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AMD and Digital Anvil Announce Technology Alliance

Interactive Entertainment Company will use AMD-3D Technology

Austin, TX, November 12, 1997 -- AMD today announced a strategic technology alliance with Digital Anvil, the Austin, Texas-based interactive entertainment company led by computer gaming pioneer, Chris Roberts. Terms of the relationship cover long-term technology and marketing activities, and include an equity investment by AMD.

Digital Anvil will incorporate AMD's recently unveiled AMD-3D Technology into all of its gaming titles currently under development. Digital Anvil was founded in February of this year by Roberts, formerly of Origin Systems and creator of the PC gaming hit Wing Commander. Roberts formed the software company to create innovative, cutting-edge interactive movies and games with high impact, star power and mass appeal. Digital Anvil has also signed a multimillion-dollar publishing deal with Microsoft, which is an equity investor in the company.

"AMD is very pleased to welcome Digital Anvil as an inaugural partner for implementing AMD-3D Technology. Our relationship with Digital Anvil confirms our commitment to meet the consumer market's future demand for a richer, more realistic multimedia experience," said Atiq Raza, AMD executive vice president and chief technical officer.

"Working with AMD's 3D instruction set and other cutting-edge technologies allows us the opportunity to produce computer games with movie production values and Hollywood quality," said Chris Roberts, CEO of Digital Anvil. "AMD sought our advice for the development of their technology, which is an industry first. Usually, the hardware industry establishes a technology and expects us to build around it."

Some of the gaming industry's top developers have joined Roberts at Digital Anvil, including: John Miles (responsible for the Terramorph, Nexus, VFX graphics system technologies and Microsoft's DirectSound, staples in more than 75 of the industry's top games), Erin Roberts (Strike Commander and the Privateer series), and Tony Zurovec (Crusader series).

"We are delighted to have AMD as a technology and marketing partner as well as an equity investor," said Marten Davies, Digital Anvil's president. "We were impressed with the direction of AMD and its focus on broadening computer gaming to the mass market and look forward to leveraging all the new technologies that AMD will be bringing to market in the years to come."

About AMD-3D Technology

AMD-3D Technology is a significant innovation to the x86 processor architecture that drives today's personal computers. With AMD-3D Technology, new, more powerful hardware and software applications will enable a more entertaining and productive PC platform. Improvements include faster frame rates on high resolution scenes, much better game and application physical modeling of real-world environments, sharper and more detailed 3D imaging, smoother video playback, and near theater quality audio.

AMD has taken a leadership role in developing these new instructions that enable exciting new levels of performance and realism. AMD-3D Technology was defined and implemented in collaboration with Microsoft, application developers, and graphics vendors and has received a very enthusiastic reception. It is compatible with today's existing x86 software and requires no operating system support, thereby enabling AMD-3D applications to work with all existing operating systems. AMD-3D Technology will appear in the upcoming AMD-K6 3D and AMD-K6+ 3D processors in 1998, and in the AMD-K7 processor family in 1999.

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AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets. AMD produces processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices, and products for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $2 billion in 1996. (NYSE: AMD).

Headquartered in Austin, TX, Digital Anvil is an entertainment company specializing in the fusion of silicon and celluloid. The company is creating innovative, bleeding-edge, interactive computer games and movies with star power and mass market appeal. Founded by Chris Roberts, creator of the best-selling Wing Commander series, Digital Anvil has a top creative team from the game and film industries, and a key marketing and equity partnership with industry leader Microsoft.

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