Project Zero 2 - Crimson Butterfly 1/9/2004 UBISOFT ENTERS THE SURVIVAL/HORROR GENRE
January 8th 2004 – Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announces the signing of an exclusive publishing and distribution agreement with Japanese video game producer Tecmo. This deal plans to release the game Project Zero 2 - Crimson Butterfly, on Playstation® 2 during the second quarter 2004 in Europe and Australia.
Tecmo, famous for Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, made quite an entrance in the Survival/Horror genre in 2002 with Project Zero, which had an unforgettable oppressive atmosphere. The second opus is actually a prequel with a whole new story and new characters, featuring improved graphics and refined gameplay. Fans have not been forgotten though, since the game contains some veiled references to the first title. Project Zero 2 - Crimson Butterfly plunges the gamer into a nightmare impossible to wake up from, full of ghosts and creepy places.
Rather than using repulsive monsters or gore, the game only suggests these features, thus creating a psychological terror which is a reminder of Japanese scary movies such as "RingTM". The mysterious title refers to the only weapon of the game, a strange camera already present in Project Zero. When ghosts get fully visible in the objective and the gamer presses the camera's button – moment zero - these lost souls are delivered.
"The 'survival / horror' genre is a major slice of the action/adventure games' market and we are very happy to crack into it thanks to our partnership with Tecmo", says Alain Corre, Ubisoft's Managing Director for Europe, Asia Pacific and South America.
"The famous creators of Dead or Alive have now produced a 'state of the art' survival horror title with Project Zero 2. Already critically acclaimed in Japan & in the United States, we believe that European customers will be anxious to get the game when introduced into the market next Spring."
About Tecmo: Tecmo, Ltd., founded in 1967, develops and publishes video games on next-generation consoles. Tecmo has gained worldwide recognition with product lines such as award-winning franchises including Ninja Gaiden®, Dead or Alive®, Project Zero®, Monster Rancher®, and Gallop Racer®.
About Ubisoft: Ubisoft is an international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products. A leading company in the multimedia industry, Ubisoft's strong and diversified lineup has grown considerably, as has Ubisoft itself. As well as steadfastly continuing to partner with several high-profile companies, Ubisoft has also confirmed its presence on the global market by developing its own exceptional properties. Founded in 1986 in France, Ubisoft is now present on every continent, both through offices in 21 different countries including the United States, Morocco, Germany and China and through sales of products in over 50 countries. The group is dedicated to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers around the world. Ubisoft generated a turnover of 453 million euros for the 2002/2003 fiscal year, up 23% over the previous fiscal year. To learn more, visit www.ubi.com
