Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for Xbox Available at Retail

Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Isle Studios, the award-winning RPG (role playing game) division of Interplay Entertainment Corp. (BULLETIN BOARD: IPLY) , leading console game developer Snowblind Studios and the Games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing announced today that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft is now available at retail.

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance features a blend of action and adventure set in the most popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting: The FORGOTTEN REALMS franchise owned by Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc., and licensed to Infogrames Interactive. Faithful adaptation of the new 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules set, customizable player and character development allow for a gameplay experience new to the Xbox audience. Dramatic spell effects and powerful abilities enhance this action-packed game, assisting the player in combat against an abundance of terrifying monsters found throughout the adventure.

"We are excited to offer this Dungeons and Dragons epic to Xbox consumers; we believe the technology Xbox provides will enhance the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance experience," stated Feargus Urquhart, president of Black Isle Studios. "

Played from a third person perspective, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance immerses players in the port town of Baldur's Gate. Darkness has fallen upon the town and rumors of a Thieves' Guild civil war brew beneath the streets of the city. Entering this desperate situation, new to the world of adventuring, the players soon learn that they stand in the way of one of the greatest threats ever to strike the town of Baldur's Gate and the entire region of The Sword Coast.

Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance Features Set

• A ground-breaking adventure, using the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set
• Explosive spell effects and incredibly detailed creatures and environments maximize the power of Xbox technology, delivering a more realistic gaming experience
• Three customizable characters, each with distinctive powers, appearances and abilities that develop throughout the game
• Battle alone or export your character and join a friend in two-player cooperative mode
• Explore Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance all over again, experiencing new-found adventures with a different customized character or replay in extreme mode for ten times the difficulty and fun
• Dolby Surround sound, real-time sound effect mixing, Hollywood voice talent and an original soundtrack by acclaimed composer, Jeremy Soule

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, developed by Snowblind Studios for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, has shipped over 500,000 units worldwide, and was ranked among the Top 10 PlayStation2 games in its first week of release, making it the only PlayStation2 title in the Top 10 that did not have a pre-established brand for any console platform (source: NPDFunworld(SM) TRSTS Video Game Service; December 2-8, 2001).

More information on Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for Xbox can be found at www.blackisle.com .

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Source: Vivendi Universal Games; Interplay Entertainment Corp.