June 6^th, 2005 (11:14am) - The PC version of Midway’s Area 51 has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. Area 51 is a story-driven, first-person shooter that promises a "powerful" multiplayer experience that allows up to 16 players to battle it out online.

Area 51 is the only first-person shooter to be set within the confines of the government’s most secret research facility. The U.S. Army has received a distress signal from Area 51 where a viral outbreak has just shut down the research facility and the automated quarantine procedures have locked all scientific and military personnel inside. A small Special Forces unit led by Specialist Ethan Cole of the HAZMAT (hazardous materials) Division is sent to investigate. As Cole, players will delve into five massive levels within the confines of Area 51, discovering a deadly mutagenic side effect of the virus that controls the minds of those infected, as well as an ancient alien colony buried beneath the facility. With a multitude of human and alien weapons, players must explore chilling conspiracies such as the extraterrestrial crash at Roswell and the faked lunar landing, in order to solve the enigma of Area 51 before the viral mutagen is released and irrevocably mutates all life on Earth.

A playable demo of Area 51 can be downloaded at: http://www.area51-game.com/demo/Area51_Demo.exe