June 1, 2004 release date set for Atari's DRIV3R
A profitable year to December 31, 2003 - operations expected to breakeven for the full fiscal year.
The Atari Group has announced a worldwide release date of June 1, 2004 for the DRIV3R video game. The Group decided to delay the launch by two months so that the game will be available for the Playstation 2 and Xbox consoles worldwide at the same time, as was the case with Enter The Matrix in May of 2003.
Bruno Bonnell, Chairman of Infogrames Entertainment, said : "The decision to choose a new date was a strategic one we had to make given the enormous potential of DRIV3R to be a global success. With 12 million copies already sold worldwide, the DRIVER series is a major franchise for our Group. Two extra months of promotion will spike sales of this title, which could be the largest return on investment in the Group's history."
In blending an action game with driving adventures, this third opus offers gamers more game play and freedom than ever before. Three legendary settings, Nice, Miami and Istanbul, have been faithfully recreated with more than 250 kilometers of road. Throughout some 30 missions and cinematic gameplay, the gamer has more than 70 vehicles to choose from, including motor bikes, boats, semi-trailers and a bus.
Between now and June 2004, DRIV3R will be the focus of an exceptional marketing and advertising campaign including press and TV coverage, demos, store displays, and a three-episode Internet original short film called "Run The Gauntlet". This mini-movie will introduce a broader audience to the universe of DRIVER, giving web surfers an opportunity to discover both the game and the story. Inspired by DRIV3R and written and directed by Ridley Scott Associates, the first episode of"Run The Gauntlet" is now screening exclusively on the www.DRIV3R.com site.
The DRIVER universe has also inspired an action movie, which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2005.
Infogrames Entertainment points out that the decision to delay the launch will have an impact on the revenue for the last quarter of the fiscal year, ending March 31, 2004, as revenues and income from operations generated by DRIV3R will not be recorded in the current fiscal year, as originally expected, but instead will be recorded in the first quarter of the following fiscal year. The Group expects income from operations for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004 to breakeven, compared with an operating profit of 6% to 7% of revenue projected earlier.
Infogrames Entertainment confirms that its net revenues over the nine-month period ended December 31, 2003 should exceed € 590 million, in spite of the decline in the dollar/euro exchange rate, and that operating profit should exceed € 25 million.
Financial results for the first nine months will be released on February 3, 2004.
Bruno Bonnell, Chairman of Infogrames Entertainment, said : "The decision to choose a new date was a strategic one we had to make given the enormous potential of DRIV3R to be a global success. With 12 million copies already sold worldwide, the DRIVER series is a major franchise for our Group. Two extra months of promotion will spike sales of this title, which could be the largest return on investment in the Group's history."
In blending an action game with driving adventures, this third opus offers gamers more game play and freedom than ever before. Three legendary settings, Nice, Miami and Istanbul, have been faithfully recreated with more than 250 kilometers of road. Throughout some 30 missions and cinematic gameplay, the gamer has more than 70 vehicles to choose from, including motor bikes, boats, semi-trailers and a bus.
Between now and June 2004, DRIV3R will be the focus of an exceptional marketing and advertising campaign including press and TV coverage, demos, store displays, and a three-episode Internet original short film called "Run The Gauntlet". This mini-movie will introduce a broader audience to the universe of DRIVER, giving web surfers an opportunity to discover both the game and the story. Inspired by DRIV3R and written and directed by Ridley Scott Associates, the first episode of"Run The Gauntlet" is now screening exclusively on the www.DRIV3R.com site.
The DRIVER universe has also inspired an action movie, which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2005.
Infogrames Entertainment points out that the decision to delay the launch will have an impact on the revenue for the last quarter of the fiscal year, ending March 31, 2004, as revenues and income from operations generated by DRIV3R will not be recorded in the current fiscal year, as originally expected, but instead will be recorded in the first quarter of the following fiscal year. The Group expects income from operations for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004 to breakeven, compared with an operating profit of 6% to 7% of revenue projected earlier.
Infogrames Entertainment confirms that its net revenues over the nine-month period ended December 31, 2003 should exceed € 590 million, in spite of the decline in the dollar/euro exchange rate, and that operating profit should exceed € 25 million.
Financial results for the first nine months will be released on February 3, 2004.