Head-to-Head Vehicular Combat, Customizable Vehicles, And Online Gameplay Delivers High-Speed Action and Intense, Competitive Experience
October 19, 2005
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Author: Sony
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOSTER CITY, Calif., October 18, 2005- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the launchof Jak X: Combat RacingTM, created exclusively for the PlayStation2computer entertainment system by award-winning development team,Naughty Dog, Inc. Jak X: Combat Racing treads new ground asplayers engage in head-to-head vehicular combat within the Jak andDaxter universe, while racing in fully customizable vehicles armed withdeadly weaponry. The introduction of online gameplay, where up tosix players can compete head-to-head utilizing a broadband connection,will appease fans of the franchise as well as automotive enthusiastsand fans of the car combat genre.
"We are very excited to take the Jak and Daxter franchise online forthe first time," said Grady Hunt, senior producer, product development,Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Naughty Dog has madesignificant strides in delivering an intense and competitive racingexperience to the largest console online gaming community, and gamerswill feel exhilarated as they experience vehicular combat racing forthe first time in the series, while still feeling like they are infamiliar territory as they explore the Jak and Daxter universe."
Since Jak's last adventure, cities were rebuilt, people flourished andsports reemerged and combat racing becoming the biggest sport of all,as the excitement of high-speed competition brought crowds to thetrack. Kras City led the way, with people flocking to thedangerous city of death and intrigue. When Jak and Daxter receivea mysterious invite to Kras City for the reading of Krew's Last Willand Testament, they find many familiar faces including Ashelin, Keira,Samos and Torn. During the presentation of Krew's recorded will,he reveals that everyone present, including his daughter, Rayn, hasbeen poisoned. Krew gives everyone an ultimatum - the only way toget the poison's antidote is to race for him and win the next Kras CityGrand Championship, or they will all die. Jak and his friends areforced into a high-speed contest for their lives as they are swept upinto a deadly plot to win the biggest racing event on the planet.
As destructible objects, other racers and their ammunition careen by,players will compete at dangerous speeds in more than 80 events insingle-player Adventure Mode. Gamers will be tasked with avariety of challenges spanning across various play modes includingCircuit Race where players must compete to be the first driver to crossthe finish line and Death Race, where players try to take down as manydrone vehicles as they can while they roar through the richly detailedterrain. Exhibition Mode supports up to six players online, or twoindividuals can play against each other or other racers in eitheronline, LAN or offline multiplayer split-screen mode.
"While completing Jak 3, we realized we wanted to expand on vehiculargameplay in our next game, so we created vehicles that were fullycustomizable with paint jobs, body parts and accessories," said EvanWells, co-president, Naughty Dog, Inc. "We wanted to providegamers unique-looking vehicles to choose from when racing, and thedegree of personalization available in Jak X: Combat Racing is one ofthe elements that has made it the most fun. Showing off yourcustom designed car online to your friends and competitors adds a funelement of personality and bragging to the game."
Players will have access to 31 diverse venues, 24 of which are racetracks, and seven vast combat arenas. Jak X: Combat Racing boastsenormous tracks and wide open terrain featuring a high level of graphicdetail, while Rigid Body Physics technology to deliver vehicles thatfeature unique and lively handling characteristics and damagelevels. With more than a dozen customizable vehicles, featuringmultiple "snap-ons" body parts, paint patterns and colors, and funadd-on accessories such as helmuts and antennae, each player cancustomize their vehicle to best reflect their personality.
The Eco power-up system is based on Eco from the Jak and Daxteruniverse providing players with multiple strategies for success asplayers can pick up Blue Eco for turbo boosts, Green Eco to repairvehicle damage and Red and Yellow Eco for weapons as they completetheir missions. Power-ups include projectile weapons, smartbombs, mines, catastrophic attacks, shield systems and attack drones,each helping to deliver a more destructive and challenging experiencefor players.
To accompany the fast-paced action, the Jak X: Combat Racing soundtrackfeatures two licensed songs from Queens of the Stone Age, as well as ahost of original content from Billy Howerdel. In addition, anelite album will be released featuring music from the soundtrack aswell as exclusive remixes from John Digweed, El-P, and Overseer whichis only available for download on Sony Connect.com.
Jak X: Combat Racing is also compatible with Daxter for the PSPTM(PlayStation Portable), releasing this spring and developed by ReadyAt Dawn. By connecting a USB cable from the PSP system to thePlayStation 2, players will be able to unlock new characters introducedin Daxter as drivers in Jak X: Combat Racing as well as a specialvehicle for Daxter. More information will be announced on unlockableitems between the two games closer to the launch of Daxter.
Jak X: Combat Racing is receiving full marketing support in thefollowing categories to generate consumer awareness and excitement forthis amped-up title.
National Print Advertising Campaign:
To extend the mainstream appeal of Jak X: Combat Racing, a full blownprint advertising campaign will be running at launch and through theholiday season, reaching more than 15 million readers. Thesepublications include Game Informer, Electronic Gaming Monthly,PlayStation Magazine, Official PlayStation Magazine; TransworldSkateboarding, Transworld Snowboarding, SuperStreet, C-16, Maxim,Marvel Comics, and Stuff.
National Broadcast/Cable Advertising Campaign:
The television campaign for Jak X: Combat Racing begins the week ofOctober 17, running through the early weeks of December. Thespots will run on networks such as ESPN News, MTV, Comedy Central, andVH1.
National Online Advertising Campaign:
The online advertising campaign drives the message that Jak X: CombatRacing is a completely new take on the franchise. Utilizingcustom and exclusive opportunities through affinity brands likeMaximOnline, IGN, Gamespot, MySpace and MTV, Jak X: Combat Racing isreaching audiences in unique and interactive ways, including a JakBuddy Profile, a downloadable Jak Playlist, "Jak up your Car!"mini-games, as well as a national sweepstakes to win lessons for AutoRacing school. The campaign is expected to garner more than 62million impressions.
National Viral Advertising Campaign:
To get Jak X: Combat Racing into the hands and minds of our targetaudience, the viral advertising campaign is four-fold: Localstreet team efforts, concentrated in the top ten markets, willdistribute demo discs; Jak X: Combat Racing will have a large,dedicated presence at the IGN Live Convention October 22 and 23 foron-site demos; Jak X: Combat Racing wild postings will be making a bigsplash in Los Angeles and New York during the holiday shopping season;and a Jak X: Combat Racing media stunt is in the works to utilize 3rdparty media channels in buzz marketing.
The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated Jak X: Combat Racing "T" for "Teen."For more information about the ESRB visit www.esrb.org.
About Naughty Dog, Inc.
Naughty Dog, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony ComputerEntertainment America Inc., develops cutting-edge technology, graphicsand gameplay for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Additional information can be found on the company's web site athttp://www.naughtydog.com.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine theentertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation and PS oneTM game console,the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system and the PSPTM(PlayStationPortable). The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systemis set to revolutionize the home entertainment market, offering themost compelling interactive content and the capability to be used as anetwork terminal in the coming broadband era. PSP system is a newportable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, withhigh-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony ComputerEntertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of productsand develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PSone game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system andthe PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City,Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquartersfor all North American operations and is a wholly-owned subsidiary ofSony Computer Entertainment Inc.
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