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Atari Benelux is delighted to announce that it has been appointed Benelux business partner for Midway, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, commencing with Midway’s upcoming titles in the autumn.

Midway has designed some of the most popular video games of all time. Since the beginning of the video game revolution, many of the most notable, best-selling video games for both the arcade and home game systems have come from Midway. These releases include revolutionary, record-breaking games such as Pong, Defender, NBA Jam, Cruisin’ USA, and Mortal Kombat. Midway has generated popular franchises such as Blitz, SpyHunter, The Suffering, Midway Arcade Treasures and the Gauntlet series. These games have set a standard for excellence in the industry, capturing the attention of millions of players around the world. Midway is headquartered in Chicago, with additional
facilities in Seattle, WA, San Diego, CA, Austin, TX, Paris, France, Munich, Germany and London, UK.

Midway and Atari Benelux are preparing to launch a stunning portfolio of new titles including TNA Impact!, an exceptional game that characterizes this world-class publisher.

The TNA iMPACT! video game is the exclusive total nonstop action wrestling game based off the fastest growing professional wrestling brand in the world and its flagship program TNA iMPACT!. The player will be able to choose his wrestling style, custom move set and clothing to construct the ultimate champion. The game also features top wrestling talent such as Abyss, Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Rhino, Booker T, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Sting and more to deliver all of the excitement and action of the television show! TNA iMPACT! is scheduled to ship this October in Benelux.

The high quality of the Midway catalogue combined with the drive, energy and experience of Atari Benelux is expected to ensure great results for both companies.

Menno Eijck, general manager sales & marketing Atari Benelux says: “Atari Benelux is delighted to partner with Midway Games Ltd. in the Benelux region. Midway’s exciting Q4 titles including More Game Party, More Touchmaster and a new Mortal Kombat title and our strong sales & marketing power will result in a fantastic start of our relationship.”

Nick Howard, Director of Sales for UK & distributed territories Midway Games Ltd. says: “Our 2008 product portfolio is one of the best in our company’s long history. In conjunction with Atari Benelux we are committed to fully exploit the huge sales potential of our key titles such as More Game Party, PopStar Guitar and the upcoming entry in our Mortal Kombat franchise as well as the rest of our well-balanced line-up.”

Atari has taken What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver out of the oven, and served it up on retailers’ shelves across Europe today. What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver is the most complete and fun cooking game which encourages players to create, enjoy and share recipes in the spirit of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks and TV shows. The portability of Nintendo DS means Jamie Oliver is at hand to offer help and inspiration whenever and wherever you feel like cooking up a gourmet treat.  What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver is the first video game to feature international cooking star Jamie Oliver and his delicious, world-renowned recipes and is available now across Europe exclusively on Nintendo DS™.

“I’ve tried to push the game as much as possible interactivity-wise and I’ve tried to make it relevant,” says Jamie Oliver about What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver. “It’s a game and you can pass time with it: if you get good at it undoubtedly it will have a positive effect on your real life cooking. With the shopping lists and the sharing of recipes, you can actually shop more efficiently too. So all of this is just fun and a great excuse to push your cooking and get better.”

What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver walks players through virtual and real-life cooking situations, from shopping to chopping, dressing the dish to serving up meals.  Players can get stuck in and get their hands dirty in the kitchen with 100 original Jamie Oliver recipes in the interactive cookbook, whilst also making use of other practical functions such as the mobile shopping list at the supermarket.

The cooking games offer fun for everyone with a series of recipe challenges using the stylus to chop, stir and serve in a variety of virtual real-time 3D kitchen settings that take you on a gourmet trip around the world. Challenge friends and family to a cook-off or beat the clock, all the while keeping quality and taste in mind on your way to becoming a top chef.

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The recipe creator encourages players to get their creative juices flowing by producing their own recipes from hundreds of ingredients and utensils. Recipes can be saved alongside Jamie’s to be recreated in the home or in the virtual kitchens, and shared with friends and family using the wi-fi feature.

What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver is available now at retailers across Europe. For more information on the game, visit www.atari.com/whatscooking, and for more information on Jamie Oliver and his products including What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver, visit his official website at www.jamieoliver.com.

About Jamie Oliver:
Jamie Oliver is a phenomenon in the world of food. He is one of the world’s best-loved television personalities and one of Britain’s most famous exports.

Since beginning his TV career in 1998 as the Naked Chef he has sold over 17million books worldwide and his shows are now aired in more than 50 countries. Not only that but Jamie is also the founder of The Fifteen Foundation, a charity dedicated to giving young people a chance to turn their lives around by training to become chefs in four Fifteen restaurants around the world,- London, Amsterdam, Cornwall and Melbourne. Over 100 students have now graduated. In 2004 his documentary “Jamie’s School Dinners” highlighted the poor quality of food served in canteens and as a result of Jamie’s “Feed Me Better” campaign the government pledged £480million to address the problems and provide schools with essential equipment and training for staff. Jamie lives in London and Essex with his wife, Jools, and two daughters, Poppy and Daisy.

