Midway announces that Area 51 has shipped in the U.S., and the conspiracy-laden firs-person shooter, like the truth, is out there:

Chicago – June 6, 2005 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, announced today that AREA 51® the story-driven, first-person action thriller has shipped to retail outlets nationwide for PC. AREA 51 delivers a powerful multiplayer experience that allows up to 16 gamers to battle it out online via Capture the Flag, Infection and various other multiplayer modes. Players can now get a taste of the intense storyline that’s packed with scripted events and a vast arsenal that features a multitude of both human and alien weapons, by downloading the playable demo ( http://www.area51-game.com/demo/Area51_Demo.exe ) that is now available.

AREA 51 is the only first-person action thriller to be set within the confines of the government’s most secret research facility. The U.S. Army has received a distress signal from AREA 51 where a viral outbreak has just shut down the research facility and the automated quarantine procedures have locked all scientific and military personnel inside. A small Special Forces unit led by Specialist Ethan Cole of the HAZMAT (hazardous materials) Division is sent to investigate. As Cole, players will delve into five massive levels within the confines of AREA 51, discovering a deadly mutagenic side effect of the virus that controls the minds of those infected, as well as an ancient alien colony buried beneath the facility. With a multitude of human and alien weapons, players must explore chilling conspiracies such as the extraterrestrial crash at Roswell and the faked lunar landing, in order to solve the enigma of Area 51 before the viral mutagen is released and ir! revocably mutates all life on Earth.

The AREA 51 playable demo can be downloaded at: http://www.area51-game.com/demo/Area51_Demo.exe

Addition information, artwork, screenshots and other assets can be found at: www.area51-game.com