Infogrames Ships Demolition Racer For The Personal Computer

19 October 1999

Infogrames North America Ships Demolition Racer For The Personal Computer; Fast-Paced Racing Action Game Backed By $2 Million Marketing Launch

    SAN JOSE, Calif.--October 19, 1999--Infogrames, a leading publisher and developer of video game software, announced today that its demolition derby-style racing game, Demolition Racer(TM), will begin shipping this week for the personal computer. The PlayStation(R) game console version shipped last month.
    Demolition Racer is backed by a $2 million marketing launch campaign that includes television ads appearing on WCW, Howard Stern and MTV, along with live radio reads on Howard Stern, as well as print ads in major videogame trade publications. The print ads began in September, and the television and radio ads will run in mid October and early November.
    Demolition Racer lets players participate in action-packed races with 16 cars competing against each other on one of 10 different tracks. Set in unique environments, Demolition Racer's tracks include an aircraft carrier, a chemical plant, and a parking garage, with most of the tracks offering players the chance to take alternate pathways or shortcuts. Developed by the Pitbull Syndicate, the Demolition Racer team includes some of the core members who created the highly successful Destruction Derby(R) 1 and 2 games.
    "We think that Demolition Racer is the kind of game that players have been deprived of for a long time," said Steve Allison, director of marketing for sports and racing at Infogrames North America. "It's a racing game with a twist. Not only can you inflict damage to cars, you must do so to win."
    Players who cause massive damage to other vehicles, while falling behind in the race, will not place well in the final statistics, nor will players who finish high in the race without causing much damage place well, due to Demolition Racer's advanced scoring system. Damage points and one's placement in the race are combined with a multiplier to determine the winner of each race.
    Players can choose from eight different car types, with customizable paint jobs, and can compete in several types of demolition derby events, including demolition racing, bowl matches, stock car racing, last man standing, and suicide racing. Following a collision, vehicles catch fire, billow smoke and visibly show damage, such as wobbly tires, while hoods and other car parts fly off. Gameplay includes huge jumps that send cars into 360-degree mid-air corkscrews, with the pinnacle of destruction being a one-hit takeout move that occurs when a car catches air and lands on top of another car.
    In an effort to keep up the fast-paced action in Demolition Racer, players can earn health points for their car by picking up strategically placed repair power-ups, as well as picking up boxes with huge bonus points. Players will have to watch out for the black boxes marked with a skull and cross bones--as these do major damage to the player's own car. An immediate on-screen points system shows players how many points they receive with each hit or power-up, as well as how much health their car has left.
    Demolition Racer's licensed soundtrack includes songs from Road Runner Records' alternative band, Fear Factory; Moonshine Music's break beat trio, Cirrus; British techno-dance music trio, Empirion; along with tracks from industry veteran, Tommy Tallarico, and a remix from Holland's mix-master, Junkie XL.
    Demolition Racer's new game engine delivers incredible speed and collisions at 30 frames per second on popular gaming configurations, and up to 60 frames per second on higher-end systems. The minimum system requirement is an IBM or compatible with Windows(R) 95/98, Pentium 166, 32MB of RAM with a Direct 3D compatible 3D accelerator card and 70 MB of hard drive space. The estimated retail price for Demolition Racer is $39.99. For more information, visit the Demolition Racer web site at www.demolitionracer.com
    Infogrames is a global publisher of interactive entertainment software. Founded in 1983, the company ranks as one of the top entertainment software companies worldwide. Infogrames currently develops and distributes award-winning computer and video games for the PlayStation(R) game console, Nintendo(R) 64, Nintendo(R) Game Boy Color, Sega(R) Dreamcast(TM), and personal computer platforms. Infogrames North America's headquarters are located in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.infogrames.net