June 1, 2006

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES’ THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS VIDEO GAME SECURES PIONEER LICENSE

Game To Feature The Ultimate Automobile Performance Gauge--- Pioneers’ AVG-VDP1 Vehicle Dynamics Processor

Global video games developer and publisher, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that its upcoming racing title, The Fast and the Furious, based on Universal Pictures’ summer feature film release, “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”, has secured the worldwide trademark rights to the Pioneer license. The Fast and the Furious game will take advantage of the Pioneer license by showcasing Pioneer’s popular automobile performance system, the AVG-VDP1 System, which measures a wide range of performance data. Developed for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system, The Fast and the Furious will be available summer 2006.

The ultimate accessory in gauging vehicle performance, Pioneer’s AVG-VDP1 Vehicle Dynamics Processor is able to detect a wide variety of real-time vehicle performance data — including acceleration, lateral G-forces, estimated horsepower, and torque, in addition to speed and RPM. Additionally, the GPS locator provides current vector information, as well as current location by longitude, latitude, altitude, and distance to destination. The results are then displayed in vivid full color graphics on a connected Pioneer Audio/Video monitor.

“The Fast and the Furious will be a completely immersive drift racing experience and we are thrilled to be able to include Pioneer’s AVG-VDP1 System in the game in order to add to the authenticity of the game,” said John Whitmore, NAMCO BANDAI’S Director of Internal/External Development. “Measuring acceleration, G-forces, horsepower, and torque, the AVG-VDP1 System is one of the most popular performance gauges used by car enthusiasts today, lending another element of realism to the cool underground drift racing world of “The Fast and the Furious.”

The Video Game
Inspired by the events of Universal Pictures' upcoming film, The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift, this game will immerse players in the underground world of drift racing. Set in a world related to, yet separate from, the movie, the game features a ground breaking drift mechanic that makes drifting accessible to both beginning and veteran racing game drivers. Gameplay features revolutionary new systems like the Drift Indicator that make The Fast & The Furious the most accessible yet realistic drift game ever!

Perched at the forefront of the drift racing phenomenon, the video game combines ground breaking gameplay mechanics with unprecedented speed and authentic underground cool, positioning this game as the must-have racing title of Summer 2006.

•  Revolutionary Drift Model – The first game to create an authentic, drift model system that is fun and approachable for players of all skill levels. Turn on the assists and feel like a pro, or turn them off and hone your drift skills.

•  An entirely authentic Drift racing experience – Focusing on the “next big thing” in underground street racing this video game utilizes Universal’s extensive sound library, an incredible context based camera code, a revolutionary context based rumble system that gives players the feeling of driving city streets at break neck speeds like no other.

•  Total Immersion! – Immerse yourself in the world of the game. 10,000+ polygon model cars, cinematic camera angles straight from the movie, unique boss challenges, stunning visuals and an Advanced Rubber Band AI system makes this the best looking, best playing racing game on PlayStation®2 and PSP™ system.

•  Robust customization options - Enhance the feeling of being part of the underground street racing world. Tune your ride with a hundred licensed wheels, and over 500 body kits from real JDM companies. Tune your ride like never before from performance to appearance, and for the first time ever swap out your engine to truly push the limits of your vehicle.

Featuring 1-2 player split-screen play and 1-4 player online play, the video game is developed by Eutechnyx.

About the film

From the producer of the worldwide blockbuster hits The Fast and the Furious and its sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, comes the latest installment of the adrenaline-inducing series built on speed—The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift . Set in the sexy and colorful underground world of Japanese drift racing, the newest and fastest customized rides go head-to-head on some of the most perilous courses in the world.

Sean Boswell (Black) is an outsider who attempts to define himself as a hot-headed, underdog street racer. Although racing provides a temporary escape from an unhappy home and the superficial world around him, it has also made Sean unpopular with the local authorities. To avoid jail time, Sean is sent to live with his gruff, estranged father, a career military-man stationed in Tokyo.

Now officially a gaijin (outsider), Sean feels even more shut out in a land of foreign customs and codes of honor. But it doesn’t take long for him to find some action when a fellow American buddy, Twinkie (Bow Wow), introduces him to the underground world of drift racing. Sean’s simple drag racing gets replaced by a rubber-burning, automotive art form—with an exhilarating balance of speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin turns and switchbacks.

On his first time out drifting, Sean unknowingly takes on D.K., the “Drift King,” a local champ with ties to the Japanese crime machine Yakuza. Sean’s loss comes at a high price tag when he’s forced to work off the debt under the thumb of ex-pat, Han (Kang). Han soon welcomes Sean into this family of misfits and introduces him to the real principles of drifting. But when Sean falls for D.K.’s girlfriend, Neela (newcomer Kelley), an explosive series of events is set into motion, climaxing with an ultimate high stakes face off.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is directed by Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis) and written by Chris Morgan (Cellular), Kario Salem (The Score) and Alfredo Botello. The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz (xXx, S.W.A.T.) and executive produced by Clayton Townsend (The Skeleton Key, The 40 Year-Old Virgin).

This film has not yet been rated.

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