ACTIVISION AND ID SOFTWARE TAKE MULTIPLAYER WARFARE TO XBOX LIVE WITH RETURN TO CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN
Posted by Ben on Tuesday, August 20 2002

London, UK – August 20, 2002 – Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and id Software™ announced today that Return to Castle Wolfenstein for the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft will take console gamers to the front lines with online multiplayer warfare via Xbox™ Live, the first comprehensive, world-class online game service by Microsoft. Presenting platform-specific multiplayer features, including squad-based and co-operative Internet and split-screen modes, and an epic single player experience, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is set to offer Xbox players unrivalled gaming action. Nerve Software, creators of the award-winning multiplayer feature in Return to Castle Wolfenstein for the PC, is developing the highly anticipated Xbox game, with id Software serving as executive producer.

"By fusing the award-winning gameplay in Return to Castle Wolfenstein with new multiplayer modes, communication abilities, and technology, we're delivering the definitive team warfare experience for Xbox, " said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software.

Teams can coordinate and execute front-line attacks with extreme precision utilizing the Xbox Communicator, allowing players to verbally order air strikes, call for medics or even taunt opponents. With four distinct character classes and numerous gameplay modes to master, strategy and communication are the keys to victory on the battlefield.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein's Xbox multiplayer features allows players to challenge up to seven other gamers online utilizing Xbox Live's matchmaking capabilities for intense, multiplayer warfare; engage in co-operative play through Xbox-system linked connections; or battle in two-player action through split-screen mode. Gamers can also look forward to new weaponry, an advanced target control system and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound capabilities.

"It's a great time to be a console gamer," states Larry Goldberg, executive vice president of Activision Worldwide Studios. "With the advanced technology of Xbox, console players will not only be able to experience the heart-stopping action of the Return to Castle Wolfenstein single player game, but also for the first time engage in the addictive multiplayer gameplay that PC gamers and critics have been raving about."

Set against the backdrop of WWII, Return to Castle Wolfenstein plunges players into a maelstrom of action, espionage and covert operations, as an American soldier tasked with infiltrating the heart of Nazi Germany and stopping the darkest plans of the Third Reich. Throughout the game, players are locked in combat with waves of Nazi storm-troopers, undead Teutonic knights and the twisted products of genetic experimentation. Return to Castle Wolfenstein further draws the player into the nightmare with advanced artificial intelligence (AI), photo-realistic character and environment textures, revolutionary effects, and an immersive story that unfolds before the player like a movie.

id –- Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth - has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. As a renowned leader in the industry, id Software forged such frenetic titles as Wolfenstein 3-DTM, DOOMTM, DOOM IITM, QUAKE and QUAKE II. With intense graphics and mind-blowing adventure, id's games continually break retail and shareware sales records. And, in keeping with tradition, id Software has amplified the world of adrenaline pumping 3-D gaming with the release of their latest action title, QUAKE III Arena. id's advanced QUAKE III Arena engine is leading the next revolution in 3-D interactive games with both single and multiplayer technology. Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.com.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted revenues of $620 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at .

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Activision's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These important factors, and other factors that could affect Activision, are described in Activision's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers of this press release are referred to such filings.
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