2K Sports announced today they have signed Ryan Kesler, star two-way
forward for the Vancouver Canucks® and 2010 Winter Olympics hero, to be
featured as the cover athlete and spokesman for their upcoming video
game, NHL® 2K11. Kesler, a vital member of the upstart
2010 U.S. Olympic hockey team, captured the collective attention of
sports fans around the world with his gritty and awe-inspiring
performance, and will now look to bring the same electrifying play to NHL
2K11.
"Having the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and play in front
of my home crowd was one of the best experiences of my life. To now be
chosen as the next cover athlete for NHL 2K11 is another
dream come true,” said Kesler, alternate captain for the Vancouver
Canucks. "It was awesome to work with 2K Sports last year on the NHL
2K10 commercial shoot and the outdoor motion capture session on the
Las Vegas strip was incredible to be a part of. I’m looking forward to
having just as much fun again, and helping them make another great
hockey game this year.”
Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2003
as the 23rd overall pick in the first round, Kesler has spent
his entire five-year NHL career with the Canucks. As a 2009 Selke Trophy
finalist, awarded annually to the top defensive player in the league,
Kesler has blossomed into one of the most feared and relentless players
on the ice. Best known as a two-way forward, Kesler also set personal
statistical records last season with 26 goals and 33 assists. He was
honored with the Cyclone Taylor award last year as team MVP and has
helped to lead the Canucks this year to the top of the Northwest
division.
"Ryan is one of the most talented and exciting players to watch in the
NHL today and his popularity has grown exponentially since the recent
success of Team USA at the Winter Olympics,” said Greg Thomas, senior
vice president of sports development for 2K. "We’re thrilled to have him
represent NHL 2K11 and wish him the best of luck through
the rest of this season.”
Being developed by Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio, NHL 2K11
is not yet rated by the ESRB and scheduled to be available for Wii™ in
fall 2010.
2K Sports is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a
global developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment
software games for PC, PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox 360®
video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo DS™,
iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The Company publishes and develops products
through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, which publishes
its titles under 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play. The Company'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.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the
four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the
NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League’s
international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries
represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research
study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access
content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL
entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through
its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS,
ESPN America, ASN and NHL NetworkTM) and radio (NHL RadioTM,
Sirius XM Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s
charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights
CancerTM and NHL Youth Development, and supports the
charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log
on to NHL.com.
NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey
League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its
teams. All Rights Reserved. NHL 2K11 is an Officially Licensed Product
of the NHL.
NHL 2K11 is an Officially Licensed Product of the NHLPA. NHLPA, National
Hockey League Players' Association and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of
the NHLPA. © NHLPA.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their
respective holders.
Wii is a trademark of Nintendo.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are
considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and
may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes,"
"estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potential," "predicts,"
"projects," "seeks," "will," or words of similar meaning and include,
but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the
Company's future business and financial performance. Such
forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our
management as well as assumptions made by and information currently
available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks
and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual
outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking
statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our
dependence on key management and product development personnel, our
dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop
other hit titles for current generation platforms, the timely release
and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain
acceptable pricing levels on our games, our reliance on a primary
distribution service provider for a significant portion of our products,
our ability to raise capital if needed, risks associated with
international operations, and the matters relating to the investigation
by a special committee of our board of directors of the Company's stock
option grants and the claims and proceedings relating thereto (including
stockholder and derivative litigation and negative tax or other
implications for the Company resulting from any accounting adjustments
or other factors). Other important factors and information are contained
in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2009, in the section entitled "Risk Factors," and the
Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com.
All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary
statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company
undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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