Empire Interactive Announces World Wide Licensing Agreement for Ford Racing

4 September 1999
Empire Interactive Announces World Wide Licensing Agreement for Ford Racing
    SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 4 -- Empire Interactive, a leading
independent interactive entertainment software company, announced today that
it has signed a global licensing agreement with Ford Motor Company, one of the
world's pre-eminent motor manufacturers, to develop a franchise based on
Ford Racing.
    Empire Interactive will incorporate one of the racing world's most
prestigious licenses to produce an exhilarating new PC and console racing
game. Ford has established itself as the leader in NASCAR Winston Cup racing
with more teams sporting the blue oval than any other manufacturer's symbol.
Ford ran its flagship brand Taurus on the racetrack for the first time last
year, and the car consequently won 15 races in its inaugural season.
Empire Interactive plans to leverage this success in creating a new
interactive racing franchise.
    Ford Racing, the Official Licensed Product, features twelve handpicked
cars from Ford Motor Company's comprehensive U.S. and exotic European road car
model ranges. The featured models include the Taurus, the star of the NASCAR
circuit, as well as the Mustang, F-Series, Explorer, GT90 and several
"concept" cars all re-produced in breathtaking detail and decked in full
racing livery. All the Ford Racing cars can be used to compete at any one of
the game's 10 minutely detailed and utterly realistic racetracks.
As well as breathtaking graphics, Ford Racing's sophisticated car physics
model offers real-world handling coupled with fully configurable and unusually
extensive vehicle setup. It's Career Mode offers competition against 80 other
drivers in no fewer than 5 race classes; while its Single and Multi-player
Modes provide tire-searing opposition from up to 15 other talented "pilots."
    The career mode is an integral component of Ford Racing. Starting out as a
rookie driver, success in the amateur class races enables the player to build
up finances and reputation that will eventually lead to sponsorships and the
ability to take part in more races. Eventually the player will be offered a
contract to race for a team. The player is able to amass personal wealth while
working for various teams, and ultimately the player will acquire a financial
base adequate enough to fund his or her own racing activities at the highest
world level. At this point a whole range of vehicle and accessory combinations
become available to the players in the quest for glory.
    Mark Scriven, the General Manager of Empire's U.S. operation, offered
"The opportunity of working with a brand as globally recognizable as Ford is
extremely exciting and clearly a major coup for this company. The Ford Racing
license combined with the games groundbreaking technology and graphics as good
as guarantees success for this title."
    Ford Racing is slated for a Q1 2000 release on PC and console platforms.

    About Empire Interactive
    Empire Interactive is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of
interactive entertainment products for PC and console systems. With
headquarters in London, England, and corporate offices in San Francisco,
California and Munich, Germany, Empire Interactive enters its 12th year of
business as a leading independent game publisher.
    Additional information on Empire Interactive can be obtained at
http://www.empire-us.com, or by calling 415-439-4854.
    NOTE:  Ford trademarks used under license from Ford Motor Company.