CAPCOM® ANNOUNCES WITHOUT WARNING™ FOR THE PLAYSTATION®2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND XBOX™

Capcom Publishes Flagship Title from UK Developer CiRCLE Studio

LAS VEGAS - February 2, 2005 — Capcom® today announced a global publishing agreement with UK developer CiRCLE Studio, a development house founded by the creators of the world renowned Tomb Raider® series. Capcom will publish the studio’s first title, Without Warning™, for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft®. Without Warning is a highly charged action shooter set against the backdrop of a brutal terrorist siege of a U.S. based chemical plant. The story takes place over a 12 hour period, during which players will experience the events from the vantage point of six characters that are caught up in the crisis situation. Capcom plans to release the game across North America next fall.

“We are delighted to be working with Capcom on the release of such a significant title,” commented Jeremy Heath-Smith, managing director of CiRCLE Studio. “Without Warning is CiRCLE Studio’s flagship product and partnering with such a respected publisher will be invaluable toward its success.”

CiRCLE Studio Ltd is an independent UK games developer that was founded in 2003 by Jeremy Heath-Smith and Adrian Smith. The Smith brothers share more than 39 years of collective experience in the gaming industry. They are the original founders of Core Design and responsible for numerous software hits, including the Tomb Raider series and one of the world’s most successful video game icons, Lara Croft®. The development studio is largely comprised of former Core Design staff.

“This global deal marks the first time Capcom has published a title from a European developer,” said Hiroshi Tobisawa, president of Capcom Entertainment, Inc. and president, CE Europe. “As CiRCLE Studio’s first title, Without Warning is momentous for both parties and compliments Capcom’s own internally developed product line. The staff at CiRCLE Studio has a successful track record and they will deliver again with a new title that provides an innovative and intense gameplay experience.”

In Without Warning, a radical terrorist group has targeted and seized the Peterson-Daniels Chemical Facility, a vulnerable location that jeopardizes millions of people from the devastating ecological hazard it imposes if destroyed. Pleas are useless and any direct military assault would be too great a risk. As terrified hostages fearfor their lives, their only hope lies with a covert operations team, whose goal is to infiltrate the plant and eliminate the merciless enemy.

The harrowing events unfold over a 12 hour period, featuring a unique gameplay dynamic which enables the six central characters to experience events across the same timeline but from their own distinct viewpoints. The player controls each character individually, with the focus automatically shifting to a new character at key moments which are unfolded throughcut scenes. By switching between the characters, their individual tales are woven together to create an overall picture of the events that happened during the crisis. The player will also retrospectively view events through the eyes of another character and is therefore not only a participant in the events, but a spectator as well. Furthermore, actions performed as one character affect the progress of others and players must successfully utilize the strengths of each in order to advance.

WithoutWarning includes the following features:

Play as six different characters and experience the game from each of their perspectives:

Three members of the covert operations team :
  Kyle Rivers – the leader of the squad with an experienced combat background
  Jack Hooper – the youngest and most inexperienced member of the team for whom this is the first combat mission
  Ed Reagan – the squad’s bomb disposal specialist who is also formidable in close combat situations

Three civilians with distinct agendas and views on the events:
  Tanya Shaw – a terrified secretary whose only desire is to escape safely
  Dave Wilson – a security guard who was overlooked by the terrorists; his fierce determination drives him as he fights to rescue his co-workers
  Ben Harrison – a news cameraman who is grounded when his helicopter is shot down by the terrorists; his quest is to obtain breaking news coverage, however dangerous it may be
  Diverse gameplay – exploration, puzzle-solving, dynamic environmental interaction, and a variety of sub missions including bomb diffusion and hostage rescue
  Objective based gameplay progression
  Sophisticated graphics – realistic and highly interactive environments, advanced character animations with well defined emotions, and gripping cut scenes that link the storylines together
  Progressive tutorial – instructs players on how to utilize the vast arsenal of weaponry and equipment
  Fully controllable camera – moves fluidly around characters to rapidly survey surroundings and enable them to change tactics accordingly

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment. Founded in 1983, the company has created world renowned franchises including Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Breath of Fire, Devil May Cry and the Onimusha series. Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, the company maintains operations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, Tokyo and Hong Kong. More information about Capcom and its products can be found on the company’s web site at www.capcom.com. 
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Capcom, Mega Man, Resident Evil, Onimusha, Devil May Cry and Breath of Fire are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All rights reserved. Tomb Raider and Lara Croft are registered trademarks of Core Design Ltd. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

 

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