Following extensive visibility for Atari as the Title Sponsor of the FIA WTCC Atari Race of Germany at Oschersleben in August, Atari takes pole position again at this weekend’s FIA WTCC Atari Race of Japan in Okayama for rounds 21 and 22 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Atari joins the FIA WTCC to give fans and gamers the most true-to-life racing experience on its forthcoming ultra-realistic racing video game RACE Pro scheduled to speed into stores in January 2009 exclusively for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Developed by award-winning game studio SimBin, RACE Pro provides deep immersion into the racing world through ultra realistic car models and official FIA championships and tracks. Nothing gets closer to the real thrill than RACE Pro.

one of the leading German manufacturers and developers of games software, and Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products, today announced the release date for the console versions of Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel. Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel is being developed for PLAYSTATION®3 and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, and will be released in the first quarter of 2009.

“We have committed ourselves to offering gamers nothing but top quality. In order to be able to further optimize the online components of the console versions, and ensure a simultaneous release world-wide, we have chosen to aim for this release date for the console versions,” says Heiko tom Felde, CEO of ASCARON.

Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel offers Action RPG fans an elaborate new development with numerous new features and extensions of the popular game mechanics. In Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel, the player gradually discovers a huge, freely explorable world with tons of details and top-notch graphics. Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel captivates players with a thrilling storyline that may be experienced in two completely different ways (light and shadow campaigns).

The world of Ancaria has no level limits and can be explored without loading times. Through its great attention to detail and high-quality graphics, Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel is going to enchant gamers around the globe.

One of this year’s most innovative video games will get a blazing rework for its PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system debut this November as Atari ignites Alone in the Dark: Inferno. Development studio Eden Games has responded to the feedback of media and gamers and has turned up the heat to deliver an even more entertaining, immersive and action-packed blockbuster experience for PLAYSTATION 3 system. The host of sizzling gameplay enhancements, red-hot new content and the hellish storyline have inspired the name Alone in the Dark: Inferno for the ultimate Alone in the Dark experience on PLAYSTATION 3.

Alone in the Dark: Inferno stays true to the storyline of the previous versions in which gamers take on the role of paranormal investigator Edward Carnby who over the course of one apocalyptic night must fight to survive and uncover the earth-shattering secret behind New York’s Central Park. However, the new edition will fully complement the intense storytelling and unprecedented environmental interaction with an array of improved gameplay elements that will give gamers the ultimate Alone in the Dark experience.

Gameplay elements including camera, inventory system, and hero control have all been reworked for maximum immersion and fun. In addition, Alone in the Dark: Inferno will include an all-new action sequence revealing a previously unseen enemy of epic proportions.

The game promises to raise the temperature with improvements including:

 Full 360° camera control: enhanced camera controls allows complete freedom of the camera and better handling of third person movement for even more immersive gameplay enabling players to view the fire and mass destruction they are causing in all of its glory.
 Fine-tuned controls: quicker and smoother reactivity of the hero’s movements in third person view increases the pace of the game and makes for faster, reflexive gameplay during tense fighting scenarios;
 Inventory system more accessible: more logical jacket inventory system with the ability to scroll rapidly through the inventory with the D-pad or analog stick to combine objects. In addition, gameplay is paused when accessing the inventory system to allow maximum creativity in combining items to create unique weapons;
 More tips: additional on-screen tips will help players quickly adapt to controls and easily understand how to overcome tricky situations;
 Spectral Vision tuning: a tutorial earlier in the storyline explains the need to burn roots in order to gain spectral vision (a power that grants you the ability to see the unseen) and difficulty tuning means less spectral vision is required to reach the end of the game;
 Improved car dynamics and handling: driving has been tuned with increased suspension and reduced drift giving overall better handling to make driving a fun walk in the park every time;
 59th Street level tuning: one of the game’s most exciting sequences just got better. 59th Street has been tweaked for a more satisfying race against the fissure with difficulty tuning, an added checkpoint at Columbus Circle and clear voice directions given by Sarah;
 Brand new thrilling action sequence: an exclusive new sequence has been added in Episode 6 for even more excitement and variety of gameplay in the episode.

Atari gets ready to take arms with news that Afro Samurai, the vengeful videogame from NAMCO BANDAI Games, is coming to Europe for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Based on the manga created by Takashi Okazaki and the hit anime series starring Samuel L. Jackson, Afro Samurai drips with cutting edge style through its fusion of hip hop and Japanese culture that’s as sharp as Afro’s sword. Afro Samurai will fight its way into Europe in 2009.

