Video Gaming News - March 2004

Toronto, Ontario (March 9, 2004) - Digital Extremes and Groove Games today announced their partnership on a new first-person action game titled Pariah.

From Digital Extremes:

Best known for creating the multi-million unit selling Unreal franchise, Digital Extremes has set the standard for fine-tuned gameplay and technologically impressive graphics in the first-person action genre. With such award-winning hits as Unreal Tournament and Unreal Championship, Digital Extremes is looking beyond the Unreal universe and is working to raise the bar again. The new game, ominously named Pariah, has been quietly in production for the past two years and is currently planned for the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft and the personal computer.

Groove Games, an up-and-upcoming Canadian-based publisher flew in under the radar to sign the worldwide publishing rights to Pariah, beating out several of the bigger traditional publishers also bidding on it. Groove will be publishing the game in North America and has licensed Pariah to Hip Interactive Europe to distribute and publish the title in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

“After seeing Pariah in action and hearing the plans Digital Extremes has for it, we knew we had to be a part of it,” said Jon Walsh, CEO of Groove Games. “Digital Extremes has a tremendous track record for creating incredibly entertaining games, therefore we know how impressive Pariah is going to be when it’s ready to be unleashed on the masses.”

“Working with Groove Games is a breath of fresh air,” expressed James Schmalz, founder and creative director of Digital Extremes. “They clearly share our vision for creating the best game possible, which is our intention for every game we make. Pariah is our most ambitious project to date and with Groove’s support, it will reach its full potential.”

“This industry was built on a collaborative relationship between the developer and publisher. That’s something we want to emphasize now more than ever,” Mr. Walsh continued. “We want to get back to the model where the publisher and developer work seamlessly together; where ultimately, and most importantly, the primary objective is to create the best game possible. It’s simple really; everybody wins, especially the gamers.”

A few details on Pariah have been revealed through the official website, www.pariahgame.com. At the site, several screenshots showing a first look of the Xbox version of the game can be found along with a countdown to the launch of the full website and a spot to register to receive additional details on the game as they’re released.

The game focuses on a robust immersive storyline that weaves survival elements into the traditional run-and-gun style of first-person action games. Unsurprising will be the graphic marvel and fine-tuned gameplay of Pariah, a trademark gamers have come to expect from any Digital Extremes game. Not straying too far from their roots, Digital Extremes is building Pariah with the latest version of the technologically powerful Unreal engine by Epic Games.

Additional details on the game including the release date will be revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May.

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