Midway Unveils Lineup For 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo
Most Dynamic Product Portfolio in Company’s History Includes Premiere of Kids, High-End PC and Next-Generation Titles, Rise & Fall...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL, May 18, 2005 - Unveiling one of the most diversified lineups in company history, Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, announced today its product line to be shown at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), May 18-20 in Los Angeles. Midway's E3 2005 lineup features such highly acclaimed brands as Blitz®: The LeagueTM, L.A. RushTM, Mortal Kombat ®: Shaolin MonksTM, The Suffering®: Ties That BindTM and Unreal Tournament® 2007. This year's portfolio also showcases the company's new kid's properties as well as the first look at its high-end PC titles and new offerings for the Sony PlayStation® Portable entertainment system.
"We are extremely pleased with the quality and diversity of our 2005 E3 lineup as it truly reflects our product strategy," said David F. Zucker, president and CEO, Midway. "Not only do we have a slate of new products already in development for the next-gen systems, but we are also bringing select high-profile properties to the new Sony PSP as well as entering the high-end PC market and the kid's category."
Midway's exciting E3 product lineup includes:
CONSOLE TITLES
Midway's lineup for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® videogame
system from Microsoft, and the Nintendo GameCubeTM features such exciting properties as:
Blitz®: The LeagueTM (PS2, Xbox; Winter 2005) -- The celebrated arcade-style football
franchise is back and better than ever with a new treatment of America's most popular sport. Blitz: The League is an unlicensed video game exposing the harsh realism and troubling, behind-the-scenes stories of a fictional professional football league. While Blitz: The League maintains the brand's popular core elements -- bone-crunching late hits, high-speed action and over-the-top animations -- it also features a powerful new storyline that will captivate gamers from the first play.
Gauntlet®: Seven SorrowsTM (PS2, Xbox; Winter 2005) -- The legendary arcade classic Gauntlet is reborn with a new vision, story and gameplay in Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. Seeking to undo the past, a powerful emperor gets lost in the madness of his own dreams and nightmares. Four immortal heroes, who were once imprisoned by the emperor for two centuries, set out to undo his lifetime of regrets. In the process, they must deal with the consequences of their own actions and watch as the world shakes apart around them. Seven Sorrows is the fusion of fantasy fighting action with the strategy and fascination of user-friendly RPG elements, and challenges gamers in single-player and co-op modes as Gauntlet goes online for the first time.
L.A. RushTM (PS2, Xbox; Fall 2005) -- Buckle up, rev the engine, drop the clutch and blast off in Midway's high-octane arcade racer, L.A. Rush. In L.A. Rush, players join the crew at West Coast Customs to pimp their ride and live the lifestyle of an L.A. street racer. An exciting and unique story-driven experience allows players to race through five wide-open Los Angeles city re-creations filled with all of the heart-pounding treacherous shortcuts and death-defying jumps that have made the Rush franchise so addictive.
Mortal Kombat®: Shaolin MonksTM (PS2, Xbox; Fall 2005) -- Experience the Mortal Kombat franchise from an entirely new action/adventure perspective by exploring the vast Mortal Kombat II universe as two of Mortal Kombat's favorite Shaolin Monks: Liu Kang and Kung Lao. It's the first time ever a Mortal Kombat action/adventure title has featured a multidirectional Kombat system, joining an array of features that include a deep storyline, singleplayer and two-player co-op modes, more comprehensive fatalities, mutalities, brutalities and special attacks.
The Suffering®: Ties That BindTM (PS2, Xbox, PC; Fall 2005) -- Journey back into the madness as Midway reveals the next riveting chapter to its critically-acclaimed action-horror franchise, The Suffering. Building upon the predecessor that redefined the action-horror genre, Ties That Bind features more disturbing horror, new twisted creatures and ultrarealistic environments. Set in the slums and prisons of Baltimore, the player once again controls Torque as he seeks revenge against the mysterious grand manipulator, Caleb Blackmore, a man somehow tied to the death of his family. Players explore the tough and unforgiving inner-city streets where poverty and urban injustices trap people as effectively as a prison. The unique morality system returns, as players delve into the perverse world of Torque's sanity to discover his past while struggling to control his future.
COMING SOON FOR NEXT-GENERATION SYSTEMS
Midway debuts its first next-generation title:
StrangleholdTM (Fall 2006) -- Stranglehold, a third-person, action/adventure game set in Hong Kong and Chicago, is being developed in collaboration with world-renowned action film director, John Woo. Featuring international action film star Chow Yun-Fat as Inspector Tequila, Stranglehold will feature the hyperkinetic, choreographed action and freeze framed sequences made famous by John Woo. Stranglehold is scheduled to be available for nextgeneration console systems in Fall 2006.
HIGH-END PC TITLES
Midway enters the high-end PC category with these cutting-edge titles:
Rise & Fall: Civilizations at WarTM (PC; Winter 2005) -- Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War is the latest creation from award-winning developer Stainless Steel Studios and renowned game designer Rick Goodman (Empire Earth). A detailed real-time strategy game featuring stunning graphics, intuitive gameplay and multiple online game types, Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War lets players completely command one of the four mightiest empires of the ancient world: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Persian. But don't just watch the battle, join it! Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War allows gamers to engage in awe-inspiring feats of heroism by personally joining their troops during climactic battles and personally impact the outcome as one of eight unique heroes, each with special abilities and weapons.
