VERIZON WIRELESS CUSTOMERS CAN BE PART OF SPORTS HISTORY WITH PAX ATHLETICA FROM TRICYCLE NYC AND REAXION
Get It Now Customers Can Play Through the Seven Greatest Moments in Sports History
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2004
Bedminster, NJ, New York, Seattle and SAN FRANCISCO - From the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment Show in San Francisco, Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless provider, announced today the availability of Pax Athletica by TRICYCLE NYC and Reaxion Corp. to Verizon Wireless customers with select Get It Now-enabled phones. Pax Athletica allows sports fans to assume the role of a storied persona to recreate and potentially better historic athletic feats in the Hammer Throw, 200m Race, Pole Vault, Gymnastics, Fencing, Diving and Jet Pax events.
"Pax Athletica activates the synthesis of sport culture and popular culture in an extraordinarily elegant and inventive experience," says Jacqui Millar of TRICYCLE NYC. "The fun, well-designed sports simulations, interesting trivia and satisfying social messages are great examples of the new content emerging in the mobile entertainment space."
Pax Athletica is a fictionalized homage celebrating the union of humanity under the banner of international sport. The game fuses the myth and heritage of early console gaming with an interactive chronicle referencing historic moments in international athletics competition. Featuring art direction by well-known pixel artist Craig Robinson (www.flipflopflying.com) and an original polyphonic soundtrack by Drazen Bosniak of Q Development (Final Fantasy DVD), the game offers Get It Now customers an original perspective on the age-old "track & field" game concept.
"Pax Athletica is another step up in the quality, content and art design of mobile games," according to Misha Lyalin, Reaxion's CEO. "Reaxion is able to make mobile entertainment even more engaging by infusing community and multi-player competition into the experience."
Pax Athletica also features Reaxion's Gamarama multiplayer community, allowing players to compete against each other for the world records in each event.
Sports enthusiasts can download and play Pax Athletica on any Motorola T720, LG VX6000 or Samsung SCH-a650 phone from Verizon Wireless. The Samsung SCH-a650 is an innovative clamshell phone, featuring Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), which enlivens the phone's TXT messaging capabilities with animation, images, icons. Through October 31, 2004, the Samsung SCH-a650 is available for $59.99 after a $50 rebate with a two-year customer agreement.
Pax Athletica can be found in the getGAMES shopping aisle of the Get It Now virtual store. Verizon Wireless customers with select Get It Now-enabled phones can download a free five-minute demo of Pax Athletica or purchase the game for $2.49 monthly access or $6.25 for unlimited use purchase. Download charges for Get It Now applications vary and airtime charges apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled handset and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.
Gamers can also collect Pax Athletica limited edition merchandise designed by adidas, alife, Opening Ceremony, graffiti artist KR and Josh Hickey at New York City's Zakka store located at 147 Grand Street.
Verizon Wireless products and services are available in more than 1,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, at participating Best Buy, Circuit City and RadioShack locations and on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 40.4 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.
About Get It Now
Get It Now from Verizon Wireless puts a virtual software store inside a wireless phone and lets customers download applications over the air and purchase them directly from their phones. Virtual shopping aisles, including getGAMES, getTONES, getGOING, getPIX, getFUN and getMESSAGING, are organized to help customers find what they want, when they want it.
About Tricycle
TRICYCLE NYC is a partnership to create next generation mobile entertainment with a focus on branding and integrated marketing. TRICYLE NYC is committed to creating high quality, innovative and technically superior games and applications with a focus on culturally relevant programming.
TRICYCLE NYC's principals have played critical roles in producing mainstream runaways like, Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar Games), Midnight Club 2 (Rockstar Games), Max Payne (Rockstar Games), ONI (Rockstar Games) & Turok (Acclaim Entertainment). As well as creative direction for 50 Cent, Eminem, Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams,The Neptunes, Nas, Pony, Nike, Kohler and adidas.
About Reaxion
Founded in 2001, Reaxion is a privately held company headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Moscow and Los Angeles. As a leading developer and publisher of mobile games, entertainment and communication applications, Reaxion's mission is to offer technology and entertainment that creates compelling communities that subscribers will want to return to again and again. Mobile clubs, magazines, multi-player games, and community platforms increase profits for carriers and entertainment licensers by giving mobile phone users a reason to interact with wireless services on an ongoing basis.
Reaxion's products and solutions are designed to support popular industry standards and interoperability with the leading handset manufacturers. As a game developer, Reaxion makes it easy for entertainment licensers to open up their content to the new mobile phone market.
Get It Now is a registered trademark of Verizon Wireless.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jeffrey Nelson
Verizon Wireless
908.306.4824
Jeffrey.Nelson@verizonwireless.com
Dasha Lyalina
Reaxion
206.441.5103
Jacqui Millar
TRICYCLE NYC
212.680.1044