Amazons and Aliens

Title: Amazons & Aliens
Tagline: Real Time Strategy/Resource Management and Exploding Beasts of War
Platform: Win
Category: Strategy/Resource Management
Target Audience: Non "Twitch" Gamers ages 16+
Pricing: Wholesale -$21.00 / Estimated Street Price - $29.95
Ship Date: August 2000

Set Up:

Windows® 95/98
Pentium® 233 MHz or faster
32 MB RAM or more
2MB-PCI-video card
4x CD-ROM
130 MB free hard disc space
Soundcard (optional)
Supports 3D-accelerator cards (optional)
ISBN: 0-7435-0389-9 UPC: 0-76714-50389-2
Case Pack Quantity: 12
Size: 7.875" x 9.5" x 2"
Carton Size: 16.75" x 10.5" x 12"

Product Overview

Chocolate cakes,lumberjacks and exploding beasts of war in this game of real time strategy, resource management, and the brutal conquest of your enemies.

Product Summary

Choose one of three alien races competing for world domination (or peace): the blue stoneworking Pimmons, the militaristic, wild Amazons, or the ‘disgusting biotech’ insectoid Sajkhi. Direct the fate of your race as you nurture them from the Stone Age through Metal and beyond. Command them to build houses, schools, taverns, and laboratories to research new technologies…to build more houses, barracks, and military outposts (or circuses). Then lead them into war to destroy the other races or set up complex peace and trade relations. (Multiple winning scenarios, get it?)

Beautifully elaborate graphics, a highly imaginative world, addictive gameplay. The chance to destroy a great civilization. What more could you ask for?

And just because the Pimmons farm very…interesting polka dotted mushrooms and the Sajkhi enjoy…psychedelic swirled lollypops does not mean they aren’t dangerous. Watch out for their legions of exploding beasts. They’ll get you every time.

Key Features

Well-balanced resource management

Complex and idiosyncratic life forms

Beautiful, richly detailed graphics
Complex technology research tree (research dozens of technologies)
School systems to train inhabitants for individual duties
Experience levels for different military units
Campaigns with 20 missions per culture
Easy to learn
Multiple winning scenarios
Trade
Diplomacy
Tcp/ip
Great music

Positioning

Aliens & Amazons is a strategy/resource management game in the spirit of Civilization and WarCraft. Unique to Aliens & Amazons is the imaginative alien world, lighthearted bent and breathtaking graphics. Amazons & Aliens is not always about plundering and pillaging your neighbors (though it could be). Players can enjoy outsmarting, negotiating and trading to take control of the planet or you can brutally conquer your enemies.

Target Demographic

Men and women 16+

Non "twitch" gamers

How It Differs From the Competition

There are no Resource Management games in the marketplace that aren’t specifically conquest based.

More imaginative and complex than The Sims with beautiful graphics and a science fiction plotline

Competitive Category Sales

Rank	Title	Publisher	1999 Volume	1999 Value	1999 ASP
2	The Sims (for Ytd 2000)	Electronic Arts	651,425	$27,398,416	$42.06
28	Alpha Centuri	Electronic Arts	224,939	$9,162,625	$40.73
29	Civilization	Activision	222,619	$8,918,360	$40.06
57	Warcraft II	Havas	162,959	$2,338,213	$14.35

Rationale for Launching This Product

There is a void in the market

There is a market for non specifically combat oriented Resource Management games

Packaging Strategy

Emphasis on non violent game play elements

Focus on three tribes

Channel Marketing Strategy

Primary Sales Channel: Core distribution in mass, clubs and superstores

Online Strategy

Meet and greet website to play multi player versions

Downloadable demo

Imbedded secret codes

Viral and Guerilla Marketing

Demo Plans

Website and CD promotions

Promotional Product Descriptions

50 Word Description:

Chocolate cakes, lumberjacks and exploding beasts of war abound in this game of real time strategy, resource management, and brutal conquest of your enemies. Control one of three alien civilizations in this amusing and richly complex struggle for world domination. Multiplay support, a highly imaginative world, addictive gameplay.

25 Word Description:

Chocolate cakes, lumberjacks and exploding beasts of war in this imaginative real time strategy/ resource management game. Multiplay support, imaginative world, addictive gameplay.

10 Word Description:

Lumberjacks, exploding beasts of war and brutal conquest of your enemy.

Publicity

National Review Mailing

More than 300 review mailings to newspapers, television, radio and on-line sites

Beta mailing to key game and software pubs
Final product mailing to all game and PC pubs, news and entertainment TV & radio, all on-line review media

National Sample Mailing

Demo disk on cover of Family PC October Issue (on sale September) with circulation of 850,000

Key Dates

July Gold Master

July Beta mailing to key game and software pubs

July Final PR product mailing

August Amazons & Aliens available at all major retailers

Amazons and Aliens	Civilization (II)
Quick to get into, easy to pick up	Difficult to set up game initially, too many options
Beautiful music	Simple repetitive music
Lush 3d terrain and creatures	Limited color 2d faux-isometric
Thousands of colors, animated	Old fashioned, low-resolution graphics – no animations
Extremely intuitive interface	Ugly interface
Real time	Turn based
As you grow your civilization you watch your little people go back and forth on their duties	No ‘humans’ or creatures in the game except for static, chesspiece type characters
Multiplay mode	Multiplay mode
Voiceover to alert you to different aspects of the game	No voiceover
One entire race of Amazons	No female characters whatsoever
Appeals to everyone	Hardcore PC computer gamers only

AMAZONS & ALIENS