Atari's Dragon Ball Z®: Sagas™ Goes Gold
Title Marks Franchise’s Inaugural Multi-Platform Launch and Xbox™ Debut
BEVERLY, MA - MARCH, XX, 2005 - Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today announced that development is complete on Dragon Ball Z®: SagasTM, the first Dragon Ball Z® action game for console systems, which will be available March 22 for PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCubeTM, and the XboxTM video game system from Microsoft. Since its introduction, the Dragon Ball Z® video game franchise has sold through more than eight million units* in the U.S., and the TV series is consistently ranked as one of the top-rated shows on Cartoon Network's Toonami Block. The release of SagasTM coincides with FUNimation® Productions' re-release of the first 67 episodes of Dragon Ball Z® on home video.
"We are excited to deliver Dragon Ball Z®: SagasTM because it represents many 'firsts' for the franchise" said Matt Collins, Director of Brand Marketing for Atari. "It's the brand's first action-adventure game, first multi-platform launch, and the first DBZ title for the Xbox. Most of all, though, we are thrilled to give consumers something they have wanted for some time: a DBZ action game that allows players to go just about anywhere in the DBZ world."
Developed by Avalanche Software, Dragon Ball Z®: SagasTM offers fans and newcomers alike the opportunity to explore destructible DBZ environments and use their superhero abilities to complete exciting missions based on the first-half of the animated series -- from the Saiyan Saga through the Cell Games. The game is packed with exciting features. It includes several gameplay modes, including multi-player co-op, exciting missions that are based on never-before-seen aspects of the animated series, a host of playable characters such as Goku®, Piccolo®, and Vegeta®, and a lineup of infamous bosses including Frieza®, Cell® and Raditz®.
Rated 'T' for Teen, Dragon Ball Z®: SagasTM will ship on March 22 for a suggested retail price of $49.99 on PlayStation 2 and Xbox and $39.99 on Nintendo GameCube. All three versions should be available for purchase at retail stores on March 25. For more information, please visit atari.com/dragonballz.
About FUNimation Productions, Ltd.
FUNimation Productions, Ltd. is a brand management company and one of the nation's leading independent home video entertainment companies. FUNimation often manages all aspects of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution.
FUNimation is known for its brand management and home video distribution success with brands primarily targeted to children and young adults. These brands include Dragon Ball Z®, Fullmetal AlchemistTM, Yu-Gi-Oh! TM, Code LyokoTM, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, Dragon Booster®, Arthur®, Case ClosedTM, Yu Yu HakushoTM, Degrassi: The Next GenerationTM, BeybladeTM, BracefaceTM, Cabbage Patch KidsTM, Sonic XTM, Shaman KingTM, Time Warp TrioTM, Fruits BasketTM, Tenchi Muyo! GXPTM, Blue GenderTM and Lupin the 3rd®.
The Company has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and has become one of the leading brand management companies in the industry. For more information on FUNimation or any of its properties, contact Jeff Dronen at 817-788-0627, ext. 251 or jeff.dronen@funimation.com.
About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as DRIV3RTM, Enter the MatrixTM, Neverwinter NightsTM, StuntmanTM, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2004, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children's games such as Backyard SportsTM, Nickelodeon's Blue's CluesTM and Dora the ExplorerTM, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.
® 2005 Atari, Inc. All rights reserved.
® 2005 BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION. Licensed by FUNimation Productions, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION.
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