Panel Discussion to Examine Historical Relationship of Computer Games and Computer Graphics Technology
                        
For further information, contact:

Steven Brewster       
Computer History Museum      
(650) 810-1036       
brewster@computerhistory.org

Britt Cutsforth
Sparkpr for NVIDIA
(415) 321-1872
britt@sparkpr.com       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA and SANTA CLARA, CA—JUNE 8, 2004—The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., will present “Then and Now: Computer Graphics in Games,” a panel discussion that takes an in-depth look at the intertwined paths of computer games and computer graphics technology. The event, which will take place on Thursday, June 10, is sponsored by NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) and will also explore the market factors and trends driving the growth of computer games into a mainstream phenomenon, which today surpasses Hollywood blockbusters in revenue.

The panel discussion, which is part of the Museum’s ongoing Speaker Series, will feature the following well-known game designers:

--Will Wright, Electronic Arts (Sim City…)
--Rand Miller, Cyan (Myst…)
--Jordan Mechner, Ubisoft (Prince of Persia…)

The panel will be moderated by Vince Broady of CNET GameSpot.

Jen-Hsun Huang, president and chief executive officer of NVIDIA, commented, “We are pleased to support the Computer History Museum and its mission to preserve living history and make it accessible to a broad audience. The Thursday evening panel discussion will provide a chance to hear and learn from some of the industry’s most creative and successful game developers. Great content design and great graphics technology go hand in hand—each inspires and encourages the other to continually push boundaries, both artistic and technological.”

According to John Toole, executive director and chief executive officer of the Computer History Museum, the mainstream gaming phenomenon did not happen overnight and resulted from more than three decades of innovations.  “Processing power became inexpensive in the 1970s, which made products for entertainment economically practical. Early arcade games came first. They were followed by home video game consoles, which became the largest user of microprocessors. Early handheld electronic games paved the way for handheld video games—now a multi-million dollar industry.  It was a long journey to get from the simple pixel painting of Pong to the compelling 3D environments of today’s cutting edge games.  This gathering will allow direct interaction with those who have evolved and pushed the boundaries of gaming’s graphic development,” Toole said.

The event will take place 6-8:30 p.m., Thursday, June 10, in the Hahn Auditorium at the Computer History Museum, 1401 Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View.  A reception, featuring hors d'oeuvres as well as “gamer food” (Jolt Cola and Hostess Ho-Ho’s!), will kick off the evening at 6 p.m., with the panel discussion starting at 7 p.m.

In addition to the panel, the Museum will display a collection of classic computer games and artifacts, including Galaxy, Computer Space, Odyssey Videogame System, Atari 2600, and Super Pong Ten.  There will also be hands-on gaming pods showing the progression from early games to today’s cutting edge game hits, courtesy of NVIDIA.

Computer History Museum Speaker Series
Reservations are required to attend the event. The Speaker Series is free, with a suggested donation of $10 for non-members. The panel starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures or call (650) 810-1019. 

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corporation is a market leader in visual computing technology dedicated to creating products that enhance the interactive experience on consumer and professional computing platforms. Its graphics and communications processors have broad market reach and are incorporated into a wide variety of computing platforms, including consumer PCs, enterprise PCs, notebook PCs, professional workstations, handhelds, and video game consoles. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and employs more than 1,900 people worldwide.  For more information, visit www.nvidia.com.

About the Computer History Museum
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, a public benefit organization, preserves and presents for posterity the artifacts and stories of the information age. The Museum is dedicated to the exploration of the social impact of computing and is home to the world's largest collection of computing-related items - from hardware (mainframes, PCs, handhelds, key integrated circuits), to software, to computer graphics systems, to Internet and networking - and contains many one-of-a-kind and rare objects such as the Cray-1 supercomputer, the Apple I, the WWII ENIGMA, the PalmPilot prototype, and the 1969 Neiman Marcus (Honeywell) "Kitchen Computer." The collection also includes photos, films, videos, documents, and culturally-defining advertising and marketing materials. Currently in its first phase, the Museum brings computing history to life through its Speaker Series, seminars, oral histories and workshops. The Museum also offers tours of Visible Storage, where nearly 600 objects from the Collection are on display. Future phases will feature full museum exhibits including a timeline of computing history, theme galleries, and much more. For more information, please visit http://www.computerhistory.org .
                        
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