| Press Contact: Aaron Mata WebTV Networks Launches WebTV After Hours Integrates Adult Entertainment, Email MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (April 1, 1998) - WebTV Networks, Inc., the pioneer and worldwide leader in Internet television solutions, today introduced a new customization option for their users. Up until now, WebTV customers were given a standard interface that could not be modified, except by choosing the KidFriendly feature which provides large, exciting icons and fun, active content for younger users. Due to the overwhelming response to KidFriendly and repeated requests for additional interface options, WebTV Networks, Inc. announced the addition of WebTV After Hours, an adults-only version of their standard service. Age Verification System WebTV After Hours can be accessed with the touch of a button, but the customers must first pass through a rigorous Age Verification System before being allowed to use this new interface. WebTV Networks, Inc. is committed to a family-friendly environment and will not allow anyone under the age of 21 to enter WebTV After Hours. Upon choosing the WebTV After Hours option, the user will be greeted with an interim screen that asks if they are over 21 years of age. If they select the "No, I'm under 21" button, then they will not be allowed to access the interface. Customized Icons and Multimedia Options Once WebTV After Hours is selected, the WebTV experience is instantly altered. The Home page, where WebTV users can connect to their email, favorite Web sites, and other popular features, will be changed to a darker, steamier color scheme. Users can choose from a series of "romantic" MIDI song files to play in the background while they surf. These songs have been specially-created for WebTV Networks by such seminal artists as Barry White, Luther Campbell, and Thomas Dolby. The Home page icons will also change to fit the "after hours" theme. Shapely hindquarters, heaving bosoms, and throbbing penises will replace the more familiar Home page icons. WebTV Networks will also be using their revolutionary VideoFlash technology to bring the finest in adult film to their customers. While a WebTV user is waiting to connect to the network, they will see a fifteen-second clip from a popular film. During the upcoming months, WebTV users will see highlights from such films as Hairy McGuire, Splendor in the Ass, and Guess Who's Coming on Dinner. Also, a titillating groan will announce new incoming mail messages. A Whole New Explore The Explore section, which traditionally features links to useful and entertaining Web sites, will be customized to showcase top-notch adult sites. This large collection will be broken down into convenient categories organized by fetish. "We had a lot of customers who didn't know where to find the finest in scatological photography," says Jonathan Kaye, Senior Vice President of After Hours Marketing. "With After Hours Explore, they can find exactly what they're looking for in seconds. That's less time searching and more time exploring the exciting and varied world of the Internet. We predict a big increase in the use of the remote control, as opposed to the more popular wireless keyboard." About WebTV Networks, Inc. Founded in June 1995 by Steve Perlman, Bruce Leak and Phil Goldman, WebTV Networks is dedicated to bringing high-quality, affordable Internet access to television consumers through the WebTV Network service and the company's end-to-end suite of technologies. WebTV Internet Terminal units are currently available through the company's U.S. licensees, Sony Electronics Inc. and Philips Consumer Electronics Company, at U.S. consumer electronics stores nationwide. Other WebTV Networks licensees are Pace Micro Technology and Mitsubishi Consumer Electronics America. WebTV Networks, based in Palo Alto, Calif., is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. WebTV and WebTV Network are trademarks of WebTV Networks, Inc. |