Ashes Cricket 2009

Thursday 23rd July/... Cricket fans can now experience the tension, drama and atmosphere of the npower Ashes Series as the Ashes Cricket 2009 playable demo hits Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® today. The demo enables gamers to bat and bowl in a six over sample of a Test match between England and Australia at Lords.

Ashes Cricket 2009 delivers all the exciting, athletic, skilful and technical elements that gamers expect from a Codemasters’ cricket title. The game’s comprehensive ‘Ashes’ mode features all five Tests played out at detailed recreations of each official venue. In addition, gamers will also be able to play Test matches, One Day Internationals, 20 over games and a series of challenge modes.

Ashes Cricket 2009 is fully licensed by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the world's most famous cricket club and owner of the Ashes urn) and Cricket Australia, providing the game with all the official players, kit, stadia – including Lords and The Brit Oval – and equipment from this year’s npower Ashes Series.

Available to Gold members today, the demo will be available to Silver members on 30th August 2009, to coincide with the beginning of the Third npower Ashes Test at Edgbaston. Ashes Cricket 2009 , the full game, is set to launch on 7th August 2009 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PC and Wii™.

# ENDS #

MEDIA INFORMATION:

Andy Gray, Communications Manager

Andy.gray@codemasters.com

Codemasters (UK 01926 814 132)

Gary Burns, Stu Taylor BHPR

gary.burns@bhpr.co.uk

stuart.taylor@bhpr.co.uk

01462 456780

Richard Eddy, Director, Communication

Rich.eddy@codemasters.com

Codemasters (UK 01926 814 132)

PRESS RESOURCE WEB SITE

Download game artwork, screens and essential Codemasters’ press materials direct to your desktop from: http://www.codemasters.com/mediabank

ABOUT CODEMASTERS

Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience across multiple gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company’s dominant brands include Colin McRae DiRT, Race Driver GRID, Overlord and Operation Flashpoint; the company recently secured the exclusive worldwide video game rights to FORMULA 1. Codemasters is headquartered in Warwickshire UK, with North American operations based in Universal City, Calif. The company also maintains operations in Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Malaysia. Codemasters receives over two million visitors to its web site every month, discover why at www.codemasters.com

ASK ABOUT GAMES

Codemasters supports askaboutgames.com www.askaboutgames.com - a UK initiative designed to help parents understand the age ratings system for computer and video games so that they can make more informed choices when choosing games for their children.

Codemasters is a registered trademark owned by The Codemasters Software Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo.