Sierra On-Line - Press News - Coming Soon Magazine

SIERRA ON-LINE LAUNCHES OFFICIAL WEB SITE FOR GABRIEL KNIGHT 3: BLOOD OF THE SACRED, BLOOD OF THE DAMNED

Web site offers early look at next installment in one of the most successful and critically-acclaimed adventure game series of all time

Bellevue, WA, August 15, 1997 -- Sierra On-Line today launched the official Web site for Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, the next installment in the famed Gabriel Knight adventure game series, slated for release in Summer 1998. Located at www.sierra.com/titles/gk3, Web surfers can take an inside look at the early stages of development of the game by viewing concept art, in-game screen shots, downloadable AVI video trailers of actual early gameplay footage and interviews with writer and designer Jane Jensen. In addition, visitors can read and contribute to the Gabriel Knight message board, link to Gabriel Knight fan pages and find out more about the development team behind Gabriel Knight III.

Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, written and designed by Jane Jensen - one of the most renowned computer game designers today -- promises to provide an entirely unique 3D real-time adventure gaming experience. With the multi-award winning Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within, game graphics took a major step forward from standard animation to full-motion video. This created a more realistic atmosphere and greatly enhanced the players' sense of "being there". In Gabriel Knight III, Sierra is taking another large step forward in control and realism, producing a real-time 3D environment which offers players an unprecedented level of exploration and control while maintaining strong narrative and adventure elements.

Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned is set in a small village in rural Europe, home of a currently dethroned royal scion who has asked Gabriel Knight to help uncover the answers to recent bizarre, possibly supernatural events taking place inside the family's close circles. Mysteriously concerned with the safety of his newborn son, the scion's nightmares become a reality when a kidnapper snatches his son, apparently the key to the century-old enegma surrounding the royal family. Gabriel will come to realize that the mystery that surrounds the Prince's family and the mystery of this ancient little town are not only connected, but will involve both very real current political agendas and very ancient secrets.

Gabriel Knight III is set in an ultra-realistic 3D virtual world, in which players have unlimited exploratory control. Featuring an advanced character AI (artificial intellegence) system, characters living in the world act independently from the player. This means that, whether or not the player is present, events such as conversations between non-player characters will take place throughout the world in real-time (being at the right place at the right time certainly pays off in this setting). And although a main plot scenario exists, players can pursue side quests and follow and learn about minor characters' agendas.

Introducing Sierra's G-Engine technology, a progressive 3-D engine custom-built for the game, Gabriel Knight III allows players to interact with intelligent, lifelike characters that have fluid animations never before seen in a real-time game. The lush, detailed backgrounds will look entirely realistic - players won't experience pixelating which is so prevalent in first-person games today. Taking full advantage of 3-D graphics & audio cards and higher end computer capabilities, the engine is also fully scalable to allow players without the latest computer hardware to fully enjoy the world of Gabriel Knight III.

Slated for release Summer 1998, Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned will be available on CD-ROM for Windows '95. System requirements and pricing information is yet to be determined.

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Sierra On-Line is one of the original developers and largest worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment, productivity and educational software. The company recently merged with CUC International, a technology-driven, membership-services company that provides access to travel, shopping, auto, dining, home improvement, financial and other services to 66.3 million consumers worldwide. The company's common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol CUC Intl. Sierra's corporate headquarters are located in Bellevue, WA.

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