Gameloft and Universal Pictures Ink Licensing Agreement and Rev Up for Official Mobile Game of Death Race
Universal Pictures' Upcoming Action-Thriller Goes High Octane on Cellular Phones
NEW YORK, August 6 -- The drivers are chosen, the weapons are loaded and the Death Race is on!
Gameloft(R), a leading developer and publisher of mobile and console games,
today announced a licensing agreement with Universal Pictures Digital
Platforms Group to develop and publish the official mobile game of the
upcoming action-thriller Death Race, which opens in theaters on August 22,
2008.
"Having the exclusive mobile game available just weeks before the launch
of one of summer's most anticipated films is a great opportunity for us,"
stated Gonzague de Vallois, Senior Vice President of Publishing, Gameloft.
"The Death Race mobile game offers fans a great way to experience their
favorite film, both before and after its debut, by adding an intense
interactive component to the movie."
"We have an exceptional, collaborative relationship with Gameloft and we
continue to be impressed by the high-quality, graphically-rich mobile games
they produce from our films," said Jeremy Laws, Senior Vice President, Mobile
& Broadband for Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. "The Death Race
storyline is inherently game ready, and we believe that a lot of the film's
fans will be gamers who will love Gameloft's mobile game."
Pushing the limits of the mobile racing game, Gameloft's Death Race
captures the full throttle action of the film's dystopian world in which the
most extreme racing competition has emerged and its contestants are murderous
prisoners. . Race in one of the film's seven "Steel Beasts," each one with a
different play style and armed to the teeth. Armor up and throttle down for
the game's five-episode "Story Mode," which runs a gauntlet of challenges
ranging from "Race," "Rampage," "Eliminator," "Shooter" and "Boss
Battles"-featuring a mix of shooting and racing. Complete the "Story Mode"
and unlock the "Single Race Mode," which allows fans to blast through all of
the Death Race tracks and challenges.
As the game progresses, new cars and lethal weapons are unlocked, and the
skill level of the opponents adjust-getting stronger and more lethal as the
game's speed and tempo ramp up both the competition and the firepower!
Gameloft's Death Race mobile game will launch on all major carrier decks
in August 2008.
About Death Race
International action star Jason Statham leads the action-thriller's cast
as three-time speedway champion Jensen Ames, an ex-con framed for a gruesome
murder. Forced to don the mask of the mythical driver Frankenstein, a Death
Race crowd favorite who seems impossible to kill, Ames is given an easy
choice by Terminal Island's ruthless Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen): Suit up
and drive or never see his little girl again.
His face hidden by a hideous mask, one convict will enter an insane
three-day challenge in order to gain freedom. But to claim the prize, Ames
must survive a gauntlet of the most vicious criminals-including nemesis
Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson)-in the country's toughest prison. Trained by
his coach (Ian McShane) to drive a monster Mustang V8 Fastback outfitted with
2 mounted mini-guns, flamethrowers and napalm, an innocent man will destroy
everything in his path to win the most twisted spectator sport on Earth.
About Gameloft
Gameloft is a leading international publisher and developer of video
games for mobile phones and consoles. Established in 1999, it has emerged as
one of the top innovators in its field. The company creates games for mobile
handsets equipped with Java, Brew or Symbian technology. The total number of
games-enabled handsets is anticipated to exceed four billion units by 2012.
Gameloft games are also available to players on WiiWare and DS, Microsoft's
Xbox LIVE Arcade, Apple's iPod and PCs.
Partnership agreements with leading licensors and sports personalities
such as Ubisoft Entertainment, Universal Pictures, ABC, Dreamworks Animations
SKG, Endemol, 20th Century Fox, Viacom, Sony Pictures, Touchtone Television,
Warner Bros., FifPro, Ferrari, Paris Hilton, Gus Hansen, Kobe Bryant, Derek
Jeter, Reggie Bush, Chuck Norris, Jonny Wilkinson or Robinho allow Gameloft
to form strong relationships with international brands. In addition to the
partnerships, Gameloft owns and operates titles such as Block Breaker Deluxe,
Asphalt: Urban GT and New York Nights.
Through agreements with major telephone wireless carriers, handset
manufacturers, specialized distributors and its online shop, Gameloft has a
distribution network in over 80 plus countries.
Gameloft has worldwide offices in New York, San Francisco, Seattle,
Montreal, Mexico, Buenos Aires, Paris, London, Cologne, Milan, Madrid,
Lisbon, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Helsinki, Vienna, Bucharest, New Delhi, Seoul,
Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney. Gameloft is
listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters:
GLFT.PA)
About Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group
Universal Pictures Digital Platforms (UPDPG) is responsible for global
digital product development, production, licensing, distribution, and growth
strategy for the extensive catalogue of Universal's properties across new and
emerging digital platforms, including mobile, video game consoles, personal
computers, and other portable devices. With a worldwide mandate to help shape
the digital future of Universal Pictures, the Group has offices in Universal
City, California; London, England; and Tokyo, Japan.
Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group is a unit of Universal Studios
Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Universal Pictures is a division
of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment
companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment,
news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the
combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and
operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier
motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC
Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
For more information, visit http://www.gameloft.com
