LONDON (August 9, 2004) -- Visitors to Game Stars Live will be among the first players in the world to get their hands on the hugely-anticipated Xbox blockbuster Halo 2, as Xbox has confirmed that the follow-up to Bungie's record-breaking, award-winning first-person action adventure will receive its UK public playable debut at September's Game Stars Live, the largest computer and video gaming exhibition the country has ever seen.
Halo 2 has been kept under wraps since its announcement only a few select members of the press have been privileged to play any code to date. The Xbox presence at the Docklands event will feature a dedicated Halo 2 area, with visitors able to sample some of the explosive action for themselves, way ahead of Halo 2's UK release on November 11, 2004.
For the first time in the series, Halo 2 will offer full online compatibility through the revolutionary XboxLiveTM service. Game Stars Live visitors can therefore gain a competitive advantage, ensuring they're ready for battle once the game is available.
Game Stars Live runs from September 1-5, 2004 at London's impressive ExCeL exhibition facility. Filling an area the size of three football fields, Game Stars Live will offer visitors the chance to play all the top Christmas releases from the major games publishers in a star-studded show that offers something for everyone no matter what their age or gaming experience. Celebrity appearances, gaming challenges and a whole host of special, themed zones will excite and enthrall visitors.
Attendees confirmed to date include Acclaim, Activision, Atari, Eidos, EA Games, Gizmondo, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia and Ubisoft with many more to be announced shortly. Tickets for the show are on-sale now through www.gamestarslive.co.uk, priced £10 in advance or £12 at the door.
"Halo 2 is one of the most anticipated games on any console, and it's coming only to Xbox this Christmas," reveals Stephen McGill, Head of Xbox Marketing. "We're sure its attendance will prove to be one of Game Stars Live's busiest draws, and we look forward to proving that the relentless hype and enthusiasm from both press and public since its initial announcement is well-founded."
"This is incredible news for the UK's gamers," says Kirsty Adams, event director, London Event Company, organizers of the event. "We're delighted Xbox has chosen Game Stars Live to unveil one of the year's biggest releases, and we can't wait to see the reaction of attendees when they finally get their hands on Halo 2 two months before its release."
Further information on Game Stars Live can be found at www.gamestarslive.co.uk. Tickets can be bought through the Website or by calling the ticket hotline on 0870 272 0012.
Press passes to the show can be applied for at www.europeangamesnetwork.co.uk, the Website of the event's sister show European Games Network (trade only).
About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in Europe for an estimated street price of 199.99/129.99 pounds.
About Xbox Live
Xbox Live is the first comprehensive, online game service fully dedicated to fast-action broadband gaming experiences. Xbox Live allows gamers to play multiplayer Xbox games with other gamers everywhere via a broadband Internet connection. With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the Xbox console was built from the ground up to be an online gaming system so there's no need to buy additional peripherals.
Xbox Live enables all gamers to find and play with their friends easily; talk to other players during game play through the Xbox Communicator headset; and download current statistics, new levels and characters to their Xbox hard drive.
About European Games Network
www.europeangamesnetwork.co.uk
1st 3rd September, London ExCeL
European Games Network's mix of components will include The Market Place, a show floor of exhibition space with no free build; The Waterfront Rooms, a series of over 60 dedicated meeting suites for private meetings and product presentations; The EGN Lounge, an area dedicated to delegates for meetings; The Conference and Workshop Program and the TIGA International Content Market, an exclusive area for developers backed by industry body TIGA.
About European Developers Forum
www.europeandevelopersforum.co.uk
1st 3rd September, London ExCeL
European Developers' Forum has support from the TIGA membership, its Board, key developers from across Europe as well as tools and technology providers and the academic community. The conference has been created to provide the development community in Europe with a professional outlook and a far-reaching program of content, including two days of development related issues and a day dedicated to mobile entertainment.
About Game Stars Live
www.gamestarslive.co.uk
1st 5th September, London ExCeL
Game Stars Live is based on the ITV video and computer games show, Game Stars. It will be a multi-format consumer gaming event and will include a main stage area from which the media partners including ITV, Capital FM and XFM will broadcast. It will also include a series of features such as The Bear Pit games challenges, The Virtual vs. Reality Zone, The European Online Gaming Championships, and Get Into Gaming, a careers and education zone, amongst many others.
