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ELBOX COMPUTER
Krakow, 30 May 2001

        Warp 3D for ELBOX

Please note our explanations in reference to comments appearing in various
news lists and concerning the date of sending a Warp3D offer to Elbox Computer.
Someone is spreading false information on behalf of Hyperion in this reference.

As we have informed, the FIRST Warp 3D V4 offer was sent to Elbox Computer
on Friday 25 May 2001 at 22:29 CET.

On Tuesday 22 May 2001, Elbox Computer was informed ONLY about the change in the
Warp3D status. The following text was included in the end of this statement:

"In the upcoming weeks we will be approaching all hardware developers
with concrete and fair proposals which allow for very moderate
compensation for Warp 3D V4 support."

After 3 days, on Friday 25 May night, the announced offer was sent to Elbox
Computer. However, there were no contract details in it, only the suggested
price was given.

Since Monday, 28 May 2001, Elbox Computer is in touch with Hyperion and
discussing the offer.

I hope to have dispelled all the fog concerning the date when we received
the offer in question.

Mariusz Wloczysiak
ELBOX COMPUTER, Press Department
http://www.elbox.com

PS. Please find the full text of the first message from Hyperion of 22 May;
as the facts have already been made public, this is no longer a business
secret.


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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Change in the Status of Warp3D
Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 12:28:57 +0200
From: Hans-Joerg Frieden 
Organization: Hyperion Entertainment V.O.F.
To: MB@elbox.com, MBR@elbox.com


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Hi!

Hyperion Entertainment has decided to change the Status of Warp3D slightly
because of the current market situation. Please find attached to this mail
an explanation of these changes.

For further questions, please contact Ben Hermans
(mailto:LegendConsulting@netscape.net), Managing partner of Hyperion
Entertainment.

Thanks for your time.


Best regards,

Hans-Joerg Frieden
Senior Software Developer, Hyperion Entertainment
Mail: Hans-JoergF@hyperion-software.de
Web: http://www.hyperion-software.de

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We want to inform you that after extensive deliberation, Hyperion Entertainment
has decided to upgrade the status of Warp 3D V4 from a freeware product to
a commercial OEM product which will offered to Amiga hardware developers.

This decision was prompted by two major reasons:

1. Hyperion Entertainment has reached an agreement with Amiga Inc. to incorporate
Warp3D V4 into Amiga OS 4.x on a per unit royalty basis. Producers of zico
compliant hardware (Amiga One etc.) will be required to license Amiga OS 4.x and
will as such be paying indirectly for Warp 3D V4 drivers. It is unacceptable
to both Amiga Inc. and these hardware producers that they would be required
to pay royalties for a product which other hardware producers would receive
free of charge.

2. Warp 3D started out as a freeware product developed by non-commercial
developers to support the Virge and Permedia 2 chipsets. Compared to current
chipsets the Virge and Permedia 2 are extremely primitive and feature-poor.
The effort and time needed to adequately support modern chipsets such as
the Voodoo 3 and Matrox G450 with their rich and advanced feature-set is far
greater than the effort required to support the Virge and Permedia 2 chipsets.

As the original Warp 3D developers have now moved on to commercial development,
maintaining Warp 3D as a freeware product would entail that development of new
Warp 3D drivers and extension of the Warp 3D API would be very slow
as development could only take place "after hours".

This is not only not in the interest of Amiga users but it is also not in
the interest of hardware producers and resellers who rely on the availability
of Warp 3D drivers to successfully sell their Amiga hardware.

Hyperion Entertainment fully understands that the company has a responsibility
towards the Amiga community including the hardware producers because of its
control over the Warp 3D API and no attempt has ever been made or will be made
to exploit this position unfairly.

In the upcoming weeks we will be approaching all hardware developers with
concrete and fair proposals which allow for very moderate compensation for
Warp 3D V4 support.

As we know that market conditions in the Amiga market have been hard for
everyone including hardware producers, Hyperion Entertainment is even willing
to accept payment in kind (hardware).

Best regards,