Capcom's press release for Resident Evil Outbreak

E3, LOS ANGELES ( May 14, 2003. - Capcom(r) are pleased to announce plans to release Resident Evil Outbreak across all Pal territories for Sony PlayStation 2 in 2004. Resident Evil Outbreak supports both single player and online multiplayer game modes set within the Resident Evil universe. Resident Evil Outbreak sees the return of two familiar Resident Evil heroes and introduces an all-new story. Featuring a new assortment of characters, the game retains its signature storytelling, visuals, and spine-chilling audio that Capcom's survival-horror fans demand. The Resident Evil series of products, that began more than seven years ago, is now one of the most successful video game franchises in history having sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

"Capcom is thrilled to bring the award-winning and multi-million selling Resident Evil franchise to the PlayStation 2 online community," said David Miller, director of marketing at CE Europe. "Millions of fans asked for a new, innovative Resident Evil release on the PS2... now Capcom delivers. Resident Evil Outbreak is revolutionary in the fact that it will support online and offline play to bring many gamers together to experience their favourite survival horror game."

Resident Evil Outbreak tells the dramatic story of escaping from decaying zombies infected with the T-virus and the ultimate struggle to escape from Raccoon City. An outbreak of a secret biological weapon has infected the people of this isolated town which has caused everyday people to turn into flesh-eating zombies that swarm the streets. In a final attempt to stop the spread of the zombies the city is engulfed in flames. A fight is being fought by S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Squads) members Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they are trapped within this horrific nightmare. They wage their war against the pharmaceutical giant, Umbrella who are responsible for the events leading up to this disaster. In the shadow of this nightmare are a few meagre survivors. These survivors must find a way to get out of this city before the government quarantines the entire area by firing a missile and destroying all traces of life. Players must beat the clock or die trying. Resident Evil Outbreak is the story of those survivors and their ordeal. These are just regular people, fighting to survive the nightmare..

Among the many features Resident Evil Outbreak will deliver are:

• Fear of an all-new breed
  • Players must master cooperative play to combine efforts to succeed against overwhelming odds and team oriented puzzles
  • The fear of losing a team member as they are 'picked off' one-by-one
  • Hear screams and gunshots from other players in your vicinity and respond to calls for assistance
• Unique cast of playable characters - The characters are ordinary residents in Raccoon City, each with different strengths, speed and unique abilities based on their profession. The cast includes:
  • Kevin, a Raccoon City Police Officer. He has failed the S.T.A.R.S. entry exam twice
  • George, a well practiced doctor who is known as the best in the hospital
  • Yoko, a Japanese woman shrouded in mystery
  • Mark, a Vietnam War veteran who works as a security guard
  • Cindy, a waitress at a bar
  • David, a plumber
  • Jim, a railway worker who is good at solving puzzles
  • Alyssa, a capable reporter
• Loads of non-playable characters (NPCs) to interact with - Each computer controlled player possesses their own personality and reactions including those that:
  • Are not human
  • Can be saved by the player
  • Assist players in battle
  • Assist players in getting to new locations
  • Can turn into creatures that will attack the player suddenly!
  • Run away in fear if they are approached
  • Will change their actions depending on what the player does
  • Will stop at nothing to destroy the player's character
  • The player cannot tell if they are friend or foe

CE Europe Ltd, headquartered in London, England, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capcom, Co., Ltd. of Japan. A leading force in the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment industry, Capcom's legacy spans more than 22 years of entertaining video gamers. Capcom develops, markets, and distributes home video games for the PlayStation(r) game console, PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo(r) GameCube and the Xbox(tm) game consoles, Game Boy(r) Advance and Game Boy(r) Color Systems, personal computers, and coin-operated games. Worldwide recognizable product lines include the Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Breath of Fire, and Onimusha series. World headquarters in Osaka, Japan, the company also has offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Sunnyvale, California. The company is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange code number 9697.

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