18 Wheels of Steel Across America released

Go from Trucker to Tycoon with 18 Wheels of Steel: Across America For PC From ValuSoft Latest Addition to Best-Selling Trucking Series Combines Action & Business Simulation Elements for Unique Game Play MINNEAPOLIS - Sept. 23, 2003 - ValuSoft®, a division of THQ® Inc. (Nasdaq:THQI - News) and a leading global publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and productivity software, today announced the release of 18 Wheels of Steel(TM): Across America. This PC trucking sim is rated "E" for Everyone and will be available at retailers nationwide for $19.99. Gamers will be the boss of their own trucking business, bidding on jobs to become king of the road. Starting with little cash and behind the wheel of 15 3D modeled big rigs, players have to prove they've got the guts to risk it all to deliver 30+ cargo types, including livestock, chemicals and mobile homes. Traveling actual US highways across the continuous 48 states, passing through the plains, along the coasts and over mountain passes, gamers will experience the unique thrill of driving their own rig. With tons of cargo and thousands of dollars at stake, players will encounter jammed urban streets, accidents, unpredictable weather and even the police--but one bad move can have catastrophic effects on a player's business, costing them time and money. Players then use the payouts from successful deliveries to add dozens of upgrades to their vehicles to build their reputation and become a trucking tycoon. 18 Wheels of Steel: Across America is the fourth release in ValuSoft's best-selling trucking series, which has sold in excess of 580,000 total units (Source: NPD Techworld). "Our enthusiastic customers wanted to drive across the continental United States and we've listened to them," stated Scott Zerby, Vice President of ValuSoft. "We've combined the intensity of driving a fully loaded 18-wheeler with the real-life strategy of running a trucking business for an experience that no other game can rival."