REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- May 2, 2003 -- Electronic Arts and LEGO(R) Interactive today announced that BIONICLE(TM), a fast-paced action adventure platform title based on one of the LEGO Company's most successful play materials of recent years, is under development. The game is slated to ship in fall 2003 for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, PC-CD, Xbox(TM) video game system and Nintendo GameCube(TM) game console.
In BIONICLE, players enter the world of Mata Nui, a paradise island where a shadow has been cast and the six heroes of destiny, called "Toa," have been chosen for the greatest challenge of all. Players will have the opportunity to live out the BIONICLE legend by playing the Toa, helping them evolve into the super Toa, or "Toa Nuva," and eventually find the seventh Toa. With the magical elemental powers that the Toa possess, players must defeat the shadow of darkness brought by a sinister villain, Makuta, and return Mata Nui to light. In all, from Toa to Toa Nuva, fans of BIONICLE will be able to play all 13 Toa.
BIONICLE delivers a classic good versus evil themed gameplay experience with the opportunity to battle opponents and explore a fascinating 3D world. Players will find themselves in a variety of gripping adventures such as crossing a molten river, gliding from tree to tree, and swimming in the deep waters of Lake Naho, all the while mastering a unique blend of puzzle-solving skills.
As players work to break Makuta's spell of darkness, they also will be challenged to rescue scattered islanders called "Matoran" along the way. The adventure unfolds in six elementally themed regions of Mata Nui, including high mountains, great lakes, and mighty volcanoes. Danger lurks around every corner, from battling with Makuta's foul minions to the island's many environmental hazards such as falling rocks, rainforest winds, and lava spills. Players will also be able to collect special power-ups to increase their elemental powers as they advance through the game.
BIONICLE is being developed by Argonaut Games and will be co-published by EA and LEGO Interactive. The PC version of the game will contain special features that take advantage of the Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor with Hyper-Threading Technology to provide a better visual experience including high-resolution artwork, sky, lighting, and shadow and water effects for more realistic graphics in the 3D worlds.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of more than $1.7 billion for fiscal 2002. The company develops, publishes, and distributes software worldwide for the Internet, personal computers, and video game systems. EA markets its products under three brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA GAMES(TM), and EA SPORTS BIG(TM). More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
About LEGO Interactive
The interactive division was established in 1996 and has its worldwide headquarters near London. Our mission is to create world-class interactive entertainment for young gamers aged 6-12, based on LEGO intellectual property and brand values. As part of the LEGO Group, we have access to unique brand recognition as well as formidable marketing power within our target market. For more information, please visit www.lego.com/interactive.
About the LEGO Company
Based in Billund, Denmark, the LEGO Company, family-owned and privately-held since its founding in 1932, is a world leader in providing quality products and experiences that stimulate children's creativity, imagination and learning through playful activities that encourage hands-on, minds-on creation, fun, togetherness and sharing of ideas. Company employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." For more information, visit www.LEGO.com.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, BIONICLE, and BIONICLE logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. (C) 2003 The LEGO Group. Electronic Arts is a trademark or registered trademark of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries... PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Nintendo GameCube is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Intel and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
