NEWS - Monday, June 21, 2004
Atari Ships DRIV3R, New Screens
LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)-- June 21, 2004 Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) Atari has shipped DRIV3R, the highly anticipated action-driving game for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox(TM) video game system from Microsoft, to retail stores worldwide today. DRIV3R is an action-packed driving-adventure game that recreates the excitement of a Hollywood blockbuster car chase and plays like an interactive movie. "We are proud to bring one of the most anticipated console games of the year to store shelves," said Wim Stocks, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Atari. "Reflections has done it again, expanding on the ground-breaking Driver franchise which set the bar for an entire genre and that gamers worldwide have known and loved for more than four years. The behind-the-wheel experience in DRIV3R - as in past installments - is second to none, from tire squealing car chases to body panel-bashing vehicle destruction. DRIV3R will keep gamers on the edge of their seats and looking for safety belts in their couches!" The next evolution of the hugely popular and successful Driver franchise, DRIV3R is developed by Reflections Interactive (an Atari studio), the masterminds of the franchise, which has sold more than 12 million units worldwide to date. DRIV3R stays true to its roots, incorporating the cinematic gameplay and gritty street crime of its predecessors with ground-breaking graphics and three mammoth, wide-open city environments. Featuring Hollywood-level production values and a gripping, narrative story line, DRIV3R casts players once again as Tanner, a jaw breaking, no-holds-barred undercover cop and master "Wheelman" who does whatever it takes to bring the bad guys down. This time, Tanner, alongside his longtime partner, Tobias Jones, must infiltrate a global car theft ring, surviving high-octane car chases and fierce on-foot firefights while tailing gangsters, chasing witnesses, stealing cars and unloading huge clips of ammo to bring the criminals to justice. Game Features -- Major voice acting talent is involved in DRIV3R, including Michael Madsen as Tanner, Mickey Rourke as the sinister Jericho, Michelle Rodriguez as the sexy Calita and Ving Rhames as Tanner’s partner, Tobias Jones -- Three gigantic and true-to-life cities, including Miami, Nice and Istanbul, with more than 35,000 buildings hand-placed and decorated for intricate detail and ultimate immersion -- More than 70 controllable vehicles, including motorcycles, boats, police cars, vans, mopeds, muscle cars and fully articulated 18 wheelers -- More than 150 miles of major highways and city streets to explore plus countless uncharted open areas, alleys, dirt roads and smaller byways -- A stunning graphics engine capable of creating massive photo-realistic environments - both indoor and outdoor - filled with hundreds of destructible objects to be smashed and blasted both in vehicles and on foot -- Complete destruction model allows vehicles to crumble realistically as they are bashed, smashed and driven to the limits of their design -- Unmatched driving and physics engine creates the most exciting and fun vehicle performance in any game -- A deep, narrative storyline that plays like an interactive movie, recreating the attitude, action and car chase sequences of modern gangster films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Pulp Fiction; nearly an hour of CGI video fleshes out the plot with dramatic scenes of sinister crime syndicate dealings -- Multiple solutions to missions allow players to plan strategically before they move in on the crooks and choose between a full frontal assault or a more surreptitious alternative, depending on gameplay tastes -- Driver’s signature "Film Director" function, which records every move made in the game, allows gamers to place cameras anywhere and direct and save their own Hollywood car chase to memory cards; Xbox players can upload their homemade films to Xbox Live! for users worldwide to download and view Sorrent Inc., a global leader in mobile entertainment, in partnership with Atari, has also shipped DRIV3R worldwide for mobile phones, featuring both in-car and out-of-car game play from a top-down perspective. With 16 missions available in Miami, Nice and Istanbul, DRIV3R for mobile phones features multiple vehicles and gameplay that becomes more challenging as the game progresses. As gamers successfully complete the Undercover Mode on the mobile game, cheat codes for the Xbox and PlayStation(R)2 versions are unlocked. DRIV3R is currently available worldwide with an estimated retail price in North America of $49.95 and an ESRB rating of ’M’ for Mature.Source: http://www.virtualpressoffice.com
