Gaming News - May 2006

Santa Monica, CA (May 8, 2006) - Activision today confirmed that the company is currently in development on three launch titles for both the PlayStation 3 and Wii.

From Activision:

The company has been working closely with both Sony Computer Entertainment America and Nintendo on the development of Call of Duty 3 and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, which will be released on both next-generation systems, as well as on the Xbox 360. The company also is developing two completely different games based on the Tony Hawk franchise – Tony Hawk’s Project 8 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam for the Nintendo’s new Wii system.

Additionally, at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo Activision will unveil a sneak peak from its highly anticipated Spider-Man 3 video game that demonstrates the in-game model of the renowned Super Hero and the power of next-generation technology. Activision’s Windows PC lineup is led by id Software’s Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, the highly-anticipated online team-based first-person action game.

These announcements underscore Activision’s commitment to being a leader on all of the next-generation gaming systems. The company established an early leadership position on the Xbox 360 and according to the NPD Group, has the #1 Xbox 360 game with Call of Duty 2. Activision’s next-generation slate is anchored by well-established, recognizable brands that the company owns or controls.

Activision also announced its game lineup for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 10 - 12, 2006. The company’s slate showcases games for both next-and current-generation consoles and Windows PC platforms.

“Activision will showcase a diverse and well-rounded game slate at this year’s E3 convention,” said Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc. “We expect that our well-established brands and multi-platform development strategy should continue to provide us with an advantage in the new console era. The next-generation console systems feature significant visual and audio enhancements that will continue making video games more accessible to audiences worldwide.”

Next-Generation Launch Titles:

Activision’s PlayStation 3 system launch lineup will take advantage of the hardware’s multi-core processing to deliver smoother, faster gaming experiences that will closely resemble feature film quality values. The company’s launch games for Nintendo’s Wii system will fully utilize the Wii’s revolutionary freehand-style controller by offering more immersive gameplay.

Call of Duty 3, the follow-up to the #1 next-generation game, delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat during the battle for the Liberation of Paris, the most harrowing campaign of WWII, known as The Normandy Breakout. Through a seamless narrative, Call of Duty 3 delivers the rush of unrelenting battle and breathtaking action of the Allied offensive that changed the fate of the world. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii, Xbox, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an all-new action/RPG that features over 140 Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains and the largest roster of comic book characters ever seen in a video game. Players get to create their Super Hero team from over 20 playable characters including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, and through their actions determine the fate of both planet Earth and the Marvel Universe, which is revealed in one of several epilogues. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Windows PC; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Designed and built exclusively for Nintendo’s next-generation and handheld systems, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam delivers a totally innovative and unique skateboard experience focused on head-to-head racing. The game allows players to feel the breakneck speed of downhill competition as they tear up the world’s steepest terrains while performing tricks and outmaneuvering opponents in such locations as San Francisco, Machu Picchu and Hong Kong. Taking on the role of Tony Hawk or one of nine characters, players compete in time-based challenges in one of three gameplay modes including race, trick and slalom. (Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Reengineered from the ground up for the PlayStation 3 system and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Tony Hawk’s Project 8 immerses players in the definitive skateboarding experience using ultra-realistic graphics, enhanced physics and extremely responsive controls that simulate the feeling of skating with every trick and bail. The game challenges players to experience the intensity and pressure of skating against some of the world’s top pros in true to life competitions as they aim to become the #1 skater. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Powerhouse E3 Lineup:

Set to redefine online action gaming, id Software’s Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is the ultimate team-and objective-based multiplayer experience. Developed by Splash Damage and executive produced by id Software, the first person strategic action game is set within the epic QUAKE universe in the year 2065 and pits the Allied troops of the Global Defense Force (GDF) against a new Axis of Evil – the barbaric and technologically advanced Strogg. Built on id Software’s new MegaTexture rendering technology and featuring strategic team play, persistent character promotions and the universe’s most powerful weapons and vehicles, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars transports players to the frontlines of an epic new war for Earth. (Windows PC; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Building on The Movies’ critically acclaimed gameplay, The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack ups the ante on movie production with the addition of stuntmen, death-defying stunts and new stunt double characters; a new particle effects engine that let’s players enhance their scenes with incredible visual effects including fireball explosions, shattering glass, smoke and steam; an all new “Freecam Mode” that allows players to adjust the camera location, angle, field of view and path to create truly unique movies; and the addition of new miniature sets that let players create dramatic sweeping angles. (Windows PC; summer; Rated “T” (Teen – Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Tobacco Violence) by the ESRB)

Based on DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming film, Over the Hedge takes players on an all-new adventure beyond the movie as they assume the roles of RJ the raccoon, Verne the turtle, Hammy the squirrel and Stella the skunk and turn a suburban neighborhood loaded with dangerous obstacles and traps into their personal playground. (PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and the PC have been rated E10+; Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS have been rated E by the ESRB; available on North American retail shelves May 9)

X-Men: The Official Game catapults players into an original storyline that serves as a prelude to Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios’ upcoming film, “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and allows them to command the distinct powers of Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman as they face off against formidable enemies, battle through massive environments and embark on an epic quest to save mutant-kind. (Rated “T” (Teen - violence) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and PC by the ESRB; Rated “E-10+” (Everyone 10 and older – fantasy violence) for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance) by the ESRB; available on North American retail shelves May 16)

Building on last year’s #1 poker title and the #1 brand in poker, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions takes a story-based approach putting players on the Pro Circuit as a new pro and protégé of Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. Players test their skills at the premier Circuit Events in hopes of qualifying for the winner-take-all, invitation-only Tournament of Champions at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. Along the way, they face-off against more top pros than ever before, including Joseph Hachem, the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion and Jennifer Tilly, the Academy Award nominated actress and World Series of Poker bracelet holder, among others in hopes of bringing home the Tournament of Champions trophy. (Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PC, PSP system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

New Online Content:

Further expanding the experience of the #1 title for the Xbox 360, Activision will release four all new Call of Duty 2 Xbox 360 multiplayer maps at E3 that unleash a blistering barrage of battle for gamers. The four maps will be available via Xbox Live online game network. The Bonus Pack features two maps set in Germany and will be released for free. While the Skirmish Pack contains two additional maps set in Russia and France will be sold for 400 Microsoft Points through Xbox Live Marketplace.