CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 2005--Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, today announced that it has shipped the first-ever story driven football videogame, Blitz(R): The League(TM), for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox(R) video game system from Microsoft.
"Blitz: The League is the football videogame that Midway has always wanted to develop given the creative freedom from NFL restrictions," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "As a result, we've been able to focus our efforts on developing an entertaining sports game that also leverages the controversy of what happens both between the lines and beyond in professional sports today."
Blitz: The League's Multi-Million Dollar Marketing Campaign includes:
-- Published under license from FHM Magazine with advertorials, print campaign, sponsorships and other promotions centered around cover athlete, NFL legend, Lawrence Taylor
-- National television advertising campaign on multiple mainstream broadcast and cable networks ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, FOX, MTV, MTV2, Comedy Central, Fox Sports Net, Fuse TV, FX, and SpikeTV
-- Relationship with SpikeTV program The Ultimate Fighter including mat advertising, in-program placement, and giveaways
-- Participation in consumer oriented events & tours such as:
-- Game Live's 2005 College Tour (25 colleges nationwide)
-- Vibe Game Club featuring Yardfest (20 colleges nationwide)
-- FHM Tailgates in New York City and San Francisco
-- IGN Live (Oct. 22 & 23 - Anaheim Convention Center)
-- GameSpot's G.A.M.E., The Game's and Music Experience (December 2005)
-- Aggressive online campaign to top-tier enthusiast and mainstream consumer sites including Yahoo.com, ESPN.com, Gamespot.com, IGN.com, and WWE.com, among others
-- Print advertising campaign across multiple major video game and consumer publications including ESPN The Magazine, Game Informer, and Official PlayStation Magazine
-- National pre-sell programs at select game retailers, where gamers can pre-order a copy of Blitz: The League and receive The Blitz Cheerleaders 2006 Calendar featuring the Models of FHM for free (Limited time offer, while supplies last)
-- Dedicated web presence at
www.blitzleague.com, the official website of Blitz: The League
Top-Tier Media Feedback:
-- "Blitz delivers action as dirty as the mud in the end zone with a story that charges gamers to turn a down-and-out football franchise into a dynasty." - Stuff Magazine
-- "It's football like you've never seen and the NFL hopes you never will." - Spin
-- "Midway Games Inc. has created a video game the National Football League would never allow." - Chicago Tribune
-- "Promises to take the (football videogame) genre in very new, very interesting directions." - Official Xbox Magazine
-- "The League will depict a side of the sport fans don't often see." - GamePro
-- "Blitz: The League will include all the things the NFL doesn't want you to think about." - San Jose Mercury News
-- "Bone-breaking, skull-smashing football - that's what Blitz is all about." - PlayStation Magazine
About Blitz: The League
Blitz: The League will feature a powerful story mode that, for the first time ever in a football videogame, explores the lifestyle and drama found in professional football. Players will take the helm of a downtrodden football franchise and retool the players and coaching staff in a quest to guide them to the league championship. Additional features include intense multiplayer action with head-to-head online play and complete customization options of players, teams, stadiums and more.
About Midway
Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices throughout the world, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for major videogame systems and personal computers. More information about Midway and its products can be found at
www.midway.com.
MIDWAY, BLITZ and BLITZ: THE LEAGUE are trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Midway has provided the Yahoo.com, ESPN.com, Gamespot.com, IGN.com and WWE.com links solely as a convenience for you. The information on these sites has been prepared by third parties, and Midway does not monitor, endorse, or accept responsibility for the content on non-Midway sites.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business conditions and the outlook for Midway Games Inc. (the "Company") based on currently available information that involves risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the interactive entertainment industry, dependence on new product introductions and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, the upcoming console platform transition and other technological changes, dependence on major platform manufacturers and other risks more fully described under "Item 1. Business - Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and in the more recent filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