Afro Samurai is the story of a man on a lifelong journey to avenge his father killed by the lethal fighter Justice. Now, shedding Justice’s blood is Afro’s only reason to live. Seeking Justice and fighting his final adversary to the death won’t be easy as loyal assassins and trained henchmen are determined to destroy our tormented hero. In killing Justice, Afro will take the coveted number one headband for himself, and in this bitter world of chaos and megalomania, there’s only room for one at the top.

Afro Samurai captures the essence of the anime and Afro’s character through its beautifully portrayed environments and characters drawn using dynamic cross-hatching visuals to give the game a pen and ink hand-drawn look, with Samuel L. Jackson once again providing the voice for Afro. The innovative combat system gives Afro the ability to dismember enemies with ease. This system coupled with Afro’s expansive arsenal of graceful and elegantly sharp moves make Afro Samurai a blood-spattered masterpiece. Staying true to the soul of the anime series, Afro Samurai is set to an original hip hop musical score with a new track by The RZA of Wu Tang Clan fame, a legend of hip hop music and culture.

European PLAYSTATION®3 owners with a taste for authentic Japanese role-playing experiences can celebrate with the news that Atari and NAMCO BANDAI Games are bringing Eternal Sonata for PLAYSTATION 3 to European shores in February 2009, complete with new gameplay quests, a revitalised story, brand new costumes and additional playable characters.

With its vibrant visuals, innovative combat system and captivating storyline, Eternal Sonata has already won the hearts of western fans of Japanese role-playing games following its release for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in October 2007. Selected media comments from reviews of the Xbox 360 game include:

“The battle system is addictively fun, the multifaceted story is riveting, and the graphics are amazing…a must-have for any 360 owner, RPG fan or not.” - Gamesradar

“wonderful narrative, great cast, enjoyable battle system and stunningly beautiful music and artwork” - Eurogamer

“a smart, action-packed battle system and a dazzling world that will take your breath away.”
- Gamespot

The PLAYSTATION 3 game will feature everything that made the Xbox 360 game so unmissable, with the addition of exclusive brand new features and content exclusive to the PLAYSTATION 3 including:

 New adventures: exclusive quests, battles, events and multiple endings grow the story;
 Additional playable characters: now choose to play as Crescendo and Serenade;
 New Costumes: different costumes let players customise the appearance of their characters;
 Exclusive new music: even more of Frederic Chopin’s timeless classical music.

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The game’s unique scenario is set in the fantasy world envisaged by composer Frederic Chopin during the last three hours of his life as he lies unconscious on his deathbed. The game presents a vivid universe populated with charming characters and strange creatures who move through the world accompanied by Chopin’s timeless music, as performed by Stanislav Bunin. The player voyages through this mesmerising dream world encountering a young girl who faces a terrible destiny and a boy who will fight to save her in an enduring tale of good and evil, love and betrayal.

Bringing an authentic Japanese role-playing experience to European gamers, Eternal Sonata takes full advantage of the power of PLAYSTATION 3 with high-definition, anime style cel-shading and high quality textures and models. The innovative battle system employs a unique combination of hybrid turn-based and action RPG elements. With its wealth of original and technically advanced features alongside a captivating, original storyline, Eternal Sonata sets new standards for RPG gaming.

There comes a time in every sheep farmer’s life when he asks himself “why aren’t I looking after zebras or kangaroos instead?” Now those dreams of raising emus in Australia or elephants in Asia can be realized thanks to Atari’s animal care and farm management game My Farm Around The World, scheduled for release exclusively on Nintendo DS™ on 14 November 2008.

My Farm Around The World

is a whole new kind of DS game which lets anybody become a virtual farmer, watching over their own personalized animals as they live and grow and building a successful livestock farming business. Choose from four different farms each with their own collections of animals: a traditional farm with pigs and ducks, an African ranch boasting lions and hippos, an Asian farm bursting with monkeys and elephants and a good old Australian ranch where crocodiles and kangaroos call the shots.

Choose your farm then start from humble beginnings: a single bird, an empty field and a few pennies. Buy food, clean, and care for your bird and watch him grow. When the eggs start coming, sell them to buy more animals which you can personalize and name as you like. Make sure you can feed them all though - if they can’t get food at home they’ll go elsewhere!

Once your livestock portfolio really starts to swell you’ll have more money to fix up the farm just how you always wanted it, with new fences, outbuildings and more. There’s bonuses along the way for good farming and clean healthy animals including other animals or special buildings such as windmills. Days pass, nights fall and the animals sleep, but you can bet they’ll wake up hungry the next day. Keep them well, and in time they’ll produce their own offspring, and hasn’t everyone always wanted their very own family of baby crocodiles or rhinos to care for?

My Farm Around The World

lets players care for different animals from the four corners of the globe, breeding them, learning the simple economics of buying and selling, and growing their very own completely unique farm. And if you’ve ever wondered how an elephant would cope in a traditional European farmyard, trade animals with your friends via Wi-Fi and find out!My Farm Around The World

is scheduled for release exclusively on Nintendo DS on 14 November 2008.