June 20, 2002

Rise to the Occasion! Rise of Nations Fan Site Kit Now Available

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the official Rise of Nations Fan Site Kit (FSK) is now available at http://www.microsoft.com/games/riseofnations/.  The Rise of Nations FSK file (6 MB) contains the following items to help webmasters achieve global supremacy with a Rise of Nations site of their own:

• A readme.rtf file complete with helpful hints to get webmasters started

• Rise of Nations logo in jpg format

• Big Huge Games logo in jpg and tga format

• Four interface icons in psd format

• Four unit screenshots in jpg format

• 11 building screenshots in jpg format

• 49 development team headshots in jpg format

• Eight unit animations in gif format

Rise of Nations combines the epic scope of turn-based strategy games like Civilization with the fast-paced action of RTS games. In Rise of Nations, players build a city and then improve its infrastructure, create new cities and expand national borders. Gamers have the option to win through military might, using everything from slingshots and cannons to stealth bombers, or they can corner the market on key commodities as they wheel and deal with a wide variety of civilizations. Unlike other historical RTS games, Rise of Nations allows gamers to quickly play through history, from early civilization to the modern age. This latest title from Big Huge Games Inc. founder Brian Reynolds (designer of Civilization 2 and Alpha Centauri*) is scheduled for U.S. release in spring 2003.

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 PC (http://www.microsoft.com/games/), including such franchises as "Age of Empires®," "Flight Simulatorä" and "Zoo Tycoonä"; Xbox ( http://www.xbox.com/ ), including such franchises as "Haloä," "Project Gotham Racingä" and "NFL Fever"; and Zone.com ( http://zone.msn.com ), the official games channel for the MSN® network and home to such hits as "Bejeweled" and "Outsmartä."

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* Although actually designed by Brian Reynolds, the games "Civilization II" and "Alpha Centauri" were originally marketed under the "Sid Meier" brand, e.g., as Sid Meier's "Civilization II" and Sid Meier's "Alpha Centauri." CIVILIZATION is a registered trademark of Infogrames. ALPHA CENTAURI is a registered trademark of Firaxis Games. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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