Press Releases

PUNIC WARS INFO ELECTRONIC
WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT? At the height of its glory, Carthage was... More...

THE PUNIC WARS PRESS RELEASE ELECTRONIC (APRIL 2004)
The Punic Wars - A Clash of Two Empires is the first product to be published by new... More...

PRESS RELEASE (APRIL 2004)
Contact Sales Limited launches Excalibur Publishing
Established sales, marketing and distribution business, Contact Sales Limited, More...

RELEASE FOR DEVELOP MAGAZINE (March 2004 Edition)
Robert Stallibrass comments on the benefits for developers of working with a smaller publisher.
As Contact Sales gets set to launch its own mainstream PC publishing arm... More...

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Release for Develop Magazine (March 2004) Robert Stallibrass comments on the benefits for developers of working with a smaller publisher. As Contact Sales gets set to launch its own mainstream PC publishing arm under the name of Excalibur, Stallibrass says, "There will always be a role for niche PC product publishers." Thus far the company has concerned itself exclusively with publishing flight and train simulator add-ons. "In a market driven mainly by franchises and sequels," he continues, "it's easy to forget that not all developers are working away on major consumer brand offerings for their publishers. There is an army of smaller developers who are self-financing good quality, original PC games that can generate healthy revenues for everyone if the right business plan is put into place. Launching Excalibur as a vehicle for developers who appreciate this business model is the product of research we've been carrying out in this sector for the past eighteen months." "There can be a real benefit for developers working with smaller publishing outfits aside from the obvious focus that the smaller publisher can give to each title compared to 'major players'. We realise and want to capitalise on the fact that more often than not, publishers and developers are working to their own separate agendas and not in tandem with each other. "Time and time again, smaller developers pass a product that they've been working on for, say, eighteen months, over to a faceless marketing department which nine times out of ten simply doesn't have the time or budget to give the product the focus it requires," he continues. "At Excalibur, all of our titles will have equal importance in terms of value and commitment. Many of the developers we've spoken to complain about not having a say regarding the marketing of their products. Surprisingly for some, many of the people in the development world have a real handle on the principles of promoting PC titles which they rarely get the opportunity to voice with bigger publishers." 1. Working on: Punic Wars 2. Currently working with several European and Scandinavian developers 3. Looking for developers who have a passion for Real Time Strategy, RPG and adventure-based PC product. Developers who are looking for a pan-European publishing deal are asked to e-mail development@contact-sales.co.uk or contact Robert directly on +44 (0) 1869 346104 ------------------------------------------------

THE PUNIC WARS PRESS RELEASE ELECTRONIC PRESS RELEASE APRIL 2004 The Punic Wars - A Clash of Two Empires is the first product to be published by new PC games publisher Excalibur Publishing Limited. The game is the much-anticipated sequel to Celtic Kings - Rage of War published by Wanadoo in 2002. ________________________________ It's the third century BC and the rivalry between the two great empires of the world - Rome and Carthage - has reached its peak. Both powers wish to claim all for themselves and are reluctant to let the other side win. Countless settlements have been destroyed and armies lost in the most merciless wars of the entire age - The Punic Wars. Seamlessly mixing both RTS and RPG genres, The Punic Wars - A Clash of Two Empires will give the strategy game player hours of challenging gameplay. FEATURES: GAMEPLAY · Large maps complete with neutral settlements and camps that present a threat to all players · Player controlled heroes that command armies of up to 50 units on their own, providing them with an additional bonus in battle · Settlements have their own resources which they can spend locally or transport elsewhere · Rituals performed in places of ancient worship that effect the entire world · Military units have the ability to capture resource caravans, outposts and even entire cities and settlements · Ships and shipyards provide for sea battles or transport of armies and resources from one shore to another · Upgrades that increase the might of your armies and the power of your settlements · A vast array of items that bring specific bonuses to the unit carrying them · A number of special abilities that give different advantages to the various units SINGLE PLAYER · Integration of character development and major battles · A single-player campaign featuring the campaign of Hannibal Barca (Sagunto battle, the crossing of the Alps, Cannas battle) · A single-player campaign featuring the development of the Roman Republic during the Punic wars (the invasion of Sicily, the conquest of Hispania, the destruction of Carthage) MULTIPLAYER · Four sides to play with - Roman, Gaul, Carthaginian and Iberians complete with their own historical buildings and units · LAN and Internet games with up to 8 players · Random map generation · In-game scenario/adventure editor · Off-line ranking system TECHNOLOGY · Large maps with up to 32000 x 32000 pixels · Support for 5000 units on the map · Intelligent unit behaviour controlled by scripting language · Human-like AI opponents with different personalities · Exceptionally detailed mini-map · A large number of custom maps. · Especially composed music and more than 100 new sound effects GRAPHICS · Support for 1024 x 768 or 1280 x 1024 with thousands of colours · Textured 3D terrain with lighting that allows landscape views of unique quality · Three different seasons selectable for any map · Over 60 different units many · Numerous buildings and objects to enrich the world GAME REQUIREMENTS (MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS) · IBM PC or 100% compatible · MS Windows 98/ME/2000/XP · A 400 MHz Pentium II processor · 128MB of system memory · Video board capable of displaying 1024 x 768 with thousands of colours · 4x or faster CD-ROM · DirectX 8.1 or newer RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS · IBM PC or 100% compatible · MS Windows 98/ME/2000/XP · A 600 MHz Pentium II processor · 196MB of system memory · Video board capable of displaying 1024 x 768 with thousands of colours · 4x or faster CD-ROM · DirectX 8.1 or newer The Punic Wars - A Clash of Two Empires is available on PC CD-ROM from Excalibur Publishing Limited in June 2004. For more information, please contact Richard Barclay at Mangotree Marketing Limited: T. 0870 751 2240 E. richardb@mangotreegroup.co.uk ------------------------------------------------

