Under an exclusive distribution agreement with BroadQ, LLC, an independent software developer revolutionizing the delivery of digital entertainment for game consoles, Mad Catz will license BroadQ's QCast technology to power the GameShark Media Player. The agreement includes retail distribution rights in North and South America.
The "Media Player" software is built to leverage the powerful PlayStation2 game console and uses the platform network adaptor to stream digital media. By using the PS2, consumers have more choices for enjoying digital content they have created, or stored on their computer. The GameShark Media Player will retail for $49.95 US and will be available in retail stores mid-June, 2003.
"We've identified the digital media category as a strategic opportunity for Mad Catz as we begin to compete more aggressively in the online enhancement market," said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mad Catz, Inc. "Our agreement with BroadQ highlights our initiatives to grow our online business by providing innovative products and technologies to our customers."
The GameShark Media Player Release 2.0 features:
-- Playback capability of video formats: MPEG-1, 2 & 4, DivX 3.X, 4.X and 5.X video, and others
-- Playback capability of music formats: MP3, and OGG.
-- Viewing of standard digital photography formats: JPEG, and PNG.
-- Support for 16:9 display ratio and progressive scan (480p)output (with a HDTV and component cabling)
-- Easy to use auto-configuration network setup
-- Full trick-play functionality (VCR functions, such as fast-forward, rewind, pause, stop and play)
-- Support for video resolutions: up to 720x320 (letterbox and 512X384 (4:3)
-- Parental or access controls
-- Multi-server, multi-client support
"Mad Catz is an ideal choice as our partner to distribute and market our technology to PS2 owners throughout the Americas," commented Stacy Cook, President and CEO of BroadQ, LLC. "This agreement is the first step in making our QCast technology a standard for digital media distribution worldwide."