February 10, 2003

Rise of Nations Sneak Preview Beta Contest Launches on Friday

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that gamers will soon have the opportunity to enter the Rise of Nations Sneak Preview Beta Contest for a chance to win one of 1000 copies of the Rise of Nations beta. On Friday, February 14, fans can sign up at the official site ( http://www.riseofnations.com ), where complete contest information and official rules can also be found. Winners will be selected from a random drawing from all entries.

The Rise of Nations beta discs will contain 10 playable nations (18 nations will be included in the final game), three tutorials and the unique Conquer the World campaign. Winners will also be enrolled in the official beta, given access to newsgroups to provide feedback, and allowed to download official beta updates.

Rise of Nations combines the epic scope of traditional turn-based strategy games with the fast-paced action of RTS games. The game allows players to create new cities, improve their city infrastructure and expand national borders. Players have the option to win through military might using everything from slingshots to cannons to stealth bombers, corner the market on key commodities, and wheel and deal with a wide variety of Nations. Unlike other historical RTS games, Rise of Nations allows gamers to quickly play through eight historical epochs of time from the Ancient Age to the Information age, covering 6,000 years of history. This latest title from Big Huge Games Inc. founder Brian Reynolds (designer of Civilization 2 and Alpha Centauri*) is scheduled for U.S. release on April 22, 2003. For more information about Rise of Nations, visit the official site at http://www.riseofnations.com. 

Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for the PC, Xbox video game system and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse game portfolios for the PC (http://www.microsoft.com/games/), including such franchises as Age of Empires, Flight Simulator and Zoo Tycoon; Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/), including such franchises as Halo, Project Gotham Racing and NFL Fever; and Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/), the official games channel for the MSN network and home to such hits as Bejeweled and OutSmart.

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