Railroad Tycoon 3: Idea of the Day!

Here is the best idea today from our RT3 Wishlists board!

Immense maps for realism sake, wih a more realistic time speed. Computers these days are getting powerful, so huge maps are a good idea, with little maps for the cruddier computers - email me for a game

What do you want to see in RT3, tell us in the RT3 Wishlists board! Also help get RT3 developed, sign our RT3 Online Petition!

7th April 2003

So, you can see, Poptop is reading your ideas, as you post them! So if you want something in RT3, now is the time to tell them. Click here to post your ideas!

As before, the RT3 ideas of the day will continue! So here is the best idea today from our RT3 Wishlists board!

One thing I would like to see in RT3 is a correction in the reliability ratings of the "J" class engines, or at least a seperate Norfolk & Western J class engine. Those particular engines, produced by the railroad itself, had a most outstanding reliability record (up to 1 1/2 years between visits to the engine house). I was seriously disappointed in the way RT2 downgraded their true record. -

What do you want to see in RT3, tell us in the RT3 Wishlists board! Also help get RT3 developed, sign our RT3 Online Petition!

Railroad Tycoon 3 Officially Announced: More Coverage...

Here are some more articles covering yesterday's announcement of Railroad Tycoon 3. Further details like the press release can be seen with yesterday's news...

First up is http://pc.ign.com 

Much to the acclaim of casual and enthusiast gamers the world over, PopTop and Take-Two today announced Railroad Tycoon 3 for the PC.

Firmly set for release this fall, Railroad Tycoon 3 will be somewhat of a departure from previous outings. The first two excellent titles shouldn't be able to hold a candle to this newly 3D rendered iteration that promises all of the allure and staying power of those that came before it, only refined, prettier, and just plain newer.

Kelly Sumner, President of Gathering:

"The Railroad Tycoon series continues to evoke the passion people have for steam and modern day locomotives, as well as the strategy gamers' desire for a significant challenge. Railroad Tycoon 3' builds on the popular features and successes of the franchise, and will deliver one of the best Tycoon experiences in the market."

Phil Steinmeyer, CEO of PopTop and Lead Designer:

"We are proud to announce a successor to the series that is worthy of the Railroad Tycoon name. Railroad Tycoon 3' takes the franchise to the next level with a cutting edge 3D engine that smoothly scales from 'eye in the sky' views of an entire continent down to super detailed close-ups of beautifully modeled trains, buildings and landscapes."

Through 25 scenarios, players will have to purchase the latest locomotives, force feeble competitors into bankruptcy, and exploit the stock market and cheap labor to become the dominating tycoon they've always wanted to be. Just make sure Superman doesn't slam into your train to stop it from hitting a deer and everything should be fine.

"As well as the 25 challenging scenarios to recreate magnificent feats of railroading history from around the world, players can also lay down track, complete with tunnels, bridges, and overpasses, then pick from more than 40 locomotives - from the original Planet and Norris 4-2-0 to monstrous late steam engines like the 4-6-6-4 Challenger to the ultra-modern EuroStar bullet train. Players will haul over 35 different cargos between more than 150 different buildings, in a dynamic and fluctuating economy. Manipulating Railroad Tycoon 3's realistic stock market with margin buying, short selling, hostile takeovers and mergers, players can build up a massive fortune and even prosper by running their railroad into bankruptcy. "

Multiplayer support that comes with integrated chat and matchmaking should do well to round off an already impressive features list. Better still, the game features music from recognizable and talents blues, bluegrass and Americana musicians (perhaps an MP3 player will be included).

Lay each piece of track all the way from the golden era of railroading up to modern times complete with stuffed CalTran express trains overflowing with hobos and surly businessmen to reach that ultimate financial destination of super richness.

Autumn, baby.

Next up is www.gamespot.com 

Take-Two Interactive announces that PopTop Software studio is currently working on the management sequel first announced back in August 2001.

Take-Two Interactive has today revealed that Railroad Tycoon 3, which was originally going to be released late last year, is in development at the company's internal PopTop Software studio and is now scheduled for release in the fall.

"The Railroad Tycoon series continues to evoke the passion people have for steam and modern-day locomotives, as well as the strategy gamer's desire for a significant challenge," said Kelly Sumner, president of Gathering. "Railroad Tycoon 3 builds on the popular features and successes of the franchise and will deliver one of the best Tycoon experiences in the market."

"We are proud to announce a successor to the series that is worthy of the Railroad Tycoon name," said Phil Steinmeyer, CEO of PopTop and lead designer of the game. "Railroad Tycoon 3 takes the franchise to the next level with a cutting-edge 3D engine that smoothly scales from 'eye in the sky' views of an entire continent down to superdetailed close-ups of beautifully modeled trains, buildings, and landscape."

In Railroad Tycoon 3, players will start out with a modest amount of money with which to make their fortune in the golden era of railroading. Players will be able to expand their railroad empire into major cities all over the world and, as the game progresses, will need to ensure that their railroad moves with the times, as locomotives such as the Planet and the Norris 4-2-0 are replaced by the likes of the 4-6-6-4 Challenger and, eventually, modern-day trains--including the Eurostar bullet train.

Railroad Tycoon 3 will feature 35 different types of cargo for players to haul and a realistic stock market that will cause their values to fluctuate. The stock exchange in the game will also cater to margin buying, short selling, hostile takeovers, and mergers, meaning that should they wish to do so players could actually make a lot of money by running their railroad into bankruptcy.