Halo 2 has been kept under wraps since its announcement only a few select members of the press have been privileged to play any code to date. The Xbox presence at the Docklands event will feature a dedicated Halo 2 area, with visitors able to sample some of the explosive action for themselves, way ahead of Halo 2's UK release on November 11, 2004.
For the first time in the series, Halo 2 will offer full online compatibility through the revolutionary XboxLiveTM service. Game Stars Live visitors can therefore gain a competitive advantage, ensuring they're ready for battle once the game is available.
Game Stars Live runs from September 1-5, 2004 at London's impressive ExCeL exhibition facility. Filling an area the size of three football fields, Game Stars Live will offer visitors the chance to play all the top Christmas releases from the major games publishers in a star-studded show that offers something for everyone no matter what their age or gaming experience. Celebrity appearances, gaming challenges and a whole host of special, themed zones will excite and enthrall visitors.
Attendees confirmed to date include Acclaim, Activision, Atari, Eidos, EA Games, Gizmondo, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia and Ubisoft with many more to be announced shortly. Tickets for the show are on-sale now through www.gamestarslive.co.uk, priced £10 in advance or £12 at the door.
"Halo 2 is one of the most anticipated games on any console, and it's coming only to Xbox this Christmas," reveals Stephen McGill, Head of Xbox Marketing. "We're sure its attendance will prove to be one of Game Stars Live's busiest draws, and we look forward to proving that the relentless hype and enthusiasm from both press and public since its initial announcement is well-founded."
"This is incredible news for the UK's gamers," says Kirsty Adams, event director, London Event Company, organizers of the event. "We're delighted Xbox has chosen Game Stars Live to unveil one of the year's biggest releases, and we can't wait to see the reaction of attendees when they finally get their hands on Halo 2 two months before its release."
Further information on Game Stars Live can be found at www.gamestarslive.co.uk. Tickets can be bought through the Website or by calling the ticket hotline on 0870 272 0012.
Press passes to the show can be applied for at www.europeangamesnetwork.co.uk, the Website of the event's sister show European Games Network (trade only).
About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in Europe for an estimated street price of 199.99/129.99 pounds.
About Xbox Live
Xbox Live is the first comprehensive, online game service fully dedicated to fast-action broadband gaming experiences. Xbox Live allows gamers to play multiplayer Xbox games with other gamers everywhere via a broadband Internet connection. With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the Xbox console was built from the ground up to be an online gaming system so there's no need to buy additional peripherals.
Xbox Live enables all gamers to find and play with their friends easily; talk to other players during game play through the Xbox Communicator headset; and download current statistics, new levels and characters to their Xbox hard drive.
About European Games Network
www.europeangamesnetwork.co.uk
1st 3rd September, London ExCeL
European Games Network's mix of components will include The Market Place, a show floor of exhibition space with no free build; The Waterfront Rooms, a series of over 60 dedicated meeting suites for private meetings and product presentations; The EGN Lounge, an area dedicated to delegates for meetings; The Conference and Workshop Program and the TIGA International Content Market, an exclusive area for developers backed by industry body TIGA.
About European Developers Forum
www.europeandevelopersforum.co.uk
1st 3rd September, London ExCeL
European Developers' Forum has support from the TIGA membership, its Board, key developers from across Europe as well as tools and technology providers and the academic community. The conference has been created to provide the development community in Europe with a professional outlook and a far-reaching program of content, including two days of development related issues and a day dedicated to mobile entertainment.
About Game Stars Live
www.gamestarslive.co.uk
1st 5th September, London ExCeL
Game Stars Live is based on the ITV video and computer games show, Game Stars. It will be a multi-format consumer gaming event and will include a main stage area from which the media partners including ITV, Capital FM and XFM will broadcast. It will also include a series of features such as The Bear Pit games challenges, The Virtual vs. Reality Zone, The European Online Gaming Championships, and Get Into Gaming, a careers and education zone, amongst many others.
