News
Midway: Midway® Sports™ Delivers its Adrenaline-Style Hockey Videogame — NHL® Hitz™ 20-02 — as Launch Title for Xbox™ Videogame System From Microsoft
NHL® Hitz 20-02 Provides Realistic Hockey Action Combined with Big Hits, Big Checks and Lightning-fast Gameplay
CHICAGO – November 5, 2001 – Midway® Sports™, the sports brand of leading software industry publisher and developer Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), announced today that NHL® Hitz™ 20-02 will ship tomorrow for the Xbox™ videogame system from Microsoft. NHL® Hitz 20-02 shipped for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system on September 25 and is scheduled to ship on November 13 for the Nintendo GameCube™.
“We are honored to have the only hockey videogame available for the Xbox videogame system at launch,” said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing, Midway. “NHL Hitz 20-02 has changed the hockey videogame category, with its delivery of the most intense and exciting aspects of hockey every time you play.”
Developed by the accomplished hockey development team Black Box Games, Ltd., NHL® Hitz 20-02 is the only videogame with larger-than-life, adrenaline hockey, big hits, rocket goals and exciting gameplay. Officially licensed by the NHL® and the NHLPA with real NHL® teams and athletes, NHL® Hitz 20-02 features 3-on-3 (plus goalies), lightning-fast gameplay, play-by-play commentary and a never-before-seen interactive 3D crowd. The crowd will do the wave, react to the action and increase and decrease in size between periods depending on the importance of the game and the score. Gamers will definitely feel the burn of a 125MPH slap shot as the frenzied fans heckle them from the bleachers.
NHL® Hitz 20-02 also features an in-game jukebox, with some of today’s hottest songs and bands including chart-toppers “Rollin’” by Limp Bizkit and “Make Me Bad” by Korn. The jukebox allows gamers to choose from and listen to popular, pulse-pounding tunes while playing the game.
To add even more NHL realism, New Jersey Devils’ defenseman and 2001 NHL® All-Star Scott Stevens signed an exclusive deal with Midway to be the signature athlete for NHL® Hitz 20-02. The MVP of the 2000 Stanley Cup® Playoffs appears on the package cover and in NHL® Hitz 20-02 advertising materials.
“It is impressive to see what Midway can do to the hockey experience,” said Stevens. “NHL® Hitz 20-02 offers gameplay that hockey athletes will enjoy, not just fans and videogamers.”
Mini games with skills competitions help players hone their skills before games, while multiplayer hockey allows one to four gamers to face off against one another. Gamers can also create the ultimate ice warrior with the Create-A-Player feature.
NHL® Hitz 20-02 Xbox Features
Adrenaline-Style, Over-the-Top Gameplay—Players leap, glide, check, pass and score on would-be defenders
Outrageous, Over-the-Top Animations—Watch out for the blistering “on fire” puck
NHL® and NHLPA Licensed Product—Play your favorite NHL® teams and players
Classic Midway Sports On-Fire Mode—Players and teams catch fire and become almost unstoppable
Fully 3D Modeled Crowd—First interactive 3D crowd in any sports videogame
Thirty Arenas—Players choose from a variety of arenas
Fantasy Stadiums, Hidden Teams and Players—Secret arenas presented in a unique fantasy setting, as well as hidden teams and special players to unlock along the way
Big Players—Huge player models with real player faces and expressions
Mini-Games—Including skill competitions
Create-A-Player—Allows players to design their ultimate ice warrior
High Powered Play-by-Play—Commentary to describe all of the outrageous action
Big Hits—Aggressive hits that can break the glass
Different Player Skill Sets—Real player stats, abilities and attributes
Multiplayer Hockey—One to 4 players
In-Game Jukebox—Allows gamers to hear the following songs while playing:
For Xbox and Nintendo GameCube
Limp Bizkit – “Rollin’”
Korn – “Make Me Bad”
Staind – “Mudshovel”
Fuel – “Scar”
Good Charlotte – “Festival Song”
6 Gig – “"Hit the Ground”
Errortype 11 – “Better Than the Superbowl”
Lifer – “Parade”
For the PlayStation 2
Limp Bizkit – “Rollin’”
Korn – “Make Me Bad”
Fuel – “Scar”
Midway Games Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment software. Midway videogames are available for play or scheduled for release on all major videogame platforms including the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube™ and Game Boy® Advance.
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NHL® Hitz™ 20-02 © 2001 Midway Home Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. HITZ is a trademark of Midway Home Entertainment Inc. MIDWAY and the Midway logos are trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © 2001 NHL. All rights reserved. National Hockey League Player’s Association, NHLPA and NHLPA Logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used, under license, by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. © NHLPA. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League Players’ Association. NHL and NHL super skills are registered trademarks of the NHL.
Game Boy Advance and the Game Boy Advance logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Nintendo GameCube and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
This press release contains certain forward looking statements concerning future business conditions and the outlook for Midway Games Inc. (the "Company") based on currently available information that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the amusement games industry, dependence on new product introductions and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, technological changes, dependence on major platform manufacturers and other risks more fully described under “Risk Factors'' in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K recently filed on September 28, 2001 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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