May 12, 2003

Rise of Nations Trial Version Lets Gamers Change the Course of History on Their Lunch Hour

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the Rise of Nations trial version is now available from the game's official site at http://www.riseofnations.com.  Rise of Nations will hit North American stores on May 20, but gamers will be able to get their first taste of this spring's most anticipated strategy game by downloading the trial version today.

In the trial version, gamers can choose between four of the 18 nations featured in the retail version of Rise of Nations. Players will be able to play through the tutorial and then try their hand on the field of battle on one of four different map types. The estimated retail price for Rise of Nations is $49.95 (U.S.).

Rise of Nations combines the epic scope of traditional turn-based strategy (TBS) 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. Gamers can play a quick battle on any map as one of 18 nations, or play Conquer the World, the unique blending of TBS and RTS gameplay. This latest title from Big Huge Games Inc. founder Brian Reynolds (designer of Civilization 2 and Alpha Centauri) will be available at retailers in North American on May 20, 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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