Press Release: 1996-07-30: SegaSoft Launches Jack Hammer Brand

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: SegaSoft (archived)

Company unveils first three non-stop action titles under new umbrella

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (July 30, 1996) - SegaSoft, Inc., the independent interactive entertainment developer, today announced the launch of a new brand, Jack Hammer, and three initial action titles: Three Dirty Dwarves, MetalWerks and Emperor of the Fading Suns.

SegaSoft's new Jack Hammer brand targets game enthusiasts who are looking for non-stop action from their games. The move is the latest stepping stone to making the company the definitive provider of interactive experiences for the entire family.

"Our new Jack Hammer brand delivers the adventure, intrigue, power and non-stop action game enthusiasts crave," said Gary Griffiths, SegaSoft chief operating officer. "As demonstrated by our first trio of titles - Three Dirty Dwarves, MetalWerks and Emperor of the Fading Suns - Jack Hammer extends SegaSoft's treasure-trove of interactive entertainment."

Three Dirty Dwarves
SegaSoft's debut title, Three Dirty Dwarves , is an action-adventure game tinged with comedy, MTV-style animated characters, exquisite three-dimensional backgrounds, and a high-energy urban funk soundtrack.
The story focuses on the title characters - Greg, Taconic and Corthag - battling against the evil Orcs. The heros' ultimate goal is to help four genetically altered genius kids escape from a top secret military base and their captors.

A Windows CD-ROM title, Three Dirty Dwarves is scheduled to appear on retail shelves in October.

MetalWerks

Adding to its brand news, SegaSoft announced a publishing agreement with Front Line Productions, a Campbell, Calif. high-end entertainment developer, to market and distribute under its new Jack Hammer brand. Designed for the PC platform, the new MetalWerks title is an industrial action game that combines adventure, construction, battle and destruction.
"This is the perfect property for our new Jack Hammer brand, " said Griffiths. "MetalWerks has all the right stuff - challenge, intrigue, fierce battle scenes - worthy of the Jack Hammer name. We look forward to making MetalWerks, and all titles planned for the Jack Hammer brand, one of the most sought after by enthusiasts who want the best game play."

Designed for the PC platform, MetalWerks is slated for retail shelves in October. SegaSoft's agreement with Frontline Productions and the MetalWerks property is for the North American market.

"We were confident that we would find an aggressive company like SegaSoft who understood computer entertainment and the value of the MetalWerks property, " said David Fisher, President/CEO of Frontline. "Combining the power of the MetalWerks title with SegaSoft's marketing muscle, we know we will have a huge success in the States."

Emperor of the Fading Suns

A grand strategy computer game developed by Holistic Design Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., Emperor of the Fading Suns is set in the Dark Ages of Space (5023 A.D.), and allows players to take the role of one of the powerful nobles fighting to become Emperor of the Known Worlds. Similar to such strategy classics as Civilization and Masters of Orion, Emperor of the Fading Suns offers a sophisticted diplomacy engine, space and ground combat, discovery of new planets, multi-player (Internet) competition and more.
Due for release later this year, Emperor of the Fading Suns is designed for the Windows 95 and DOS platforms.

Jack Hammer

Launch of the new Jack Hammer brand is in keeping with SegaSoft's overall strategy of creating interactive entertainment and content for consumers of all ages and interests. Earlier this month, the independent software developer launched its Trampoline brand, which targets youngsters (ages pre-school to 12) and their parents with "edutainment" titles.
About SegaSoft

SegaSoft was founded in 1995 and develops interactive software and content for delivery on all platforms, including PCs, gaming consoles and the Internet. SegaSoft is a joint venture of CSK Corporation and Sega of America, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the $4 billion Sega Enterprises Ltd., a global leader in interactive digital entertainment media. SegaSoft is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., where it employs 150.
About Frontline Productions

Frontline Productions is a high-end entertainment developer located in Campbell, Calif. Frontline can be reached at 408-558-0199.
About Holistic Design

Holistic Design is a comprehensive game design company with experience making role-playing games, computer games, collectible card games, comic books and more. The company is best known for such award-winning titles as Machiavelli the Prince, Hammer of the Gods, and QQP's Merchant Prince and Battles of Destiny. Holistic can be reached at 770-934-8HDI.
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