Sword of the Stars: Gone Gold

SWORD OF THE STARS GOES GOLD AND WILL CONQUER THE GALAXY AND STORE SHELVES THIS MONTH!

Destineer and Lighthouse Interactive reinvigorate the 4X gaming genre with the release of tactical space battle game on PC set to hit the store shelves on August 22nd, 2006!

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, August 1, 2006 – Destineer Publishing and Lighthouse Interactive today announced their highly anticipated title Sword of the Stars has gone gold and will launch into retail stores August 22nd. Previously slated for a fall release, both publishing partners are happy to inform the 4X gaming fan base that the Sword of the Stars will be available in North American retail stores ahead of schedule. Lighthouse Interactive will also begin shipping the game into various retail stores throughout Europe commencing September 1st.

This 4X space strategy game for the PC offers players a breakthrough gaming experience by incorporating multiplayer for the first time ever in a 4X space strategy game, as well as an innovative blend of turn-based decisions and real-time fleet combat. Players ‘eXplore’, ‘eXpand’, ‘eXploit’, and ‘eXterminate’ their way across the space as they encounter other players and battle for interstellar dominance in real time combat resolution.

With crisp graphics, an epic back-story and real-time battle action, Sword of the Stars offers a riveting mix of strategic turn-based empire building and real-time tactical combat resolution that puts players in control of cosmic empires, alien technologies and vast interstellar armadas.

“We are proud to begin the new age of 4X gaming with Sword of the Stars and we are excited to bring this game in ahead of schedule to all of those fans that have been anticipating it,” stated Paul Rinde, CEO of Destineer. “The multiplayer capability of Sword of the Stars introduces the next evolution in 4X gaming. We are excited to reinvigorate the 4X category with this highly anticipated title.”

Lighthouse CEO Erik Schreuder said "We are extremely proud to announce that Sword of the Stars has gone gold and will be available beginning this month. Working on Sword of the Stars alongside Kerberos has been a great experience and we are overjoyed with the results.” Schreuder went on to say “Sword of the Stars has exceeded all of our expectations and we feel it will amaze strategy gamers around the globe.”

Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and over. For more information about Sword of the Stars please visit: www.swordofthestars.com

Destineer develops and publishes commercial videogames for personal computers and videogame consoles, and it creates PC-based virtual training systems for military, intelligence and first-responder organizations. Destineer’s games include top-sellers such as Close Combat: First to Fight and John Deere: American Farmer, and it publishes its games under the Destineer, MacSoft, Bold Games, and Atomic Games brands. Destineer is a privately-held corporation headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, with development studios in Minneapolis and Austin, TX. More information is available at Destineer’s website: www.destineerstudios.com.

About Lighthouse Interactive

Lighthouse Interactive is a fast growing publisher of interactive entertainment with offices in Haarlem, The Netherlands and Montreal, Canada. Lighthouse’s titles include the critically acclaimed adventure title "Keepsake" the highly anticipated 4x strategy hybrid "Sword of the Stars" and the revolutionary sim "Ship Simulator 2006". Staffed with industry veterans and with offices in key locations around the world, Lighthouse is a strong alternative for developers looking to bring their products to a worldwide audience.