Unreal Tournament® 2007 (PC; 2006) -- The latest entry into the Unreal franchise, Unreal Tournament 2007, is currently in development by Epic Games Inc. Fans will be blown away by the next-generation gameplay, modifiability and visuals that Epic's Unreal® Engine 3 technology will bring to the franchise. Unreal Tournament 2007 is scheduled for release in 2006. The Suffering: Ties That Bind is also scheduled to be released for PC in Fall 2005.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY TITLES
Midway's new family-friendly titles include:
Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Mis-EdventuresTM (PS2, GC, GBA, PC; Winter 2005) - Inspired by the wildly popular Cartoon Network TV series and licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Mis-Edventures, allows players to be their favorite hilarious characters in a Tag Team Antics game for the whole family. Played from a thirdperson perspective, the player controls all three Eds at once, and must use each character's unique abilities to complete whacky scam objectives.
Midway Arcade TreasuresTM 3 (PS2, Xbox, GC; Fall 2005) - It's retro racing at its finest as Midway delivers its next treasure chest of classics with Midway Arcade TreasuresTM 3, which includes eight all-time classic racing games for current generation consoles -- many for the first time. Smash hits include S.T.U.N. RunnerTM, Hydro Thunder®, Super Off RoadTM, San Francisco Rush 2049TM, plus many more.
PSP TITLES
Midway's lineup for the PSP features such exciting properties as:
Midway Arcade TreasuresTM (working title) (Winter 2005) - Now you will be able to play classic arcade gaming titles anywhere, anytime. Midway Arcade Treasures features an incredible roster of old school favorites including, Spy Hunter® (single-player), Sinistar® (single-player), Defender® (single-player), Paperboy® (single- player), 720º® (single-player), Klax®, Joust®, Marble Madness®, Toobin'®, Rampage® (3-player), Gauntlet® (4-player), Rampart® (3-player), Wizard of WorTM, XybotsTM, Championship SprintTM, Arch RivalsTM, Cyberball 2072TM, Xenophobe® (3-player), Mortal Kombat®, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat 3. Midway Arcade Treasures features 5 single-player and 16 wireless games, with some wireless titles including 3 and 4-player compatibility.
Mortal Kombat®: DeceptionTM (working title) (Winter 2005) -- Mortal Kombat: Deception revolutionizes the fighting game genre while maintaining the lethal intensity that the franchise has been known for since its 1992 debut in arcades, with online competition, multiple fatalities per character, multi-tiered interactive backgrounds and new game modes. Mortal Kombat: Deception delivers an enhanced free-roaming Konquest mode, an action/strategy board game and a unique puzzle game that compliment the one-on-one fighting mode that has helped establish the Mortal Kombat franchise as the ultimate fighting game.
NBA Ballers® (working title) (2006) -- Live the fantasy life of an NBA superstar with NBA Ballers, the exclusive one-on-one basketball video game that highlights the "bling-bling" lifestyle of NBA superstars: chromed-out cars, ice, ladies, tatts and jets, all of which hinge on the killer cross-over. NBA Ballers also features NBA Legends dunking in your grill to determine who is the greatest baller of all time. Officially licensed by the NBA and NBA Legends, NBA Ballers takes the game out of the arenas and into some of the most lavish NBA player fantasy "cribs" for an up-close and personal one-on-one experience with more than 60 current and 24 all-time player legends. NBA Ballers will also feature wireless headto-head action.
For more information about Midway's entire lineup of products being showcased during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, May 18-20, please stop by booth #4001 in Petree Hall or visit www.midway.com.
About Midway Games Inc.
Headquartered in Chicago, IL with offices in San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA, Austin, TX, Los Angeles, CA, Munich, Germany and London, UK, Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for major video game systems. More information about Midway can be obtained at www.midway.com.
For More Information Contact:
Reilly Brennan
Midway - Media Relations
773-961-2557
Chris Kooluris
HighWater Group PR
212-338-0077 ext. 313
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MIDWAY, MORTAL KOMBAT, MORTAL KOMBAT: SHAOLIN MONKS, BALLERS, BLITZ: THE LEAGUE, ARCH RIVALS, DEFENDER, JOUST, RAMPAGE, SINISTAR, SPY HUNTER, XENOPHOBE, WIZARD OF WOR, and MIDWAY ARCADE TREASURES are trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. GAUNTLET, GAUNTLET: SEVEN SORROWS, 720, CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINT, CYBERBALL 2072, KLAX, MARBLE MADNESS, PAPERBOY, RAMPART, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH 2049, S.T.U.N. RUNNER, TOOBIN' and XYBOTS are trademarks of Midway Games West Inc. LA RUSH, RISE & FALL: CIVILIZATIONS AT WAR, THE SUFFERING: TIES THAT BIND, HYDRO THUNDER and SUPER OFF ROAD, are trademarks of Midway Home Entertainment Inc. UNREAL TOURNAMENT is a registered trademark of Epic Games Inc. Used under license. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. ® 2005 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed under license by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. CARTOON NETWORK, ED, EDD N EDDY and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and ® Cartoon Network. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. ® 2001 Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business conditions and the outlook for Midway Games Inc. (the "Company") based on currently available information that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the interactive entertainment industry, dependence on new product introductions and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, the upcoming console platform transition and other technological changes, dependence on major platform manufacturers and other risks more fully described under "Item 1. Business - Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and in the more recent filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.