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"Town Meetings" to Convene on the Internet WALNUT CREEK, Calif.July 5, 1996(NASDAQ: MXIS) From its inception, the Internet has been bringing people together through electronic mail and bulletin boards. Now, consumer software publisher Maxis is extending social interaction on the Internet by making the global computer network into a giant game-board, with the release of SimCity 2000 Network Edition. The game, a new multi-player version of the company's best-selling SimCity 2000 metropolis-building game, can be played over the Internet, on a computer network or through a modem. "Until now, computer games were usually solitary experiences where the opponents were simulated by the computer," said Maxis president Sam Poole. "The Internet is now making it possible to bring people together to play games. This social dynamic has added an entirely new dimension to SimCity 2000." In the single-player version of SimCity 2000, a player took on the role of a super-mayor, with the power to zone development, demolish entire blocks, lay roads, and raise taxes according to his or her own vision. The Network Edition, however, has players acting as city commissioners whose decisions such as issuing bonds, instituting pollution controls or increasing the school budget must be voted on and agreed to collectively. A chat feature allows players to hold town meetings or strike back-room political deals to share city resources. Another departure from the solo game is that the Network Edition requires players to purchase land before they can develop it. As they build their real-estate empires, buying up valuable waterfront property or purchasing land to block another player's highway system, players must keep in mind that it is to everyone's benefit to build a successful and thriving city. Only then will property values and tax revenues increase. So players should think twice before building a new nuclear power plant next to an opponent's favorite suburb. To play a multi-player game of SimCity 2000, one player's computer acts as a host for the game. In Internet or network play, up to three other players connect to the host by entering the host's IP address. (An IP address is a string of numbers used by computers on the Internet to tell each other apart.) In modem play, which allows only two players to compete against each other, one player uses a modem to call (with a phone number) and connect to the host computer's modem. Multi-player matches will need to be arranged ahead of time. Maxis' web site will have an electronic bulletin board where players can post challenges and arrange matches. The Network Edition is available for Windows 95 and has an estimated street price of $49.95 - $59.95. For further information, customers may call Maxis customer support at (800) 336-2947 or visit the Maxis web site at http://www.maxis.com. Maxis is best known for its SimCity and SimCity 2000 games which have sold over five million copies worldwide. Most of the company's 220 employees are located in its Walnut Creek, California headquarters. Additional development offices are located in San Mateo, California and Austin, Texas. Maxis has marketing and sales offices in London, Tokyo and throughout the US.
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When you purchase the full version of SimCity 2000 Network Edition, you get these additional features:
To order, call Maxis customer support at (800) 336-2947 or visit the Maxis web site at http://www.maxis.com.
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