Grolier Tees Up Greg Norman Challenge Golf Simulation Game

DANBURY, Conn. -- May 16, 1996 -- For golfers and gamers wanting to capture
all the thrills of flying fairway divots and exploding sand shots from the
home course of the world's most celebrated professional golfer, Grolier
Interactive presents a 2.0 version of "Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge
Golf."

Designed by Friendly Software Corporation, "Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge
Golf" offers the first golf simulation engine (SIM), capturing virtually
every element of the game, down to the player's swing, style, preferences,
strategies and skills. This revolutionary technology, coming to the market
after 19 years of research and development, includes 44 options for
everything from distance and accuracy to spin and height.

Other golf games use an arcade-style swing meter and rely on manual
dexterity to determine shot length and accuracy. In "Greg Norman Ultimate
Challenge Golf," players click on a swing icon to activate the simulation
engine for shot results that are based on hundreds of factors including
playing characteristics, weather and course conditions to quench the
thirst of the golfing purist.

New to the 1996 title are a fantasy golf course called Dorset Cliffs, a
Lesson Tee with professional tips for improving a player's game and
visible ball tracks on replays. With redraw speeds two times faster after
shots and between holes than the previous version, users spend more time
playing and less time waiting.

"Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf" recreates the serene, plush
surroundings of Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla., site of 1995 PGA
Player of the Year Norman's home course. Pros, amateurs and duffers alike
walking onto the graphically rich and precisely replicated South Florida
golf course experience the true weather conditions, tee and pin placements
and terrain as the "Shark" himself would.

"'Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf' is the first CD-ROM to bring a
real-life golf experience to the user," John McIlvaine, vice president,
marketing, Grolier Interactive, said. "State-of-the-art graphics, an
innovative simulation technology and the developer's attention to detail
make this title the next best alternative to being on the course itself."

ALL-NEW FANTASY COURSE

Users itching to play a different golf course may also choose to tee it up
on the Links at Dorset Cliffs, a fantasy course made up of interesting
holes with different terrain and challenges reminiscent of the range of
courses used for the U.S. and British Opens. Holes depict lighthouses,
seaside and mountain views, desert backdrops, waterfalls and island
greens.

The Links at Dorset Cliffs takes a page from the most unique golf settings
in the world, offering a variety of landscape, weather and ground
conditions and a choice of three season changes.

THE LESSON TEE

"Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf" comes programmed with a Lesson Tee
providing users with suggestions to improve their games onscreen and lower
their scores on the real golf course. With nine useful lessons on tap,
users are walked through the most common challenges of the game through
narration, graphic overlays and the ability to recreate the shot.

Players selecting this option are treated to an interactive "virtual"
lesson on how to develop and refine shot planning strategies. The Lesson
Tee guides users through various shots and challenges, including tee shot
strategies, battling uphill and downhill lies, blasting out of fairway
bunkers, honing the short game, developing approach shots or going for
broke by landing a par 5 on two shots.

PERSONALIZED PLAYER PROFILES

Players can control virtually every element of the game by choosing options
such as different clubs, selection of ball type, advanced shot planning,
preference for male or female player and even the amount of spin on the
ball.

After the individual player profile is selected, the golfer walking the
challenging Medalist Golf Club and the Links at Dorset Cliffs hits shots
exactly like a player with the chosen capabilities.

Players may also choose to play alone, be paired up with Norman or even set
up a foursome. Other users seeking a brief escape from the life of a
"bogie golfer" may choose to fill the shoes of the world's greatest golfer
by playing with the same profile as Norman. Or if the user is feeling up
to it, he can challenge Norman himself.

Players have the virtual alter ego of Norman in their hip pocket throughout
the round. With helicopter fly-bys accompanied by Norman's commentary, his
introduction and multiple view playing options with candid advice from the
"Shark," the CD-ROM covers every aspect of Medalist Golf Club and the
Links at Dorset Cliffs from tee to green.

"'Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf' captures the realism of a true golf
game like no other CD-ROM on the market," said McIlvaine. "We offer
advanced player profiles, golf tips, swing programming capability and,
most importantly, the world's greatest golfer."

CUTTING EDGE 3DR GRAPHICS

Golfers taking a virtual stroll down the Medalist Golf Club fairways are
treated to the ultimate in image quality and content of the CD-ROM's
signature -- true-to-life 3DR graphics engineered by Intel.

The revolutionary technology captures in detail every aspect of the
aesthetically pleasing course layout, down to the bark on the trees, lip
of the sand traps, ripples of the water hazards and fringe of the
cascading greens. With the attention to detail, players will have the feel
of a realistic golfing experience with only a click of the mouse.

MULTIPLE SCORING OPTIONS

For the high stakes golfer who thrives on competition, the CD-ROM offers
the choice of four all new scoring formats, including stroke play, skins,
two-ball or four-ball matches.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

A customized utilities screen allowing users to program several default
settings for maximum system efficiency, animation, ball and swing speed.
Options for full equipment customization, down to the ball type and club
preference. The option of an arcade-style swing simulation, recreating a
realistic golf swing by utilizing variable club-head speeds.

PLATFORM AND PRICING

Grolier Interactive's "Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf" runs smoothly
in either a Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Microsoft Windows 95 environment. The
CD-ROM operates on all IBM-compatible PCs.

Grolier Interactive is well-known for its award-winning CD-ROM reference
and entertainment titles found in homes, schools and libraries worldwide,
including "The Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia." The company's main
headquarters is located in Danbury, Conn. To order or register your
product, please call (800) 285-4534. For other customer service inquiries,
call (203) 797-3530. Grolier Interactive's Web site is
http://www.grolier.com.
 
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