FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The race for the Galaxy has begun!

Montreal, Quebec. March 26, 2003 – Publisher Strategy First and developer Stardock announced today that their highly anticipated space strategy game, Galactic Civilizations, has shipped to retail stores nationwide!

"With Galactic Civilizations we've really tried to create a strategy game that provides players with a unique experience every time they play,” said Brad Wardell, Project Lead on Galactic Civilizations at Stardock.

“Fans of 4X strategy games have been waiting impatiently for Galactic Civilizations to hit store shelves,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First. “Gal Civ is a truly immersive game experience that lets you manage an entire galaxy putting your military, strategic and diplomatic talents to the test!”

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 civilizations with economic power through trade and wealth
• Gameplay events are designed to ensure that each game is a different experience

Look for Galactic Civilizations at your local retail store as of today. To download the already available bonus pack, please go to http://www.galciv.com/update.asp 

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.

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