NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News) and Marc Ecko, the visionary behind several of today's most respected youth lifestyle brands, today announced that Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure has gone gold and is on schedule to ship to stores nationwide on February 14 in North America and on February 17 in Europe.
Set in the city of New Radius, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure features a world where freedom of expression is suppressed by a tyrannical city government. In the game, players assume the role of Trane - an unlikely hero just looking to get up until he realizes there is much more at stake. Gamers learn and master various graf skills, starting as a toy (beginner) graffiti artist and using street-smarts, athletic prowess and vision necessary to become an "All City King," the most reputable of all graffiti artists. During their quest, players risk their lives navigating vertical landscapes while battling rival crews, a corrupt Mayor and the city's Civil Conduct Keepers (CCK) all in an effort to reach the sweet spots of New Radius, where a well-placed tag brings respect and reputation. Gamers also find themselves with an even greater burden - to use their high-wire graffiti talents to expose the oppressive mayor and set the city free.
"Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure fuses authentic urban culture and multi-faceted gameplay in a way gamers have never seen before," said Marc Metis, senior vice president, marketing, Atari, Inc. "Consumers are looking for something new, unique, and original in gaming, and this game delivers it."
Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure includes a variety of star-studded voice talent such as renowned hip-hop artist Talib Kweli, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, George Hamilton, Giovanni Ribisi, Adam West, Andy Dick, Charlie Murphy, The RZA and Michael "M.C. Serch" Berrin.
More than 65 graffiti artists have lent their signature tags and art to the game's urban environments, while six legendary artists - Cope 2, FUTURA, OBEY: Shepard Fairey, Seen, Smith and T-kid - have served as in-game mentors to the game's lead protagonist.
In addition, Atari and Mr. Ecko, through the support of Mr. Combs' legendary A&R skills, have assembled an impressive soundtrack featuring an array of licensed music and various original tracks, including an exclusive version of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya," remixed by Serj from the band System of a Down; "Clik, Clak, and Spray" from Pack FM; "Book of Judges" from Pharoahe Monch; and "Getting Up Anthem: Part 1," performed by legendary Hip- Hop artist Rakim and Talib Kweli.
Developed by The Collective, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is rated 'M' for Mature and will be available for the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows. A mobile version is currently available through Glu Mobile. For additional information about the game please visit http://www.gettingup.com.
About Marc Ecko Enterprises
The youngest member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's board of directors, Marc Ecko is founder of *ecko unltd., the world famous rhino brand. In eleven years since its creation in 1993, the group of companies that comprise Marc Ecko Enterprises has grown to include: *ecko unltd.® men's and Eckored® women's apparel, as well as outerwear, footwear, watches, eyewear, underwear, belts, bags, hats, small leather goods, formalwear and more.
Marc Ecko Enterprises also includes Marc Ecko "Cut & Sew" (a contemporary menswear line launched Fall 2004); G-Unit® clothing and accessories (a joint venture with multi-platinum musician, 50 Cent); Zoo York® (a line of action sports-inspired clothing and accessories); and Avirex® Sportswear Collection (a mid-tier brand launched Spring 2005). The Company also publishes Complex® magazine, a men's consumer magazine with a rate base of 335,000, and is developing Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure(TM), the first truly authentic video game based on urban culture and graffiti art debuting February 2006. *ecko unltd. products are available in over 5,000 stores domestically and in over 45 countries internationally, as well as through 38 of its own retail stores across the country. For additional information, please visit http://www.marceckoenterprises.com.
About The Collective
Part of Foundation 9 Entertainment (http://www.F9E.com), the largest independent game developer in North America, The Collective is a leading developer of console video games, and known for groundbreaking third-person action adventure games, including the critically acclaimed Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb(TM), Buffy the Vampire Slayer(TM) and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith(TM). The Collective is based in Newport Beach, CA and can be found on the web at: http://www.collectivestudios.com.
The Collective, along with Backbone, Pipeworks, ImaginEngine, and Digital Eclipse make up Foundation 9 Entertainment. The company's studios have developed more than 250 titles, including more than 50 in 2004 alone. Foundation 9 Entertainment employs more than 325 employees, and has offices in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Emeryville, Vancouver, Boston, Eugene, and Honolulu. For more information on Foundation 9 Entertainment, please visit: http://www.F9E.com.
About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News) 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 franchises such as DRIVER(TM), The Matrix(TM) (Enter The Matrix and The Matrix: Path of Neo), Stuntman(TM) and Test Drive®; and mass- market and children's franchises such as Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues(TM) and Dora the Explorer(TM), and Dragon Ball Z®. 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 http://www.atari.com.
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