E3 2001 Preshow ReportZoo Tycoon

Announced earlier this year at Microsoft's own Gamestock event in Seattle, Zoo Tycoon is reminiscent of games such as RollerCoaster Tycoon and Railroad Tycoon II--only, as the name dictates, your role will be to create a successful zoo business. To this end, you'll need to build animal habitats, adopt animals, hire a staff, and keep the customers of your park satisfied. The game will offer a free play mode, in which you can build up your zoo at your leisure, and will have pre-scripted scenarios, which challenge you to complete specific objectives.

Zoo Tycoon will include 40 different animals with which you can attract and impress your zoo's audience. Each of these will have different behavioral patterns and may respond differently to your actions and habits as a zoo manager. You'll need to carefully balance how you expand your park and also how you place your animal habitats in relative proximity to each other.

The small developer Blue Fang Games is designing Zoo Tycoon and plans to make it accessible to casual players through its easy-to-use interface and lighthearted theme. Check out these new screenshots of the game's clear, colorful graphics. Zoo Tycoon is scheduled for release this fall.