One of Europe’s leading publishers of computer and video games, today announces an agreement with Microsoft for SCi’s forthcoming title Conflict: Desert Storm to be one of the first European Products to be released on the Xbox ™ video game system from Microsoft.

Conflict: Desert Storm is an action stealth game based upon the events of the Gulf War. Players take charge of some of the best known and most feared special operations forces in the world, including Elite British SAS and the US Delta Force Squads. The game is being developed by Pivotal Games Ltd, one of the UK’s most experienced development teams. Pivotal is owned 10% by SCi and 90% by Kaboom Developments, formerly Geoff Brown Holdings.

The Xbox platform is due to be launched in Europe in Spring of 2002. Microsoft has committed to a marketing budget of $0.5 billion, and it is widely predicted that it will become one of the dominant platforms in the gaming industry. A recent survey by IDG (May 2001) predicts that the installed base of the Xbox will reach 9.6 million units by the end of 2003.

Microsoft’s decision to sign Conflict: Desert Storm to the Xbox Publishing Programme and give it a prominent role in its release schedule is a compliment to the skills of SCi and Pivotal Games.

Jane Cavanagh, Chief Executive of SCi, commented “We are delighted that Conflict: Desert Storm is receiving such strong support from Microsoft. We are expecting the title to be one of our major releases in 2002.”

Rose Montgomery, Publisher Account Manager of Microsoft, said “Conflict: Desert Storm is an exciting multiplayer title with stunning graphics. We believe it will illustrate superbly the power of the Xbox.”

Additionally, SCi has licensed the computer games rights to the classic wartime story, The Great Escape, from MGM, starring Steve McQueen. Pivotal will also be developing this license on several hardware platforms for SCi.