Gathering of Developers Announces Railroad Tycoon II from PopTop Revolutionary Publisher to Release Stunning Sequel in Late 1998 Dallas, TX, April 24, 1998 -- Gathering of Developers, a developer-driven computer and video game publisher, today announced that the company will publish and distribute Railroad Tycoon II, developed by PopTop Software. Railroad Tycoon II, a strategy simulation game will be available at retail for the PC in late 1998. PopTop, a founding partner of The Gathering, recently acquired the Railroad Tycoon license and name from Microprose Inc., which published the first Railroad title in 1990. “PopTop's Railroad Tycoon II is a great game for our 'opening lineup' this fall,” said Mike Wilson, CEO of Gathering of Developers. “Railroad Tycoon II is a fantastic game featuring a strong property. The potential for the title is immense, as it will more than satisfy the hardcore strategy gamer market, and still have mass appeal for the considerable number of railroad enthusiasts out there.” “The original Railroad Tycoon in large part created the modern strategy game market, and was the first game that completely and utterly addicted me,” said Phil Steinmeyer, CEO of PopTop. “It’s an incredible privilege to be able to fuse this phenomenal franchise with our cutting-edge technology and game design.” The sequel to the legendary Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon II puts gamers in control of more than 34 cargo and 51 train engines from around the world. Players can span the ages from 1804 to beyond 2000 while establishing transportation empires and outmaneuvering fellow robber barons. Scenarios allow for worldwide exploration and expansion. A sophisticated economy and stock market for Wall Street plunderers lets players test their entrepreneurial prowess. Railroad Tycoon II is based upon PopTop’s proprietary S3D engine that allows for highly detailed 3D graphics and renderings. The title is the first game developed exclusively for 1024 x 768 resolution in either 16-bit or 8-bit color. The game will support multiplayer play over LANs, modems and the Internet.