Source: Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2006--At this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL - News) will once again explode into the video game arena as several highly anticipated Marvel Super Hero themed games are unveiled from industry-leading partners Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI - News), Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., a unit of Konami Corporation (NYSE: KNM - News) and 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO - News).
"We are very excited to have an incredible array of Marvel video games from these top tier publishers showcased at E3 this year, including the first two Next-Gen Marvel titles
X-Men: The Official Game and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance," said Ames Kirshen, Vice President, Interactive for Marvel Entertainment. "Marvel Super Heroes lend themselves extremely well to captivating game play, and we are confident these newest releases will not disappoint. Marvel fans and gamers alike are in for a real treat."
Marvel inspired video games that will be debuted at E3 by Marvel's video game licensees include:
Activision
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 dream 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 - revealed in one of several epilogues. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be available for the PlayStation® 3, Xbox 360(TM), Nintendo Wii(TM), PlayStation® 2, Xbox, Sony PSP(TM), Nintendo Game Boy Advance, and Windows PC platforms. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.
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.' The game allows players 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. X-Men: The Official Game has been rated "T" (Teen - violence) and will be available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360(TM), Nintendo GameCube and PC platforms. The game for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Gameboy Advance has been rated "E-10+" (Everyone 10 and older - fantasy violence).
Konami
This Fall, Konami is releasing Marvel Trading Card Game, a card based-strategy video game featuring the Marvel Universe, for the Nintendo DS(TM), PSP(TM) (PlayStation®Portable) system and PC platforms. Based on the best selling trading card game from Upper Deck, Marvel Trading Card Game allows players to collect over 800 cards based on their favorite Marvel characters and compete in cross-platform online play in a variety of different modes.
Marvel Trading Card Game lets players assemble their own deck and take on different challenges to gain more cards based on legendary Marvel characters such as Spider-Man,
The Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, the
Avengers, the
Fantastic Four,
Ghost Rider and more. In the game's single player story mode, players choose to play as hero or villain, then select a series of enemies to battle. In between each clash, detailed comic book scenes tell the game's story as players choose to move on to the next enemy or explore a branch in the story for the chance to acquire additional cards.
2K Games
Ghost Rider is a new third person action video game based on the well-known Marvel Super Hero and upcoming feature film. Ghost Rider is being developed for current generation systems by Climax Group and is scheduled for simultaneous release with the movie in February 2007. Continuing the storyline from the upcoming Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studio's movie, Ghost Rider drops players into the role of Johnny Blaze, a celebrity motorcycle stunt rider who is transformed into a Super Hero with powers to avenge any evil he encounters. Featuring many of the characters and motorcycles from the comic book and upcoming movie, Ghost Rider will engage gamers in an immersive, supernatural third person world with a seamless blend of hand-to-hand combat and high-speed motorcycle action.
About Activision, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.47 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia, Spain and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.
About Konami
Konami is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties. Konami's titles include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid®, Silent Hill® and Castlevania®, among other top sellers. The latest information about Konami can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. Konami Corporation is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with subsidiary offices, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany. Konami Corporation, the parent company of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. is traded in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products published by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. can be found at www.konami.com/gs.
About Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP(TM) (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox® and Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube(TM), Nintendo DS(TM) and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and Global Star Software; and distributes products in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two also manufactures and markets video game accessories in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region through its Joytech subsidiary. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands), Auckland, Shanghai and Tokyo. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.
About Wii
Nintendo's next system, Wii (formally code-named Nintendo Revolution), will feature a controller designed to be used with either one hand or two - a first in the videogame industry. When picked up and pointed at the screen, the controller gives a lightning-quick element of interaction, sensing motion, depth, positioning and targeting dictated by movement of the controller itself.
About Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://ww.sonypictures.com.
About Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys. Areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel's strategy is to leverage its character franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world. More information about Marvel can be found at www.marvel.com.
TM, ®, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo.
Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and / or other countries.
MARVEL, and all related Marvel characters are © and trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. Super Hero(es) and Super Villain(s) are co-owned registered trademarks. Copyright © 2006 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. www.marvel.com. Licensed by Marvel Characters, Inc.
Upper Deck Entertainment, Vs. System, and the card hologram are trademark or registered trademarks of The Upper Deck Company, LLC. © 2006 The Upper Deck Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
"PSP" is a trademark and "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Internet connection and Memory Stick Duo(TM) may be required (sold separately).
