News

ATARI RIDES INTO THE WILD WEST WITH DEAD MAN'S HAND

Epic Adventure Delivers Only Western-Themed First Person Shooter

BEVERLY, MA - March 2, 2004 - The thrill of the Wild West has arrived on the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft!  Dead Man's Hand(tm), a western-themed first-person-shooter, has shipped to retail outlets nationwide, Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) announced today.  The only first-person-shooter that turns gamers into cowboys, Dead Man's Hand features dramatic saloon fights, horseback chases and exploding gun powder barrels.  Developed by Human Head Studios, the creators of the Rune® series, Dead Man's Hand uses the Unreal® technology from Epic Games to provide amazing graphics, non-stop action and enhanced multiplayer capabilities through Xbox(tm) Live.  A PC version of the game will be released later this month.

"Dead Man's Hand really capitalizes on the fun and folklore of the Old West with classic elements and storyline," said Nancy MacIntyre, vice president of marketing for Atari, Inc.  "We are excited to bring this theme to the Xbox for the very first time."

In Dead Man's Hand, players become El Tejón, a master gunslinger on a mission of vengeance after his gang, The Nine, betrays him.  Once one of the most feared bandits in the west, El Tejón now comes seeking justice - and revenge.

Utilizing the power of the Unreal technology by Epic Games, Human Head has developed an amazing recreation of the American Frontier, ranging from sprawling vistas and rustic canyon towns to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.  The sophisticated in-game physics engine has hats flying off enemies, bad guys falling off roofs and bullets shattering windows and bottles. 

A variety of competitive and cooperative play modes lets players compete against friends and other Xbox owners via Xbox Live.  Western style options include classics like Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch and favorites with a new twist including Bounty and Posse multiplayer modes. 

In the Old West, nothing helps fuel revenge like firearms and gambling.  In Dead Man's Hand, players have nine different authentic western-style pistols, shotguns and rifles to choose from as well as dynamite, whiskey bottles, Gatling guns and cannons to blow evil vermin into the afterlife.  By shooting with accuracy and skill, players can build up their "Legend" score and unlock special trick shots for each weapon.  Between showdowns, players can test their luck with the cards to win bonuses including health, ammo and additional "Legend" points.

Dead Man's Hand for Xbox is rated 'T' for Teen and is available at retail outlets nationwide for a suggested retail price of $29.99.  The PC version will have a suggested retail price of $19.99 and will be available at the end of this month.  Additional information about the game can be found at www.deadmanshandgame.com or at www.us.atari.com.

About Human Head Studios, Inc.
Human Head Studios Inc. is a privately owned, independent game development studio based in Madison, Wisconsin.  Human Head Studios developed the critically acclaimed, award-winning Viking game
Rune® series including Rune®, Rune® Halls of Valhalla, and Rune® Gold for the PC, Linux and Macintosh platforms and Rune® Viking Warlord for the PlayStation 2.  In addition, Human Head Studios developed Blair Witch® Volume 2: Coffin Rock for the PC and has ventured into traditional pen and paper games, with a new non-electronic games division, whose first product The Redhurst Academy of Magic(tm) is set for release in Summer 2003.  For more information about Human Head Studios, Incorporated, visit www.humanhead.com.

About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) 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 games such as
Driver(tm), Enter the Matrix(tm), Neverwinter Nights(tm), Stuntman(tm), Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2003, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children's games such as Backyard Sports(tm), Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues(tm) and Dora the Explorer(tm), Civilization®, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®.  Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe.  For more information, visit www.atari.com.

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 North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

About Xbox Live
Xbox
Live, which launched in the United States Nov. 15, 2002, allows gamers to play multiplayer Xbox games with other gamers everywhere via a broadband connection. With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the Xbox console is the only video game system built from the ground up for online gaming, negating the need to buy additional, costly peripherals or upgrades. Xbox Live enables gamers to easily find their friends; talk to other players during game play through the Xbox Communicator headset; download current statistics, new levels and characters to their Xbox hard drive; and play online-all exclusive features to Xbox Live.

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© 2004 Atari, Inc.  All Rights Reserved. 
Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Unreal and the Unreal logos are registered trademarks of Epic Games Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



For More Product Information
Dead Man's Hand (PC)
Dead Man's Hand (XB)