Cavedog Entertainment, a GT Interactive Company, to Launch Boneyards; Takes Online Multiplayer Gaming to the Next Level.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 1998--

Boneyards Community Available to Players of

Total Annihilation(TM) Plus

Future GT Interactive and Cavedog Entertainment Products

Galactic Wars(TM) Debut to Revolutionize

Cooperative Multiplayer Gaming Experience

Cavedog Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GT Interactive Software Corp. (Nasdaq:GTIS), today announced the December beta launch of Boneyards(TM), an online gaming community designed to provide seamless access to multiplayer gaming for owners of Cavedog Entertainment and GT Interactive games. Featuring an extremely robust set of features, including the revolutionary cooperative multiplayer game Galactic Wars(TM) for players of Total Annihilation(TM), Boneyards stands to redefine online multiplayer gaming.

Initially designed and slated to support the company's flagship product Total Annihilation, Boneyards compatibility will be included in future Cavedog Entertainment software titles including Total Annihilation: Kingdoms(TM), Amen: The Awakening(TM), Elysium(TM) and Good & Evil(TM). Additionally, select future GT Interactive games will be Boneyards-enabled.

Following a limited beta test in December, Boneyards will become available to the general public for free early next year. At that time, owners of the original Total Annihilation will be provided an upgrade via www.cavedog.com, which will make their copy of the game Boneyards-compatible. In addition, players who currently enjoy playing Total Annihilation on other game services will be pleased to learn that the game will remain readily available on all major online gaming services, including Heat.net, Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone (IGZ), Kali, Mplayer, Total Entertainment Network (TEN) and Wireplay.

"We covered a lot of new territory and tried some new things, such as free downloadable units and 3D architecture, when we released Total Annihilation last year. Boneyards is just a natural extension of that effort to provide players with a better gaming experience," said Ron Gilbert, creative director and co-founder of Cavedog Entertainment. "Total Annihilation is still a very popular multiplayer game and the Boneyards' game Galactic Wars should add some new fun and surprises to the mix."

"Cavedog Entertainment has continually broken the mold with innovative products, game design and unique implementation of groundbreaking ideas leveraging the Internet," said Ron Chaimowitz, chairman and CEO of GT Interactive Software Corp. "As one of our award-winning internal studios, the company has and will continue to play a major role in GT Interactive's goal to deliver an exciting and compelling online gaming experience."

Cavedog Entertainment's Boneyards:

Boneyards will provide Cavedog Entertainment players quick and easy access to new worlds of multiplayer Internet fun. Personalized and scalable arenas for chatting, opportunities to challenge opponents and initiate multiplayer battles, a deep ladder and ranking system, company-sponsored tournaments and custom user profiles are just some of its many features. Boneyards will also handle automatic score reporting among a host of participating Internet gaming services, enable players to immediately jump into "free-for-all" games with one button click, and match people for games based on certain play styles and parameters set by the player. Plus, Boneyards players can participate in grand-scale cooperative multiplayer gaming with Galactic Wars.

Galactic Wars Experience:

Galactic Wars will offer players a chance to become much more deeply involved in the Total Annihilation universe and with its two warring forces, the Arm and Core. Upon entering the online game, players will be asked to choose which side to fight for (either Arm or Core) and will then be given the rank of "Private" for that side. Game play takes place in planetary systems across a Galactic Map. Each system is represented by a series of 50 to 70 interconnected worlds. At the beginning of the Galactic Wars, the map is evenly divided between Arm and Core controlled planets. Where the sides meet, planets are placed in a state of contention. It is on these planets "in contention" that war will be waged for their control. Players will then select a planet to fight for in an attempt to win the world or ensure its safety from competing players. Once a planet has been selected, the player will be launched into a multiplayer battle with one or more human opponents from the opposing force (either Arm or Core). At the end of each day, tallies will be taken based upon the total victories and losses for both the Arm and Core to determine those worlds which have changed hands, come under contention or remained safe. The ultimate goal of Galactic Wars is to penetrate the opposing force's sector and take over their home world...no small task when the other side is attempting to do the same thing.

