Blizzard Entertainment Will Encode and Distribute Cinematic Trailers for Their Popular Game Titles Using World-Class DivX Technology
SAN DIEGO, November 19, 2001-DivXNetworks, Inc, the company that created the revolutionary patent-pending MPEG-4 DivXTM video compression technology, today announced that Blizzard Entertainment®, a premier publisher of entertainment software, has licensed DivX video compression technology to encode and distribute cinematic trailers for their popular game titles Warcraft® III: Reign of ChaosTM, World of WarcraftTM and Diablo® II: Lord of DestructionTM at www.blizzard.com.
DivXTM is the leading video codec (compressor/decompressor) based on the international MPEG-4 standard. By providing DVD-quality video at a fraction of the file size, DivX technology enables the distribution of high-quality video content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
“With an impressive lineup of commercially successful and critically acclaimed titles, Blizzard Entertainment is a proven leader in the gaming industry,” said Jordan Greenhall, co-founder and CEO of DivXNetworks, Inc. (www.divxnetworks.com) “We’re excited to combine the high-quality and strong brand recognition of DivX technology with these industry-leading titles from Blizzard Entertainment.”
“We are continually striving to improve the quality of our computer-generated cinematic trailers as well as reduce the download time for gamers,” stated Mike Morhaime, Blizzard Entertainment president and co-founder. “Incorporating the cutting-edge DivX technology into our trailers provides us with an opportunity to offer players a high-speed delivery method that also maintains our high-quality standards.”
The most recent version of the DivXTM technology, DivX 4.11, is newly optimized for high-definition decoding. Blizzard Entertainment is the first publicly announced commercial licensee of the DivX technology. For more information on licensing DivX technology for commercial applications, e-mail licensing@divxnetworks.com or visit www.divxnetworks.com.
About DivXNetworks
DivXNetworks is a leading technology company that enables the rapid proliferation of video content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks by combining the lightweight, ubiquitous access of the Internet with DVD-quality video performance. The company’s approach is built upon the success of the DivXTM codec, a leading standard for MPEG-4 video distribution with over 20 million users worldwide, and the DivX Open Video SystemTM, a next-generation content delivery system that provides unsurpassed aggregation, promotion, and distribution of video content for mass markets. The DivX codec has been evolved using an innovative approach that combines open source development and comprehensive in-house testing to create a product with powerful brand recognition, rapid product evolution, and pervasive platform integration. DivXNetworks is headquartered in San Diego, California, with satellite offices in New York and Los Angeles. For more information about DivXNetworks, visit www.divxnetworks.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment
Best known for blockbuster hits including the Warcraft® series, StarCraft® and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com), (a division of Vivendi Universal Publishing) is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard’s track record includes six number-one selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s free Internet gaming service Battle.net® reigns as the largest in the world with millions of active users.