Press release: 1996-11-19: Acclaim Launches Explosive International Best Seller--TUNNEL B1

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 third-party Original source: Acclaim Nation (archived)

'One Of The Most Visually Stimulating Games' Is First Release From Acclaim-Ocean Alliance

GLEN COVE, N.Y., NOVEMBER 19, 1996 -- Strapped into a high-speed, weapons-laden, futuristic battle cruiser, players careen through 3-D worlds at speeds that push their cheeks past their eyebrows. The cruiser slides by cannon blasts while pulling a 6-G 180-degree turn to launch heat-seeking missiles at the enemy chopper fleet. No matter what, players must remain focused on the mission objective! The world's hopes have been pinned on gamers and their B1 hovercraft in Tunnel B1, a much-anticipated, 3-D first-person action game from Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKLM). Tunnel B1 is scheduled for release in November for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn for a suggested retail price of $59.99 and later in the year for PC CD-ROM for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Tunnel B1, the first title to stem from the new marketing alliance between developer Ocean and Acclaim, is one of the hottest games in Europe. According to the November 2, 1996, edition of ChartTrack, the Sony PlayStation version of Tunnel B1 is rated among the top five sellers in Europe, along with Formula One, Tekken 2, WipeOut 2 and Resident Evil.

Tunnel B1 is already benefiting from strong advance previews in the U.S. with Next Generation Online, one of the industry's leading gaming websites, stating that Tunnel B1's "spectacular lighting effects and smooth gameplay make this title stand out." Dan Hsu of Electronic Gaming Monthly expressed, "Tunnel B1 is one of the most visually stimulating games to come out for a 32-bit system....The attention paid to details is simply marvelous!"

Players experience, in first person, the speed and fluidity of the game the minute their B1 craft begins its journey through these menacing tunnels. Offering a multitude of realistic enemy tanks, helicopters, machine guns and obstacles along with impressively complex scenarios, Tunnel B1 is designed to challenge players of various skill levels. The soundtrack enhances the fear and sense of urgency as the B1 craft navigates through enemy strongholds, and gamers are driven by the quest to eliminate the "ultimate weapon."

"We are very pleased to commence our partnership with Ocean with the release of a title as impressive as Tunnel B1," said Jim DeRose, president and chief operating officer of Acclaim's North American operations. "Given the high quality of Tunnel B1, with its fervent gameplay and vivid 3-D graphics, we are very enthusiastic about its retail potential this holiday season."

Ocean, Europe's leading developer of interactive games, mirrors Acclaim's enthusiasm about the companies' collaboration. "This is a title we are quite proud of, and we are happy to have Acclaim behind it," David Ward, Ocean chairman, said. "With Acclaim's solid marketing and distribution prowess, we are confident that Tunnel B1 will have excellent reception in the marketplace."

Ocean, founded in 1983, together with its U.S. subsidiary Ocean of America, Inc., develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all Nintendo, Sega and Sony hardware systems as well as high-profile games for PC and Macintosh personal computers. In April, Ocean merged with the leading French interactive company, Infogrames Entertainment SA, Europe's top games publisher. Recently released titles include EF2000 flight simulators and Worms.

Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. is a leading worldwide publisher of software for Nintendo, Sega, Sony and personal computer hardware systems. Acclaim also publishes comic books under a variety of imprints; develops coin-operated arcade and ticket redemption games; operates motion capture studios; and, through A.D.I., globally sells and distributes products from a variety of entertainment software publishers including Ocean, Interplay, Marvel, Pulse Entertainment, and Take 2 Interactive Software. Acclaim has a joint venture with Tele-Communications, Inc. for electronically distributed interactive entertainment.