CODEMASTERS’ PRISONER OF WAR HITS STORE SHELVES
Posted by Ben on Tuesday, August 20 2002

New York – August 20, 2002 – Global publishing giant Codemasters has shipped Prisoner of War. The unique third-person action/adventure game for the Xbox‘ video game system from Microsoft hits retail outlets nationwide and has an MSRP of $ 49.99.

“Prisoner of War offers a new style of gaming - it’s something brave, something original, something non-violent,” said Sebastien Soulier, Codemasters’ North American President. “Prisoner of War boasts a novel approach and modern-history adventure setting combined with solid gameplay mechanics to create a truly intelligent, fun and appealing game.”

Set in 1941, Prisoner of War (POW) pays homage to Allied escape attempts from POW camps during World War II. Gameplay takes place across three meticulously modelled, fully 3D, historically realistic prisoner of war camps, including the infamous Colditz Castle. Captain Lewis Stone, an American Flight Officer, must use his wits and resourcefulness to escape and eventually fulfil his surveillance mission for Churchill’s Special Operations Executive in London. Navigating the detail-packed camp environments, which include reactive lighting, weather and other graphical effects, Stone must communicate with other prisoners and use stealth to avoid guards, spotlights and dogs in an effort to gather as much information and equipment as possible while plotting the best escape route. Stone must then race for freedom in dramatic escape sequences that can range from impersonating a guard to engineering mass escapes before calling in Allied air strikes using the Germans’ own radio.

Launched last month in Europe, Prisoner of War is a massive success ranking at number 2 on the UK Xbox sales charts. A PC version of the game will be released in the U.S. this fall.

ABOUT CODEMASTERS
Established in 1986, UK-based Codemasters is one of Europe's best-selling and profitable game-makers, developing and publishing titles for the console platforms and PC. Codemasters’ products first appeared on US retail shelves in 1999 and since then they have continued to provide energetic, compelling and innovative entertainment to gaming fans of all genres. The company’s 2001 offerings included Blade of Darkness and Operation Flashpoint, both of which met with critical acclaim and enormous consumer praise. Richard Darling, the company’s Design Director and co-founder, is renowned as one of the most prolific game designers and has been involved in the creation of 60 of the company’s staggering #1 titles in the UK. In keeping with the company's mission to remain on the crest of the gaming wave, Codemasters is developing games for online and next generation platforms. Additional information about the company and its products can be found at www.codemasters.com

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