This program was taken from MONOLITH's MegaMedia title, "The MONOLITH CD". --------------------------------------------------------------- The MONOLITH CD is the world's first MegaMedia(TM) title. The intention of the CD is to demonstrate and promote the MegaMedia(TM) concept. What MegaMedia is: MegaMedia is a collection of content (be it audio, video, computer programs, on-line service, etc.) that is bound together by a theme. This content is then placed onto a medium (any medium) that can be utilized on more than one type of content experiencing device. It is important to understand that each individual piece that makes up the entire MegaMedia title should be able to stand on its own, without needing other parts of the title to support it. Ultimately, the collective experiences of the entire MegaMedia title should portray a total image that one would not get by just exploring a few stand alone portions. To use an old phrase: "The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts." In our case, we have chosen a Compact Disc as our medium, and our group as the theme. Now that we have that out of the way... Q: What the hell is MONOLITH? A: MONOLITH is the worlds first MegaMedia group. From this moment on we will be referred to as MegaMedia artists. We made this distinction because, quite frankly, there is no other term that accurately describes what we do. We program, act, write music, render, soundtrack, script, etc. In our group, everybody knows how to do everything, and has to do everything, so the only label that would fit is "MegaMedia Artist..." MONOLITH is a group that is comprised of 6 people. We are very creative and extremely talented. We are on a mission to raise the standards of entertainment in every area we can touch. Okay enough of that...you probably want to know some more personal-type stuff...well... Basically, we are the ones that grew up on the Apple II, Atari 800, Commodore 64's. We are the ones that couldn't wait until school got out so we could race home to our modems to download the latest software (warez). We typed in programs from magazines, wrote text-based games, read comic books, and watched (and still watch) Star Trek. Remember Aztec, Castle Wolfenstein, Miner 2049er, and Fort Apocalypse? So do we. What we're trying to say, is that we have been there, seen it, did that. We measure things in terms of "cool." We know what sucks, and what doesn't, and hopefully you'll agree when our future achievements reach you. We like fast cars, and loads of technology. We also enjoy well made science fiction films (but that should be obvious if you've experienced our CD). If that wasn't enough information for you, wait for the Movie.... Q: How did you come up with this concept of MegaMedia? A: Good question. We seem to remember a LOT of pain. Q: How long did it take to create the MONOLITH CD? A: It took a decent amount of time. It actually seemed a lot longer than it actually was because THE ENTIRE CD WAS DONE ON OUR SPARE TIME AND MONEY (ouch!) Q: How did you come up with the name MONOLITH? A: You need to listen to the audio portion of our CD. Q: What does MONOLITH want? A: Money. Q: What else does MONOLITH want? A: We would like to successfully merge the cinematic, music, and computer industries. Q: How are you going to do that? A: We have watched Hollywood and the music industry try to reach into the multimedia spectrum on several occasions. The experience is very awkward for them, and they have a tough time gaining credibility and tremendous amounts of success. What we are, is the link between those industries and the multimedia world. We are the first group to really stress the cinematic and auditory experience. We actively reach out to those industries with the ability to communicate with them on their level. Gone is the day when Hollywood feels that some computer nerds are stomping all over their creativity. We have the technology, the drive, and the personality. Q: What's all this stuff I hear about your on-line system? A: We understand that there is a tremendous amount of potential to be realized in on-line services. We already have plans to create a true 3D VIRTUAL on-line environment. 3D virtual cafes to meet people, 3D multi-player games (Doom is fun, but WAY more fun with a massive world and 500 players), and even 3D interfaces to navigate the internet. NO MORE LAME NON-INTUITIVE MENUS. Going on-line will be as easy as walking around. This is really too big and cool to discuss in this document... Q: Are you the only group allowed to produce MegaMedia titles? A: Absolutely not. We encourage and support any group or company that wants to produce a MegaMedia title that conforms to the described standard. MONOLITH wants to promote the concept, not kill it. Q: Is the consumer cost of a MegaMedia title going to be high? A: No. It should be under 20 dollars for a MegaMedia CD. Q: Why do you want to put such a low price ceiling on MegaMedia CD's? A: We want to keep the price of MegaMedia CD's around the same price as normal Music CD's. This makes the product far more accessible to consumers. Here is the reasoning behind this: The MegaMedia standard dictates that all portions of a MegaMedia CD need to be able to stand alone. A MegaMedia CD must also contain audio tracks that a consumer can play on their stereo system. It is quite possible that a person may buy a MegaMedia CD just for the audio, and not even have a computer. This person probably won't pay current retail CD- ROM prices for what they perceive to be a music CD, so the logic is to make no real distinction between a MegaMedia title and a normal music CD. If Madonna released a new album, one that conforms to the MegaMedia standard, people would buy it regardless. If they did not have a computer, they would still be able to use the disc. If they happened to have a computer, WOW, a bonus, interactive Madonna... Ultimately, we hope that there will eventually be no such thing as a "music only CD." With MegaMedia, a consumer definitely gets more bang for their buck. It is also an excellent avenue for a recording artist to express themselves in an entirely new way. We haven't even mentioned the cinematic implications. Movie previews and tangents are just some ideas. We all know that it took Luke Skywalker more than 10 minutes to train with Yoda and become a Jedi...wonder what happened...BAM!! MegaMedia title right there... Q: This all sounds very nice, but how do you plan to recoup the increased cost of production? A: By crossing industries in the way we propose, the end result is an increased market base. People who never listen to Madonna, may buy her CD if it has an interesting interactive side. The inverse is also true. Typical computer CD-ROM sales in units are nowhere near the music industry's numbers. By criss-crossing and keeping the price low, it is now possible to sell millions of copies of your product in both markets. Q: After listening to all this, it sounds like MONOLITH is more like a rock-group and less like a rigid corporation. A: Exactly. We are very similar to a group of music artists, that's why we are called "MegaMedia Artists..." We can't wait to see other groups pop up... MONOLITH INTERESTING FACTS: During the production of the MONOLITH CD, the individuals that comprise MONOLITH produced over 8 various retail products for other corporations. (This is as individuals, not as a group) Collectively the individuals that comprise MONOLITH have over 30 retail products to their name. DOOM slowed down production of the MONOLITH CD for extended periods of time. DOOM II slowed down production of the MONOLITH CD again. MONOLITH spends a lot of time keeping up on the latest technology. We have actually touched a MONOLITH.