Enjoy HOYLE Games Anytime, Anywhere

Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Sierra(TM) has announced, the launch of five of the popular Hoyle games, new for 2002: Hoyle(R) Casino 2002, Hoyle(R) Card 2002, Hoyle(R) Board 2002, Hoyle(R) Word 2002 and Hoyle(R) Kids 2002. Several of these games include versions playable on handheld units using the Palm(R) Operating System. These games are:

• Hoyle Casino: four variations of Video Poker (Crawdad, Jack's Back, Wild Thing, Wild Party)
• Hoyle Card Games: four versions of Solitaire (Klondike, Pyramid, 4 Free, 3 Towers)
• Hoyle Board Games: Backgammon (3 skill levels)
• Hoyle Word Games: thousands of Word Searches

"Hoyle games are perfect for personal handheld devices," said Paula Bynan, marketing director for Sierra. "No where else will Palm PDA users find this opportunity to experience such an unsurpassed quality of game play. Hoyle games are a perfect fit for your Palm whether you have five minutes or five hours to play."

The power and portability of today's PDA units make it so you can take your favorite Hoyle games wherever you go. The intuitive, easy-to-use controls, great visuals and sophisticated AI of the these games are what Hoyle players have come to expect and what new PDA-game players will surely to love.

For over 200 years, Hoyle has symbolized the highest standard of quality in games. Play with family and friends on your computer or take on animated opponents and friends from around the world on the Internet. There is always someone available to round out your game. Beautiful graphics, customizable options such as Facemaker(TM), skill levels and environments, and the famed Hoyle authenticity put these games in a league of their own.

Hoyle Casino 2002
Platform: PC/Mac(R) Available: September 18
Hoyle Casino, the best-selling casino game of all time, offers excitement and challenge with hundreds of authentic variations of 14 of the most popular casino games including Baccarat (NEW), Video Blackjack (NEW), Video Poker, Caribbean Stud(R) Poker (and NEW Poker Tournaments), Three Card Poker(R), Let It Ride(R), Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, Slots and Video Slots, Horse Racing, Keno and Pai Gow Poker. Set in a realistic Vegas environment and complete with a free strategy guide, the games combine great fun, endless replay, authenticity, user friendly installation and interface making it a sure winner with novice and expert computer users and gamers alike. PLUS, enjoy 4 variations of video poker for your Palm OS color or monochromatic handheld unit.

Hoyle Card Games 2002
Platform: PC/Mac Available: September 18
Hoyle -- the card game experts -- brings you 16 of your favorite card games as you have never seen them before. Lively, interactive play and crisp, colorful graphics make Hoyle Card Games the number-one-selling game available. Choose from Bridge, Canasta, Crazy Eights, Cribbage, Euchre, Gin Rummy, Go Fish, Hearts, Memory Match, Old Maid, Pinochle, Pitch, Poker, Solitaire, Spades, and War. New for 2002, is the Hoyle International Game Section, which includes Skat, a three-player game from Germany and Tarot -- the national game of France. Play against our lively animated opponents, see how you fare against friends and family or jump on the Internet and play with card-game lovers around the world. A complimentary Hoyle rulebook and strategy guide is included with the game. PLUS, as a bonus, enjoy 4 variations of solitaire on your Palm(R) Operating System color or monochromatic handheld unit.

Hoyle Board Games 2002
Platform: PC/Mac Available: September 18
Hoyle Board Games represents the cutting edge of computer technology with its beautiful graphics and involving gameplay, but the games themselves belong to history. Hoyle Board Games includes 16 board games: Backgammon, Battling Ships, Checkers, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Dominoes, Line 'em Up, Mahjong Tiles, Mancala, Master Match, Pachisi, Placer Racer, Reversi, Rummy Squares, Snakes & Ladders, and Yacht. Play against our lively animated opponents, see how you fare against friends and family, or jump on the Internet and play with board-game lovers around the world. A complimentary Hoyle rulebook and strategy guide is included with the game. PLUS, enjoy a bonus game of backgammon for your Palm OS color or monochromatic handheld unit.

Hoyle Word Games 2002
Platform: PC/Mac Available: September 18
Hoyle Word Games provides 9 fun and ingenious word games with hundreds of variations. Choose from Anagrams, DoubleCross, Enigma, Hangman, Speedy Racer, Wordox, Word Yacht and 1000 Crosswords and Word Searches from Dell Magazines. Utilize Webster's New World College Dictionary definitions during game play. Play against our lively animated opponents, see how you fare against friends and family, or jump on the Internet and play with word-game lovers around the world. A complimentary Hoyle rulebook and strategy guide is included with the game. PLUS, enjoy hundreds of word searches for your Palm OS color or monochromatic handheld unit.

Hoyle Kids Games 2002
Platform: PC/Mac Available: September 18
Hoyle Kids Games are bursting with variety and excitement. Twelve favorite games, each with an unconventional twist ensure endless hours of pure fun! Play with your friends and family on a single computer, or let the Hoyle cast of lively animated characters entertain you as they challenge you to a match of Battling Ships, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Crazy 8s, Go Fish, Hangman, Memory Match, Old Maid, Placer Racer, Snakes & Ladders, Speedy Racer or War and a NEW game for 2002 called Bump 'em!

Hoyle Casino, Hoyle Card Games, Hoyle Board Games, and Hoyle Word Games are available for PC/Mac(R) for $29.95 at local software retailers, by calling 800-757-7707, or by visiting www.hoylegames.com. Hoyle Kids Games is $19.95.

The Hoyle family of games is available on a variety of platforms, including PC, Macintosh(R), Game Boy(R), Dreamcast(R) and Palm(R) Operating System handheld units.

Sierra On-Line, Inc. http://www.sierra.com, a studio of Vivendi Universal Publishing and part of its Games division, is one of the original developers and largest worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment and productivity software. Sierra is renowned for releasing critically acclaimed and award winning titles that represent a wide variety of computer entertainment on both next generation console and PC platforms.

Vivendi Universal Publishing is a world leader in mass-market multimedia communications. The Company has 22,000 employees and 300 brands in 40 countries and aims to become the unchallenged leader in each of its operating sectors. VU Publishing had 2000 pro-forma revenues of 3.6 billion euros. A leading publisher of online and PC and Console-based interactive content, the Company's portfolio of entertainment software brands includes Blizzard Entertainment, Flipside.com, Sierra and Universal Interactive Studios. Interactive entertainment is one of parent company Vivendi Universal's key content areas, along with Movies, Music and other Publishing activities.

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SOURCE Sierra On-Line Inc.