ALKHOBAR, 28 March 2006 — This is your chance to step onto the pitch and play with your heroes in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals! Electronic Arts has revealed the superstar players who will be featured on the front packs of the 2006 FIFA World Cup videogame around the world. Designed to celebrate each of 12 country’s top stars, the cover athletes have been individually selected to represent their team, their nation and their loyal fans.
Demonstrating athletic excellence, undying determination and masterful skill, the line-up of players featured regionally on 2006 FIFA World Cup are: China — Zhi Zhen available in China; England — Frank Lampard available in England; Germany — Lukas Podolski available in Germany; Italy — Alessandro Del Piero available in Italy; Mexico — Jamie Lozano available in the US, Canada and Mexico; Portugal — Simao available in Portugal; the Netherlands — Arjen Robben available in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg; Switzerland — Ricardo Cabanas available in Switzerland; Spain — Xavi available in Spain; USA — Claudio Reyna available in the US, Canada and Mexico. All other countries will feature the FIFA World Cup trophy and the Official Emblem on the front packs.
In 2006 FIFA World Cup, players step into the heart of the action as they play their favorite team or most loathed opponent. Featuring visual representations of the world’s superstar players, gamers experience the 12 official stadiums as they take their team from qualification to glory. In addition to taking control of one of 127 national teams, players will enjoy groundbreaking new play modes. Global Challenge tests even the biggest football fanatic by recreating classic moments in FIFA World Cup history with modern teams. True champions can challenge their friends in eight-way multiplayer matches.
2006 FIFA World Cup will be available on April 24 in North America and April 28 in Europe and Asia. The game will be available on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox and Xbox 360 videogame systems from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, and Game Boy Advance, PSP, PC and mobile.
And now, just as the satellite television network MBC has announced that it will begin airing “The Lord of the Rings” movies, Turbine has announced its distributors for “The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.” Midway Home Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Midway Games, will be the distributor in North America and Codemasters Online Gaming has been assigned the European distribution rights. “The Lord of the Rings Online” is the world’s first massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game based upon the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
“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 recreation 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. Expectations for the new game are high as Turbine is already known for “Dungeons and Dragons Online,” which was launched at the end of February.
Of course, serious gamers are aware that most machines just don’t deliver the performance required for today’s complex games. Dell is now taking orders for its XPS 600 Renegade Gaming Desktop. This ultra high-performance system features the industry’s first dedicated physics accelerator — the AGEIA PhysX processor.
The AGEIA technology lets users interact with supported games in more sophisticated and realistic ways. The AGEIA PhysX processor can power real-time dynamic motion and interaction on a massive scale so games can feature large numbers of complex characters and moving objects in incredibly life-like environments. For example, instead of using traditional weapons, gamers can pull down the roof on their enemies, crushing them in a pile of collapsing debris.
In addition to the physics accelerator, the XPS 600 Renegade uses NVIDIA’s Quad-SLI graphics technology. Gamers using four NVIDIA GeForce 7900 processors on two controllers now can play complex 3-D games at the highest video settings, without sacrificing realism or on-screen performance. They can run applications at 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, for example, on the included Dell 3007WFP 30-inch widescreen flat panel monitor for a high-definition experience. On the Renegade, Dell gives gamers the extra speed they crave by overclocking the latest Intel Pentium 965 Extreme Edition processor up to 4.26 Ghz.
For enthusiasts who demand the latest technologies, Dell also has added the physics controller as an option for its XPS 600 gaming and XPS 400 high-end multimedia desktops. Games and applications designed to take advantage of the physics technology are expected to be widely available later this year.
The XPS 600 Renegade system is available in limited quantities with the Dell 3007WFP 30-inch flat panel monitor starting at $9,930. The XPS 400 and 600 desktops with discrete physics controllers are priced at $1,239 and $2,039, respectively. For additional product details, visit www.dell.com/xps.