Matrix Games and Strategic Studies Group Announce
Battlefront
Matrix Games News Release For Immediate Release Staten Island,
NY, July 5th, 2006 - Matrix Games ( www.matrixgames.com) and
Strategic Studies Group ( www.ssg.com.au) are very pleased to
announce their partnership to release Battlefront, an all-new
wargame system that simulates battalion-scale combat in the
largest cauldron of war humanity has known: World War II.
Battlefront features the power of battalion-level combat in
some of this period's most bloody and intense conflicts:
Saipan, Market Garden, Novorossisk, and Gazala. Players will
have realistic control over their soldiers, with a tactical
scale just large enough to make a telling difference in the
strategic picture. David Heath, Operations Manager of Matrix
Games, said "We are truly pleased to work with a talented and
established developer like SSG in bringing this product to the
market. Our philosophies share much the same beliefs, in that
wargames are meant to be fun, approachable, and challenging."
Gregor Whiley, Vice President of Strategic Studies, said "We
are delighted to be working with Matrix Games again. This year
will be the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the
original Battlefront game. We believe that the new Battlefront
system will set new standards for wargaming, just as the first
Battlefront did." While the Battlefront system shares a design
philosophy with SSG's award-winning Decisive Battles series, it
is actually an entirely new system specifically designed for
battalion-level combat. This level of play gives the player a
chance to experience true issues of command, control, sighting,
and supply at a level that emphasizes plenty of tough but
enjoyable decisions to make. The combat system provides new and
varied ways to damage your opponent, with provisions for direct
and indirect fire, air strikes, and special,
historically-accurate combat modes (such as Japanese Banzai
attacks). Players will have full control over the off-map
movement of their units; players can move units in special
off-map areas, getting realistic control over where and when to
employ their reinforcements. Opponents will never be entirely
sure where and when these units will arrive, increasing the
tension and fun. Battlefront is due for release by August,
2006. Features of the new Battlefront system include:
Improved Strategic AI enables a more flexible response to fast
changing battlefields Improved user interface
simplifies unit information Command and control system
that rewards correct employment of military assets
Close combat routines have special attack modes such as Banzai,
Surprise and Infiltration Indirect Fire from artillery
and air assets can directly attack enemy units Direct
fire from AFVs can attack enemy units at range
Counter-battery fire can eliminate enemy artillery
Eliminated units can be rebuilt as cadres and returned to
battle Sighting, command, supply and danger zone rules
encourage sensible use of artillery Complete Unit, Map
and AI editor allows users to create scenarios from scratch
Improved Play By Email security ABOUT MATRIX GAMES
Matrix Games produces, markets and publishes historical
wargames as well as other computer gaming products. Since 2000,
Matrix Games has published over three dozen titles and several
award-winning games, including War in the Pacific, Highway to
the Reich, Gary Grigsby's World At War, Flashpoint Germany,
Battles In Normandy, Starshatter and Tin Soldiers: Julius
Caesar. Matrix Games is based in Staten Island, New York. For
more information, visit the Matrix Games website at
www.matrixgames.com. ABOUT STRATEGIC STUDIES GROUP Strategic
Studies Group (SSG) was founded in Australia during the 1980s
by Roger Keating and Ian Trout with the release of their first
game, Reach for the Stars. Over the last twenty years and over
fifty computer games, SSG has grown from a fledgling company to
one of the driving forces in Computer Strategy in the world
today. SSG's Decisive Battles series has won as much acclaim as
any modern wargame. For more information, visit the SSG website
at www.ssg.com.au. ### For Additional Media Contact: Joseph
Lieberman at JoeL@MatrixGames.com
