types of creature will inhabit this new online world, said the company. They are avatars, graphical representations of people logged into the system, and phantoms, artificially intelligent beings that act as intelligent robots.

The core People Space world is a 3-D area that leads to user's own 3-D worlds, called Personal Space, and off into the two-dimensional (2-D) world of the Internet and the rest of the People World online service. The worlds are "dynamic," with daily content updates, and include daily, monthly, and seasonal 3-D events to encourage users to return.

The system relies on common visits for revenue with a daily charge fee structure of 200 yen per day. This allows unlimited accesses during the entire day. Paragraph is also marketing its Virtual Home Space Builder, a 3-D VRML authoring software package that allows creation of personal areas linked into the main world.

People Space is targeted at computer users in Japan. It was first announced a year ago, but has been delayed slightly. The companies then said it would be available shortly after beta tests in the second quarter of this year.

People World is one of Japan's largest online services and currently had 630,000 members. Its shareholders include IBM Japan with 45%, Mitsubishi Corporation with 22%, Hitachi with 20%, Toshiba with 10%, and Mitsubishi Electric with 3%.

(19961028/Press contacts: Hideya Araki, People World Co., tel +81-3-5561-4259, fax +81-3-5561-4131; John Poluektov, ParaGraph International, 408-364-7740, 408-374-5466)


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