THQ
Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and JAKKS
Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) today announced that WWE®
SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010, the latest edition to the
distinguished fighting videogame franchise, is now available at North
American retailers for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system
from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system,
PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)
system, Wii™ video game system and Nintendo DS™.
Featuring the most authentic, entertaining and compelling simulation of
World Wrestling Entertainment® programming to date, WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 unleashes unparalleled creative and
online freedom, including an enhanced Create-a-Superstar Mode and WWE
Story Designer, key franchise improvements and a more comprehensive
roster of today’s most prominent WWE Superstars and Divas than previous
versions. WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
is rated "T” for Teen and is
available for the suggested retail prices of $59.99 (Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3 system), $49.99 (Wii), $39.99 (PlayStation 2 system and
PSP system) and $29.99 (Nintendo DS).
"WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
gives players the definitive
sandbox in which to create, customize and share their gameplay
experiences,” said Brian Coleman, vice president, global brand
management, THQ. "Aligned with on-point franchise updates to the core
gameplay experience and a sizable roster of today’s most prominent WWE
talent, WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is the perfect addition to the collection
of any fighting, sports, hit-driven or WWE videogame enthusiast this
fall.”
"WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010’s distinctive gameplay offerings
are on track to take the franchise into a new virtual ring,” said Nelo
Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. "We look
forward to seeing an incomparable outpouring of creativity from our fans
using the Create-a-Superstar Mode and WWE Story Designer to showcase
their unique Superstars, finishing moves, story designs and more as they
construct and then share their WWE vision online, through the WWE
Community Creations interface, with others from around the world.”
About WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 –
Creative and Online Freedom
WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
introduces a new
Create-a-Superstar Mode, including a fresh look, all-new 3-D parts and
improved graphical quality, allowing players to create Superstars and
Divas comparable in quality with their in-game WWE counterparts. A new
Paint Tool enables detailed creation of tattoos, logos and other unique
designs, while a franchise-first Superstar Threads feature lets players
create alternate ring gear for Superstars and Divas by customizing the
colors of shirts, pants, face paint, elbow pads, boots and more. The
game’s Create-a-Finisher Mode has been updated to let players create
acrobatic and gravity-defying diving attacks from the top turnbuckle, as
well as move their creations to new heights by adjusting the trajectory.
In addition, Create-a-Finisher delivers an extensive assortment of new
moves from the front grapple position.
Taking creativity even further, WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
marks the debut of WWE Story
Designer. In this new mode, players can create and customize their own
storylines and cut scenes, including selection of talent and scene
locations, writing their own dialogue, adjusting camera angles, choosing
from over 100 scene animations, assigning talent emotions and much more.
Players may also construct each night’s show card with matches, unique
match stipulations, interference events and other story twists and turns.
WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
empowers players with not only
extensive creative freedom but the ability to share their gameplay
experiences as well. For the first time in franchise history, the WWE
Community Creations interface enables players to upload their creations
online, including created Superstars and Divas, story designs, finishing
moves, highlight reels and screenshots, and share them with others
around the world. Players may also download created content via keyword
search engine from other users for use both online and offline. In
addition, players can tag their creations with search terms, as well as
leave ratings, allowing for ease of use in searching the robust database
for the most popular – or even the most obscure – created items.
About WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 –
Additional Gameplay Features
In addition to its extensive creative and online offerings, WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
includes a number of key updates.
The WWE Training Facility provides a franchise-first in-game tutorial,
making it simple for both long-time fans and newcomers to get helpful
gameplay tips and practice moves with their favorite Superstars and
Divas. The popular Road to WrestleMania story-based mode returns with
interactive cut scenes and six new storylines based on a created
Superstar, Mickie James, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels and Edge, as well
as a "Brand Warfare” co-op storyline with Triple H and John Cena. In
terms of match types, the Championship Scramble makes its WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw franchise debut, while the renowned Royal Rumble
delivers a revised presentation and more ways to eliminate opponents,
including three elimination mini-games and match-specific finishing
moves. In addition, a robust talent roster will include more than 60
playable Superstars and Divas, many of whom will make their videogame
debut, as they represent the Raw, SmackDown and ECW® brands. A
high-profile soundtrack rounds out the gameplay experience, including
songs from artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Skillet, Sick Puppies,
Adelitas Way and Trivium.
About WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 –
Wii and Nintendo DS
Delivering a button-based, simulation-style experience for the first
time on the platform, WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
for Wii supports the Wii Remote™
and Nunchuk™, Classic Controller™ and the Nintendo GameCube™ controller,
enabling players to explore the WWE videogame experience in a number of
ways. In addition, the game offers a broader features list to the Wii
gaming audience, including a more robust move set, more match types,
Create-a-Superstar, Create-a-Finisher, WWE Story Designer, Road to
WrestleMania and more.
WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
for Nintendo DS also offers a more
simulation-based experience, introducing streamlined controls that take
advantage of the DS directional pad and eliminate use of the stylus.
Throughout gameplay, players earn a variety of collectible cards to gain
power-ups and unlock content, including arenas, backstage areas and
Superstar profiles. In Story Mode, players take their created Superstars
on an action-packed journey through all WWE brands, participating in
training mini-games and interactive cut scenes while earning new moves
and customization parts along the way. Rounding out the Nintendo DS
experience, a franchise-first Ambulance Match lets players attempt to
lock their opponents inside an ambulance to attain victory.
More information about WWE
SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
can be found at www.smackdownvsraw.com
and www.thq.com.
About World Wrestling Entertainment,
Inc.
Additional information on World
Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE), can be found at wwe.com
and corporate.wwe.com.
For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
About THQ Inc.
THQ
Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher
of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products
for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices.
Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product
through its global network of offices located throughout North America,
Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may
be found at www.thq.com.
THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ
Inc.
About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
JAKKS
Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is a leading designer and marketer of
toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature
some of the most popular children's toy licenses in the world. JAKKS’
diverse portfolio includes Action Figures, Art Activity Kits,
Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports
Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush, Construction Toys,
Electronics, Dolls, Dress-Up, Role Play, and Pet Toys and Accessories,
sold under various proprietary brands including JAKKS Pacific®, Play
Along®, Flying Colors®, Creative Designs International™, Road Champs®,
Child Guidance®, Pentech®, Funnoodle®, Go Fly a Kite®, Color Workshop®,
JAKKS Pets®, EyeClops®, Plug It In & Play TV Games™, Girl Gourmet®, Kids
Only®, Tollytots® and Disguise. JAKKS is an award-winning licensee of
several hundred nationally and internationally known trademarks
including Disney®, Nickelodeon®, Warner Bros.®, World Wrestling
Entertainment®, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Graco® and Cabbage
Patch Kids. JAKKS and THQ Inc. participate in a joint venture that has
worldwide rights to publish and market World Wrestling Entertainment
video games. For further information, visit www.jakks.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses,
slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the
exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its
subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the
property of their respective owners.
Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos, and the Xbox Live
logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
"PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc.
Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo.
The statements contained in this press release that are not
historical facts may be "forward-looking statements” within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates
and projections about the business of THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries
(collectively referred to as "THQ”), including, but not limited to,
expectations and projections related to the release of the WWE SmackDown
vs. Raw 2010 videogame, and are based upon management’s current beliefs
and certain assumptions made by management. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to,
business, competitive, economic, legal, political and technological
factors affecting our industry, operations, markets, products or
pricing. Readers should carefully review the risk factors and the
information that could materially affect THQ’s financial results,
described in other documents that THQ files from time to time with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended
March 31, 2009, and particularly the discussion of risk factors set
forth therein. Unless otherwise required by law, THQ disclaims any
obligation to update its view on any such risks or uncertainties or to
revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these
forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date of this press release.
This press release may contain forward–looking statements (within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that
are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about JAKKS
Pacific's business based partly on assumptions made by its management.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve
risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.
Therefore,
actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed
or forecasted in such statements due to numerous factors, including, but
not limited to, those described above, changes in demand for JAKKS'
products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the
impact of competitive products and pricing, and difficulties with
integrating acquired businesses.
The forward-looking statements
contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and
JAKKS undertakes no obligation to update any of them to reflect events
or circumstances after the date of this release.