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GOLD COAST, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

Team Dystopia demonstrates modifications for "Half-Life 2" created
with the Source SDK and Visual C++ at Tech*Ed Australia

Today at Microsoft(R) Tech*Ed Australia, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT)
announced that Valve Corp.(R), creator of award-winning game franchises
"Half-Life(R)" and "Counter-Strike(TM)," has named the upcoming Microsoft
Visual C++(R) 2005 Express Edition as the preferred development environment for
hobbyist Windows(R) developers creating modifications for Source(TM), the
engine on which "Half-Life 2" is built. In addition, during Tech*Ed Australia,
attendees will get to hear how Team Dystopia created its modification for
"Half-Life 2" with Visual C++.

Microsoft’s Visual Studio(R) Express Edition products, including Visual C++
2005 Express Edition, will offer developers a low-cost tool to explore game
"modding" on Windows. Hobbyist developers will also be able to learn more about
how to create modifications for "Half-Life 2" on Microsoft’s Coding4Fun Web
site, which features a new "Half-Life 2" Mod Corner. Microsoft Visual C++
Express Edition, currently available in beta, is due to ship this fall and will
be compatible with the next release of Valve’s Source software development kit
(SDK).

"Windows gaming is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing areas of
computing today," said Brian Keller, product manager in the Developer Division
at Microsoft Corp. "By working with content and technology creators such as
Valve and releasing the Visual Studio Express products, we can provide great
opportunities to the game development community. Valve and Microsoft share a
vision of providing aspiring developers of all ages with the tools they need to
get started with software development and pursue their passions."

Microsoft Visual Studio Express products are low-cost, lightweight and
easy-to-learn. They include Starter Kits and other introductory features to
streamline programming for the nonprofessional developer. With the Express
products, hobbyist, novice and student developers can build dynamic
applications, whether they are building new games, creating modifications for
games such as "Half-Life 2" or pursuing other software-related hobbies such as
robotics or home automation. Valve’s SDK is available as a free download for
"Half-Life 2" customers, which provides specialized tools and code that allow
developers to build modifications to, and completely new games around, Valve’s
powerful Source engine.

"Visual C++ 2005 is the development environment our engineers are using to
create our next generation of products," said Gabe Newell, founder and
president of Valve. "Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition is a great, low-cost tool
that opens the door for the mod community to leverage a robust version of that
same development environment in the creation of its Source-based games."

Game Modding on Display at Tech*Ed Australia
This week at Tech*Ed Australia, Team Dystopia representatives will demo
their modification for "Half-Life 2" in the keynote presentation. They will
provide more details in a session titled "Gaming With Microsoft Development
Tools: Special Session Developing Atop the Source Engine." Tech*Ed attendees
will also have an opportunity to talk directly with the members of Team
Dystopia about how they created their mod during a cabana session titled
"Gaming With Microsoft Development Tools — Chat With the Dystopia Game
Developers." These sessions offer developers an opportunity to see firsthand
how they can create game mods with Visual C++ and the Source SDK.

Pricing and Availability
Developers can download beta 2 of Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition today
from Microsoft’s Web site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/express. The updated
version of Valve’s Source SDK will be available soon and will enable developers
to use Visual C++ 2005 and Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition to build and compile
modifications based on the Source SDK. Microsoft’s Coding4Fun Web site will
also feature a new "Half-Life 2" Mod Corner at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/coding4fun. Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition
is priced at $49 (U.S.); the Source SDK is available for download at no
additional cost to owners of "Half-Life 2."

About Valve
Based in Bellevue, Wash., Valve is an entertainment software and technology
company founded in 1996. Valve’s debut title, "Half-Life(R)," has won over 50
Game of the Year Awards and named "Best PC Game Ever" in the November 1999,
October 2001 and April 2005 issues of PC Gamer, the world’s best-selling PC
games magazine. Valve’s portfolio of entertainment titles also includes
"Counter-Strike," "Day of Defeat(R)" and "Team Fortress(R)," and accounts for
over 18 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 88 percent of the PC
online action market. More information may be found at www.valvesoftware.com

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their
full potential.

Microsoft, Visual C++ and Visual Studio are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Valve, the Valve logo, Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Team
Fortress and Source are trademarks or registered trademarks of Valve Corp. in
the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Microsoft Corp.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
If you are interested in viewing additional information
on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate
information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were
correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For
additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact
Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts
listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx

CONTACT: press only: Elise Peterson of Waggener Edstrom,
+1-503-443-7000 or
elisep@wagged.com,

for Microsoft;

Rapid Response Team,
Waggener Edstrom,
+1-503-443-7070 or
rrt@wagged.com,
for Microsoft; or

Doug Lombardi of Valve
+1-425-889-9642, ext. 160, or
lombardi@valvesoftware.com

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