Payload Offers The Ride Of A
Lifetime On The N-Gage Platform
Futuristic racing game is on its
way
San Francisco, CA, March 8, 2005 –
Nokia and Tantalus Interactive today announced Payload, a futuristic action game
that blends white-knuckle racing with a heavy dose of hard-hitting destruction.
With its amazing 3D graphics it offers a unique mix of strategy, combat and
traditional racing. This N-Gage exclusive game is sure to get pulses racing
whether it’s played alone or against up to 4 friends via Bluetooth wireless
technology.
Set in the distant future, players
are members of courier teams hired to transport the precious crystalline mineral
fuel source. As the players make their way to their goal, they will encounter
gangs of marauders, and rival teams, attempting to steal their payload. Only
successful runs will earn the cash and kudos required to progress through to the
more challenging levels.
"Payload mixes the best of combat
racing games with a strong storyline and plenty of white knuckle action," said
Pasi Pölönen, Director, Games Publishing, Nokia. "The unlockable content through
the N-Gage Arena also gives players the chance to extend their gameplay even
longer than average."
Working on their first N-Gage title,
Tantalus Interactive is similarly enthusiastic about the release. "We were
hoping to push some boundaries with this game," said Tantalus CEO Tom Crago.
"I’m confident we’ve produced one of the deepest, most frenetic, and technically
impressive titles ever to grace the N-Gage platform."
Players must progress through this
story driven plot that takes place across 10 different worlds. Pilot one of the
many armed hover vehicles known as ‘Skims’ and battle your way through each of
these hostile environments. Massive jumps and unforgiving terrains will be the
least of your worries as players use up to 15 different weapons to progress
through one of the most challenging racing games to smash its way onto the
N-Gage game decks
Gamers will have full access to a
massive amount of gaming options. Players can pick different race types and
scenarios, which makes the game as challenging as ever for hours on end.
Progress through the game and via the N-Gage Arena function, players will be
rewarded with unlockable content for extended game play. Arena features will
include extra Skims, an extra single player story mode, additional downloads and
an Arena challenge ranking system on which to post top scores. The mechanics of
the game ensure that it is an easy pick up and play game which is sure to thrill
everyone from the hardened racing expert to the less experienced first timer.
About N-Gage The N-Gage game deck is
an innovative mobile device that is creating an entirely new market for the
games industry. Built for active gamers, the N-Gage platform is the first mobile
and connected game deck to feature online high-quality 3D multiplayer game play
over Bluetooth wireless technology and GPRS. The N-Gage device also offers
unique online games services as well as a comprehensive and growing games
catalogue from the leading game publishers.
About Tantalus Interactive Tantalus
Interactive was founded in 1994 and is one of Australia’s leading game
developers having worked on over 25 titles. Tantalus has worked on 16bit, 32bit
and all current generation consoles as well as all available handhelds (GBA,
N-Gage) and soon to be launched handheld devices (DS and PSP). The release of
Top Gear Rally on Game Boy Advance saw the company establish itself among the
best in the world on this platform. The game was published by Nintendo and is
one of the biggest selling Australian developed titles of all time. It also
received the IGN Award for ‘Racing Game of the Year’ in 2003, and won the award
for best Australian developed title on any platform. Tantalus has a subsidiary
company named Tantalus Asia, which is based in Malaysia and focuses on
developing and distributing games for mobile phones.
Copyright 2005 Nokia. All rights
reserved. Nokia and N-Gage are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nokia
Corporation. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Some
features and services are dependent on the network, supported digital content
formats, the compatibility of other devices and applications, and other factors.
Please refer to the user guide for more detailed information.
