VU has a huge variety of games on display this year, but only two GameCube games.
VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES ANNOUNCES GLOBAL PRODUCT LINE-UP FOR 2004
ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO (E3)
VU Games Showcases 18 Multi-Platform Releases, Including:
Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft(tm) and StarCraft: Ghost(tm);
Half-Life(r) 2; Crash(tm) Twinsanity(tm); Spyro(tm): A Hero's Tail(tm);
Van Helsing;
The Chronicles of Riddick(tm): Escape from Butcher Bay and Fight
Club(tm)
LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2004 - Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today
announced its multi-platform product line-up for the 2004 Electronic
Entertainment Expo (E3). The company will showcase 18 highly anticipated
titles, including: World of Warcraft(tm) from Blizzard Entertainment,
marking VU Games' entry into the massively multi-player online
role-playing games category, StarCraft: Ghost(tm), a tactical-action
console game set in Blizzard's epic StarCraft(r) universe;
Half-Life(r)2, the sequel to the 1998 PC hit that won more than 50
game-of-the-year awards; Crash(tm) Twinsanity(tm) and Spyro(tm): A
Hero's Tail, the latest installments from two highly successful original
character franchises; Van Helsing(tm) and The Chronicles of Riddick(tm):
Escape from Butcher Bay, titles based on major theatrical releases from
Universal Pictures this spring; and Fight Club(tm), a gritty fighting
game based on the feature film from Fox Filmed Entertainment.
"VU Games will feature an exciting range of highly creative games at E3,
including hit franchise sequels, movie-based games, and new intellectual
properties," said Bruce Hack, CEO of VU Games. "We are showcasing titles
that target the global marketplace across all major console platforms
and the PC and featuring the company's great big, innovative entry into
the MMORPG business from Blizzard."
The titles listed below will be on display at VU Games' E3 booth (#1200)
located in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center (listed
in alphabetical order):
The Chronicles of Riddick(tm): Escape from Butcher Bay
Experience life behind the eyes of Richard B. Riddick as he sets foot
inside Butcher Bay, the toughest prison this side of hell. Set before
the events of both Universal Pictures' upcoming summer release The
Chronicles of Riddick, starring Vin Diesel, and the 2000 cult classic
Pitch Black, the game tells the story of Riddick's dramatic escape from
the previously inescapable triple max security slam Butcher Bay, home to
the most violent prisoners in the galaxy. Featuring the likeness and
voice work of Vin Diesel, the game is played from a primarily
first-person perspective (with special third-person actions). Using
cutting edge normal mapping technology, the game meticulously recreates
the horrors of the prison with vivid realism. To escape, players will
have to make maximum use of the game's stunning environments, including
using shadows, subterfuge and distractions to avoid patrols. Moving and
attacking in darkness is particularly effective for Riddick as his
haunting "eye shine" gives him the ability to see without ambient light.
However, stealth won't serve every situation and players will be able to
take the action up close and personal. As Riddick, players will be able
to sneak up behind enemies and snap necks or fight face to face using
fists, elbows and grapples. Additionally, players will be able to
capture weapons such as shanks, shotguns, or assault rifles and use
these to cut a swath of destruction through anyone who gets in their
way. Riddick will be available in June of 2004 for the Xbox(r) video
game system from Microsoft.
Crash(tm) Twinsanity(tm) (Titled Crash(tm)Unlimited(tm) in Europe and
Asia Pacific)
A new evil has invaded the island paradise of Crash Bandicoot(r), with
plans of destruction. In a strange twist, Crash reluctantly pairs with
his archenemy, Dr. Neo Cortex, in order to save the world. Through this
unorthodox partnership, Cortex is abused as Crash's favorite weapon when
Crash and Cortex are controlled as one in this all-new gameplay
mechanic. Gamers will encounter reactive enemies, fully immersive
environments and a wacky cast of brand new characters in Crash
Bandicoot's craziest and funniest adventure ever. Crash Twinsanity is
scheduled for release third quarter 2004 for the PlayStation(r)2
computer entertainment system and the Xbox(r) video game system from
Microsoft. Outside of North America this game will be titled Crash
Unlimited(tm).
Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs(tm)
Introducing Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs(tm) the 3rd expansion pack to
the best-selling, award-winning Dark Age of Camelot(r) massively
multiplayer online role-playing game. You'll discover an underground
city in each of Camelot's three realms, replete with hidden dungeons,
new mysteries, fearsome enemies and catacombs that can be set up to host
private adventures. With new classes and enhancements to character
customization as well, Catacombs brings a whole new world of challenges
to the Dark Age of Camelot fan. Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs is
scheduled for release in December 2004.
