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ACTIVISION UNVEILS NEW DARK REIGN UNITS, BUILDINGS, MULTI-PLAYER MAPS AND TILESETS

Download Highly Anticipated Dark Reign Patch And Demo

Santa Monica, CA, November 12, 1997 -- Demonstrating the unparalleled customizability of Dark Reign's Tactics Engine, Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is making available today five new units, five new buildings, five new multiplayer maps and three new tilesets for use in the game. The new assets were created by Auran and are available for download from the Dark Reign web site. Dark Reign is currently in stores at a suggested retail price of $49.95.

In addition, Activision has posted for free download a Dark Reign playable demo, a Dark Reign patch, three new Dark Reign conversions, a Tactics Engine manual and an artificial intelligence editing manual. The newly released Dark Reign demo includes one training mission, one single player mission and one multiplayer mission that can be played over Activision's free online gaming service. The Dark Reign patch v. 1.1 improves multiplayer connectivity through software and server upgrades, adds an auto-updater for future patches, corrects the AI settings bug, improves the "hard" level of enemy AI and adds a brightness control. The conversions are new games utilizing the Dark Reign engine and include "King of the Hill", "Greed and Monolith". The manuals provide tips on how to utilize the game's construction kit, edit the artificial intelligence settings and create mission objectives.

"The new units, buildings, tilesets and maps, coupled with the game's versatile editing tools, gives Dark Reign unlimited gameplay possibilities," states Eric Johnson, Senior Vice President, Activision, Inc. "With the construction kit, gamers everywhere can add to the Dark Reign universe by tapping into their own creativity."

Hailed by PC Gamer as "the most powerful set of editors ever included with a strategy game," Dark Reign's construction kit allows players to create maps and missions with the same tools used by the game's designers. The game's unit and building editor allows players to modify existing units and structures as well as create new ones.

NEW DARK REIGN UNITS

Gore Beast: The gore beast is omnivorous, tough and fiercely territorial. It attacks primarily with its huge talons. It thinks nothing of tearing open a tank to reach the soft tasty occupants. Gore beasts that are raised in captivity are genetic variants of the native species and are weaker, more placid and do not eat their trainers.

Walker: The Walker is a fast scouting and pursuit vehicle. It is primarily a land based vehicle, but can convert to a slower aerial mode by use of vtol jets and deployment of chassis and leg mounted wings. The vtol jets are also of prime importance in moving at high speed over rough terrain, and are used to reduce the impact of large leaps.

Phase Mine: The phase mine is an autodestruct droid; it hovers to its destination and phases out of sight. Once the enemy is in range it unphases and self destructs.

Gunwalker: The Gunwalker is built for close support. It's heavy double barrel nose cannons and side rocket pods make it quite powerful and it can advance to a conflict area quickly. Its all terrain capabilities are outstanding due to its huge legs and light weight, however it suffers from light armor and is more susceptible to enemy damage.

Tick: The tick is a fast and nimble light tank that can change between walking and flying modes.

NEW DARK REIGN BUILDINGS

Flamer Pod: From its tripod stand the dual flash-nozzle array delivers 220 lb per square inch of gel-foam kerosene into the air. The spray area is approximately 16 feet across and within it, core temperatures reach 800 degrees Celsius. BURN BABY, BURN!

Walls: Everyone's favorite base defense is now available for construction. You can build small anti-infantry walls or tank stopping heavy walls. Check out the upgraded Heavy Wall with a fully automatic pulse cannon.

Solar Power Plant: The solar power plant is a compact and easily transportable power supply. It is also inexpensive, but has a lower power output per unit than mineral fuel power stations.

Missile Tower: Your base's security will never be compromised again. This compact guard tower is completely automated with it's own Anti-Jam System (A.J.S) so you'll never fire blanks! Four feet of reinforced concrete protect its inner fittings. Self regulating systems leave no chance of over-heating or reload failure.

Pulse Blaster: The Pulse Blaster is designed to provide high speed suppressing firepower. The computer controlled firing system, combined with the light weight armored chassis, provides the perfect platform for the high speed auto cannons to deliver their deadly rounds at an extremely rapid rate.

NEW DARK REIGN TILESETS

Australian Outback: Get a taste of the sun-scorched outback with this colorful new tileset from down under.

Alien: Battle it out in weird, other-worldly environs of the Alien tileset.

Asteroid: It's actually a rather built up asteroid - perhaps one that's been converted to a space station. Conduit, control stations, and industrial exhaust vents abound.

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Activision, Inc. is a publicly held developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS compatible, Macintosh and other computers, as well as Sony PlayStation, Sega and Nintendo game systems. Activision is headquartered in Santa Monica with offices in Madison, Wisconsin, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Australia.

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