NEW KEYSET GIVES GAMERS EDGE IN THE BATTLE FOR MIDDLE-EARTH
EA's The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Limited Edition Keyset Available Now
VAUGHN, ON., March 10, 2006 - Ideazon Inc. today announced its new custom Keyset, designed specifically for Electronic ArtsTM (NASDAQ: ERTS) highly-anticipated The Lord of the RingsTM, The Battle for Middle-earthTM II, PC title that shipped to North American retailers on February 28th, 2006.
Ideazon, designer and developer of the ZboardTM, the world's first keyboard designed for PC gamers, has partnered with EA to bring gamers a custom keyset that will dramatically enhance the The Lord of the Rings,The Battle for Middle-earth II playing experience. Ideazon's The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II keyset lets players explore the strategic depths of this strategy game using a customized control layout.
"Whenever we talk to Zboard owners, they tell us that they can get into game strategy faster with a Limited Edition Keyset," says Chris Rathgeber, President of Ideazon Inc. "We've worked closely with EA to create the The Lord of the Rings,The Battle for Middle-earth II Keyset for Zboard and we know gamers will love it."
The Lord of the Rings,The Battle for Middle-earth II keyset shortens the learning curve allowing the gamer to play the game rather than focusing on memorizing game commands.
The Lord of the Rings,The Battle for Middle-earth II Limited Edition Keyset for Zboard includes:
- 35 dedicated labeled key commands grouped intuitively, to enhance the quest;
- Stunning keyset graphics from official movie assets that immerse you into the action;
- 10 camera controls grouped together for optimal visibility during battle; and,
- Compatibility with the original The Battle for Middle-earth game with the press of a single key,
The Zboard Gaming Keyboard comes equipped with the following components and features:
- Gaming Keyset for FPS and Action games;
- 15 popular shooter and action commands labeled on keys;
- Eight distinct "command zones" for ease of use;
- Ergonomic "Butterfly" directional keys for maximum comfort
- Instant remapping capabilities;
- Standard Keyset with Windows & Internet Explorer commands labeled on keys; and,
- USB base with two extra USB peripheral ports.
The Zboard and The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Limited Edition Keyset are available now at GameStop.com and at other retailers and online sites. For a full list of retail and online partners visit our site at www.zboard.com. The suggested retail price for the Zboard is $49.99 (U.S.) and for the The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II Keyset $19.99 (U.S.).
Consumers can enter The Lord of the Rings,The Battle for Middle-earth II keyset sweepstakes for a chance to win one of thirty Zboards and The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II keysets. To learn more about the keyset and sweepstakes visit www.zboard.com/bfme2 for more details.
About Ideazon, Inc.
North American-based Ideazon Inc. develops, manufactures and markets the next generation of gaming peripheral technologies that enable a new level of interaction between end-users and their PC games. ZboardTM products enhance the gaming experience, accelerate gamers through the initial stages of a new game and ultimately improve gamer satisfaction. Ideazon is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario. For more information, contact the company at 905.761.0640 or visit the web site at www.zboard.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2005, EA posted revenues of $3.1 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
About The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II
Developed at EA's Los Angeles (EALA) studio for the PC under the EATM brand, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II includes all new content from J.R.R. Tolkien's original fiction, and allows the player to delve deeper than ever before and engage in new battles that go beyond the award-winning movie trilogy. The development team at EALA have brought The Lord of the RingsTM world to life in accordance with an agreement with The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises that grants EA the rights to develop games based on the books, in addition to a separate agreement that allows for games based on the New Line Cinema films.
About Tolkien Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.
About New Line Cinema Corporation
Founded almost 40 years ago, New Line Cinema is the most successful independent film company in the world. Its mission is to produce innovative, popular and profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, merchandising and an international unit. In 2005, New Line partnered with HBO to form Picturehouse, a new theatrical distribution company to release independent films. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line's Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most successful film franchises in history. New Line is a division of Time Warner, Inc. (TWX).
Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All The Lord of the Rings content other than content from the New Line trilogy of The Lord of The Rings films ® 2006 The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises ("SZC"). All Rights Reserved. The Lord of the Rings, and the names of the characters, events, items, and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of SZC under license. All content from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ® MMVI New Line Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.