Empire Earth(r) 2
>From the discovery of fire to the technological frontiers of the future,
Empire Earth(r) 2 will serve up worldwide conquest on an epic scale. In
the sequel to GameSpy.com's 2001 "PC Game of the Year," gamers will take
control of a fledgling civilization and strive to forge the greatest of
all empires. Empire Earth 2 builds upon the success of its predecessor
by adding unique units, powers, leaders, and inherent bonuses to all of
the game's 14 different civilizations. The game's new Crown System will
provide temporary, but potent, rewards for players who demonstrate
excellent military, economic, imperialistic, or cultural ability. A war
planning screen will help teammates coordinate their efforts by allowing
them to use a map of the world to diagram troop movements. Multiplayer
competition will feature nine different game types, including new
additions to the series such as "Hot Spots," which force gamers to
capture and hold positions of strategic importance. Lastly, Empire
Earth 2 will include popular player-requested features like recorded
games, improved tournament support, multiplayer co-operative scenarios,
and advanced statistics reporting. Empire Earth 2 will be available the
first half of 2005, for the PC.
Evil Genius(tm)
In this clever and entertaining strategy/life simulation game created by
Elixir Studios, the player assumes the role of a wicked mastermind bent
on achieving global domination through the construction of the ultimate
doomsday device. A tongue-in-cheek take on the 60's spy thriller genre,
Evil Genius(tm) offers the player the chance to be the villain and
control a secret island fortress complete with powerful (and strangely
dressed) henchmen, mindlessly loyal minions and a wide range of
hilarious gizmos. All the everyday tasks of the megalomaniac are
available to experience as players build a secret base, train minions,
gain infamy and notoriety by completing daring missions, toy with the
forces of justice by setting clever traps, torture captives with
ingenious devices, and develop evil super weapons to complete a
nefarious master plan. Evil Genius is scheduled for release in
September of 2004, for the PC.
Fahrenheit(tm)
Fahrenheit(tm) is a spectacular psycho thriller, set in New-York. For no
apparent reason, ordinary people are randomly killing total strangers
with the same ritual and pattern. Lucas Kane becomes one of these
murderers. Finding himself in control of Lucas, the player is haunted by
strange visions and the desperate need to find out what is happening to
him. At the same time he must keep one step ahead of the police,
especially Inspector Carla Valenti and agent Tyler Miles. A constant
interaction with the storyline makes the story change as a result of
your decisions. Fahrenheit gives gamers the unique chance to play both
hunter and hunted, which in turn leads them to speak, explore, interact,
fight and confront unknown dark forces. The final countdown has already
begun. Fahrenheit is scheduled for release winter 2004, on the
PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system and PC.
Fight Club(tm)
Players will be immersed in this gritty visceral world of fighting by
playing as one of the many characters from the Fight Club movie. The
extreme realism of the game will have players feel every punch and kick
by delivering shocking visuals of broken bones, blood stained ripped
clothes and real-time facial deformation in fully interactive
environments familiar from the movie scenes. A no-holds-barred
realistic fighter, the game will portray the brutality of street
fighting while encompassing the artistic style, settings, storyline and
characters from the movie with an extremely realistic fighting system
and jaw-dropping special effects. With 3 different fighting styles and
intuitive controls, ability to create fighters and online gameplay, the
game will create a deeply rewarding yet challenging and unique
experience for fighting fans of all levels. Fight Club is scheduled for
release in fourth quarter 2004, on the PlayStation(r)2 computer
entertainment system and Xbox(r) video game system from Microsoft.
Ground Control(r) II: Operation Exodus
Ground Control(r) II is a real-time tactics game set in a gritty
science-fiction universe. It delivers explosively fast game play
focusing on combat tactics with full use of the 3D battlefield. Weather
and other environmental effects also affect the unit's performance on
the battleground. In the war torn year of 2741, Captain Jacob Angelus
of the Northern Star Alliance (NSA) becomes the central figure in the
fight against the warmongering Terran Empire. In an attempt to crush the
NSA permanently, the Terran Empire sends in an alien race of powerful
warriors - the Virons. It soon becomes apparent that the situation is
bleak for the NSA and that their only hope is to embark on an Exodus to
another part of the galaxy. Jacob Angelus must find a way to let his
people survive. Ground Control II: Operation Exodus will be available
in early July 2004, for the PC.
