Jason Spezza Named Cover Athlete for NHL® 2K8
New York, NY - July 10, 2007 - 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), announced today that Jason Spezza, first-line center for the Ottawa Senators, has been named cover athlete and official spokesman for NHL® 2K8, 2K Sports' top-rated NHL video game for five years in row*.
"It's a great honor to be the NHL 2K8 cover athlete," said Jason Spezza. "The NHL 2K series has always selected some of the best players in the NHL and I'm really excited to follow in their footsteps of representing the finest hockey video game title this year."
The Canadian-born Spezza was only the third player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships as a 16-year old. The first round choice of the Ottawa Senators and second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, his great skills were apparent very early in his career. Reinvigorating the sport with his raw talent and enthusiasm, his magnificent performance in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres made him one of the most exciting players in the next generation of NHL stars.
"We are thrilled to have Jason Spezza as our cover athlete for NHL 2K8. Spezza is a player that truly embodies the spirit of hockey which is something that we pride ourselves in with the NHL 2K series," said Graeme Bayless, President of Kush Games. "We are very pleased to be working with a cover athlete that is such an avid gamer and who is committed to contributing valuable insight to the authenticity and development of the NHL 2K series."
The top-rated* NHL franchise returns with NHL 2K8, showcasing new in-depth gameplay mechanics, all-new goaltending animations and stunning next-gen visuals that truly take advantage of the power of next generation consoles. More exciting features will be revealed soon that deliver an entirely new NHL experience from the critically acclaimed makers of the NHL 2K series.
NHL 2K8 will be available this fall for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.
For more information, log onto http://www.2ksports.com.
*According to GameRankings.com average scores of 2003-2007 NHL video games.
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox® and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K and 2K Sports, and Global Star Software; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
"PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Memory Stick Duo may be required (sold separately).
NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. ® 2006. All rights reserved. ® NHLPA. NHL 2K7 is an Officially Licensed Product of the NHLPA. NHLPA, National Hockey League Players' Association and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them. The Company has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary significantly from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors. These risks and uncertainties include the matters relating to the Special Committee's investigation of the Company's stock option grants and the restatement of our consolidated financial statements. The investigation and conclusions of the Special Committee may result in claims and proceedings relating to such matters, including previously disclosed shareholder and derivative litigation and actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or other governmental agencies and negative tax or other implications for the Company resulting from any accounting adjustments or other factors. Other important factors are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2006, and in the Company's Form 10-Q for the second quarter ended April 30, 2007 in the section entitled "Risk Factors."