Gamers Fight for the Highest Bidder in “MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries”

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2002 — Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2002, Microsoft Game Studios announced that
“MechWarrior® 4: Mercenaries,”
the latest installment in the ever-popular
“MechWarrior”
franchise, is in development and scheduled for release this fall. Updating the critically acclaimed guns-for-hire theme of the original
“Mercenaries”
title,
“MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries”
adds an edgy standalone chapter to the ongoing saga.

“MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries takes fans back to one of the most popular gaming themes in the Mech universe: playing for cold hard cash,”
said T.J. Wagner, a producer at FASA Studios.
“By combining the soldier-of-fortune gameplay of Mercenaries and the stunning MechWarrior 4 game engine, weve created the ultimate Mech game that fans have been asking for.”

Developed by Cyberlore Studios in conjunction with Microsofts FASA Studios,
“MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries”
features 10 new Mechs, in addition to the Mechs previously released with
“MechWarrior 4: Vengeance”
and
“MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Expansion”
; an assortment of weapons; and new electronics packages that enhance the Mechs defensive capabilities. A dynamic single-player campaign offers players more than 40 missions spanning 10 planets. And for the first time in the history of the franchise, players will be able to command a secondary lance.

“MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries”
follows the rise to power of a newly formed mercenary MechWarrior company, allowing players to experience a captivating storyline that evolves as players take action during the game. Sponsored by one of four legendary mercenary groups, the Wolfs Dragoons, Northwind Highlanders, Kell Hounds or Gray Death Legion, gamers are challenged to decide whether to remain a neutral party in the conflict or to accept contracts that will pit them against one of the great Noble Houses.

Improvements to the multiplayer capabilities are among the most significant additions to
“MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries,”
which will include 19 multiplayer maps and two new multiplayer game types. Gamers can choose to play in the C-Bill game, where teams are restricted by the amount of money theyve earned, or in the Mercenary Affiliation Zone games, where players track the success of each of the four mercenary units and join forces with their favorite one through Zone.com.

About Microsoft Game Studios

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 Simulator”
and
“Zoo Tycoon™ ”
; Xbox ( http://www.xbox.com/ ), including such franchises as
“Halo™ ,” “Project Gotham Racing™ ”
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
“OutSmart™ .”

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies 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.

The information contained in this press release relates to a prerelease software product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the software product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it.

Microsoft, MechWarrior, Xbox, Age of Empires, Zoo Tycoon, Halo, Project Gotham Racing, MSN and Outsmart are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsofts corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. Journalists and analysts may contact Microsofts Rapid Response Team for additional assistance.

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