NEW YORK, March 27 2008 -- Atari, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ATAR - News), one of the world's most recognized brands and a
third-party video game publisher, today announced the development of
the next chapter in the Neverwinter Nights saga -- Neverwinter Nights™ 2: Order of the Might.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the expansion to the award-winning
Neverwinter Nights 2 is set in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Forgotten
Realms® universe created by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of
Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - News). DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under
license from HPG, the licensing division of Hasbro. Neverwinter Nights™ 2: Order of the Might will be available in North America in Fall 2008.
In Neverwinter Nights 2: Order of the
Might, players began a new adventure in the Forgotten Realms.
Ten years after the events detailed in the original Neverwinter
Nights 2, a group of foes - The Order of the Might - tries to take
down the city. Surrounded by a horde of evil might, the player
embarks on an epic adventure that reveals his true destiny. And for
the first time, the players can choose its destiny to be with the "bad" guys!
"Atari's commitment to the Neverwinter Nights
franchise and the enormous community is strong," said Nique Fajors,
Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Atari, Inc. "We are on track to
release the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion pack this Fall, two years after the launch of Obsidian's outstanding sequel, and are
confident the new features will deliver a role-playing experience that
further engages and satisfies fans."
Set in Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights 2: Order of the Might
will present players with an exciting new campaign; epic levels; dozens
of new feats and spells; new races, base classes and prestige classes;
new companions; new weapons, armor and crafting options; hordes of new
monsters; and enhanced modding tools.
"Neverwinter Nights 2: Order of the Might
engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the
original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and
classic D&D dungeon-crawling," said Feargus Urquhart, CEO, Obsidian
Entertainment. "We're also making new advances in story and character
development as well as improving upon the acclaimed companion Influence
System used in both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith
Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2 : Mask of the Betrayer."
The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than three
million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more
than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan
communities in all of gaming. To date, fans of the franchise, which
includes Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide™
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark™, Neverwinter Nights 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 : Mask of the Betrayer
have created more than 5,000 modifications to the original game using
the award-winning toolset included with the full game that allows
players to create their own universes, quests and storylines.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Order of the Might is scheduled for release in Fall 2008. More information about Neverwinter Nights 2 can be found at www.nwn2.com, which includes user forums, project news, development updates and more.
About Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. is a premier software development
company passionately dedicated to creating high quality, next
generation role-playing games for PC and console systems. More
information about Obsidian Entertainment can be found online at www.obsidian.net.
About HPG
HPG, the licensing division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - News),
translates one of the industry's richest portfolios of brands into a
world of fun and excitement for children and adults globally. Through a
host of publishing, digital media, lifestyle and entertainment
platforms, HPG is able to surround consumers of all ages worldwide with
consumer products that expand Hasbro's core brands, such as
TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, MY LITTLE PONY, MONOPOLY, G.I. JOE,
TONKA and PLAYSKOOL.
About Atari, Inc.
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News) develops
interactive games for all platforms and is a third-party publisher of
interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+
titles include hard-core, genre- defining franchises such as Test
Drive®; and mass-market and children's franchises such Dragon Ball Z®.
Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames
Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), an interactive games
publisher in Europe. For more information, visit http://www.atari.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
With the exception of the historical information contained in this
release, the matters described herein contain certain "forward-looking
statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements in this release are not promises or guarantees and are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results
to differ materially from those anticipated. These statements are based
on management's current expectations and assumptions and are naturally
subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We caution you not
to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.
Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by
the statements herein. Some of the factors which could cause our
results to differ materially include the following: the loss of key
customers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop; delays in
product development and related product release schedules; inability to
secure capital; adapting to the rapidly changing industry technology,
including new console technology; maintaining relationships with
leading independent video game software developers; maintaining or
acquiring licenses to intellectual property; fluctuations in the
Company's quarterly net revenues and results of operations based on the
seasonality of our industry; the termination or modification of our
agreements with hardware manufacturers; and other factors described in
our SEC filings.
The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking
statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the
Company's expectations.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, FORGOTTEN REALMS, Neverwinter Nights,
Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide™ and Neverwinter Nights:
Hordes of the Underdark and related logos are trademarks of Wizards of
the Coast Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions, and are
used with permission. Hasbro and its logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other jurisdictions, and
are used with permission. Atari and the Atari logo are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Atari, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other
jurisdictions, and are used with permission. Obsidian Entertainment and
the Obsidian Entertainment logo are trademarks of Obsidian
Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other jurisdictions. Copyright
2006
Atari, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
ATARI, the ATARI logo, and classic Atari game titles and logos
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc. or
its affiliates.
