ELECTRONIC ARTS AND NAMCO BANDAI GAMES INC TO CO-PUBLISH THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS VIDEO GAME IN PAL TERRITORIES
Based On The Hit Film Franchise, The Game Will Feature Unique Drift Racing Mechanics And Endless Customization Set In The Seductive Japanese Underground Street Racing Scene
LONDON, UK , 12th June 2006 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company today announced plans to co-publish with Namco Bandai Games Inc. a racing game based on Universal Pictures' upcoming summer feature film release "The Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Drift". Developed for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) system, the video game (titled The Fast and the Furious) will be available from late summer 2006 in PAL territories.
The Video Game
Inspired by the events of Universal Pictures' upcoming film, The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift, this game will immerse players in the underground world of drift racing. Set in a world related to the movie, the game features a ground breaking drift mechanic that makes drifting accessible to both beginner and veteran racing game drivers. Gameplay features revolutionary new systems like the Drift Indicator that make The Fast & The Furious the most accessible yet realistic drift game ever!
Perched at the forefront of the drift racing phenomenon, the video game combines ground breaking gameplay mechanics with unprecedented speed and authentic underground cool, positioning this game as the must-have drift racing title of 2006.
Revolutionary Drift Model - The first game to create an authentic, drift model system that is fun and approachable for players of all skill levels. Turn on the assists and feel like a pro, or turn them off and hone your drift skills.
An entirely authentic Drift racing experience - Focusing on the "next big thing" in underground street racing this video game utilizes Universal's extensive sound library, an incredible context based camera code, a revolutionary context based rumble system that gives players the feeling of driving city streets at break neck speeds like no other.
Total Immersion! - Immerse yourself in the world of the game. 10,000+ polygon model cars, cinematic camera angles straight from the movie, unique boss challenges, stunning visuals and an Advanced Rubber Band AI system makes this the best looking, best playing racing game on PlayStation 2 and PSP system.
Robust customization options - Enhance the feeling of being part of the underground street racing world. Tune your ride with a hundred licensed wheels, and over 500 body kits from real JDM companies. Tune your ride like never before from performance to appearance, and for the first time ever swap out your engine to truly push the limits of your vehicle.
Featuring 1-2 player split-screen play and 1-4 player online play, this video game is developed by Eutechnyx.
About the film
From the producer of the worldwide blockbuster hits The Fast and the Furious and its sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, comes the latest instalment of the adrenaline-inducing series built on speed-The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Set in the sexy and colourful underground world of Japanese drift racing, the newest and fastest customized rides go head-to-head on some of the most perilous courses in the world. Sean Boswell (Black) is an outsider who attempts to define himself as a hot-headed, underdog street racer. Although racing provides a temporary escape from an unhappy home and the superficial world around him, it has also made Sean unpopular with the local authorities. To avoid jail time, Sean is sent to live with his gruff, estranged father, a career military-man stationed in Tokyo. Now officially a gaijin (outsider), Sean feels even more shut out in a land of foreign customs and codes of honour. But it doesn't take long for him to find some action when a fellow American buddy, Twinkie (Bow Wow), introduces him to the underground world of drift racing. Sean's simple drag racing gets replaced by a rubber-burning, automotive art form-with an exhilarating balance of speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin turns and switchbacks. On his first time out drifting, Sean unknowingly takes on D.K., the "Drift King," a local champ with ties to the Japanese crime machine Yakuza. Sean's loss comes at a high price tag when he's forced to work off the debt under the thumb of ex-pat, Han (Kang). Han soon welcomes Sean into this family of misfits and introduces him to the real principles of drifting. But when Sean falls for D.K.'s girlfriend, Neela (newcomer Kelley), an explosive series of events is set into motion, climaxing with an ultimate high stakes face off. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is directed by Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis) and written by Chris Morgan (Cellular), Kario Salem (The Score) and Alfredo Botello. The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz (xXx, S.W.A.T.) and executive produced by Clayton Townsend (The Skeleton Key, The 40 Year-Old Virgin).
About Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG) is responsible for global licensing and retail strategies as well as building brand recognition of the extensive catalogue of NBC Universal properties. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is a unit of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi Universal.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U. S. and/or other countries. PlayStation is a registered trademark and PSP is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Namco Bandai Games Inc.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. is an interactive entertainment software publisher and developer with head offices in Tokyo, Japan.
On March 31, 2006, Bandai Co., Ltd. and NAMCO LIMITED implemented a management integration to form NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. This step was taken to compete more effectively on the global stage in the fast-changing entertainment industry and to deliver further growth.
The resulting NAMCO BANDAI Group is a global entertainment group involved in business fields ranging from toys, amusement facilities, video game software and visual software, to apparel, sundries and network content.
As previous separate entities (Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co., Ltd.) the companies were each known for creating some of the industry's top video game franchises including: Tamagotchi®, TEKKENTM, SOULCALIBURTM, Pac-Man®, Digimon®, RIDGE RACERTM, Time CrisisTM and ACE COMBATTM.
TEKKENTM, Ridge RacerTM, Time CrisisTM, Ace CombatTM, SoulcaliburTM, Pac-Man®, Digimon® and Tamagotchi® are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Namco Limited.
® NAMCO BANDAI GAMES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.