Product: Mandrake Linux Gaming Edition, featuring The Sims
Ship
Date: November 9, 2001
MSRP: USD $69.99
Description: The Mandrake Linux Gaming Edition bundles one of the
world’s most popular games with the award winning Linux operating
system by MandrakeSoft. Powered by TransGaming Technologies’
innovative and unique portability technology layer, WineX, this
marks the first time Electronic Arts’® chart-topping
3D-simulation game, The Sims, is available under Linux.
Pasadena, Paris, Toronto – October 22, 2001 –
MandrakeSoft (www.mandrakesoft.com), publisher
of the premier, user-friendly Mandrake Linux operating system, and
TransGaming Technologies, developers of software portability
solutions that seamlessly allow cutting edge games to operate on
the Linux platform, announce the release of the Mandrake Linux
Gaming Edition. Designed specifically for gamers, this release
bundles Mandrake Linux 8.1 Standard Edition, the newest version of
the award winning Mandrake Linux operating system, with Electronic
Arts’ The Sims, the wildly popular virtual simulation game that
allows players to create a neighborhood of simulated people known
as “Sims” and control their lives.
The TransGaming portability technology incorporated with the
Mandrake Linux Gaming Edition enables Linux players of The Sims to
fully interact with the Windows based Sims world. For example,
players will be able to seamlessly download Sims household
furnishings, clothes and accessories from the same sites as their
Windows counterparts, and then post their story lines on hundreds
of existing fan sites. While the Sims is bundled with the Mandrake
Linux Gaming Edition, TransGaming’s portability technology and
subscription services also allow users to play many other popular
Windows games, some of which are listed but not included in the
package.
The Windows version of The Sims skyrockted to the top of the
charts when it was released in February 2000 and has become a
universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. It was the best selling
PC game in North America of 2000 and has maintained the number 1
position in 2001 according to NPD INTELECT. Translated into 13
languages, The Sims has sold over four million units worldwide.
This MandrakeSoft release marks the first time ever that the
popular game will be available on the Linux desktop. It also marks
the debut of a partnership between MandrakeSoft, the retail sales
leader for the US Linux market, and TransGaming Technologies, a
relationship targeted to bringing Linux further into the PC desktop
mainstream.
“Games have always been crucial in popularizing operating
systems,” notes Frederic Bastok, co-founder of MandrakeSoft.
“Partnerships between leading companies such as MandrakeSoft,
TransGaming, and Electronic Arts will make the Linux PC desktop a
much more attractive option for those considering a switch. We also
share the excitement of those who already use Linux, as they can
now fully enjoy game on their desktop. This is just the beginning.
Powered by TransGaming’s WineX portability technology, we expect to
see a succession of key applications within and beyond the gaming
market coming to the PC Linux desktop. We hope that ‘dual-boot’
users who have straddled the Linux and Windows worlds will now see
that they can plant both feet firmly on Linux ground.”
Over the next 3 years, IDC expects Linux shipments to grow at a
rate of 28% overall. Companies in the Linux community recognize
that expanding key application segments such as gaming is critical
to continued success and the mainstream adoption of Linux as the
operating platform of choice.
“TransGaming’s WineX portability layer is innovative and
‘breakthrough’ technology, since it allows applications originally
designed for Windows to run on Linux without the need for an
expensive and time-consuming overhaul of the source code,” explains
Vikas Gupta, President & Chief Operating Officer of TransGaming
Technologies. “We are the only company in the world, to the best of
our knowledge, that can do what we do. What other companies can
accomplish in two years, TransGaming can achieve in two months. Our
portability technology, pioneered by TransGaming’s founder, Gavriel
State in collaboration with the Wine community, allows games and
business software applications that were originally designed for
other platforms to function on Linux in a completely seamless and
transparent manner. We believe this to be a tremendous milestone in
the evolution of the open source initiative.”
All this is possible thanks to the TransGaming Technologies’
WineX portability technology, based on Wine, which is making its
commercial debut in this MandrakeSoft release. TransGaming is
actively developing improvements to the Wine project to achieve
full compatibility with the Microsoft® DirectX® APIs
without sacrificing any performance. Wine is an implementation of
the Microsoft® Win32® APIs on top of UNIX and X-Windows; in
essence, it is a Windows® compatibility layer. Wine is an Open
Source project, and has a web site of its own at www.winehq.com/. It does not require
Microsoft Windows to be installed.
ABOUT MANDRAKESOFT:
MandrakeSoft provides a trusted interface between users of
information technology and open source developers. The company
offers customers in the small office, home office (SoHo), small and
medium size enterprise, government and educational sectors a set of
GNU Linux and Open-Source software and related services, and
user-friendly and highly competitive information technologies at a
very attractive total cost of ownership. In addition, MandrakeSoft
offers technologists committed to open software and courseware a
trusted channel to offer their services.
The company has technologists in over 20 countries, and entered
Paris Euronext on July 30th, 2001 (Euroclear code: 4477.PA; Reuters
code: MAKE.PA). Awards for the Mandrake Linux solution include:
Linux Magazine “Editor’s Choice” Award in September 2001 & 2000
CNET editors’ choice award in June 2001 Chip Magazine “Best
Technique and Winner of the Test” in December 2000 “Best Product of
the Year” and “Best Linux Distribution/Server” at LinuxWorld Expo
99 PC Answers Platinum Award in April 2000
“Born on the Internet” in late 1998, MandrakeSoft established
headquarters in the U.S.A., Montreal, England, Germany and France.
Please visit the Web site http://www.mandrakesoft.com for
more information.
ABOUT TRANSGAMING TECHNOLOGIES:
TransGaming Technologies develops unique software portability
solutions that seamlessly allow high demand games to operate on the
Linux platform. Coupled with additional products and services that
cater to both the avid gamer and the casual to sophisticated Linux
user, TransGaming’s objective is to deliver the highest-quality,
highest-demand gaming titles to the Linux community. The company
was founded in 2000 and has offices in Ottawa and Toronto, Canada.
See www.transgaming.com
for more information.