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Viacom New Media warps into the future with "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Harbinger"; an adventure-filled CD-ROM based on the hit syndicated series from Paramount Television

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 1996--Viacom New Media's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- Harbinger" on CD-ROM for PC will beam onto store shelves this week.

Based on Paramount Television's Emmy Award-winning "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the No. 1-rated weekly syndicated hour-long series, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- Harbinger" challenges players to solve a mystery as the Deep Space Nine Space Station is rocked by a powerful plasma storm and a federation officer is found murdered.

The title is an exclusive gaming license from Viacom Consumer Products. Viacom New Media, Viacom Consumer Products and Paramount Television are all units of Viacom Inc. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- Harbinger" for Macintosh is scheduled to ship in the third quarter of 1996.

"Knowing how devoted and knowledgeable `Star Trek' fans are, we went to great lengths to ensure that the accuracy and mythos of the CD-ROM would live up to their high expectations," said Michele DiLorenzo, president of Viacom New Media.

"We worked closely with the series' creative team on everything from the photo-realistic replica of the space station -- as good as anything Sisko might encounter on the holo-deck -- to its plot. In `Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- Harbinger,' players must resolve conflict in a manner consistent with the mission of the show, which stresses strategy over violence."

The intergalactic adventure begins when players assume the role of a Tirrion envoy of the elite Federation Diplomatic Corps. The fate of a threatened Gamma Quadrant race and the Deep Space Nine Space Station lays in their hands.

Joining forces with the crew of Deep Space Nine, including Captain Sisko, Odo, the notorious Quark and other familiar faces from the series, the player must track down the space station murderer, battle deadly, unmanned drones and match strategies with a mysterious alien race.

In addition to the mission, players will have the opportunity to embark on exciting training missions in elaborately detailed and often deadly environments generated by Deep Space Nine's holo-deck.

The personalities that make up the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" universe have been brought to life in the CD-ROM through the use of cutting-edge 3-D animation techniques and with the voices of the talented cast: Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), a Starfleet officer who heads the Deep Space Nine team; Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor), a native of Bajor, the planet closest to the space station; Lieutenant Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), a Trill, a being composed of a humanoid body and a symbiont that lives inside; Odo (Rene Auberjonois), the security officer and a shape-shifter, an alien who can turn himself into any inanimate object he desires; and Quark (Armin Shimerman), an enterprising Ferengi who operates Quark's Bar and is always on the lookout for the next profitable adventure.

The CD-ROM features richly illustrated backgrounds depicting familiar locations on the Deep Space Nine Space Station that have been created from actual blueprints and photographs.

First-person perspective that lets players direct the action is combined with a cinematic style created with film and television "editing" techniques such as close-ups, wide shots and segues to set a tone unlike that of a traditional computer game.

Stormfront Studios developed "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- Harbinger" in collaboration with Viacom New Media. Stormfront Studios develops top-quality entertainment and education products for the multimedia, video game, home computer and interactive network markets. Based in San Rafael, Calif., the company is privately held.

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

Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Congo: The Movie" and all related marks, TM & copyright, 1995 Paramount Pictures; all rights reserved.

Viacom New Media's 1995 line-up includes "Zoop," the strategic action game for console, cartridge, hand-held, PC and Macintosh platforms, the best-selling "MTV's Beavis and Butt-head in Virtual Stupidity," "MTV Unplugged" and "Congo: The Movie -- Descent Into Zinj" for CD-ROM and "Phantom 2040" for SNES, Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear.

Its award-winning kids product line was recently joined by "The Indian in the Cupboard" and "Nick Jr. Play Math!", both on CD-ROM, and "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters" for SNES and Sega Genesis. This year's schedule of Viacom New Media titles includes the cyber classic "Snow Crash" and cult favorite "Aeon Flux."

Viacom New Media's World Wide Web address is https://www.viacomnewmedia.com.

Nickelodeon, "Nick Jr. Play Math!", "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters," MTV: Music Television, "Beavis and Butt-head," "Unplugged," "Zoop" and all related logos, titles and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

Viacom New Media, a unit of Viacom Interactive Media, is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for Viacom.