Seeking to Capture Its Interactive In-Store Experience Online, FAO Schwarz
Chooses Pulse Technology to Animate Six Toys on Its Expanded FAO.com Site
NEW ORLEANS, (SIGGRAPH 2000, BOOTH 1540), July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- FAO
Schwarz, the world's ultimate toy store, has turned to rich media technology
from Pulse Entertainment to bring life to the "Virtual Playroom" section of
the FAO.com website, set to launch in early August. FAO Schwarz chose the
Pulse platform to model six toys in full 360-degree, 3D animation with sound.
Examples of the results will be on display in the Pulse booth (1540) at
SIGGRAPH 2000.
"When people come into FAO Schwarz stores, they expect something
interactive, playful and fun. We wanted to capture a little of that experience
on the Web," said Jennifer Townsend, vice president, for FAO Schwarz. "We
looked at many different technologies to create this interactive experience
and realized that Pulse technology is far better than anything we have seen.
Pulse best fits our need because its products include full, rich-media
animation, including zooms, full 360-degree views, spins and sound."
The "Virtual Playroom" on FAO.com will open in early August with three
animated toys. A second trio of toys is scheduled to join the playroom in
September. The first three toys to receive the full, interactive 3D Pulse
treatment are Action Man, an interactive action figure; Poo-chi, an
interactive dog, and Street Flyers, shoes with wheels built into them that
convert to roller skates. Visitors to FAO.com's "Virtual Playroom" can view
the toys from all angles and literally grab, move, and interact with the toys.
The small file size of Pulse Player makes it possible for the "Virtual
Playroom" to load quickly even if site visitors are using slow modems.
"One of the greatest things about going to an FAO Schwarz store is the
experience. FAO Schwarz has always been a leader in the offline interactive
retail experience, and now this beloved institution is extending its knowledge
of the interactive shopping experience to the online world. The 'Virtual
Playroom' is truly an exciting piece of first-rate e-commerce imagination come
to life on the web," said Fred Angelopoulos, CEO of Pulse Entertainment.
"Pulse-enabled content is so efficient that even PC users who have a narrow
bandwidth connection to the Internet can enjoy the complete experience."
About FAO Schwarz
Founded in 1862, FAO Schwarz has long been recognized as the toy store
with distinction. The company has consistently delivered exclusive, unusual
and trend-setting merchandise. Stores and catalogues have been designed to
interact with customers in a manner which distinguishes FAO from other
retailers and involves customers with merchandise.
FAO Schwarz launched http://www.FAO.com in 1995 and has been rapidly expanding
ever since to become the premier online specialty toy retailer. As the fastest
growing part of FAO Schwarz's business, the site offers a vast selection of
toys, collectibles, and novelty items. The web site also boasts a variety of
exclusive merchandise such as dolls and plush toys not found anywhere else.
About Pulse Entertainment
Based in San Francisco, Calif., Pulse Entertainment was recently honored
by Red Herring as one of the top fifty private companies for 2000. Pulse is a
privately funded developer of the leading technology for creating and
experiencing interactive, 3D animation on the web. Pulse specializes in
bringing life to the Internet by providing rich media solutions for digital
content creation in marketing, e-commerce, branding, entertainment, and
education. The company's growing client base and strategic partner list
includes AMD, ATI, Autodesk, Broadband Sports, Egreetings, Electronic Arts,
Eruptor, Excite@Home, Intel, Mattel, Microsoft, MTV, NBC, Real Player, The Jim
Henson Company, Time Warner and 3dfx. Pulse Entertainment is located at
654 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-348-4000, or
http://www.pulse3d.com.
SOURCE Pulse Entertainment
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Related links:
http://www.pulse3d.com
CONTACT:
Kerry Desberg of Pulse Entertainment,
415-278-0803, or kerry@pulse3d.com; or John Reed of Phase Two
Strategies, 415-772-8429, or john_reed@p2pr.com, for Pulse
Entertainment
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