According to today's press release Railroad Tycoon 3 will feature multiplayer support, although no further details have been released at this time. We'll bring you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available.

continuing with www.gamespydaily.com 

Tropico 2 Goes Gold!!!

Tropico 2 has gone gold according to it's publisher Gathering (formerly Gathering of Developers), and is set to ship in the USA on April 8th. More importantly than America, Tropico 2 is due for release in the UK and west Europe is 25th April. Here is the full press release:

TROPICO 2: PIRATE COVE HAS GONE GOLD

GATHERING ANNOUNCES TROPICO 2: PIRATE COVE HAS GONE GOLD

Pirate Simulation for the PC Sets Sail for Duplication

BALTIMORE, MD - April 2, 2003 - Computer and video game publisher Gathering and internal development studio Pop Top Software Inc., subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), along with developer Frog City Software, Inc., today announced that "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" for the PC has gone gold. The sequel to the top-selling Caribbean simulation, Tropico, Pirate Cove allows players to manage a plunder-based economy on a seventeenth-century pirate island. The game is set to ship April 8th, 2003.

"The original Tropico received worldwide acclaim when it hit store shelves in 2001," said Kelly Sumner, president of Gathering. "We wanted to preserve the light tone of the original, and found that the pirate theme in 'Tropico 2: Pirate Cove' allowed us to do just that. 'Pirate Cove' retains the tongue-in-cheek humor and island setting of the original, while providing compelling new gameplay."

Players of "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove" can:

• Increase their pirate stash with an innovative economic model - the growth of the island hinges on the success of pirate raids against unsuspecting sea-goers.

• Improve their workforce and capture valuable prisoners on the high seas. Captives build your industries, craft your weapons, and can even be ransomed for money.

• Create a supreme pirate haven through 16 episodes of swashbuckling storylines filled with lily-livered landlubbers, shady mates, and wisecracking parrots.

• Customize their pirates to make them possess distinct personalities - Sea Dogs require profitable employment, plentiful companionship, and the best in pirate accommodations.

• Lure history's most devious pirates (such as Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, and Black Bart) to their secret isle - these dreaded pirates enhance power and expand the players' treasure.

• Customize victory conditions during sandbox play.

• Issue edicts to rig gambling halls, force captives to walk the plank or even instigate a war between dominant world powers.

• Reward their buccaneers with personal estates and watch them build their own booty-filled mansions.

About "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove"
As an all-powerful Pirate King, players must manage a seventeenth century band of buccaneers in "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove." To attract the most frightening of history's sea-faring bad boys, Pirate Kings must keep their charges brave and well-supplied between voyages. The island's "yo-ho-ho's" must stay at a feverish pitch in order to keep the King's buccaneers satisfied with drinking, wenching, gambling, feasting, and the best in pirate accommodations.

Success in Tropico 2: Pirate Cove depends on careful management of the pirate population. As dead men earn no plunder, the Pirate King must keep his pirates well equipped for potentially lethal missions. Sea dogs require muskets, cutlasses, cannons, and the skills to use them when they venture forth to plunder the Spanish Main. Pirates equipped with a parrot on their shoulders and a scary black hat are more likely to strike fear into their victims' hearts.

For more information on "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove," visit the official website at www.tropico2.com

Plunder, Pillage, and Prosper

About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor, and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation(r), PlayStation(r)2, Xbox(tm), Nintendo GameCube(tm) and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned subsidiary labels: Rockstar Games, Gotham Games, Gathering, Joytech and Global Star. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan, Sydney, and Auckland. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them. The Company has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

Actual results may vary significantly from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors. These important factors are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2002.

1st April 2003

Tropico 2: Gamespy Preview

www.gamespy.com has previewed Tropico 2. To read the whole thing click here.

Here is an extract:

Of course, pirates aren't particularly noted for their exploits on land, so it comes as no surprise that the game also offers you control of a pirate fleet. Players will be able to build six different types of ships, hire and fire crews, and send them out on various missions ranging from simple cruises for loot, to snatching skilled captives, to sailing under false colors to incite wars between the great powers. Missions are directed from a strategic map of the Caribbean that gradually fills in with the location of prime trade routes and estimations of the amount of both treasure available in the area and the risk associated with going after it.

It's a bit of a disappointment that players won't be able to directly control (or even see) ship-to-ship combat. A simple but fascinating diplomatic model should more than make up for that, though. The player can interact with and plunder the ships of three great 17th century naval powers -- Spain, England, and France. How they react to you is dependent on a variety of factors including the nationalities of your captives, which ships you choose to plunder or let go, and whether or not they're at war with each other. Judicious use of the game's many edicts (such as one that freely releases all captives of a particular nationality), and decisions on what missions to undertake, can lead to outcomes as diverse as a Privateer letter from one nation and an invasion of your island by another.

All in all, this would be a good time for strategy gamers to buckle their swashes and strap on their eye-patches. The beta version we received seemed pretty close to completion. All the game's modes including the 15-mission campaign, the individual scenarios, and the sandbox mode were accessible and working. This shouldn't be remarkable, but in an industry where release dates mean almost nothing, it's nice to see a beta that's really a beta, a game that might actually hit its early April release date and looks like it might be as good as its initial promise.

Railroad Tycoon 3: Idea of the Day!

Here is the best idea today from our RT3 Wishlists board!

Realistic signals and switches. Only one train can be on one track, or the will crash like in RT1. With the time you can buy newer signal systems which allow more trains on one block without crashing trains

What do you want to see in RT3, tell us in the RT3 Wishlists board! Also help get RT3 developed, sign our RT3 Online Petition!