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Microsoft Shows Game System in Cushing, Okla

Posted on: Thursday, 27 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By Jim Stafford, The Daily Oklahoman

Oct. 27--CUSHING -- The marquee outside a local restaurant here Wednesday said "Welcome Microsoft, Thank You DCA."

Microsoft came to town and unveiled its new Xbox 360 game system, which will be in stores Nov. 22.

Inside the Cushing High School auditorium, the most unexpected local high-tech event of the year occurred in a community of about 8,500 that bills itself as the "pipeline crossroads of the world."

Microsoft showed off the Xbox 360 in what was billed as a prelaunch event before an audience of about 600 students, educators and residents.

Microsoft's long-standing business relationship with Cushing-based DCA Inc. and its founder and chief executive officer, Doug Carson, brought executives from the world's largest software maker to town to make the presentation, said Doug Hebenthal, Microsoft's director of Xbox platform.

"This is really a chance for us to show our appreciation to Doug and to Cushing, and give us a chance to talk about technology," Hebenthal said. "Doug and I both take really seriously the educational opportunities offered by the technology sector. This is a great opportunity to talk to high school students about that."

Founded in 1981, DCA developed many of the optical media systems used by major software companies such as Microsoft to develop gaming and other technologies on disk-based systems. DCA, with industry partners, developed the disk system for Microsoft's original Xbox and for the new Xbox 360.

For many in the audience, DCA was an unknown before it brought Microsoft to town for Wednesday's event.

"Many of you may not be aware that cutting edge optical media businesses such as CD, DVD, Xbox, HD-DVD, Blu-ray -- all that has been going on in Cushing for 25 years now," Carson said. "You may also not be aware that representatives of major global companies are very often in Cushing for meetings, training and to discuss the future of our industry and technologies."

Hebenthal then took the stage and wowed the crowd with the $399 device's wireless gaming features that include the versatility to play music, display photos and network with computers and other Xbox gamers.

Hebenthal even allowed several students to take wireless control of a virtual automobile in a racing game while scores of others pleaded for a turn. But the message that emerged from Hebenthal and Carson centered on the possibilities that education and technology would bring to students even in a small-town community like Cushing.

"My question to you is are you preparing yourselves to impact the world as much as the world is preparing to impact Cushing?" Carson told the students. "I encourage all of you here, students, teachers, the community, everybody, to be among those who want to go out and make things happen in Cushing and worldwide."

When the 30-minute presentation was completed, Hebenthal was surrounded by students who peppered him with questions about the new gaming system.

Among them was Jacob Doak, 16, a Cushing sophomore and self-described "big gamer." He said he is enthusiastically awaiting the new Xbox, but wanted to know about compatibility with older Xbox games.

Cushing mathematics teacher Stoney Matheson said even he was surprised by the DCA's presence in the community and its effect on technology. "I think (the presentation) was designed to show these guys that you can get an education but you can use it in your hometown where you grew up," Matheson said. "I think that's what they were trying to get across here."

--Full name: Doug Carson and Associates Inc.

--Headquarters: Cushing.

--Other locations: Tokyo, Asia headquarters; Aschaffenburg, Germany, European headquarters; sales office in Malaysia.

--Founded: 1981.

--Key executives: Doug Carson, founder and chief executive; Mike Griffith, president and chief operating officer.

--Oklahoma employees: 32.

--Employees elsewhere: 10.

--Business description: DCA provides signal processing technology for the "replication" industry for CD and DVD.

--Doug Carson on operating under the radar in Cushing: "Everyone in the optical media industry knows who we are, where we are and what we can do."

Source: Doug Carson and DCA's Web site at www.dcainc

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MSFT,

Source: The Daily Oklahoman

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