Half-Life(r)2
1998: Half-Life sends a shock through the game industry with its
combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling.
Valve's debut title wins more than 50 game-of-the-year awards on its way
to being named "Best PC Game Ever" by PC Gamer and launches a franchise
with more than eight million retails units sold worldwide. Now:
Half-Life 2. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of
the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness,
Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence
affects everything around him, from the physical environments to the
behaviors - even the emotions - of both friends and enemies. The player
again picks up the crowbar of research scientist, Gordon Freeman, who
finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its
resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the
unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back
at Black Mesa. And a lot of people - people he cares about - are
counting on him. The intense, real-time gameplay of Half-Life 2 is made
possible only by Source, Valve's new proprietary engine technology.
Source provides major enhancements in the advanced facial animation
system, physics, graphics and AI. Half-Life 2 will be available for the
PC.
Leisure Suit Larry(tm): Magna Cum Laude
Developed by High Voltage Software, Leisure Suit Larry(tm): Magna Cum
Laude is the coming of age story about Larry Lovage, nephew of Larry
Laffer, the series' original lovable loser. In Magna Cum Laude, Lovage
starts as a pathetic loser enrolled at Community College who spends most
of his time in his dorm room, or on campus striking out with women.
After hearing about a reality TV dating show visiting his college
campus, he resolves to revitalize his life and win. Over the course of
the game, Larry sets out on an epic search for love (or its equivalent)
and finds that things don't always go as planned. The Leisure Suit
Larry videogame franchise began in 1987 with The Land of the Lounge
Lizards, the first of seven games in the series. Since then, the
Leisure Suit Larry games have sold millions of units worldwide and its
games are considered collector items. Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum
Laude will be available in October 2004 for the PlayStation(r)2 computer
entertainment system, the Xbox(r) video game system from Microsoft, and
the PC.
Men of Valor(tm)
Men of Valor(tm) is an historical action experience that portrays
infantry combat during the Vietnam War. Combining the latest Unreal
technology with the gameplay expertise of 2015 (developers of the
award-winning Medal of Honor: Allied Assault), the game immerses the
player in the humid jungles of Southeast Asia in the most controversial
conflict of the modern era. Men of Valor follows an American Marine
through the early stages of the conflict in Vietnam to the Tet
Offensive. Touching on the some of the most familiar scenes of the war
as they exist in the popular imagination, the player guides his group of
fellow soldiers through the hardship and confusion of the battlefield,
bonding with them as they do their duty for their country with the
heroism and valor typical of the American soldier, but unsung during the
turbulent times. Men of Valor will be available in October 2004 for the
Xbox(r) video game system from Microsoft, and the PC.
Predator(tm): Concrete Jungle
Gamers will hunt down their prey in an urban killing zone as they take
on the legendary role of the lethal Predator within this 3rd person
action extravaganza. The intergalactic hunter has its sights set on
Earth in this new console game. In Predator(tm): Concrete Jungle, the
gripping tale of the fearsome alien's history on Earth unfolds between
two separate time periods, first the 1930s and then in the 2030s, as the
Predator embarks on a mission of revenge upon an organized crime empire
and its leader who seek to conquer all Predators. Taking inspiration
from the popular film franchise, the game allows players to roam a vast
city landscape stalking human prey while armed to the teeth with
hunt-adapted vision modes, cloaking technology, and extraterrestrial
weapons of annihilation. Predator: Concrete Jungle will be available in
the fourth quarter 2004 for the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment
system, and the Xbox(r) video game system from Microsoft.
Red Ninja: End of Honor(tm)
Red Ninja: End of Honor(tm) is a third person action game that
cohesively blends a variety of game-play features including action,
adventure, stealth, and seduction and fighting. All these elements have
been placed into Japan in the 1500's, here the power of the samurai
class is fading and the use of the Ninja has become necessary to hold
any political power in this chaotic time. Kurenai is a young girl who's
world is destroyed when she and her father are attacked by the deadly
Black Lizard Clan, a group that captures her and brutally hangs her by a
wire and leaves her to die. Miraculously, she survives and is rescued
and adopted into a clan where she obtains complete mastery of her unique
weapon, the Tetsugen (steel wire). Kurenai has pledged her undying
loyalty to her new family. She now lives to avenge her father's death
and will go to any means necessary to destroy the Black Lizard Clan.
Red Ninja: End of Honor is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2004, on
the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox(r) video
game system from Microsoft.
