Aris Multimedia Entertainment, Inc., was founded in October, 1991, in Portland, Oregon, by Chris Kitze and Diane Heppting. Chris is regarded by many as a pioneer in the field of electronic publishing and CD ROM software development. Diane has had a long history of product management and marketing positions for various computer peripheral companies over the past decade.
In February, 1992, the company moved to Marina del Rey, California, an oceanside city bordering West Los Angeles. In March, 1993, in order to accommodate the rapid growth the company had undergone during its first 18 months, Aris moved again to larger headquarters, also in Marina del Rey.
In its first full year, the company released a total of nine titles on CD ROM, including MPC Wizard, a $14.95 collection of MPC video and audio drivers which rose in less than six months to become the top selling CD ROM in the country, and eight multimedia clip art collections, known as the MediaClip series.
These include "Business Backgrounds," "Full Bloom," "Island Designs," "Jet & Props," "Majestic Places," "Money Money Money!," "Wild Places" and "WorldView," which now includes 25 Microsoft Video for Windows-compatible video clips. Each MediaClips title offers 100 photographic images and 100 sounds. Beginning in 1993, all new MediaClips titles such as Deep Voyage and Tropical Rainforest will also offer Microsoft Video for Windows-compatible video clips as standard.
Aris Entertainment has received kudos in the national press for both the quality and sales of its titles. In April, 1993, the company's best-selling utility product, MPC Wizard, was ranked number one in national retail sales for all CD ROM products, according to PC Research. An article in Fortune named Wild Places as the nation's fourth best-selling CD ROM title, according to the Bureau of Electronic Publishing. Another survey of CD ROM sales gave Aris the distinction of holding two of the nation's top 10 titles. In addition, WorldView was selected as a finalist in the 1992 Multimedia World Readers' Choice Awards, and has consistently placed in the top 10 for national retail sales of CD ROM titles as well as in the top three for entertainment products on CD ROM.
The company's plans for 1993 include a continued aggressive pace of title development and release, particularly in what the company refers to as "true multimedia software," including its upcoming release of its first game title, "Video Cube," and "e-World," a series of interactive movies.
"The company's philosophy is to develop distinct product lines rather than individual titles," said Heppting. "This will allow dealers to build a franchise around a popular line of multimedia CD ROM products, with repeat sales being generated for each new title without having to sell a brand new concept every time."
