MAY 2, 2001

MECHCOMMANDER 2 SNEAK PREVIEW SIGN-UP STARTS FRIDAY

Microsoft today announced that at an undisclosed time on Friday, May 4, gamers will be able to sign up for the chance to win a sneak preview copy of MechCommander 2 at http://www.microsoft.com/games/mechcommander2/, or any of the other 13 participating sites around the Web.

A select group of gamers will win exclusive sneak preview copies for this highly anticipated game. Would-be MechCommanders will want to check the sites frequently, as the forms will be posted at an unspecified time. The official MechCommander 2 site will also list all of the participating sites hosting the sign-up form. Ten lucky winners will be chosen from each participating site, along with 50 additional winners randomly selected from all entries.

Winners will 'Know what it is to command' -- months before the game hits store shelves. MechCommander 2 sneak preview winners will receive:

* A preview CD of the game, complete with limited edition CD artwork

* Access to a private newsgroup to report gaming experience and discuss strategies for better play

* Private chat with the MechCommander 2 development team on May 31 on Zone.com

MechCommander 2 gives gamers more than amazing gameplay -- it draws them into the rich, 16-year history of the BattleTech Universe. Players will be immersed in intense tactical gameplay, commanding up to 16 enormous BattleMechs in real-time combat, where outsmarting the enemy is their key to victory. MechCommander 2 is fully 3D, with state-of-the-art terrain that can be maneuvered to the gamer's advantage. Players can knock down trees, blow through walls, jump jet onto cliffs and step on things standing in their way to victory!

While a lone MechWarrior can wield up to 100 tons of "Mechanized" death, the MechCommander rules the battlefield from above, imposing his strategic will and mastering all he surveys. When he issues an order to jump, MechWarriors obey. When something needs to be destroyed, the MechCommander need only finger the target. He rules the battlefield with an iron fist, commanding his units from the orbital dropship.

MechCommander 2 will also include full support for Internet play, with matchmaking available on Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/). For more information on the game, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/games/mechcommander2/

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Arbuthnot Communications, Inc.

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