Ion Assault

Black Inc., the core gaming division of RTL Interactive GmbH, today announces the release of Ion Assault, the first Xbox LIVE Arcade title from a German games studio. Developed by German developer Coreplay, Ion Assault offers Xbox 360 gamers a top-level gaming experience that makes full use of the technical possibilities provided by Microsoft's next generation console in order to offer arcade fans an action romp featuring outstanding graphics and gameplay.

In 2183 humanity discovers an energy source that facilitates travel into new regions of space. Gigantic mother ships collect the newly discovered fuel from the distant energy fields and transport it to Earth. When the fleet is destroyed in an alien attack, the player sets out on a perilous journey home in a small harvester. In Ion Assault, instead of conventional weapons, players use the free energy particles that are abundant in space to fend off swarms of aliens. The particles are bundled and the player is able to shoot them at asteroids and enemy ships. The particles are not destroyed in this process, but are redistributed in space, ready to be magnetically attracted again and re-used. Their random distribution makes for dynamic gameplay and calls for a more strategic approach.

"Through the dynamic particle and fluid system the player faces a constant challenge." says Peter Ohlmann, Coreplay Technical Director. "The immense variety of effects, and the scope of the variables, makes Ion Assault a true next-gen game. It would simply not have been technically possible to implement this game concept on older consoles."

Ion Assault offers four scenarios with gorgeous, detailed visuals, each with different types of opponents, bosses and background themes. In the course of the campaign players get to upgrade their spaceships and will, in turn, be able to affect power-ups that enable things such as an increase in ship speed, or an enlarged collected particles radius. Thanks to special power-ups, such as the ability to create temporary black holes, even large numbers of opponents can be dealt with. Players also get to show off their skills in various multi-player modes, and compare their scores to those of the world's best Ion Assault pilots through online high score lists.

Birgit Hönsch, divisional manager of Games Publishing at RTL interactive GmbH, says: "We are very excited to be able to extend our portfolio by including a title for Xbox LIVE Arcade. Xbox LIVE Arcade is a strong platform for unusual games, and therefore is a perfect match for a title such as Ion Assault." She continued "With its innovative game principles and cutting edge graphics, Coreplay's arcade debut is the equal of other competitor products. With Ion Assault we not only open a new distribution method, but we also place Germany firmly on the map as far as cutting edge game development is concerned."

Ion Assault will be available for download in the summer of 2009 via Xbox LIVE Arcade, priced at 800 Microsoft Points. For more information, visit the official website at: www.ion-assault.com or www.ionassault.com

Or contact:

Tony Coles, Peppermint P

tony.coles@peppermintp.com

0207 240 2645

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About RTL interactive Games Publishing:

The Games Publishing division of RTL interactive GmbH (RTL Games GmbH until December 31, 2008) is responsible for the entire computer and console games business of the Media Group RTL Germany. The team designs and publishes video games for different types of gamers and focuses on the mass market of arcade and casual games. Further, individual titles by the Games Publishing Unit appeal to fans of adventure, fantasy and role playing games. Generally, RTL Games is aiming to serve all console platforms as well as PC with its future projects. In the market, the games publisher operates with a consistent three label strategy: Games with a direct connection to television and especially family friendly titles are released by the label Playtainment. The brand RTL Sports encompasses successful sports video games. The label Black Inc. appeals to fans of adventure, fantasy and role playing games, providing high-quality, complex premium titles especially for core gamers. For further information please go to www.blackinc-games.com

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