Electronic Arts Ships Krush, Kill 'n Destroy; Australian Developer Delivers a Real-Time Strategy Game With Enhanced Artificial Intelligence and 3-D Terrain

Business Wire, March 5, 1997

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 1997--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), a leading global interactive entertainment software company, today began shipping Krush, Kill 'n Destroy (KKND) for PC-CD.

Developed and published by Melbourne House, KKND is a real-time strategy game about two warring parties fighting for the earth's remaining resources in a post-apocalyptic future. KKND features enhanced artificial intelligence (AI), detailed 3-D rendered landscapes with high-resolutions graphics, and network modem multiplayer support.

As the games begins, the player learns that a nuclear war has wiped out most of humanity 60 years ago. Some of the population went underground and are known as The Survivors. Others stayed on the earth's surface and are known as The Evolved. The Survivors are the more organized and militaristic of the two, while The Evolved have mutated into ferocious, radio-active fighters. The Survivors have now run out of resources and are emerging from their underground world in search of food, but The Evolved move to defend their land and war breaks out. Oil is the prime commodity in this war because it fuels the fighting machines and provides each side with the wealth needed to build new machines and repair old ones. Profits are used to build rigs for collecting oil and purchase storage tanks and trucks for transport. The players' role in KKND is to control the earth's oil supply through strategic resource management and by exploiting the best fighting talents of the side they have chosen to control.

In single-player mode with the computer as opponent, KKND supplies the most challenging real-time strategy game AI yet. Other games of the genre offer limited AI where the computer simply finds the enemy and attacks. With KKND, however, the computer AI will send scouts to test the players' defenses and respond to what is discovered in various ways. For instance, if outnumbered the computer opponent may retreat, or attack from multiple vantage points simultaneously. Also, as the opposing side gains experience, individuals become better fighters, inflict more damage and, as they reach veteran status, learn to heal themselves.

Technology Supports Appealing Gameplay

Crisp 3-D rendered landscapes helped create KKND's world of varied terrain and objects. This gives players the ability to differentiate among the game's 50 different infantries, warriors, buildings, vehicles and animals. Also, the 3-D landscape allows players to manipulate and interact with characters as they walk under bridges, up hills and behind structures, adding interesting dimensions to the strategic elements of KKND.

KKND features 30 single-player missions, plus 10 multiplayer levels. Multiplayer options include network support for up to six players, and modem support for two players. KKND is also included in Electronic Arts Multiplayer Matchup service on its Web site located at http://www.ea.com . To register, a player enters his/her name, area code, e-mail address, and Electronic Arts games he/she wants to play. To find a multiplayer game, the player searches the database for a suitable adversary, clicks on his/her e-mail address, and sends a note to schedule a matchup.

KKND has a suggested retail price of $39.95. It runs in DOS 5.0 or greater and is Windows 95 compatible.

Electronic Arts, headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., is a leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts 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. Electronic Arts markets its products worldwide under five brand names: Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, ORIGIN Systems Inc., Bullfrog Productions Ltd. and Jane's Combat Simulations. Electronic Arts has international subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and US development operations in San Mateo, Calif.; Baltimore, Md.; Austin, Texas; and Seattle. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://www.ea.com .

Beam International Limited is a holding company for the Beam Group, the principal operating company of which is Beam Software International Pty Ltd. Beam Software was established in 1980 to develop multimedia products in the games and edutainment markets, and most recently under the Melbourne House label with the release, Krush Kill, 'n Destroy. Its principal business is the development of computer games and multimedia products of the highest standard in sports, edutainment, arcade, and adventure. Their web site can be accessed at http://www.beam.com.au/kknd/ . -0-

Note to Editors: Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, ORIGIN Systems, Multiplayer Matchup, and Bullfrog Productions, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts or its wholly-owned subsidiaries. KKND and Melbourne House are trademarks or registered trademarks of Beam Software. Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Jane's is a registered trademark of Jane's Information Group Ltd.