ATARI SHIPS V-RALLY 3 FOR XBOX
Unbelievable Graphics, Deep Franchise Mode
Highlight Latest Installment in Hit Series
— PS2 Version Crowned “Racing Game of the
Year” By IGN.com —
LOS ANGELES – March 26, 2003 – Atari has
shipped the latest installment of the hugely successful V-Rally™ racing series
— V-Rally 3 — to the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft. With more than 4
million units in the series sold to date, V-Rally 3 – already a hit on Sony
PlayStation®2 – promises to be the most authentic rally racer on Xbox.
“V-Rally 3 presents an incredible range of
tracks, fully detailed cars and a powerful game engine that allows for stunning
graphics on Xbox,” said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and head of
Infogrames, Inc.’s Los Angeles studio. “The vast array of interactive tracks,
challenging AI and intuitive controls will satiate any rally fan’s desire for
realism while at the same time maintaining the fun that made the V-Rally series
a worldwide leader in racing games.”
In the game, players pilot highly detailed
cars across meticulously hand-crafted tracks, created to produce unprecedented
racing realism. Scurrying spectators run from oncoming speedsters while deformed
car parts fly off during collisions, making tracks and races come alive as never
before.
All of the most coveted rally cars on today’s
circuit are included, including the Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
7, Citroen Xsara, and the Ford Focus. Gamers have the ability to customize each
one to their own unique racing strategy and style.
Three modes take gamers through the most
extreme driving conditions including mud, snow, rain, standing water, bright
sunshine and ice. Single and multiplayer versions of Time Attack and Challenge
modes are included, as is the all-new V-Rally mode, where gamers live the life
of a professional rally driver, strategically planning their careers, earning
and selecting offers from major sponsors, and racing their way to the top of
both divisions, 1.6 and 2.0 Liter.
The powerful game engine allows for enhanced
interactivity, including realistic car physics, destructible track elements,
high-resolution cockpits and all the progressive damage that gamers expect from
careening as fast as possible through hostile landscapes. The new collision
engine and physics model provide the realism and professionalism that
mud-slinging racers have been hungering for since the last incarnation of the
franchise.
The original V-Rally game, developed by
Infogrames’ Eden Studios, the French software team known for its mastery of
racing games, debuted on PlayStation in 1997. The game soon became one of the
system’s benchmark racers and set the standard for racing graphics and great
playability. Eden Studios brings its development expertise to V-Rally 3.
V-Rally 3 for Xbox is available at North
American retail outlets for an estimated retail price of $29.95 and an ESRB
rating of ‘E’ for everyone.
About Infogrames
New York-based Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM)
develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest
third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The
Company’s 1,000+ titles are distributed under two brand lines: ATARI, hard-core,
genre-defining games such as Driver™, Enter the Matrix™, Neverwinter Nights™,
Stuntman™, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2003, and Unreal® Championship; and
INFOGRAMES, mass-market and children’s games such as Backyard Sports™,
Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues™ and Dora the Explorer™, Civilization®, Dragon Ball
Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Infogrames, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of
France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest
interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit
www.infogrames.com.