The race for the galaxy is coming…soon.

Montreal, Quebec. January 28, 2003 – Publisher Strategy First and Developer Stardock announced today that the release date for their upcoming 4X space-based strategy game, Galactic Civilizations, has been updated to March 25, 2003.  The decision to hold back the release of Galactic Civilizations came after the recent delay of Quicksilver/Infogrames’s Master of Orion 3.

“Gamers have been waiting a long time for the next generation of space based strategy games to arrive. By ensuring that these two games come out at different times, players will have the opportunity to get to know each of them,” said Brad Wardell, Project Lead on Galactic Civilizations at Stardock.

“As a result of our close relationship with Infogrames we’ve been given this unique opportunity that will benefit both of these games and their fans,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First. “They are so different in so many ways that we feel the best thing for fans of this genre is to give them time to enjoy each game on its own.”

The Fate of the Galaxy is in Your Hands

The year is 2178 and the galaxy is evolving at an alarming pace. Years ago, human scientists introduced a new technology, the “Hyper-drive”, which vastly improved interstellar travel, but instead of forging closer bonds throughout the galaxy, communication between civilizations has ground to a halt. Colonization and a battle for supremacy have become the primary goals but only one race can dominate…and survive.

Features

·         Deep immersive storyline

·         Multi-threaded AI that is as sophisticated and challenging as real life politics

·         In the Metaverse, games can be saved onto Stardock.net and the player can allow the game

          AI to look at  strategies used by the top players to make the game smarter

·         Multiple paths to victory - Achieve victory using military strength, economic might, or political power

·         Ships gain experience as they win battles

·         Dominate other players with economic power through trade and wealth

·         Gameplay events are designed to ensure that each game is a different experience

Infogrames will exclusively distribute Galactic Civilizations in North America and our European distribution partners will be announced at a later date.

About Stardock

Stardock, founded in 1993, is a leading developer of PC strategy games. Its previous gaming titles include The Corporate Machine, Entrepreneur, and Stellar Frontier. It is also well known for its commercial utility software such as Object Desktop, WindowBlinds, DesktopX, ObjectBar, and more. Its website is located at http://www.stardock.com.

About Strategy First

Strategy First Inc. is a leading developer and worldwide publisher of entertainment software for the PC.  Founded in 1990, the company has grown rapidly, publishing major games in the industry and simultaneously developing its own in-house titles such as O.R.B., Disciples II, and Nexagon: Deathmatch. After winning numerous awards for games such as Disciples: Sacred Lands, Europa Universalis, Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns and Steel Beasts, Strategy First continues to push the gaming envelope with its own groundbreaking titles, while maintaining its reputation as a unique alternative for independent developers seeking to market their games to a worldwide audience. Its website is located at www.strategyfirst.com