SAN FRANCISCO, California (July 06, 1994)- Pop Rocket Inc., a developer and publisher of interactive media products, has just announced their first venture capital investment from Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, a venture fund that invests only in software companies.

The investment will be used to launch Total Distortion, a music video adventure game on CD-ROM. The title will be localized and launched this fall in North America, Europe and Japan for the Macintosh, Windows, and PowerPC platforms. The company also plans to expand its in-house development team, build an integrated product line, and extend marketing and distribution worldwide.

Unique in style and content, Total Distortion represents a new genre in interactive media entertainment, the first in Pop Rocket's line of music video adventure games. An early beta version of the product won three of NewMedia magazine's 1994 INVISION Multimedia Awards. This highly awaited product combines the thrill of adventure gaming with a stunning variety of interactive creative activities, transporting the player into an intense, media-rich 3D world.

Joe Sparks, president of Pop Rocket and designer of Total Distortion, says, "When we first started working on Total Distortion, the CD-ROM market was small and struggling and it was possible to launch a product in this niche market on a shoestring budget. Today, CD-ROM discs are hitting the entertainment software best seller╣s lists, threatening to knock floppy-based games completely off the charts. With Total Distortion, we have developed a top-quality, next generation CD-ROM product, with much higher advance sales than we had anticipated, and we need to launch it worldwide on multiple platforms. With Hummer Winblad Partner's investment and guidance, we can take advantage of this incredible opportunity and give Total Distortion the launch it deserves. We are very fortunate to be working with them."

Hummer Winblad is the first and only fund that invests exclusively in software companies. Their concentration in software investing allows them to function as a collaborative partner by sharing their gained experience in building successful software companies. With Pop Rocket, Hummer Winblad now has 18 software portfolio companies, including Berkeley Systems, Books That Work, Humongous Entertainment, and Powersoft Corporation.

Hummer Winblad partner Mark Gorenberg has joined Pop Rocket╣s board of directors. Gorenberg has spent over 20 years in software development and management. │After seeing their work, it is easy to understand why Joe Sparks, Maura Sparks, Kent Carmical, and Kevin Krejci have already become cult heros in San Francisco's multimedia gulch. Total Distortion combines artistic creativity, technical design, and fun so uniquely that we agree it will be one of the early CD-ROM title winners. But, more importantly, Total Distortion is just the beginning in Pop Rocket's exciting vision of music video creation combined with game play. We are very grateful for the opportunity to help them turn this vision into a new home entertainment market,▓ says Gorenberg.

Pop Rocket's Total Distortion, will be distributed in North America by Electronic Arts. The Macintosh and Windows version will be available in Summer, 1995. Pop Rocket will continue to develop entertainment titles for the Apple Macintosh, Windows personal computers, PowerPC, and other home entertainment systems.

ABOUT POP ROCKET Pop Rocket, Inc., located in San Francisco, was founded in December, 1991 to develop and publish innovative interactive media products. Pop Rocket President, Joe Sparks, was co-developer of the pioneering and popular CD-ROM title Spaceship Warlock. Pop Rocket is teamed by a talented staff of experienced multimedia developers and marketing professionals.

Pop Rocket, Inc. PO Box 170460, San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone: 415-731-9112; Fax: 415-731-1710; AppleLink: POPROCKET;
AmericaOnline: POPROCKET@AOL.COM

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CONTACT:
Maura Sparks             Mark Gorenberg
Pop Rocket, Inc.     Hummer Winblad Partners
(415) 731-9112           (510) 652-8061