Gamers Battle in “Gears of War” 2007 Global Xbox LIVE Tournament

TORONTO, ON — March 29, 2007 — Microsoft® Game Studios and Epic Games, Inc. today announced the “Gears of War®” 2007 Global Xbox LIVE® Tournament, presented by the World Cyber Games, offering gamers the opportunity to curb-stomp and chainsaw their way to the Grand Final in Prague, Czech Republic. The tournament promises non-stop thrills over Xbox LIVE.

“Gears of War” players across the globe will have the opportunity to compete in ranked matches on Xbox LIVE for four weeks of leaderboard play. The top 11 finalists in the world with the highest individual scores will receive the grand prize, a trip for two to Prague — the setting that influenced the game’s “Destroyed Beauty” scenic imagery — to compete in the Grand Final in July. The grand prize includes a four-day, three-night trip to Prague with round-trip coach air transportation for the winner and a guest, standard hotel accommodations, basic ground transportation in Prague, and a $200 (USD) Visa gift card.

The top four eligible ranked players from each participating country will win a three-day, two-night trip to their country’s 2007 World Cyber Games National Championship event. The trip includes round-trip transportation for the winner, standard hotel accommodations and a $300 (USD) Visa gift card. Secondary prizes include an Xbox 360™ package — boasting an Xbox 360 Pro System console, “Viva Piñata™,” “Project Gotham Racing® 3,” “Xbox LIVE Arcade Unplugged Volume 1,” “Kameo™: Elements of Power™” and a 12-month Xbox LIVE subscription, as well as “Gears of War” bonuses such as faceplates.

Registration for the tournament begins March 29 and continues through April 29, while official play begins April 9 and continues through May 6. Winners will be announced in May. More detailed information including full eligibility requirements, official rules and registration can be found at http://xboxlivetournament.com starting March 29.

“We are thrilled to offer the chance for gamers across the world to come together and share the glories of blowing apart someone into little chunks,” said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer for “Gears of War.” “May the best man, or Locust, win.”

About “Gears of War”
“Gears of War,” rated “M” for Mature, thrusts gamers into humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Blending the best of tactical action games with the best of survival horror titles, “Gears of War” features cinematic, beautifully rendered interactive environments with high-definition visuals.

About Epic Games, Inc.
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and game engine technology for PC and console. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in their Unreal® series and their latest game, Gears of War, broke sales records on Xbox 360 selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in the first ten weeks and awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including, Console Game of the Year winner, “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell™” by Ubi Soft; PC Gamer’s Game of the Year, “Deus Ex” from Ion Storm/Eidos; “America’s Army: Special Forces” by the United States Army, and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (PC) by Electronic Arts. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine’s Front Line award for Best Game Engine. Epic Games was also awarded Studio of the Year at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards and Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through Epic’s Web site at http://www.epicgames.com. “Gears of War®” and Unreal are registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the USA and other countries.

About Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for the Xbox® and Xbox 360 video game systems, the Windows® operating system and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse games for Windows (http://www.microsoft.com/canada/games), including such franchises as “Age of Empires®,” “Flight Simulator” and “Zoo Tycoon®;” Xbox and Xbox 360 (http://www.xbox.com/en-ca/), including such games as “Gears of War” and franchises such as “Halo®,” “Fable®,” “Project Gotham Racing” and “Forza Motorsport™”; and MSN® Games (http://www.games.msn.com), the official games channel for the MSN network and home to such hits as “Bejeweled” and “Hexic®.”

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Microsoft, Xbox LIVE, Xbox 360, Viva Piñata, Project Gotham Racing, Kameo, Elements of Power, Xbox, Windows, Age of Empires, Zoo Tycoon, Halo, Fable, Forza Motorsport, MSN and Hexic are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. or Rare Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries.
Rare Ltd. is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corp.
“Gears of War®” and Unreal are registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the USA and other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.