Marks first key milestone in bringing VR experiences to new heights
BERLIN, GERMANY (August 31, 2016) Acer (TWSE: 2353, LSE: ACID) and Starbreeze AB (First North: STAR) today announced at a global press conference in Berlin that they have started to ship StarVR® Virtual Reality (VR) Head-Mounted Displays (HMD) to IMAX Corporation in preparation for the highly anticipated opening of the IMAX VR® Center in Los Angeles, expected later this year, and others in the near future. Earlier in 2016, Acer committed to delivering a small volume of units of StarVR® HMDs this year with mass production of the devices to commence in 2017. Also on hand at the press conference were Bo Andersson Klint, CEO at Starbreeze and Rob Lister, Chief Business Development Officer at IMAX Corporation.
"With this shipment to as important a player in the entertainment industry as IMAX, we are absolutely thrilled that we are well on our way in bringing the virtual reality experience to the next level and to the world" said Jason Chen, President and CEO at Acer. "The realization of the most premium VR experience ever offered isn't just our dream, but one of an entire ecosystem that encompasses hardware makers, videogame developers, theater companies, filmmakers and many others." Chen highlighted at the global press conference that movies and videogames have exceedingly become ever more closely entwined. The lines are blurring between movies and videogames, and are moving beyond just two mediums that have traditionally only complemented one another. He said they were converging to become a more dynamic, immersive form of storytelling, and virtual reality would feature prominently in this development.
"We're extremely proud to be able to show the first manufactured units of the StarVR® headset produced in our collaboration with Acer. Since announcing the StarVR® headset in 2015, we're finally at a place where we can see the pieces of our vision coming together. From day one we've been convinced that we can deliver premium experiences with premium hardware. The search for great partners sharing the same vision was long, but we're happy to be able to lay down these two fundamental parts in Starbreeze VR-ecosystem together with Acer and IMAX. We can't wait for people to start experiencing world-class virtual reality in the StarVR HMD and at IMAX VR® centers, said Bo Andersson Klint, Starbreeze CEO.
"We are looking forward to the launch of our first IMAX VR® center and pleased with the progress demonstrated by the initial shipment of StarVR® HMDs from Acer and Starbreeze, as this exciting industry continues to develop and grow," said Robert D. Lister, Chief Business Development Officer, IMAX Corp. "IMAX is committed to delivering immerse, multi-dimensional virtual reality experiences, featuring some of the world's best entertainment and gaming properties, to premium locations, including multiplexes, malls and other commercial destinations."
Acer Inc. and Starbreeze AB announced earlier in the year that their respective Board of Directors had approved the establishment of a joint venture, for design, manufacturing, promotion, marketing and sales of the StarVR® Head-Mounted Display. The joint venture has since obtained regulatory approval and will be known as Acer Starbreeze Corporation. With its best-in-class cinematic experience, StarVR® targets professional- and location-based entertainment markets such as high-end cinemas, gaming arcades, automotive retail and aviation training. StarVR® provides a truly immersive VR experience with its unique ultra-wide 210-degree horizontal field of view, with custom optics that deliver great image quality across the eye's natural vision.
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Media Contacts:
Acer Incorporated
Steven Chung Tel: +886-2-8691-3202 Email: steven.h.chung@acer.com
Starbreeze AB
Maeva Sponbergs Tel: +46 8 209 208 Email: ir@starbreeze.com
IMAX Corporation
Ann Sommerlath Tel: +1-212-821-0155 Email: ASommerlath@imax.com
About Acer:
Established in 1976, Acer is a hardware + software + services company dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale, and support of innovative products that enhance people's lives. Acer's product offerings include PCs, displays, projectors, servers, tablets, smartphones and wearables. It is also developing cloud solutions to bring together the Internet of Things. As one of the world's top 5 PC companies, Acer employs 7,000 people worldwide and has a presence in over 160 countries. Its shares are listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2353), and Global Depository Receipts (GDR) are listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: ACID). Please visit www.acer.com for more information.
About Starbreeze:
Starbreeze is an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality entertainment products. With studios in Stockholm, Paris and Los Angeles, the company creates games and other virtual reality entertainment products, based on proprietary design and licensed content. Starbreeze's most recent games include PAYDAY 2®, the upcoming John Wick VR shooter and upcoming survival co-op FPS OVERKILL's The Walking Dead. Under its publishing initiative, Starbreeze has together with Canadian studio Behaviour Digital successfully launched horror thriller Dead by Daylight.
Starbreeze has set out to develop truly immersive virtual reality experiences, by integrating software and hardware in its StarVR® head mounted display, to be produced together with Acer, displaying a unique field of view and a mission to bring top-end VR to large audiences. Together with IMAX, Starbreeze aspires to dominate the location based VR market with the IMAX VR centers, set to premiere in its first location in Los Angeles during 2016.
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Starbreeze's shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm First North Premier under the tickers STAR A and STAR B with the ISIN-codes SE0007158928 (A-share) and SE0005992831 (B-share). Remium Nordic is the company's Certified Adviser. For more information, please visit http://www.starbreeze.com, http://www.starvr.com, http://www.overkillsoftware.com
