Test Drive Le Mans gets the Green Light
4 May 2000
Official Game Of The 24 Heures du Mans® Challenges Players With 24-Hour Racing Action SAN JOSE, CA - Infogrames North America, Inc. a global publisher of interactive entertainment software, announced today that its 24-Hour racing simulation, Test Drive Le Mans, will begin shipping to stores this week for the PlayStation Game Console. Test Drive Le Mans is currently available for the personal computer and will also be available for the Nintendo® Game Boy® Color in June 2000. "Test Drive Le Mans is a game of endurance and skill," said Laddie Ervin, director of marketing for sports and racing at Infogrames North America, Inc. "It's not just a racing game; Test Drive Le Mans seamlessly blends strategy and pure adrenaline-pumping action." Test Drive Le Mans delivers a realistic racing sensation at heart stopping speeds of up to 200 mph. Test Drive Le Mans, the officially licensed game of the 24 Heures du Mans, offers an accurate recreation of the world-famous Le Mans circuit track as well as five other Le Mans tracks. Tracks run through city streets and include Maison Blanche, Tertre Rouge, Bugatti, Arnage, Antares, and Mulsanne. Players can choose from three modes of play including Arcade, Championship or Le Mans 24 Hours. Players can participate in an actual 24-Hour race, or they can simulate the 24-Hour race by choosing time-compressed 12 minute, 24 minute or one hour modes. Capturing the true essence of Le Mans racing with its around-the-clock, day-to-night-to-day lighting conditions, Test Drive Le Mans also provides realistic nighttime, weather and surface effects, made possible by an advanced real-time 3D lighting model. With up to 12 cars competing in each race, players can expect the same challenges that real Le Mans drivers face when their tires lose traction and gas and oil levels drop, forcing them to pit their vehicles. Test Drive Le Mans offers three distinct competition classes including GT1, GT2 and Prototype classes. The game offers more than 20 licensed racing teams: Prototype Team BMW Motorsport, Courage Competition, J-B Giesse, Joest Racing, Kremer Racing, La Filiere, Philippe Gache, Pilot Racing. GT1 J-B Giesse, Lister Cars, Nissan Motorsports, Panoz Motorsports Inc. (including Panoz Hybrid), Roock Racing, Toyota Motor Sports. GT2 Augusta Racing, Chamberlain Engineering, Chrysler Team Oreca (Viper), Konrad Motorsport, Larbre Competition, Marcos, Cirtek. Test Drive Le Mans for the PlayStation Game Console will support two-player split-screen and includes Dual Shock and Analog controller support. Developed by Eutechnyx and published by Infogrames, Test Drive Le Mans for the PlayStation will be available at an estimated retail price of $29.99. Infogrames Entertainment, S.A. is a worldwideleader in the interactive entertainment software industry. Headquartered in France, the company develops and publishes award-winning computer and video games for the PlayStation® game console, Nintendo® 64, Nintendo® Game Boy® Color, Sega® Dreamcast(tm), and personal computer platforms. Founded in 1983, Infogrames' 17-year history has produced many award-winning franchises, such as Test Drive®, V-Rally*, Independence War*, HardBall®, and Alone In The Dark*. The company is also known for its long list of well-known licenses including Warner Bros. Looney Tunes*, Mission: Impossible*, Le Mans 24 Hours®, AM General Hummer®, Harley-Davidson®, and Dodge® Viper. Based in San Jose, California, Infogrames North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment and serves as the headquarters for the company's operations in North America.
