REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 8, 2001 — The best action game ever developed. The best fighting game ever made. The best sports game that gamers have ever played. Those are just a few of the comments from video game experts and enthusiasts about the launch portfolio of games for the Xbox™
video game system from Microsoft Corp.
The top video game developers in the world have taken advantage of the unparalleled power of Xbox to produce an incredible array of titles that will appeal to the varied tastes of gamers everywhere. The world’s most powerful game system will be available on Nov. 15 in North America with 15 to 20 games available by the week of launch. These launch games, and others available shortly afterward, will set the standard for the future of video game entertainment.
Microsoft® Game Studios presents five exclusive titles at launch, including:
-
“
Halo ™ ,” the much-anticipated sci-fi shooter, takes place on a mysterious alien ring-world. Packed with combat,
“Halo”
will have players battling on foot, in vehicles, indoors and outdoors with alien and human weaponry. The objective: to destroy mankind’s sworn enemy, the Covenant. -
“
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee ™ ” brings Oddworld to life in full 3-D. Players embark on a journey through a changing world of oddball creatures, off-the-wall action and outlandish goons. Players guide aquatic Gabbit champion Munch™ and Mudokon partner Abe™
in their third adventure across Oddworld. -
“
NFL ™ Fever 2002” combines fast and hard-hitting action with deep season and career modes. Featuring stadiums from all 31 NFL teams and enabling players to participate in up to 25 seasons,
“NFL Fever 2002”
allows players to amass both individual and team trophies as well as build dynasties, season after season. -
“
Project Gotham Racing ™ ” is the future-generation racing game where fun and reward come from focusing equally on speed, flair and risk-taking. Players choose from more than 25 different cars and compete on more than 200 city-based circuits in photo-realistic downtown environments in San Francisco, Tokyo, London and New York. -
“
Fuzion Frenzy ™ ” is a nonstop party game with an edge, combining the continuous, frenetic action of a futuristic street sport with the action-packed fun of minigames. Set in a dynamic 3-D urban environment with six arenas and more than 45 minigames,
“Fuzion Frenzy”
provides competitive fun for up to four players.
“There’s never been a better time to be a gamer,”
said Ed Fries, vice president of Microsoft Game Studios.
“Whether you love sports, racing or action games, Xbox will deliver an awesome experience. Come Nov. 15, gamers will be blown away!”
Top developers from around the world have joined with Xbox to add to the impressive launch portfolio.
“Dead or Alive 3™ ”
from Tecmo, with its stunning graphics and unequaled gameplay, is already drawing rave reviews and is being hailed as the best game ever made for the fighting genre.
Other titles available the week of launch include
“Madden NFL™ 2002,” “NASCAR Thunder™ 2002”
and
“Cel Damage™ ”
from Electronic Arts;
”
NHL ÒHitz™ 20-02″
from Midway;
”
NASCAR ÒHeat 2002™ ,” “TransWorld Surf™ ”
and
“Test Drive Off Road — Wide Open™ ”
from Infogrames;
“Mad Dash™ Racing”
from Eidos; TDK’s
“Shrek”
;
“4×4 Evo 2”
from Godgames;
“Dark Summit”
from THQ;
“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2x”
from Activision; and Konami’s
“AirForce Delta Storm™ .”
”
In addition to our blockbuster launch-week lineup, gamers can look forward to electrifying games to come in the near future from world-renowned publishers like Sega Ò, Capcom, Namco, Acclaim, Interplay, Take-Two, Ubi Soft Entertainment, LucasArts, Crave and Sierra Entertainment™ ,”
said J Allard, general manager of the Xbox platform at Microsoft.
“Xbox has arrived, and the future of gaming has never looked brighter.”
About 20 additional titles will be released between the first week of launch and the end of the holiday season, providing gamers with a constant stream of great games from the top developers.
“When we first announced the development of Xbox 19 months ago, we promised to remove the shackles from developers and enable them to realize their own creative visions for video games without being hampered by limited power,”
Allard said.
“Our launch portfolio of games demonstrates that Xbox developers have been able to accomplish the goal of unparalleled gameplay experiences. The result is that gamers will be able to enjoy incredible video game experiences starting Nov. 15.”
About Xbox
Xbox is Microsoft’s future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox will be available in North America on Nov. 15, 2001, at the estimated retail price of $299.99. More information on Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Xbox, Halo, Project Gotham Racing and Fuzion Frenzy are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft 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.
All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Ó 2001 NHL. All rights reserved. National Hockey League Player’s Association, NHLPA and NHLPA Logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used, under license, by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. Ó NHLPA. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League Players’ Association. NHL and NHL super skills are registered trademarks of the NHL.
John Madden Football is a trademark of Electronic Arts Inc. NFL is a trademark of the National Football League. NASCAR is a registered trademark and NASCAR Thunder is a trademark of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. Cel Damage is a trademark of Pseudo Interactive.
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.