PUNIC WARS INFO WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT? At the height of its glory, Carthage was the greatest power in the ancient world. With trade routes throughout the entire Mediterranean, there weren't others to dispute its strength. Goods, gold and slaves poured into the majestic city and were the source of its might. Countless mercenaries' armies were constantly bought to ensure that all who threatened Carthage or its interest would be taken down. However, another Empire was also on the rise. The city of Rome too had begun to gain strength and soon decided openly to challenge their Carthaginian rivals. The time of the Punic Wars had begun. THE ROMAN CAMPAIGN Seeing the power and influence of Carthage, the Senate of Rome decided that something should be done. An army was prepared and sent under a false pretext to Sicily. The First Punic War started when Carthage lost its advantage and was forced to withdraw from Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. The Carthaginians were not prepared to lose their world dominance just like that. Their attention became focused on the Spanish peninsula. Seeing this, an opportunity arose to control part of Spain which ultimately resulted in the Second Punic War. Yet at that time Rome had already achieved dominance in Europe and managed to claim victory once more. All Carthaginian remnants were swept away from the continent, though that did not calm the Senate of Rome. There were still rumours that Carthage might pose a threat once more. In order to prevent that, the Third Punic War began and Roman legions were sent to Africa with orders to attack the rival city itself. Only a victory there would determine which of the two powers would remain. THE CARTHAGINIAN CAMPAIGN For generations the city of Carthage was seen as the most powerful in the known world and its empire was far greater than anyone could imagine. Sadly that was soon to change. After losing the First Punic War to Rome, a large sum had to be paid to the enemy and the Carthaginians lost Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia which forced them to search for another rich land to claim as their own. Their choice fell on Hispania. A large fleet set off for the Spanish peninsula to place it under Carthage's control. Expanding their influence through conquest made the Carthaginian Empire rise once more to its former splendor. However, this was still not enough for them. Seeing an opportunity, Carthage's greatest general - Hannibal - decided to bring Rome to its knees. With an army of mercenaries and war elephants, he made his way through the Alps and steadily progressed towards the heart of the Roman Empire itself - an event that would change history forever. ------------------------------------------------

PRESS RELEASE Oxfordshire, England, 1st April 2004 Contact Sales Limited launches Excalibur Publishing Established sales, marketing and distribution business, Contact Sales Limited, is venturing into the world of PC publishing with a brand new dedicated PC label called Excalibur Publishing. Contact Sales, best known for handling numerous train and flight simulation software titles, is now actively looking to acquire a number of PC titles for publication in the UK and throughout Europe for the new label. "Publishing our own titles in 2004 is a natural progression of our business strategy," commented Contact Sales' managing director, Robert Stallibrass. "In a market driven mainly by franchises and sequels," he continues, "it's easy to forget that not all developers are working away on major consumer brand offerings for their publishers. There is an army of smaller developers who are self-financing good quality, original PC games that can generate healthy revenues for everyone if the right business plan is put into place. Launching Excalibur as a vehicle for developers who appreciate this business model is the product of research we've been carrying out in this sector for the past eighteen months. Essentially we're looking for finished PC titles within the strategy and RPG genres although we're happy to look at any titles which developers have available." The company stresses that there is a real benefit for developers working with smaller publishing outfits. Aside from the obvious focus that the smaller publisher can give to each title compared to mainstream ones, Stallibrass continued, "We appreciate that there's a real value to publishers and developers working to their own strengths. Bring us an original and innovative product and we'll apply our twenty-five years worth of sales and marketing expertise to it in a way the big players won't. We're a straight-talking sort of company. We're honest, nice to work with, we make quick decisions and like to focus our attention on a small number of quality products per year." Excalibur Publishing's first offering is The Punic Wars - A Clash of Two Empires which will be published on May 21st. Combining real-time strategy and role-playing game elements, the game is based on the three wars fought between Rome and Carthage in the second and third centuries BC. The title is currently the most downloaded PC demo in the US. Developers who have PC product available and are looking for a pan-European publishing deal are asked to e-mail development@contact-sales.co.uk or contact Robert Stallibrass by 'phone on 01869 346104. Note to editors: Contact Sales Limited Formed in 1997, Contact Sales Limited is a sales, marketing and distribution company specialising in train driving and flight simulation software and their associated peripherals. The company is also the exclusive distributor of Whiptail Interactive products in the UK. For more information contact: Email: Roberts@contact-sales.co.uk Robert Stallibrass Phone: +44 (0) 1869 346104 Contact Sales Limited Fax: +44 (0) 870 132 1026 PO Box 137 Bicester Oxfordshire OX27 7JS Or Richard Barclay at Mangotree Marketing Limited: T. 0870 751 2240 E. richardb@mangotreegroup.co.uk ------------------------------------------------