Vivendi Universal Games Announces Evil Genius

May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) announced today that the PC Strategy / Simulation game Evil Genius will be shown behind closed doors at the 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, May 14-16. Evil Genius is being developed by London-based Elixir Studios, and is scheduled for a Q3 2004 release.

This unique Strategy / Simulation game is a tongue in cheek take on popular 1960's spy franchises such as Austin Powers, James Bond and Our Man Flint, but with a twist: Evil Genius offers the player the chance to play as a villain himself and control a secret island base complete with nefarious henchmen, loyal minions and a wide collection of gadgets, gizmos and traps.

"The style and theme of Evil Genius makes it a game that's accessible to a wide variety of players," says Luc Vanhal, VU Games' North American President & COO. "From the most serious strategy gamer to the casual gamer that enjoys a good laugh, Evil Genius is a great way to nurture your inner bad guy."

In thwarting the forces of justice, players will need to master a variety of gameplay elements, including building and maintaining a secret lair, training your minions to do your bidding, defending your base from obnoxious action heroes in real-time combat, developing doomsday weapons and taking on dangerous missions to increase your power and notoriety.

"We're having a lot of fun making the game and we think players will have just as much fun playing it," says Demis Hassabis, Chief Executive Officer, Elixir Studios. "The light-hearted, mass-market appeal of Evil Genius, combined with the publishing power of Vivendi is a perfect combination for a highly successful franchise."

Evil Genius will be available in Fall of 2004 for Windows PC. For more information, log on to www.howevilareyou.com .

Source: Vivendi Universal Games