Turbine Grants Midway North American Rights to Distribute The Lord Of The Rings Online: Shadows Of Angmar
Midway To Co-Publish and Distribute Turbine’s Much-Anticipated Massively Multiplayer Online Game
WESTWOOD, Mass., FEBRUARY 23, 2006 - Turbine, Inc. announced today that Midway Home Entertainment Inc. (a subsidiary of Midway Games Inc. NYSE: MWY) will co-publish (along with Turbine) and distribute The Lord of the Rings OnlineTM: Shadows of AngmarTM in North America. The Lord of the Rings Online is the world's first and only massively multiplayer online (MMO) role playing game based upon the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
"We're very excited to be working with Midway on this title," explained Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine. "Midway's extensive North American distribution capabilities should ensure a strong and broad based retail presence for The Lord of the Rings Online."
"The Lord of the Rings series is the foundation for so much of today's fantasy entertainment, and we expect Turbine's MMO to be a faithful, thrilling recreation of Tolkien's world," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "We are very pleased to be working with Turbine and look forward to leveraging our expertise to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to the vast legions of Tolkien fans."
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar will allow players to forge heroic legacies in the ongoing struggle for Middle-earth. Gamers of all levels will establish their unique reputations, explore incredibly detailed realms and join familiar Tolkien characters, while adventuring solo or in fellowships within an evolving and persistent re-creation of Middle-earth.
For the latest community news and images from The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, visit http://lotro.turbine.com. Visitors can join the rapidly growing community to interact with the developers, get detailed information and get ongoing first looks at exclusive content from the game.
About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is a premier developer, publisher and operator of online subscription entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts. The company is the largest privately-held online games company in North America. Turbine's catalogue includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron's Call®, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINETM: StormreachTM, and The Lord of the Rings OnlineTM: Shadows of AngmarTM. For more information on Turbine and its services, please visit www.turbine.com.
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.
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.
"The Lord of the Rings Online," "Shadows of Angmar," "The Lord of the Rings," and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to Turbine, Inc. Turbine and the Turbine logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Turbine, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning future business conditions and the outlook for Midway Games Inc. (the "Company") based on currently available information that involve 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 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. Each forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, financial guidance, speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Midway undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances.
Contacts for media only:
Stacey Clement
360 Public Relations LLC
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Johner Riehl
Midway Media Relations
jriehl@midway.com
858-320-6149