So why are people going ape?  In just two years the Zoo Tycoon games have grown to mammoth proportions, offering a robust assortment of animals and content via expansion packs and downloads for animal lovers and gamers to enjoy.  With more than 100 animals and 500 building materials and attractions to choose from, players have everything they need to create the most beautiful and vibrant zoo imaginable.  True animal lovers will succeed because the game depends on the happiness and well-being of their animals and the preservation of their habitats.  But with all of these great features, Zoo Tycoon fans can’t seem to get enough!  

To celebrate Zoo Tycoon’s anniversary and thank its millions of fans worldwide, Microsoft Game Studios and Blue Fang Games is offering a unique Endangered Species Theme Pack – free of charge! The bonus theme pack features 12 animals on the endangered and/or threatened species list, including orangutans, whale sharks, Komodo dragons, and more.  With more than 40 objects and three zookeeping scenarios, players will get a chance to tend to a whole new collection of animals.  The theme pack can be downloaded at www.zootycoon.com.

And to further extend efforts to draw awareness to wildlife, Microsoft Game Studios is working in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation® (NWF) to promote the conservation of wildlife.  To encourage animal awareness, visitors to the Zoo Tycoon web page will find a link to the NWF homepage (www.nwf.org), where they can learn more about the organization and its efforts to conserve wildlife.  NWF visitors will be given the chance to link back and check out Zoo Tycoon. Together, Microsoft Game Studios and the NWF hope to unite animal lovers of all kinds to work toward maintaining the many creatures of the world for years to come.

Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for Windows, Xbox video game system and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse games for Windows (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™.

The National Wildlife Federation is the nation’s largest member-supported conservation advocacy and education group, uniting people from all works of life to protect nature, wildlife, and the world we all share. 

Blue Fang Games, LLC is a computer game development company located outside Boston, Massachusetts. The company was founded by Adam Levesque and John Wheeler, two former Papyrus Racing veterans who led the development of the best-selling and critically acclaimed NASCAR Racing series.  Formed in July 1998, Blue Fang developed the top-selling PC game “Zoo Tycoon,” as well as “Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs”, “Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania”, and “Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection. For more information on Blue Fang Games go to www.bluefang.com.