Los Angeles County - News from Aug. 29, 1994

Intercity Virtual Reality Debut: Virtual World, the Glendale-based high-tech entertainment company run by Tim Disney (Walt’s grandnephew), plans to launch a service Thursday that will allow consumers in its five U.S. locations to play the firm’s sophisticated video games with each other using phone lines and computers. The network takes advantage of the increasing availability of a high-speed, low-cost phone technology known as Integrated Services Digital Network, which is provided by local phone companies. “Pilots” at Virtual World’s centers in San Diego; Walnut Creek, Calif.; Chicago; Dallas, and Las Vegas will be able to interact in real time as they maneuver through computer simulations. They will also be able to communicate on-line via CompuServe and a video speaker phone. A Los Angeles-based Virtual World center is scheduled to open later this year.