| |
|
NTRA and Bethesda Softworks Announce
Breeders’ Cup for PS2 and Xbox
Realistic Thoroughbred
Racing Off and Running this September
April 29, 2005 (Rockville, MD) - Bethesda
Softworks, The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA),
and Breeders’ Cup Limited (BCL) today announced Breeders’
Cup World Thoroughbred Championships (Breeders’ Cup),
a horse racing video game for the PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system and the Xbox® video game system from
Microsoft. Officially licensed by the NTRA and BCL, Breeders’
Cup is scheduled for release worldwide in September 2005.
The NTRA has worked closely with Bethesda
Softworks to ensure the most realistic simulation of all aspects
of thoroughbred horse racing, including breeding, training,
racing, and a betting simulation designed to imitate typical
self-service betting machines found at North American racetracks.
All races are called by Tom Durkin, the voice of the Breeders’
Cup. The game’s races take place at a variety of NTRA-member
racetracks, including Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Del Mar, Emerald
Downs, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, Oaklawn Park, Sam Houston
Race Park, Saratoga and Woodbine - each track carefully depicted
for realism.
Players can breed, train, race and wager on their own horses
in Breeders’ Cup. Also included in the game are
such classic, real-life thoroughbred stars as Man ‘o
War, Seabiscuit, Ruffian, Personal Ensign, Winning Colors,
Silver Charm, Tiznow, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones. The 2004
Horse of the Year, Ghostzapper, will appear on the cover of
Breeders’ Cup.
“Breeders’ Cup will appeal
immensely both to horse racing fans and to gamers unfamiliar
with our sport,” said Ken Kirchner, senior vice president
of product development for the NTRA. “It conveys virtually
all of the compelling qualities of thoroughbred racing to
a mass audience in a fun, fresh new way. We couldn’t
be more excited about it.”
We’re very pleased with our partnership
with the NTRA and how we’ve been able to capture the
thrill of thoroughbred horse racing in such a realistic and
entertaining fashion,” said Vlatko Andonov, president
of Bethesda Softworks. “From the thrill of the race to
the challenge of building your stable of horses to the excitement
of the best betting simulation you’ll find anywhere,
Breeders’ Cup is the ultimate game for thoroughbred
racing fans.”
About NTRA
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horseracing interests,
including the American Quarter Horse Association, charged
with increasing popularity of horseracing and improving economic
conditions for industry participants. The NTRA and Breeders'
Cup Limited also administer the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred
Championships, Thoroughbred racing's year-end Championships
consisting of eight races and $14 million in purses and awards,
and the Breeders' Cup Stakes Program. The NTRA has offices
in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases
appear on the NTRA Web site, www.ntra.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 tag line, "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.
|
|
|
|
 |
