Ship Simulator 2008 is the follow-up to the surprise simulation hit Ship Simulator released last year. Not only is the game Windows Vista compatible, but it includes brand new harbors like San Francisco, new vessels including jet-skis and hovercrafts, and also advanced weather conditions, waves, visible damage, enhanced ship bridges, multiplayer and open sea missions. Ship Simulator 2008 will amaze players with its progress and will rock their simulated world!

"Ship Simulator and Ship Simulator 2008 have both received accolades from simulation fans, retailers and the press worldwide," said Steve Wall, VP of Lighthouse Interactive. "We are proud to be bringing this international hit to the North American market."

VSTEP's Technical Director, Pjotr van Schothorst added, "The North American version of the game will be packed with features including: 50 different single player and multiplayer missions, a Mission Editor, and the ability to track player profiles establishing their ranks in different ship classes."

Ship Simulator 2008 is a revolutionary simulation game that puts players at the helm of some of the most varied and detailed ships to be found at sea. Players will need to perform a multitude of tasks, all set within a stunning 3D environment. They will take control of a wide array of ship types ? from massive cargo ships and ferries, to speedboats, yachts, water taxis and even the mighty Titanic. The waters you sail are as varied as the ships, with newly added harbors such as Southampton, Marseille and San Francisco. Ship Simulator 2008 recreates real world locations from around the world as well as the challenges of commanding a vessel on the open sea.

Features :

• Dynamic ocean waves with realistic ship motions
• Long distance travels with open sea voyages between ports
• Advanced damage system showing holes in the ships after severe collisions with other ships and even icebergs
• 50 new challenging missions for both single player and multiplayer modes
• Extensive day, night and weather systems
• 8 new ships, an oil rig and 3 new locations: San Francisco, Southampton and Marseille
• Walkthrough functionality and interactive bridge controls on all ships
• Controllable container crane
• Advanced vector graphic sea chart with full-screen display option, transparency setting and high level-of-detail on text and depth readings
• Free-roam mode where players can choose a ship, an environment, weather conditions, time of day, and time parameters
• Advanced physics simulation model displaying realistic water effects like water splashing on the bow
• Extensive mapping options for keys and joystick buttons
• Anchoring and advanced rope system which allows you to connect and disconnect player ships to other ships or mooring boulders at will
• A system for sinking player ships when damaged below the water line
• Mid-mission save function
• Enhanced ship bridges with more interactive elements
• An advanced system for establishing ranks in different ship classes linked to the online player profile
• Ability to set a trajectory with waypoints in free-roaming mode by pointing-and-clicking on the game map
• Extended environments for Rotterdam and Hamburg harbors
• Option for dual-screen users (full chart on second monitor)
• Rating missions indicated by stars

Ship Simulator 2008 will be released in Canada and the U.S. in Q1 2008.