Who Wants To Be a Millionaire CDRom is a huge hit!

Who Wants to be a Millionaire CD-ROM is a hit

Consumers turned out in droves to purchase the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire CD-ROM when the interactive trivia game from Disney Interactive hit retail stores nationwide last week.

The game's official launch was Tuesday, Nov. 23, and by Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 24, the CD-ROM game featuring ABC television personality and game show host, Regis Philbin, was virtually sold out across the country.

With retailers clamoring for reorders to fulfill the demands of consumers eager to bring the TV game show experience home for the holidays, Disney Interactive is pulling out all the stops to meet demand, supplying hundreds of thousands more CDs to retailers. New supply of the popular PC trivia game is expected to be in stores as early as Tuesday, Dec. 7.

"Sales have been tremendous for us on this title, exceeding all of our expectations. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire CD-ROM was our top performer over the Thanksgiving time frame," said Shelly Burns, buyer, Kmart Corp.

'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire CD-ROM outsold all our original estimates," said Jennifer Mirabelli, buyer, Comp USA. "It is one of our key titles this holiday season."

Who Wants to Be A Millionaire CD-ROM is far and away the best seller at the Amazon.com software store," said Kirk Koenigsbauer, general manager of the Amazon.com software store. "It's proving to be a favorite for holiday giving."

Game Features

Available for users of all ages, the CD-ROM captures the spirit of the game show, beginning with the Fastest Finger round. Four items are displayed out of sequence on the screen. The first contestant to put these items in the right order in the shortest time advances to the ``Hot Seat.'' The stakes are high with the chance to win one million cyber dollars. Just like the television program, participants must answer 15 progressively challenging questions correctly.

Also as on TV, players can rely on three different Lifelines for assistance: Ask the Audience, Phone A Friend and 50/50. Instead of polling a live studio audience for Ask the Audience, the CD-ROM uses an Internet poll conducted prior to the release of the game. When Phone A Friend is selected, the CD-ROM ``calls'' one of Regis' virtual friends. Sometimes the answers they give will be correct, sometimes incorrect. Players must use clues in the answers to figure out whether to rely on the advice or disregard it. The third Lifeline is 50/50, which narrows down the correct answers to two choices.

Unique to the CD-ROM and unlike the television version, should players lose the game, they can always try again. With hundreds of questions available, the CD-ROM provides hours of nail-biting fun. The TV-like timing, tense music and the right dose of harassment from Regis build non-stop excitement for the chance to become a virtual millionaire. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire CD-ROM is available for Windows® 95/98 for a suggested retail price of $19.99.

-- Posted December 8th, 1999