Press Release
DESTINEER INVITES PLAYERS TO WIELD THE SWORD OF THE STARS THIS FALL

Developers of ‘Homeword: Cataclysm’ Bring Multiplayer to 4X Gaming for First Time Ever!

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, June 26, 2006 – Destineer Publishing and Lighthouse Interactive today announced a partnership to publish the ground-breaking title Sword of the Stars.  A 4X space game for the PC, Sword of the Stars offers players a breakthrough gaming experience by incorporating for the first time ever multiplayer capability in a 4X game.  Players ‘eXplore’, ‘eXpand’, ‘eXploit’, and ‘eXterminate’ their way across the galaxy and can now do so against other players, the result of which are epic online multiplayer battles across deep space.

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 put players in control of cosmic empires, alien technologies and vast interstellar armadas.

“We are very pleased to work with proven and experienced groups like Lighthouse and Kerberos,” said Paul Rinde, CEO of Destineer.  “With the implementation of multiplayer, the team at Kerberos has really managed to bring something exciting and unique to the 4X Space Strategy category. Galactic Civilizations 2 re-invigorated this genre and Sword of the Stars takes it to an even higher level. Gal Civ fans will love Sword of the Stars.”

Sword of the Stars features four playable races –each possessing unique language, ships, and technologies.  Play as the Humans, relative newcomers to the universe, or the insect-like Hivers that swarm the galaxy through their Teleport Gates.  Take command of the Tarkas –reptilian warlords who not only have a talent for battle but a taste for it, or the mysterious and enigmatic Liir , aquatically based life forms with a command of biotechnologies.  No matter which fleet players control, the game features a unique, random technology tree that provides a new element to keep the game play constantly evolving, insuring that there is no easy path to galactic domination.  Developed by the talented team behind the award-winning ‘Homeworld: Cataclysm’ and the writers from the original HomeWorld series, Sword of the Stars delivers countless hours of research, design, and galaxy conquering for players of all ages.

Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and over, Sword of the Stars is scheduled to launch in the fall.  For more information about Sword of the Stars please visit: www.swordofthestars.com

About Destineer

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