Video Gaming News - February 2005
Redwood City, CA (February 2, 2005) - Electronic Arts and Viacom
Consumer Products today announced that a videogame based on The Godfather books
is under development.
From EA:
The book by Mario Puzo and classic film by Paramount Pictures serve as
inspiration for the game as gamers will join the Corleone family and earn
respect through loyalty and fear as they rise through the ranks to become Don in
a living 1945-1955 New York. The game is scheduled for release in fall 2005
under the EA GAMES brand for the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft,
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Sony PSP handheld entertainment
system and PC.
Gamers will create their own mob character in the game, putting themselves into
the action while reliving classic moments from the fiction and experiencing
original missions alongside memorable characters from the film. After a life of
small-time jobs and petty thefts the player will be accepted into the Corleone
family, America’s most famous criminal organization. It will be up to the player
to carry out orders, earn respect and make New York City their own.
“We are incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to bring the
fiction of The Godfather to life in a videogame,” said David DeMartini, EA’s
Executive Producer of the game. “The Godfather movies raised the standard for
cinematic achievement with their high level of drama and intense story telling
and in fall 2005 gamers will be able to experience that dangerous and living
world of The Godfather for themselves.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Electronic Arts to bring this exceptional
content into the interactive world,” said Sandi Isaacs, Vice President of
Interactive from Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products. “The Godfather is a
crown jewel of Paramount Pictures. We are confident this game will deliver the
depth of the experience expected by The Godfather movie fans around the world.”
Featuring non-linear action-adventure gameplay, The Godfather will offer gamers
countless choices for solving the family’s problems with brutal violence,
skillful diplomacy, or a cunning mixture of both. From mob hits and bank heists
to drive-bys and extortion, step deep inside the world of The Godfather where
intimidation and negotiation are your tickets to the top. Players will use their
powers of loyalty and fear to earn respect through interactions with characters
in the world. Decisions made by the player in the game will have lasting
consequences, just as it was in the mob underworld featured in The Godfather
fiction.
The Godfather film featured some of Hollywood’s finest actors and several are
lending their likenesses and contributing to the game’s development including
James Caan as Sonny Corleone and Robert Duvall as consigliore Tom Hagen. Before
his death, Marlon Brando granted his likeness rights to EA and conducted a
voiceover session with the developers. His character, Don Vito Corleone, the
Godfather, will be featured in the game.
The Godfather is being developed by EA Redwood Shores where such hit franchises
as Lord of the Rings, James Bond, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR games are made. The
game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
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