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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New
York - May 22, 2002
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Announces Max Payne 2 Is In Development
Take-Two Purchases Max
Payne Intellectual Property Rights
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May
22, 2002--Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO - News)
announced today that Rockstar Games, in conjunction with Remedy
Entertainment, has begun development of Max Payne 2, a sequel to the
blockbuster hit Max Payne.
Max Payne 2 is expected to ship in calendar 2003.
Originally developed for the PC by Remedy Entertainment and produced by 3D
Realms, Max Payne debuted as an award winning and top selling PC game in
July 2001. PlayStation®2 and Xbox(TM) versions of the game were shipped in
December 2001, and both achieved immediate critical and commercial success.
Global shipments of the Max Payne franchise have exceeded 2.75 million units
to date.
Take-Two also announced that it has acquired ownership of the Max Payne
brand and all intellectual property rights associated with the brand,
including trademarks, copyrights, characters, perpetual license to utilize
proprietary technologies, including the Max Payne game engine and associated
"Bullet Time(TM)" technology, and rights to license fees from ancillary Max
Payne brand extensions such as cinema, television and literary productions.
Take-Two purchased the Max Payne property from Remedy Entertainment and
Apogee Software in exchange for $10 million in cash and 969,932 shares of
restricted common stock, in addition to certain future development
incentives.
Kelly Sumner, Chief Executive Officer said, "A critical component of
Take-Two's corporate strategy is to control the intellectual property rights
to our key brands and as a result, build the most value for our company. Max
Payne has been one of our most successful product franchises to date. The
ownership of this top-selling brand allows us to broadly capitalize on the
continued strength of the product on multiple platforms, and extend the
brand with exciting sequels as well as providing opportunities for extending
the brand to other forms of entertainment."
Scott Miller, Chief Executive Officer of 3D Realms commented, "This is a
precedent-setting deal for Take-Two, Remedy and 3D Realms - the first time
in our industry a highly successful IP alone has changed ownership hands.
This deal validates our strategy for developing strong character-based
games. Take-Two benefits tremendously by having full control of the Max
Payne brand going forward and being able to properly leverage it to its full
potential."
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an
integrated global developer, marketer, distributor, and publisher of
interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC,
PlayStation®, PlayStation®2, Xbox(TM), Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo
GameCube and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The Company publishes and develops
products through various wholly owned subsidiaries including: Rockstar
Games, Rockstar Studios, Gathering of Developers, TalonSoft, Joytech, PopTop,
Global Star and under the Take-Two brand name. The Company maintains sales
and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris,
Munich, Vienna, Copenhagen, Milan, Sydney and Auckland. Take-Two's common
stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate
and product information please visit our website at
www.take2games.com.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their
respective holders.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995: The
statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered
forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such
forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as
well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them. The
words "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "may," "estimate," "intend" and
similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and
assumptions including, but not limited to: risks associated with our future
growth and operating results; our ability to continue to successfully manage
growth and integrate the operations of acquired businesses; the availability
of adequate financing to fund periodic cash flow shortages; credit risks;
seasonal factors; inventory obsolescence; technological change; competitive
factors; product returns; failure of retailers to sell-through our products;
the timing of the introduction and availability of the company's new
software products and third-party hardware platforms; market and industry
factors adversely affecting the carrying value of our assets; unfavorable
general economic conditions (including the current economic downturn); and
acts of war and terrorism, any or all of which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. These
important factors and other factors that could affect the Company are
described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2001. Actual operating results may vary
significantly from such forward-looking statements. The Company has no
obligation to update such forward-looking statements.
[END]
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