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GT INTERACTIVE TO INVADE REAL-TIME GAMING ON 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 'THE WAR OF THE WORLDS'

Company to Release PC Game Based On Classic Sci-Fi Novel By H.G. Wells And Inspired By Best-Selling Album From Jeff Wayne

New York, NY, November 12, 1997 -- One hundred years after H.G. Wells' novel set the benchmark for science fiction in literature, GT Interactive Software Corp. (NASDAQ: GTIS) plans to bring this legacy to the gaming world with its release of The War of The Worlds for Windows 95. Based on the novel and inspired by the best-selling album by Jeff Wayne, The War of The Worlds is a true 3D real-time combat strategy game, featuring full texture-mapped animated objects, dynamic lighting and non-linear game play.

"The War of The Worlds has transcended generations and captivated millions of people across various media," says Holly Newman, vice president of Marketing for GT Interactive. "With its incredibly rich story, true 3D texture-mapped objects and dramatic lighting, The War of The Worlds is poised to raise the standards for real-time combat strategy games."

No one would have believed that in the last years of the 19th century humans were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. Few even considered the possibility of life on other planets. Yet, across the void of space, immeasurably superior minds regarded Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and deliberately, they drew their plans against us. The Martian home world is dying, and its inhabitants have only one chance for survival - invading Earth on August 10, 1898 and attacking the planet's strongest military power - Britain. Will the British forces succeed in defending the Earth from this merciless invader? The battle is on...

GT Interactive's The War of The Worlds for PC will offer an array of exciting features, including:

A mixture of strategy and action ranging from cunning deliberation to outright firepower;

No pre-set missions - all game play is completely non-linear and determined by the player;

Control of research, development, production and placement of all forces;

Control of vehicles on land, above and below the ocean, air and underground;

Control either the technically advanced Martian forces or the more numerous Human forces, resulting in two distinct types of game play;

Full 3D texture-mapped animated objects;

16-bit color display that will run in any resolution (hardware permitting);

Realistic undulating terrain based on actual geography of Britain, that is modified by combat;

Fully light-sourced environments, with both ambient and directional lighting;

Dynamic particle system for realistic fire, smoke, fog and explosion effects;

24-hour timekeeping, so battles can take place at any time of day or night;

Network play for up to two players;

Jeff Wayne to produce 45 minutes of new musical arrangements exclusively for the game.

Jeff Wayne's musical version of The War of The Worlds was released on June 9, 1978, and remained on UK album charts for over six years, achieving multi-platinum status with worldwide sales approaching six million double albums. In addition, in 1979 the album won the "Best Recording In Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy" in the United States, and in 1980, Wayne won two Ivor Novello Awards for the "Best Instrumental and/or Popular Work." The album's single, "The Eve Of The War," has been recorded by many artists and used as the theme for many television and radio shows throughout the world. The album is still hugely successful today, having achieved top-selling back-catalog status in the UK in 1996.

GT Interactive's The War of The Worlds will be available in the summer of 1998 at a suggested retail price to be determined.

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Headquartered in NY, GT Interactive Software Corp. is a leading global publisher of interactive entertainment and edutainment under the GT Interactive, Humongous Entertainment, Cavedog Entertainment, SingleTrac and MacSoft brands, for personal computers and game consoles from Sony and Nintendo. A leader in value-priced software under the WizardWorks, CompuWorks and Slash brands, GT Interactive operates development studios in Seattle, Salt Lake City and San Luis Obispo, CA.

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