All Galactic Wars multiplayer planet battles will be played using the original Total Annihilation. Players will initially log on to Boneyards directly from the game's familiar interface, then using a newly designed front-end players will be able to find other players, chat, view ladders, check planetary status and launch multiplayer games. Once a game has been launched, players will be taken back to the Total Annihilation game screen and will commence the battle. Upon completion of the game, players will be able to check their rankings, chat with their opponent(s) and/or launch another game.

"Boneyards, and Galactic Wars in particular, will add an entirely new level of strategic play to Total Annihilation," said Scott Wallin, senior director of online games at Cavedog Entertainment. "Besides, it's not everyday that you can capture a planet, save the universe and mock your friends all in one day."

Highlights of Galactic Wars:

-- King of the Hill -- Players will begin their Galactic Wars career

as a "Private" for either the Arm or Core. Promotions will be

handed out by mission command based on win/loss percentages,

effectiveness and efficiency among other factors. The ultimate

rank for either side is "Supreme Commander." Player ranks will be

displayed along with their user name.

-- High Command Wants You -- Players will receive briefings from

High Command (Arm or Core) each time they enter the game

informing them of recent incursions by the enemy, sectors that

should be protected and opportunities that have become available.

-- The Results Are In -- Each night at 1:00 A.M. Pacific Standard

Time (PST) the daily battle results will be tallied, planets on

which wars were waged that day change alliances, and new battle

lines are formed. High Command will survey the current status of

the war and issue battle briefings to the enlisted soldiers,

admonishing or praising them as necessary.

-- Check Your Planet's Status -- Before selecting a world to battle

for, players will be able to check the status of any planet in

contention to determine: its map type; the number of Arm or Core

victories and losses; the current number and names of players

competing on that planet; as well as the planet's history and

description.

-- Maps, Maps, Maps -- Each planet represented on the galactic map

will feature its own distinct multiplayer map selected from the

original Total Annihilation, Total Annihilation: The Core

Contingency, or Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics. Planet types

will include: Acid, Archipelago, Crystal, Desert, Green, Ice,

Lava, Lunar, Lusch, Mars, Metal, Slate, Urban and Water. In

addition, each planet may enforce specific rules and restrictions

for the designated battle. Starting resources may be set higher

or lower, certain units restricted, and various battle options

may be established.

-- Climb the Ladders -- Boneyards will launch with one primary

win/loss ladder. A ladder and ranking systems will eventually be

provided for just about every imaginable category from win/loss

percentage to kill efficiency.

-- It's Victory Day -- When one side has conquered a determined

percentage of planets on the map and controls the enemy capitol,

the Galactic Map falls to that side. All planets on the map

revert to that side's control, and Victory Day is declared.

Following Victory Day, an entirely new Galactic Map is

distributed to players, and the entire process begins again,

offering a chance for the winner to continue its blitzkrieg or

the losing side to stem the tide of war.

-- Galactic Wars, Schmalactic War -- And, for anyone who wants to

play "just for fun," they will be able to do so at any time on

any of the Galactic Map planets without any consequence on the

state of the war. This is a perfect opportunity for players to

engage in tournaments, ladder games or just to play without the

weight of the cosmos on their shoulders.

Cavedog Entertainment

Cavedog Entertainment, based in the Seattle area, was created in 1995 by Ron Gilbert, Shelley Day, and a team of the game industry's best designers, programmers and artists to explore interactive gaming and create new standards of fun. Cavedog Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of GT Interactive Software Corp. (Nasdaq:GTIS), can be found on the World Wide Web at www.cavedog.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Artwork available upon request.

Cavedog Entertainment, Total Annihilation, Boneyards, Galactic Wars, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, Amen: The Awakening, Elysium and Good & Evil are trademarks of Humongous Entertainment. Other brand names and products may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.