TOKYO, October 18 /PRNewswire/ --

- For Enhanced Process Speed and Functions and Well-Developed
Support Tools for Developers

HI CORPORATION (Headquarters: Meguro-Ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kazuo
Kawabata hereinafter "HI") (Jasdaq: 3846) announced today that the company
has developed MascotCapsule eruption, the latest version of the 3D rendering
engine MascotCapsule series (hereinafter "eruption").

In developing eruption, HI focused on improving the process speed that is
most required in content processing and utilizing HI's know-how in every
aspect of the product including data structures, API, and coding to realize a
dramatically improved speed engine process compared to traditional products.
By using this product, users can get the best performance from 3D hardware
accelerators whose process speeds are ever improving in order to enjoy the
contents of higher frame rates.

eruption has five major features:
    (1) Performance
        Improved process speed compared to traditional 3D rendering engines.
        Enhanced performance to display more polygons in one window (Note 1).
    (2) Renditions and effect
        Enhanced functions of effects such as particles, bump maps, and light
        maps (Note 2). Various rendition functions allow users to enjoy
        rendering 3D, not just drawing 3D.
    (3) Avatar (Note 3) control
        Equipped with improved functions related to avatars, which are
        frequently used in community functions and online games for easier
        development and users' fun, such as a function to add items to an
        avatar and an item management function to support item changes.
    (4) Development environment
        Enhanced development tools to fully utilize various functions
        including a tool to create a particle effect such as smoke or 
        splashes of water. Users can specify complicated renditions and 
        functions using tools in a graphical and intuitive manner.
    (5) Support and expandability
        High expandability allows a quick response to a rapidly changing
        mobile development environment. Enhanced technical support is
        provided, including the developer's site that provides abundant demos
        and example codes. Of course, commercial 3D production tools are
        supported (Note 4) like the previous MascotCapsule series.

The new engine and development environment that has been developed by
combining HI's 3D rendering engine development technology and 3D content
development technology allows content developers to realize a wider range of
3D graphics renditions more easily and with higher performance. Capcom
Entertainment, Inc. has already appreciated the features of this engine. The
latest version of the popular series "Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition", which
is planned to be released for cellular phones, was developed using eruption.

HI CORPORATION expects to provide more familiar and enjoyable 3D graphics
such as mobile 3D games and online games, virtual communities, avatars and
user interfaces.

(Expected execution environment of MascotCapsule eruption)
    -- CPU
       Capable of 32-bit integer arithmetic and with clock speed of about
       150MHz (floating point arithmetic is not required)
    -- Memory
       About 200KB
    -- Work area
       About 1MB including the data load area (depends on content data)
    -- 3D hardware accelerator
       Supports accelerators that have OpenGL-ES1.x, 2.0 interface
    -- Supported platforms / OS
       BREW, Java, Linux, Microsoft Windows CE, Microsoft Windows Mobile,
       Symbian OS, etc (and other environments that support C language)

    
    Note 1: The specific process speed and number of polygons that can be
            displayed depend on the executing environment.
    Note 2: Each is a 3D graphics effect. Particle is an effect to draw a set
            of particles in a batch based on parameters such as movement and
            change of shapes etc. Bump mapping renders effects without
            increasing the calculation amount as the surface is irregular.
            Light map uses light distribution as texture.
    Note 3: A character that is used in 2D/3D Internet communities etc. as an
            alter ego, or the service that enables using it.
    Note 4: XSI, Maya, 3ds Max, and LightWave, etc.

    -- MascotCapsule is a registered trademark of HI CORPORATION in Japan.
    -- Other company names and product names are trademarks or registered
       trademarks of their respective owners.

About HI CORPORATION

For more information, please visit 
http://www.hicorp.co.jp/english/index.html .

For further information, please contact:
    
     HI CORPORATION
     Marketing Division:
     Pam Hung, Mitsutaka Monma
     Tel: +81-3-3710-9376
     Email: press@hicorp.co.jp