Atari Races Ahead With 'Test Drive: Unlimited'
Xbox 360 Title Set to Define Next-Generation Console Racing
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct. 4: Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today released further details of Test Drive: Unlimited for the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Packed with over 100 vehicles, one thousand plus miles of open roads, and an abundance of online options, Test Drive: Unlimited is the ultimate online automotive gaming experience.
The action in Test Drive: Unlimited takes place on the open, diverse roads spanning the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Making full use of Xbox® Live® online gaming service, racers around the world will challenge others to join them in the virtual paradise of the game's persistent online racing world. Players can engage in online challenges, and build communities by creating or joining exclusive members clubs to talk, trade cars, and race with other like-minded drivers in one of the most comprehensive online racing experience to date.
"Test Drive: Unlimited is a powerful next generation racing title that draws upon the amazing online capabilities of Xbox 360TM and offers a fantastic gaming experience," said Marc Metis, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Atari Inc. "Test Drive: Unlimited pushes the boundaries of racing in video games, delivering an experience that only Xbox 360TM will offer."
Players will build collections of the most sophisticated and fastest licensed cars in the world from manufacturers including Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Audi, Lotus, Dodge, Pagani, TVR, Jaguar and many more. All vehicles are rendered to reflect their real-world counterparts, with unrivalled interior detail boasting full car functionality, including radio, horns, windshield wipers and more. Drivers can customize their vehicles with parts and accessories from the actual manufacturers' catalogues to suit their individual tastes.
Gamers can create challenges or races from more than 50 game rules and settings. Online competitions and tournaments can be held between club members or between different clubs. Division-based rankings will help separate the top drivers from the casual car enthusiasts, helping reinforce the status of Test Drive: Unlimited as the only complete online driving experience.
Test Drive: Unlimited for the Xbox 360TM is scheduled for worldwide release this coming spring.
About Eden Games
The second largest game development studio in France, Eden Games has achieved international recognition through the creation of games including V-Rally 1, 2 and 3, Need For Speed: Porsche, Kya: Dark Lineage and Titeuf. Base in Lyon, France, Eden Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment SA.
About Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is the next-generation video game and entertainment system that places gamers at the center of the experience. Available this holiday season in Europe, Japan and North America, Xbox 360 will ignite a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized and always in high definition.
About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining franchises such as DRIVERTM, The MatrixTM, StuntmanTM and Test Drive®; and mass-market and children's franchises such as Nickelodeon's Blue's CluesTM and Dora the ExplorerTM, and Dragon Ball Z®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.
About Infogrames Entertainment
Infogrames Entertainment (IESA), the parent company of the Atari Group, is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (ISIN code: FR-0000052573) and has two principal subsidiaries: Atari Europe, a privately-held company, and Atari, Inc., a United States corporation listed on NASDAQ (ATAR).
The Atari Group is a major international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and in all existing game formats (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) and on CD-ROM for PC. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries.
The Atari Group's extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Driver, Alone in the Dark, V-Rally, Test Drive, Roller Coaster Tycoon, etc.) and international licenses (Matrix, Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, etc.).
For more information: http://www.atari.com
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With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain certain "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release are not promises or guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein. Some of the factors which could cause our results to differ materially include the following: the loss of key customers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, GameStop and EB Games; delays in product development and related product release schedules; inability to secure capital; loss of our credit facility; adapting to the rapidly changing industry technology, including new console technology; maintaining relationships with leading independent video game software developers; maintaining or acquiring licenses to intellectual property; fluctuations in the Company's quarterly net revenues and results of operations based on the seasonality of our industry; the termination or modification of our agreements with hardware manufacturers; and other factors described in our SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2005 and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
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