For Immediate Release

Jump aboard and ride the RAILS As Rails Across America Goes Gold

Montreal, Quebec. August 31st, 2001 - Strategy First is pleased to announce today that Rails Across America, the exciting new rail strategy game from Flying Lab Software, has gone gold.

"This promising new title has been very well received in the community since its announcement earlier this year, " says Adam Phillips, Product Manager for Strategy First. " Anyone who likes a combination of strategy and sim-like game play will get a kick out of Rails. I'm already addicted!"

Rails Across America immerses players into an exciting era of cutthroat competition where the challenge of running a railroad empire will determine a player's fate as one of the most influential Rail Barons of the 1830's to the near future.

With a network of hundreds of tracks and thousands of trains crossing the entire continent, players are required to focus on strategic decisions, such as where to expand, where to compete, and when to engage in a well-timed price war. Rather than simply operating individual trains, players must build and monitor the rail network, moving cargo from one destination to another. Similar to the “Sim” model, the level of direct control is limited, but the subtleties that arise are immense, which makes it possible to control large numbers of trains.

Rails Across America allows players to focus on higher-level decisions rather than simply driving the trains. While many games use money as their sole victory condition, Rails also allows players to compete for ‘prestige’, which is earned by good railroad management and specific goals for different eras. Multifaceted victory points will mean players will be less likely to find economic loopholes by which to dominate the game.

If you've ever wanted to run a business and ride the rails to success, try Rails Across America, coming to a store near you this September.