Electronic Arts Ships Soviet Strike for The PlayStation; Latest Strike Video Game Designed for 32-Bit Platform; Offers 3D Models and Photo Realistic Terrain

Business Wire, Oct 29, 1996

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1996--Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), a leading global interactive entertainment software company, today announced the shipment of its 32-bit action strategy title, Soviet Strike for the PlayStation.

The latest entry in the top-selling Strike series offers an array of new features including: a new game engine that delivers realistic 3D terrain and vehicles, improved artificial intelligence for dynamic enemy behavior, an interactive music system and a fresh, progressive story line that's drawn from today's headlines.

The Soviet Strike story focuses on an ex-KGB general, code-named "Shadowman," who is trying to return Soviet hardliners to power. The game player is part of the "Strike Team" that must neutralize Shadowman before he succeeds. As in previous Strike games, the player pilots a Super Apache helicopter behind enemy lines to progress through the game's five levels and, via a mix of action and strategy, complete each of Soviet Strike's 40 missions.

Game players carry out a multitude of daring assignments from taking on hordes of Russian tanks and handling eleventh-hour, high-risk rescue missions, to capturing an enemy commander or sweeping Russian President Yeltsin out of the Kremlin with the enemy in hot pursuit.

Through each mission, the game player is aided by in-game audio and video clues, intelligence and terrain maps. By reviewing these briefings the player is able to understand the best tactic for each situation. Reflecting the Strike series theme, the objective of the game is to stop the war before it begins; the fate of Russia's struggling democracy is in the game player's hands.

To add more realism into the game, Electronic Arts (EA) used several military warfare consultants including: the air combat strategist from the Gulf War, an arms expert, and a counter-terrorism and hostage rescue specialist. Discussions with the Gulf War strategist led to the creation of the game's Strike-net feature.

Strike-net is a steady stream of worldwide intelligence gathered by Strike organization members and fed to the player to help him map out his strategy.

"The consultants injected more excitement and realism into the game," said Rod Swanson, director of Soviet Strike. "They helped us understand and work into the game the emotional responses to combat situations. Many things happen simultaneously and you have to figure out what strategy will help you reach your objective first without injury to you or those you're saving. The game is an adrenaline rush, just as it is in real combat."

Revolutionary New Technology

The Soviet Strike game engine was built from the ground up to support specific design requirements, making for more robust gameplay in terms of graphics, action, challenge and music. The game uses 3D technology to create realistic vehicles, pyrotechnics and terrain textures. Soviet Strike is set in a topographical world complete with hills, rivers, canyons and frozen lakes.

In addition, Soviet Strike allows players to follow any path of action they desire; terrain and most combat situations in the game are not repeated. Action takes place in photo-realistic worlds where all of the terrain is unique. This is achieved through streaming of data, objects and textures for on-screen images from the CD. In comparison, more conventional games have a set number of paths with predetermined, repetitive terrain that a player must progress through during the game.

Soviet Strike also touts strong artificial intelligence that gives the game a living battlefield and more challenging enemy behavior. The entire world is always active, even when the action is off screen. This creates a "living battlefield" where combat situations evolve and react dynamically to the player.

A player can either engage the enemy or move onto another situation while his foes continue the battle in another part of the screen. If the player doesn't take out the enemy while confronting them, the enemy may circle back and attack the player or overrun friendly forces later in the game.

Adding spark to Soviet Strike, EA developed an Interactive Music System (IMS) that allows the music to keep pace with the player's moves. As the action heats up so does the music; as it slows the music does too. In contrast, music used in other games consistently repeats.

Soviet Strike for the PlayStation carries a suggested retail price of $59.95. In addition to the game, EA has unveiled a related Web site (http://www.Strike-Net.com). The site includes elements such as behind the scenes information on the game's development, screen shots, quicktime movies and frequently asked questions.

Electronic Arts, headquartered in San Mateo, California, is a leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, EA posted revenues over $530 million for fiscal 1996. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for personal computers and advanced entertainment systems such as the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.