UBISOFT LAUNCHES CHESSMASTER® FOR THE XBOX® VIDEO GAME
SYSTEM; THE FIRST AND ONLY DEDICATED CHESS GAME FOR MICROSOFT’S XBOX
Xbox owners will experience the best-selling brand in chess
and challenge each other on Xbox® Live™
SAN FRANCISCO – November 1, 2004 – Ubisoft, one of the world’s
leading video game publishers, today announced that Chessmaster® is now
available in North America for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft.
Chessmaster is the first chess program available for Xbox where players will be
able to improve their chess skills. Chess fans will be able to challenge other
players and receive a player ranking via Xbox ® Live™. Chessmaster is rated “E”
for Everyone, with Mild Fantasy Violence, and is available at a suggested retail
price of $19.99.
From players who are new to the game of chess to
tournament-level champions, Chessmaster will help everyone master history’s
greatest game. Beginners will enjoy the easy-to-use interface for smooth
navigation through basic opening moves and winning chess strategies. Players
interested in improving their skills can receive extensive advice from
International Master Josh Waitzkin at the new Chessmaster Academy. More advanced
players will appreciate receiving instructions on the best attacking chess moves
from Grandmaster Larry Christiansen. Chessmaster will give players the
opportunity to challenge over 100 AI-controlled opponents and teach them to
avoid costly mistakes with specific advice in Blunder Alert mode. As players
encounter more challenging opponents, they can receive quick hints and have the
option to join more than 60 predefined tournaments or customize a tournament of
their own.
Chessmaster provides features for all levels of play and makes
the game of chess fun for the whole family. Younger players will enjoy the large
variety of 3D chess sets, some of which include whimsical animations. Whether
they’re practicing for a live tournament or learning to play chess for the first
time, Chessmaster will provide great fun for everyone.
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About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is an international producer, publisher and distributor
of interactive entertainment products. A leading company in the multimedia
industry, Ubisoft’s strong and diversified lineup has grown considerably, as has
Ubisoft itself. As well as steadfastly continuing to partner with several
high-profile companies, Ubisoft has also confirmed its presence on the global
market by developing its own exceptional properties. Founded in 1986 in France,
Ubisoft is now present on every continent, both through offices in 21 different
countries including the United States, Morocco, Germany and China and through
sales of products in over 50 countries. The group is dedicated to delivering
high-quality, cutting-edge videogame titles to consumers around the world.
Ubisoft generated a turnover of 508 million euros for the 2003/2004 fiscal year,
up 22.5% over the previous fiscal year. To learn more, visit
www.ubi.com
About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com)
is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most
exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive
collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live
online service. The new tagline, "it’s good to play together," captures the
spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle.
Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.
2004 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Portions of
Chessmaster Academy instructional content 2004 Joshua Waitzkin. Chessmaster is
a registered trademark and Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of
Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox
Live, the Live logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used
under license from Microsoft.
