"We believe so much in this product, " says Steve Wall, V.P. Business Development, Strategy First. "The capabilities a player has to build layouts, collect locomotives and then feel what it's like to ride the rails is just incredible. With the addition of Discreet's gmax game pack, the possibilities are endless."

Auran CEO, Greg Lane says, "Trainz has been devised as a long-term project that allows players to incorporate the many aspects of virtual railroading. Trainz offers something for everybody by letting you design and create your own railroad experience.”

TRAINZ® immerses players in the world of railroading by offering a unique opportunity to jump into the driver's seat of their favorite locomotives and allowing them to create a huge variety of layouts using hundreds of textures and objects from around the world.

Players will be able to build their own stunningly realistic routes from a variety of locations, from the busy US East Coast, the picturesque English countryside to the endless plains of the Australian Outback - all using the intuitive and powerful TRAINZ SURVEYOR editor. Players will also be able to choose from the engineer's view and use 3D in-cab controls, or choose the train spotter view and use the virtual “DC” controller. They can even download a variety of fan-designed locomotives and trackside objects from the web site.

Trainz also includes Discreet's gmax game pack allowing users to create and import their own 3D content into the game and extend the capabilities of the Trainz Surveyor even further. Trainz will be the first of its kind to ship with gmax and promises to add extra value for any budding artist, modeler, train or gaming fan.

Scheduled for release on February 12th, 2002, TRAINZ® will be distributed by Infogrames throughout North America and by our other distribution partners
for Europe and Asia.

For more information log onto Strategy First's website.