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Massive Multi-Player Networking Technology


Cybernet's Massive Multi-Player Networking Architecture Enhances Taldren's Starfleet Command II: Empires at War

Game Developer Integrates New API to Provide a More Challenging Gaming Environment

Ann Arbor, MI - February 12, 2002 - Cybernet Systems, a technology research and development firm, has joined forces with game developer Taldren to raise the bar for players of Taldren's popular Starfleet Command II: Empires at War computer game. Cybernet's OpenSkies massive multi-player gaming technology (MMPG), which enables tens of thousands of online gamers to simultaneously interact in the same environment, provides the underlying networking architecture for Taldren's recently released 2.0.1.3 Empires at War patch. With this patch, players dramatically increase the number of opponents with whom they can face off at any one time in the Empires at War environment. The result is a more challenging experience requiring a higher level of strategic thinking.

"Integrating Cybernet's MMPG technology into our latest Empires at War patch provided a relatively easy way to significantly enhance the gamer's experience from a programming perspective," said Taldren CEO Erik Bethke. "It's a very clean API, which enabled us to integrate the MMPG technololgy into our game code and demonstrate massive multi-player capabilities post-release. Other game developers that are currently starting a massive multi-player game project or who are already under way, should stop and take a look at the wide variety of problems the Cybernet API solves."

Cybernet's OpenSkies massive multi-player gaming network architecture is adapted from a distributed network software system the company originally developed for use in U.S. military flight training exercises. The MMPG architecture delivers real-time intelligent routing across a distributed network server system. Game clients connect to distributed servers that direct real-time data requests across the Internet backbone, minimizing redundancy. Sophisticated culling rules further lower the bandwidth load by 25 to 90 percent. Cybernet's technology offers developers a high-performance, low cost solution for easily implementing the MMPG architecture into online games and simulations.

"Partnering on the Empires at War patch was a win-win proposition for both Cybernet and Taldren," said Charles Cohen, Cybernet's vice president of research and development. "It presented Cybernet with the opportunity to prove our technology could enable Taldren to dramatically expand the number of people playing Empires at War in the same virtual environment. Our OpenSkies MMPG technology reduces the average time it takes a developer to create a massive multi-player game from 3+ years to as short as 18 months, and drastically cuts development costs. But the icing on the cake is the fact that the technology is here now. Cybernet has got the goods - and we're helping developers get games published and released, generating faster revenue."

Taldren's 2.0.1.3 Empires at War patch can be downloaded free of charge at www.khoromag.com. For further information about Cybernet's massive multi-player networking technology or about licensing requirements, contact Cybernet directly at , or visit openskies.net. Cybernet's corporate web site is located at www.cybernet.com.

About Taldren
Taldren Incorporated is a privately-held game developer best known as creator of the hit franchise Star Trek®: Starfleet Command. The company is a pioneer of meta-game architecture, and brings persistent context to its online games. Taldren is currently developing several unannounced games for the PC and next-generation consoles. The company is located in Orange County, California. To learn more about Taldren visit www.taldren.com.

About Cybernet Systems
Cybernet Systems Corp. is a profitable, technology-based company focused on developing products that combine software and Internet intelligence with human-machine interaction. Cybernet has successfully leveraged its wealth of intellectual property to bring force feedback technology to market in the form of game controllers and joysticks, introduced a line of Linux-based Internet appliance software, and launched a PC game enhancement software product. The company continues to innovate in the areas of Internet medical systems, large-scale distributed network training and gaming and gesture control interface technology. Additional information on Cybernet Systems is available on the web at www.cybernet.com.

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