Legends of gaming line up for Sold Out

Author: Sold Out

Sold Out's release schedule reads like a Who's Who of gaming this February, as some of the biggest names in video games make their debut at the bargain price of only £4.99.

Championship Manager 4 earned a place in history as the UK's fast-selling game ever, shifting an incredible 103,000 units in the first weekend of its release. Building on the decade-long heritage of its predecessors, Championship Manager 4 was the first in the series to introduce match highlights, allowing players to see clearly where their tactics worked or failed. The game's level of detail is legendary and this latest iteration covers 39 countries' leagues at all levels and features over 200,000 players. Championship Manager's famous addictive qualities - PC Gamer describes it as 'more addictive than crack-flavoured Pringles' - are not always a good thing: the game also earned a place in history by being cited in three divorce cases!

Lara Croft is unquestionably the biggest name in the games business. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness begins in a rainy Paris backstreet, with our heroine awaking from a stupor recalling nothing but the murder of her former mentor, Dr Werner von Croy. Framed for the killing, Lara must make a hasty escape from the authorities and find the real culprit. The only person who can help her is Kurtis Trent, a male adventurer and new playable character. Featuring the most realistic depiction of Lara yet, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness was a huge worldwide hit, selling over one million copies.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin also sees the lead character crossing the globe, but this time on the wrong side of the law. The game begins with the eponymous hero trying to rebuild his life in the sanctuary of a Sicilian monastery. Hitman being Hitman and Sicily being Sicily, the peace doesn't last long. Agent 47 finds himself tricked into killing for a Russian crime lord, but soon becomes the target himself. Production values for this title are extremely high, with a variety of exotic locations spanning the globe and a soundtrack scored by BAFTA-winning composer Jesper Kyd.

Spellforce: The Order of Dawn was described by PC Gamer magazine as "a game of enormous scope and splendid detail". The game, originally published by JoWood, is a combination of real-time strategy and role-playing elements and even offers first-person hack 'n' slash. The three-genres-in-one action is set in huge worlds, populated with thousands of characters and offers multitudes of spells and sub-quests. PC Gamer summarised it succinctly: "There's simply loads to do. This is a huge game."

Rounding off this month's releases are two contrasting titles, showcasing the variety that is the hallmark of the Sold Out range. IGI 2: Covert Strike sees the player taking on the mantle of SAS officer David Jones, on counter-terrorism missions in Chechnya, Libya and China. Realism is the watchword of this title: the military consultant was Gulf War hero and former SAS man Chris Ryan. Sequel to the hugely popular Project IGI, Covert Strike takes the tense, tactical shooter to a whole new level. Republic: The Revolution was the eagerly-awaited debut release from London's Elixir Studios. Demonstrating the originality that made the studio's name, Republic does not fit easily into any traditional genre. The player is charged with seizing control of the former Soviet state of Novistrana using a mixture of political and physical means. Victory is only achieved when the player gets all the way to the presidency. Defeat means a less glamorous end...

Peter Ball, Sales Director of Mastertronic, was in typically bullish mood: "Another month, another storming set of releases. What other publisher can offer the biggest names in the business at giveaway prices? We've already released twelve top titles this year and it's only February. We're so far ahead of the competition, it's embarrassing - and I'm not easily embarrassed."

About Mastertronic Group Limited

Mastertronic is one of the best known electronic entertainment brands in Europe. It pioneered the European console market with its launch of the Sega Master System, invented the budget retail sector and built an international development and publishing operation under the Virgin Mastertronic label.

The brand was subsequently relaunched as The Mastertronic Group Limited in 2003 by founder Frank Herman, together with Andy Payne and Garry Williams.

The Group now leads the European value publishing sector through its retail brands M.A.D. (Mastertronic Added Dimension), Sold Out (the UK's largest-selling budget operation, acquired by the Group in 2004) and PC Gamer Presents, a unique quality-assured brand in association with the leading games magazine publisher Future Publishing.

The Group also offers, through its wholly owned subsidiary The Producers Limited (also acquired in 2004) a 'cradle to grave' total turnkey service for physical product, from marketing through packaging and warehousing to retail and electronic distribution. In addition, MAD 4 Games, a wireless channel for content delivery to mobile phones was established first quarter 2005.

### PR CONTACT ####

Neil McKenna, Mastertronic Games Limited

t: 0845 234 4242

e: [email protected]