Apocalypse Now! ``Soldiers of Anarchy'' Ships to Retail; A Next-Generation 3D Strategy Game Set in Post-Apocalyptic 2014 To Arrive At Retail By Friday.

Entertainment Editors & Video Game Writers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2002

Simon & Schuster Interactive announced today that its Real Time Strategy (RTS) game "Soldiers of Anarchy" for the PC (Rated: "T" by the ESRB) has shipped to retail and will be in stores by Friday. SOLDIERS OF ANARCHY (S.O.A.) combines elements of Real Time Strategy (RTS) and squad-based tactical games to create a uniquely customizable single and multiplayer experience. S.O.A. also gives players a complete level and scenario editor that allows players to create new campaigns and multiplayer maps which can be shared with other users.

About S.O.A.

It's 2014. 10 years ago, a near apocalypse forced you and a group of military veterans underground. Now, you emerge to free humanity from its new oppressors. Controlling a fully-customizable squad of soldiers, you must capture modern military weapons, including tanks, helicopters and jets and battle the enemy while protecting your limited resources. Play through 13 missions in this non-linear campaign, where your choices affect the game's outcome.

S.O.A.'s missions require players to think tactically. Use the cover of night or snow to infiltrate enemy installations, and have your soldiers crouch to shoot more accurately. Your soldiers can use any working vehicle in the game, and you can even call in airstrikes against fortified positions. Use brute force, or be sneaky, so long as you complete your objectives.

S.O.A. also offers multiplayer for up to 8 players, using the maps which ship with the game as well as user-created maps posted on the website. S.O.A. ships with the developer's editor used to create the missions and maps for the game so you can use actual game tools to build new single and multiplayer maps, even new movies and cut-scenes.

S.O.A.'s powerful 3D engine offers destructible environments, 23 different units, the ability to customize vehicles, weather effects such as rain, snow and wind, and day and night missions. Spend endless hours exploring the non-linear campaign and building new worlds within the game.

Features

-- Unique blend of genres -- Real-time strategy meets squad-based tactics...control a squad of soldiers and their vehicles in real time.

-- Customize dozens of weapons and vehicles.

-- Use the actual game editor to create your own single and multiplayer missions, cut-scenes and movies and post them to the Web.

-- Thrilling multiplayer for up to eight players.

-- Fully-destructible 3D environments -- including weather effects such as wind, snow, dusk and night.

-- Fully controllable camera.

Availability

SOLIDERS OF ANARCHY will be available this weekend for the PC (Windows(R) XP/2000/ME/98).

ESRB Rating

SOLDIERS OF ANARCHY is rated "T" or "Teen" by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). More information on the ESRB and its rating system can be found at www.esrb.org.

Simon & Schuster Interactive (www.ssinteractive.com) is the digital entertainment unit of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Based in New York, S&SI publishes entertainment, education and reference titles for the PC, Macintosh, Pocket PC, Sony Playstation 2(R), Microsoft Xbox(R), Nintendo(R) Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM).

Simon & Schuster, the publishing operation of Viacom Inc., is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic and multi-media formats. Its divisions include the Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster New Media, Simon & Schuster Online, Simon & Schuster U.K. and Simon & Schuster Australia. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.simonsays.com.

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