Spyro(tm): A Hero's Tail
Spyro must save the Dragon Realms from the Evil Red Dragon who has
planted light-sapping Dark Gems all over the Dragon Realms in an attempt
to capture and control the world. With the help of his allies, Spyro
must seek out and destroy all of the Dark Gems to return the lands back
to normal and to save the Dragon Realms from the evil dragon's
tyrannical control. Full of brand new dragon powers and abilities,
gadgets, real-time morphing environments and five playable characters, A
Hero's Tail is the greatest Spyro adventure yet! Spyro: A Hero's Tail
is scheduled for release fourth quarter 2004 for the PlayStation(r)2
computer entertainment system, the Xbox(r) video game system from
Microsoft, and Nintendo GameCube(tm).
StarCraft: Ghost(tm)
StarCraft: Ghost(tm), Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming tactical-action
console game, refines the epic experience of StarCraft(r) to the level
of the individual soldier. Engage the StarCraft universe face-to-face as
Nova, a deadly Ghost operative in the employ of the Dominion. With the
help of a determined group of allies, follow story-driven missions that
take you from massive planetary battles through dangerous solo
operations to an unexpected turn of events that leaves the fate of the
universe in your hands. Featuring a revolutionary new style of gameplay
that showcases Nova's physical and psionic abilities, as well as an
arsenal of sophisticated weaponry, off-planet call-downs, and vehicles
straight out of the StarCraft strategy game, StarCraft: Ghost will be
available for the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, the
Xbox(r) video game system from Microsoft, and the Nintendo GameCube(tm).
Tribes(r): Vengeance
In Tribes(r): Vengeance, the next installment in the Tribes franchise
gamers become immersed in a roiling galactic thriller. Throughout the
game, the player catches glimpses of myriad interrelated stories that
unfold behind-the-scenes and is given the opportunity to experience the
full scope of the single-player story through multiple viewpoints and
characters. Utilizing the Vengeance Engine powered by Unreal technology,
the world is brought to life with characters that have facial
expressions and fully-realized personalities, vehicles that kick up dust
as they pass by, and weapons that display spectacular effects. Tribes:
Vengeance will also build upon the Tribes series' legendary online
multiplayer action by continuing to focus on team-oriented goals and
fluid movement. Developer Irrational Games has hired one of the Tribes
community's leading developers to head up the design and creation of the
game's multiplayer component. Particular focus is being given to making
Tribes: Vengeance easily accessible to the video game modification (MOD)
community. Irrational Games and VU Games have worked together to ensure
that Tribes: Vengeance's game modification tools are easily accessible
and robust. Tribes: Vengeance will be available in the fourth quarter
of 2004, for the PC.
Van Helsing(tm)
Van Helsing, the third-person action game, transports players to a new
world of fantastical reality set in 19th century Transylvania - home to
the legendary Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and the Wolf Man. As the
renowned monster hunter Van Helsing, players must hunt down and destroy
the evil that inhabits these ancient lands before darkness engulfs the
world. As players progress through Transylvania and the strongholds of
Castle Frankenstein and Castle Dracula, they'll encounter untold fiends
and evil minions including the legendary dark prince Dracula,
Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man and Igor as well as a host of
original creatures created for the game including stone gargoyles, fell
spirits and banshees. Van Helsing will be available May 7th for the
PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox(r) video game
system from Microsoft, and Nintendo's Game Boy(r) Advance.
World of Warcraft(tm)
In World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming online
role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft(r) universe,
three years have passed since the aftermath of Warcraft III: The Frozen
Throne(tm), and a great tension now smolders throughout the ravaged
world of Azeroth. As the battle-worn races begin to rebuild their
shattered kingdoms, new threats, both ancient and ominous, arise to
plague the world once again. Being "massively multiplayer," World of
Warcraft allows players to assume the roles of Warcraft heroes and
interact with thousands of other players online as they explore,
adventure, and quest across a vast world. Whether adventuring together
or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form
friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and
glory. World of Warcraft is being developed for PC and Mac and is
currently in the closed-beta phase of testing.
Behind-Closed-Doors - By Appointment Only:
VU Games and Monolith Productions will provide the media a sneak peek of
the latest action-packed project from the developer that created
award-winning games like Aliens vs. Predator(tm) 2, the No One Lives
Forever(tm) franchise and Tron(r)2.0. This project might be described
as The Matrix meets The Ring, an intense close-quarters combat
experience with rich atmosphere and an engaging story presented entirely
in first person.