REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 22, 1999 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that according to retail sales figures from PC Data Inc., Microsoft was the No. 1 PC games publisher on dollars in the United States for the first week of November. The company’s rise to the top is fueled by strong licensed sales of
“Age of Empires® II: The Age of Kings TM ,” ”
Asheron’s Call TM ”
and two versions of
“Flight Simulator 2000″
, all of which are among the top 10 best-selling PC game titles in terms of dollar sales for the first week of November. In addition to being the only games publisher with four titles among the top 10, for the first week of November Microsoft also claims the best-selling retail golf and football titles on units for the PC:
”
Links TM LS 2000″
and
“NFL Fever 2000.”
“For the last few years our mantra has been quality over quantity,”
said Ed Fries, general manager for the Games Group at Microsoft.
“Our commitment to investing in only the most talented developers and the most promising titles is really starting to pay off.”
Microsoft holiday game titles include the following:
-
“
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
” is the sequel to the award-winning, best-selling
“Age of Empires.”
The game spans 1,000 years, from the fall of Rome to the Middle Ages, and challenges players to lead one of 13 civilization on to greatness. It was the No. 1 selling PC game at retail in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany for all four weeks in October. -
“
Asheron’s Call
” is a massively multiplayer online game playable exclusively on the MSN TM Gaming Zone ( http://www.zone.com/ ).
“Asheron’s Call”
immerses thousands of players in a dynamic world rich with adventure, magic and mystery. With a completely original story line and customized character creation,
“Asheron’s Call”
provides players with the ability to create an evolving adventure inside an expansive world of more than 500 square miles. -
“
Flight Simulator 2000
” is the newest edition of the best-selling PC flight simulation. PC pilots now have the opportunity to jump inside the cockpit of the Concorde, download real-world weather conditions for their destination, and take off to one of more than 21,000 worldwide airports. For the first time ever Flight Simulator is available in Professional and standard editions. -
“
Links LS 2000
” is the newest edition of the all-time best-selling golf simulation game.
“Links LS 2000”
captures all the precision and passion that has become synonymous with the
“Links LS”
series. Both novice and experienced PC golfers are sure to marvel at the accessibility and unrivaled depth of features in
“Links LS 2000.” -
NBA Inside Drive 2000 is an easy-to-use, hands-on, action-packed basketball game for the PC. The realistically designed graphics re-create the feel of playing in an NBA game, allowing players to experience all of the action at their fingertips
-
“
NFL Fever 2000
” is the intense and realistic arcade-style football game that puts gamers in total control of the game. Gameplay features total control of offense and defense, realistic moves and animations, and many special moves.
“NFL Fever”
features all 31 NFL teams and all the stadiums and current players in a graphically rich 3-D environment.
About Microsoft Games
Microsoft develops and publishes top-quality PC games that excite the imagination of the casual gamer and appeal to the passions of the hard-core player. The company works with some of the best game developers in the industry to create top-selling game titles, including
“Flight Simulator,” “Age of Empires,” “Links,” “MechWarrior”
and the award-winning
“Madness”
line of racing titles. Microsoft supports the largest Internet audience of multiplayer gamers, via its MSN Gaming Zone.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft,
“Age of Empires,” “The Age of Kings,” “Asheron’s Call,” “Links”
and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. NFL Fever 2000 is an officially licensed product of the National Football League.
©1999 Players Inc. The PLAYERS INC. logo is a registered trademark of the NFL Players. NFL Materials ©1999 NFLP. Team names and logos are the trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related marks are trademarks of the National Football League. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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