Interplay Productions announced today the release of its newest DVD title, STAR TREK(tm): Starfleet Academy(tm). Originally developed by Interplay Productions for Windows(r) 95-based PCs last year, STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy is Interplay's second title to use DVD technology and shipped to retail outlets throughout North America on August 28, 1998.

"It is the ultimate in starship battle realism," said Rusty Buchert, the game's producer and life-long Trekker. "STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy takes full advantage of DVD technology with over 220 minutes of movie quality MPEG-2 video

."STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy is the first and only STAR TREK(tm) flight simulation game that enables players to captain the original USS Enterprise(tm) while interacting with actors from Paramount Television's STAR TREK series. STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy propels flight simulation to new frontiers with its state-of-the-art technology, rich graphics, and dynamic gameplay.

Reprising their famed STAR TREK roles, William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Walter Koenig as Chekov and George Takei, in a special appearance, as Captain Sulu appear in full-motion video in STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy, marking their first filmedappearance in a STAR TREK computer game.

STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy employs the talents of many notable STAR TREK and Hollywood veterans including movie sequences that were helmed by award-winning director, Martin Denning, at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood to an original music score by Ron Jones, who composed the music for more than 50 STAR TREK episodes.

The setting is Starfleet headquarters in the Presidio, San Francisco, CA, where hopeful cadets are trained to become Starfleet officers; the goal is to navigate successfully through over 20 missions and graduate as a Starfleet officer.

"Players will get a chance to experience the Kobayashi Maru, from STAR TREK II: The Wrath of Khan(tm), The Balance of Terror and some of Captain Kirk's other famous encounters," explained Buchert.STAR TREK: Starfleet Academy allows players to command four classic Federation Starships (including the USS Enterprise(tm)) in combat against 30 3D real-time rendered spaceships from a cloaked Klingon(tm) Bird of Prey(tm) to a Romulan(tm) Heavy Cruiser. The game combines an adaptive artificial intelligence, cutting edge 3D graphics and real-time flight simulation/action play to create a truly galactic STAR TREK experience.

Viacom Consumer Products merchandises properties on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television and Simon & Schuster as well as third-party properties. Viacom Consumer Products, a unit of Viacom Entertainment Group, is a division of Viacom Inc.

Interplay Entertainment Corp. is a leading developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for both core gamers and the mass market. Interplay produces titles for many of the most popular entertainment software platforms, and currently balances its development efforts by publishing interactive entertainment software for personal computers and current generation video game consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Interplay releases products through Interplay, Shiny Entertainment, Tantrum, Black Isle Studios, VR ports, Flat Cat, Tribal Dreams and its affiliated labels. More comprehensive information on Interplay and its products is available through its worldwide web site at http://www.interplay.com.