Crave Entertainment Signs 7 Top Poker Pros to Exclusive Deals for World Championship Poker 2 : Featuring Howard Lederer for Xbox® and PlayStation®2
Exclusive character likenesses of the world's top poker players let's you truly play with the pros.
Crave Entertainment, a leading publisher of console videogames, today announced that they have signed 7 top poker professionals to exclusive agreements so that their character likenesses, play styles and iconic signature personality traits can be incorporated into World Championship Poker 2: Featuring Howard Lederer. World Championship Poker 2, the follow up to one of the best selling titles for the first half of 2005, is slated to ship this Fall for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. WCP 2 exclusively will feature:
Howard Lederer - Known as the "Professor of Poker," Lederer has quickly become one of the most respected players around. Lederer holds 13 major poker titles including the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour championships.
Greg Raymer - Raymer, also known as "Fossilman", was the 2004 World Series of Poker champion. Raymer defeated a record field of 2576 players to win the $5 million dollar first prize - the single largest cash prize for a poker tournament.
Clonie Gowen - Gowen is one of the rising female players who placed 10th on the World Poker Tour tournament in Costa Rica and then ended up winning the WPT Ladies Night Invitational, besting more experienced players such as Annie Duke and Jennifer Harmon.
Amir Vahidi - Vahidi was ranked 1st for 2003 "tournament player of the year," with nine no-limit final table appearances in 2003, including a sixth place finish at the World Series of Poker (where he has lifetime earnings of $300,000).
Paul Darden - Darden holds a World Poker Tour Title and a World Series of Poker Bracelet. He's an active participant in the tournament circuit and frequently places in the money. Darden was also featured as one of the World Poker Tour's "Bad Boys of Poker."
Robert Williamson III - A born poker player, Williamson waited on his father's game at the age of five and was playing by age 10. Known for his Pot Limit Omaha expertise, Williamson won a World Series of Poker bracelet in that event in 2002.
Matt Savage - Savage is the tournament director of the Bay 101 Casino for the World Series of Poker. Savage continuously strives to maintain the high standards and integrity of the World Series of Poker.
Annie Duke (non-exclusive) - Howard Lederer's sister, considered by many to be the best female poker player in the world, and the top female World Series of Poker money winner in history.
"The World Championship Poker franchise has been phenomenally successful for Crave, said Rob Dyer, president and COO. " We've locked up some of the world's top poker players, so they'll only be featured in WCP2"
Developed by Point of View, World Championship Poker 2 features a much more detailed one player game, where you now have to work your way up the ranks, starting in your mom's basement. Once you start winning and accumulating money, you can spend your winnings on increasingly better pads, and furnishings. Hit a losing streak, and you may have to hock your stuff to stay in the game.
Other features of WCP2 include:
Exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version of World Championship Poker 2 is support for the EyeToyTM USB Camera (for PlayStation®2), which allows online opponents to see each other as they play, in addition to supporting text chat. The Xbox version of the game supports Xbox Live® online game service including Scoreboards, Voice/Chat and Live Aware.
Scheduled for release in Fall 2005, World Championship Poker 2: Featuring Howard Lederer will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Xbox video game system from Microsoft with an MSRP of $19.99.
Howard Lederer - Known as the "Professor of Poker," Lederer has quickly become one of the most respected players around. Lederer holds 13 major poker titles including the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour championships.
Greg Raymer - Raymer, also known as "Fossilman", was the 2004 World Series of Poker champion. Raymer defeated a record field of 2576 players to win the $5 million dollar first prize - the single largest cash prize for a poker tournament.
Clonie Gowen - Gowen is one of the rising female players who placed 10th on the World Poker Tour tournament in Costa Rica and then ended up winning the WPT Ladies Night Invitational, besting more experienced players such as Annie Duke and Jennifer Harmon.
Amir Vahidi - Vahidi was ranked 1st for 2003 "tournament player of the year," with nine no-limit final table appearances in 2003, including a sixth place finish at the World Series of Poker (where he has lifetime earnings of $300,000).
Paul Darden - Darden holds a World Poker Tour Title and a World Series of Poker Bracelet. He's an active participant in the tournament circuit and frequently places in the money. Darden was also featured as one of the World Poker Tour's "Bad Boys of Poker."
Robert Williamson III - A born poker player, Williamson waited on his father's game at the age of five and was playing by age 10. Known for his Pot Limit Omaha expertise, Williamson won a World Series of Poker bracelet in that event in 2002.
Matt Savage - Savage is the tournament director of the Bay 101 Casino for the World Series of Poker. Savage continuously strives to maintain the high standards and integrity of the World Series of Poker.
Annie Duke (non-exclusive) - Howard Lederer's sister, considered by many to be the best female poker player in the world, and the top female World Series of Poker money winner in history.
"The World Championship Poker franchise has been phenomenally successful for Crave, said Rob Dyer, president and COO. " We've locked up some of the world's top poker players, so they'll only be featured in WCP2"
Developed by Point of View, World Championship Poker 2 features a much more detailed one player game, where you now have to work your way up the ranks, starting in your mom's basement. Once you start winning and accumulating money, you can spend your winnings on increasingly better pads, and furnishings. Hit a losing streak, and you may have to hock your stuff to stay in the game.
Other features of WCP2 include:
- 14 types of poker, including Texas Hold'em, Five Card Draw, Seven Card Stud and Pineapple
- Different levels of simulation - "Real Deal" for the more experienced card shark and "Power Play" for the casual players
- Active tell and bluff systems.
- Third-person "TV" mode (including the popular in-bumper "card cam") or first-person mode to watch human and computer opponents more closely for signs of tells and bluffs
- RPG-like upgradeable skill system
- Play with the pros - in game character likenesses, as well as play styles and iconic signature personality traits of some of the world's top poker players including: Howard Ledrerer, Annie Duke, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson, Matt Savage, Amir Vahedi, Clonie Gowen, and Paul Darden.
- Detailed character customization feature - really put yourself in the game
- More attitude - truly colorful color commentary including player controlled taunts, bluffs and tells
- Poker tutorials, as well as hints and tips on strategy
- Dynamic one player game - upgrade your pad and host online tournaments. Hock your stuff if you're desperate for funds for the next tournament
Exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version of World Championship Poker 2 is support for the EyeToyTM USB Camera (for PlayStation®2), which allows online opponents to see each other as they play, in addition to supporting text chat. The Xbox version of the game supports Xbox Live® online game service including Scoreboards, Voice/Chat and Live Aware.
Scheduled for release in Fall 2005, World Championship Poker 2: Featuring Howard Lederer will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Xbox video game system from Microsoft with an MSRP of $19.99.