CONTACT:
Kathy Carlson
(425) 649-9800
kathy.carlson@sierra.com
BELLEVUE, WA. November 16, 1998 - Sierra Studios announced today the release of Roberta Williams' real-time 3D rendered adventure PC title, King's Quest: Mask of Eternity. In Mask of Eternity, the former King's Quests' animated characters have been replaced with a completely 3D, immersive game environment that combines the reality of a live-action game with the open-ended sense of adventure and exploration. Add to that, the captivating storytelling talents of Roberta Williams and this game is sure to become top of gamer's holiday lists.
Roberta Williams' King's Quest series is the best-selling adventure game series of all time, with over seven million copies sold worldwide. This classic adventure series, which began in 1984, has continuously pushed technology with each successive King's Quest release. Now with King's Quest: The Mask of Eternity, the adventure genre is advancing again, and this time into a true 3D rendered world.
"It's only natural that the eighth King's Quest installment pushes the series - and computer games as we know them - beyond the brink of traditional gaming," said Jim Veevaert, Director of Marketing. "One look at Mask of Eternity and one realizes that this is unlike any game before it."
The story:
While adding new features of game-play to the traditional adventure, Mask of Eternity was developed for all levels of gamers. Mask of Eternity includes new RPG and action- like qualities, such as health monitors and combat, but stays true the adventure genre. While the player must be involved in some level of combat it is far more important for the player to interact with characters and solve the various, intriguing puzzles in order to get through the game. The player is able to choose at which level of combat they would like play, ranging from easy to difficult.
In Mask of Eternity, a mysterious storm has overtaken the kingdom of Daventry, turning all but one of its inhabitants, including King Graham and Queen Valanice, to stone. Assuming the role of the one spared peasant, Connor, the player discovers that the only way to uncoil this spell is to travel through various exotic worlds to find and reassemble the five shattered pieces of The Mask Of Eternity.
Playing in either a first-person or third-person perspective, explorers travel through seven different lands experiencing over 70 characters, some good, many evil. Gamers begin by guiding Connor through Daventry, now a dark mystical land filled with stone inhabitants and dangerous Henchmen, goblins, spriggins and zombies. They venture through the Swamp, where the weeds whisper dark secrets; and to the Gnome Underground where players meet helpful gnomes who mine tunnels and fight past bat mantas, and rock demons who, as part of the earthen and rock walls, pelt rocks at the players as they pass.
What the Press Are Saying:
Roberta Williams, co-founder with her husband, Ken Williams, of Sierra On-Line, Inc., created an industry when she invented the 3-D animated adventure game. As a pioneering electronic storyteller, she has written, designed and sold more home computer games than any other person in computer game history. She continues to explore new frontiers for interactive fiction and is taking the industry with her. Roberta -- perhaps more than anyone else -- has a vision of how far her industry can go and she plans to take it there.
Sierra Studios is a member of the Sierra family and a brand division of its parent company Cendant Software. Sierra Studios' games include Caesar III, Lords of Magic: Special Edition, Half-Life, King's Quest: Mask of Eternity, Return to Krondor and the upcoming Homeworld and Gabriel Knight III.
Sierra, Inc. is one of the original developers and largest worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment and productivity software. Sierra is comprised of six brands, Sierra Attractions, Sierra FX, Sierra Home, Sierra Sports, Sierra Studios, and Dynamix, a Sierra Company. Sierra is part of Cendant Software, one of the largest PC consumer software groups in the world, and a leader in entertainment, productivity and educational software. Cendant Software is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cendant Corporation, one of the world's foremost providers of consumer and business services.
Cendant is one of the world's foremost providers of consumer and business services. The Company operates in three principal segments: Travel Services, Real Estate Services and Alliance Marketing. Cendant is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, the Company has more than 40,000 employees and operates in over 100 countries.