Publisher - Crave Entertainment
Developer - Lobotomy Software
Platform - N64
Release Date - June 1999
Type - Casino/Gambling

Headed by Ex Square USA execs Rich Silveira and Ted Woolsey, Crave Entertainment is trying to dig itself a niche in the N64's lineup with what it calls "alternative" games. Next to Milo's Astro Lanes and VR Pool 64, Crave is working on Caesars Palace, a 3D casino simulator that doesn't take itself all that seriously.

Developed by Lobotomy of Powerslave fame, Caesar's Palace is not only about parlor games but also the feel and atmosphere of a Las Vegas casino, complete with Elvis impersonators and shady dealers.

To achieve that, Carve acquired the official Caesars Palace license and is mixinga traditional gambling simulation with complex 3D graphics, and an involving story mode featuring dozens of colorful ambient characters and multiple endings.

"We believe there is much more to the real Caesars Palace than a series of gambling games and machines," says Paul Lange, producer of Caesars Palace 64. "We're working to capture -- and apply to the design of the game -- the ambience, people and Roman theme environment that makes gambling at Caesars Palace such an exciting experience."

According to Crave Entertainment, Caesars Palace enables players to stroll through the 3D polygonal casino, playing with various slot machines, trying their luck at Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and Craps. To support the concept of a living environment, Lobotomy is said to be embracing new ideas regarding character animation systems, character interaction, and AI.

Players choose from three different game modes: Adventure, Multiplayer and Instant Play. In Adventure Mode, the challenge is to win so much money and populatiry that the owners of Caesars Palace will allow you to place a bet so large that if you win, the casino will be yours. In order to achieve that ultimate goal, your character needs to interact with the casino employees as well as achieve several sub goals. Instant Play and Multiplayer skip the adventure plot and give players the chance to either play alone or go head to head on the parlor game of their choice.

Features:

*Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, Slot Machines, Video Poker, Baccarat, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker and Keno
*3D polygonal representation of the actual Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
*"Live" world with detailed polygon characters and objects Analog control for movement and sub-games
*Multiplayer game supports exchange of funds between players in the form of gifts and interest bearing loans
*Adventure Mode enables players to interact with ambient characters, upgrade rooms, change wardrobes, participate in gambling tournaments, shop at casino gift shops and play high stakes games

Caesars Palace will be published by Crave Entertainment next spring and should sell for a lower price than most N64 titles. Interplay will release the game in Europe.