PRISONER OF WAR ELEVATES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO NEW HEIGHTS

New Details Confirm Revolutionary Artificial Life System for Codemasters’ Upcoming Action/Adventure Game

NEW YORK, NY, July 5, 2001 – Codemasters today confirmed additional details for its upcoming title Prisoner Of War (POW), the highly anticipated WW2 adventure game set for release on PC and other next generation platforms in 2002. Currently in development by Wide Games, POW will boast a robust, state-of-the-art Artificial Life engine that will effectively redefine the capabilities of artificial intelligence in gaming.

The Artificial Life engine builds upon the famous “Boids” system developed by A-life specialist Craig Reynolds. The advanced potential field steering mechanism is designed specifically for POW and authentically creates behavior patterns for the many prisoners and camp guards throughout the game.

The engine facilitates the natural movement of both individuals and groups, as well as the realistic simulation of crowd behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating a populated environment of believable characters that must carry out the daily tasks of a camp regimen while also reacting to any escape attempts by the player. This approach avoids the excessive scripting of non-player characters (NPCs) and allows them, instead, to literally observe the environment around them and react to changes dynamically.

“The A-life perception system for Prisoner of War is more complex than anything used in any other game thus far,” said Carl Jones of Wide Games. “We hope that the increased realism and natural flow that this fosters will provide a richer and more immersive gameplay experience for the player.”

In addition to being used with the NPCs, POW’s A-life engine will also be used to coordinate the actions of the player’s character should it be left unattended. If the player leaves the controls alone for more than a few moments, the AI takes over and carries the character through his daily routine (eating, sleeping, going to roll-call, etc). This can prove invaluable for the player, who can watch for opportunities to escape without worrying about his character’s inactivity rousing the suspicion of the guards.

Prisoner of War captures the intrigue, danger and heroism of Allied escape attempts from prisoner of war camps during World War II, including Colditz Castle – the Germans’ highest security “escape-proof” camp. Gameplay delivers a tense 3rd person adventure where bravery, stealth and cunning will win the day.

ABOUT CODEMASTERS Established in 1986, UK-based Codemasters, is one of Europe’s best-selling game-makers, developing and publishing titles for the console platform and PC. Codemasters products first appeared on US retail shelves in 1999. The company’s 2001 slate of titles, including Blade of Darkness and Operation Flashpoint furthers its goal of providing energetic, compelling and innovative entertainment to gaming fans of all genres. In keeping with the company’s mission to remain on the cusp of the gaming wave, Codemasters is developing games for online and next generation platforms. Codemasters can be found at www.codemasters.com

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