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MEDIA ALERT: JULY 27, 2000

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COMBAT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2: WWII PACIFIC THEATER STORMS EAA AIRVENTURE IN OSHKOSH

Microsoft today announced that flight enthusiasts attending the Experimental Aircraft Associations's (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2000 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will have the opportunity to test fly Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater three months before its scheduled release. Combat Flight Simulator 2 is available for demonstration now through August 2, 2000. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the world's premier recreation aviation event, annually drawing more than 800,000 people and 12,000 airplanes. For daily updates from the air show, gamers can tune into Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/flightsim2000/news.asp) for the latest news.

Combat Flight Simulator 2 takes the excitement, realism and challenge of the best-selling Combat Flight Simulator from the skies over Europe to the South Pacific for one of the most fierce air battles of World War II. Amid the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) of 1941-43, players will start out as rookie ensigns and will be challenged to hone their skills to become ace of the skies by engaging in one thrilling air battle after another. Combat Flight Simulator 2 takes combat realism beyond the fighter plane to the pilots who fought in the fierce action. The story line unfolds in gritty realism as the war rages across the Solomon Islands. Players can fly for either the Japanese or U.S. Navy in more than 120 distinctly intense and taxing missions.

Rendered in meticulous detail, the aircraft featured in Combat Flight Simulator 2 are four times more graphically detailed than those in the original game. Each aircraft featured in the game is based on extensive research and detailed models taken from Flight Simulator 2000, which was recently selected for a U.S. Navy training program for its unparalleled realism. Planes feature their own unique flight model, performance style and detailed cockpit. Players can even watch the Corsair's wings fold on the aircraft carrier pitching deck as they land with a bone-dry fuel tank. Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater will be available at retail locations throughout North America in October for an anticipated street price of US$49.99.

For more information on EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2000, visit:

http://www.airventure.org 

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