World's Leading Game Publishers Choose Mplayer; Mplayer Takes Off With The Largest, Best and Broadest Range of Games on the 'Net

Business Wire, Oct 13, 1997

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 13, 1997--Games enthusiasts on Mplayer (www.mplayer.com), the industry's top-rated online games service, will soon be able to play the largest, best and broadest range of hit games available anywhere on the Internet. Mplayer today announced that it has partnered with the industry's top game publishers to bring their best new multiplayer games to the service. Featuring more than twenty games, Mplayer's current lineup will jump to over fifty titles -- the most available on any Internet games service.

Game fans will find hit games to suit their every mood. They can test their skills playing such realistic sports games as ABC Interactive's ABC's Monday Night Football '98 and Access Software's Links LS '98 or prove their strategic genius in military games like US Navy Fighters and Sid Meier's Gettysburg from Electronic Arts. Others may indulge in fast-paced action games like ION Storm's Daikatana and Blue Byte's Extreme Assault, or real-time strategy games like Total Annihilation from Cavedog Entertainment. Players can also immerse themselves in richly developed role-playing games like Bethesda Softworks' Battlespire. Mplayer's diverse roster of games even includes multiplayer versions of favorite classic board games and card games like Hearts, Poker, Blackjack, and Spades. Strategy games, fantasy games and arcade racing games such as Kalisto Entertainment's Ultim@te Race Pro or flight simulations like Eidos' Joint Strike Fighter round out the menu. These new titles will join the current list of hit titles on Mplayer that includes such games as Diablo, Scrabble, QUAKE, Blood, and Red Alert.

Tom Garland, vice presidnet of network programming for Mplayer, believes that Mplayer offers games fans the best combination of compelling games and great community. "We've always said that there's something for everyone on Mplayer -- from action games to classic board games -- and now we're expanding the mix," said Garland. "But remember, having the best games is just the beginning. Cutting-edge communications features like voice chat, pagers and buddy lists, and special events, such as chat sessions, training programs and tournaments are all part of what make Mplayer the best hangout for gamers."

New Games on Mplayer's Line Up:

To bring the latest new multiplayer games to the service, Mplayer has formed new partnerships with leading game publishers such as ABC Interactive, Access Software, Inc., Bethesda Softworks, Blue Byte Software, Cavedog Entertainment, Eidos Interactive, Electronic Arts, ION Storm, Kalisto Entertainment, MGM Interactive, Broderbund's Red Orb Entertainment division, and Ripcord Games. The newest additions to Mplayer's line-up include (by game genre):

Action

-- Daikatana (shooter) -- ION Storm/Eidos Interactive -- Deathtrap Dungeon (action/combat) -- Eidos Interactive -- Extreme Assault (action) -- Blue Byte Software -- Machine Hunter (shooter) -- MGM Interactive -- Return Fire II (war action) -- MGM Interactive -- Postal (action) -- Ripcord Games -- Take No Prisoners (shooter) -- Red Orb Entertainment, Broderbund -- Terracide (3D space shooter) -- Eidos Interactive

Strategy

-- Conquest Earth (real-time strategy) -- Eidos Interactive -- Dominion (real-time strategy) -- ION Storm/Eidos Interactive -- Incubation: Time is Running Out (strategy) -- Blue Byte Software -- Sid Meier's Gettysburg (war/strategy) -- Electronic Arts -- Total Annihilation (real-time strategy) -- Cavedog Entertainment -- WarGames (real-time 3D strategy) -- MGM Interactive

Simulations

-- 688(I) Hunter/Killer (submarine simulation) -- Electronic Arts -- ABC Sports Indy Racing: Road to the Indy 500 (car racing

simulation) -- ABC Interactive -- Fighter's Anthology (flight simulation) -- Electronic Arts -- Flying Nightmares 2 (flight simulation) -- Eidos Interactive -- Joint Strike Fighter (flight simulation) -- Eidos Interactive -- O-Zone (flight simulation) -- Electronic Arts -- Road Rash (motorcyle racing simulation) -- Electronic Arts -- Ultim@te Race Pro (arcade racer) -- Kalisto Entertainment -- US Navy Fighters (flight simulation) -- Electronic Arts

Role Playing

-- Battlespire (role-playing) -- Bethesda Softworks

Classics

-- Blackjack (classic/card game) -- Bridge (classic/card game) -- Hearts (classic/card game) -- Pinochle (classic/card game) -- Poker (classic/card game) -- Solitaire (classic/card game) -- Spades (classic/card game)

Sports

-- ABC's Monday Night Football '98 (football) -- ABC Interactive -- ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron (football) --

ABC Interactive -- Links LS, 1998 Edition (golf) -- Access Software, Inc.

Games Already Available on Mplayer

The new titles will join Mplayer's current listing of games that includes:

Action

-- Blood (3D shooter/action) -- GT Interactive -- Chasm: The Rift (3D shooter/action) -- Megamedia -- QUAKE (3D shooter/action) -- id Software Mplayer also features several QUAKE modification games, such as:

QUAKE: Capture the Flag

QUAKE: GLQUAKE