ISAN Expands to Cover Video Games

ISAN Expands to Cover Video Games

GENEVA, Switzerland and LAS VEGAS NAB2006, April 24/PRNewswire/ --

- New International Standard for Audiovisual Identification Will Help
Deliver Better Entertainment Experiences for Films, Videos and Games

- Indication: An image can be downloaded under:
http://www.presseportal.ch/de/story.htx?firmaid=100010097&lang=2

ISAN International Agency (ISAN-IA) announced today the 'ISAN Video Games
Schema', new descriptive metadata linked to the ISAN standard enabling the
video games industry to accurately, permanently and uniquely identify each of
its works.

"Fuelled by the rapid expansion of video elements in video games and the
multitude of platforms to which they are delivered, pushed us to expand ISAN
to the games industry," said Patrick Attallah, chief executive officer of
ISAN-IA. "ISAN-IA will continue this year to expand the ISAN standard onto
other segment of the audiovisual industry to include advertising and TV after
tackling the film industry last year."

The new ISAN schema allows video games editors and publishers to register
metadata that includes content rating systems and codes such as ESRB, getting
ISAN allocated in return, enabling them to provide consumers and especially
parents new and improved ways to evaluate their viewing choices for
themselves and their families.

"The expansion of the ISAN standard to include video games is important
because it provides a standardized vehicle for the entertainment industry to
share essential information about each game title, and it helps make that
information easily accessible to the consumer while enabling new rich
advertising scenarios," said Chris Satchell, General Manager, Game Developer
Group at Microsoft Corp. "Our library of Microsoft games is being loaded into
the ISAN system, and we intend to have future products registered there as
well."

ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number) is a
voluntary numbering system for the identification of audiovisual works. ISAN
gives registered works a unique, permanent, internationally recognized
reference number, identifying the work and its related versions at every
point of its lifecycle. ISAN is designed to be read by humans and processed
in information systems, as a 24-bit hexadecimal digit.

ISAN is more than a number; it is a complete identification
service, linking works to associated metadata by the registrant. ISAN is an
important aid in providing and promoting audiovisual content. When
implemented, ISAN will allow users to look up and use a globally unique,
internationally recognized and permanent reference number for each
audiovisual work registered in the ISAN-IA system. ISAN will be used in
production and distribution systems, broadcasting applications and electronic
program guides.

ISAN-IA invites video games editors and publishers to sign up and begin
registration process by visiting www.isan.org.

About ISAN

The International Standard Audiovisual Number is a human and
machine-readable number allowing users to uniquely identify A/V works and
different versions of works. Together with web based registration and
querying services provided by an ecosystem of supporting organizations, ISAN
is the complete solution to audiovisual content identification.

ISAN is designed to help producers, distributors, broadcasters,
scriptwriters, artists or rights-holders of audiovisual works to accurately
track the use of their works and aid in providing, promoting and protecting
them. Consumers will also benefit from ISAN, which can form the basis for
sophisticated retrieval of programmes or information about them via advanced
media services, e.g. digital TV electronic program guides and internet search
engines.

The ISAN International Agency (ISAN-IA), founded by AGICOA, CISAC and
FIAPF, maintains the central database of ISANs and associated metadata, and
appoints and coordinates a worldwide network of ISAN Registration Agencies
(ISAN RAs), servicing authorized ISAN users. For more information, please
visit www.isan.org.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.

Web: http://www.isan.org

Press Contact:
Patrick Attallah
Chief Executive Officer
Tel.: +41-22-545-1001
Email: news@isan.org

Source: The ISAN International Agency (ISAN-IA)

Patrick Attallah, Chief Executive Officer, Tel.: +41-22-545-1001

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