ION Storm - Press News - Coming Soon Magazine

ION Storm Reveals Plans for Premiere Line-Up of Computer Game Titles

Hot New Design Company Tackles Three Computer Game Genres at Once

Dallas, TX, April 7, 1997 -- ION Storm isn't just playing around. The computer game design powerhouse today announced aggressive plans for their first three titles. Tackling three gaming genres at once, the company will release the 3D action Daikatana, fantasy role-playing game Anachronox and a yet-to-be-named strategy game over the next two years. Led by industry vanguard John Romero, ION Storm will break down the barriers between traditional gaming genres by developing "hybrid" games which incorporate role-playing, 3D action/adventure shooter, and strategy game elements. These titles will be available worldwide from ION Storm's publishing and distribution partner Eidos Interactive (NASDAQ: EIDSY).

"This is not a garage band industry anymore," said Mike Wilson, CEO of ION Storm. "ION Storm, with its wealth of established talent and the best technology and equipment, represents the coming of age of the interactive entertainment industry." Wilson continued, "Our goal is to bring gaming into the same league as the other entertainment categories - film, TV, music - and we are going full tilt to attack the three largest gaming genres at once. Our industry moves too fast for slow, plodding growth, and we're in a position to take the lead with our hybrid titles that offer the best elements from a variety of gaming genres."

Driven by ION Storm's adage--"Design is Law"--ION Storm's co-founders, John Romero, Todd Porter, and Tom Hall each lead a game development team. Jerry O'Flaherty, ION Storm's master of art and co-founder, will oversee the art direction on all the games.

"ION Storm is the most exciting new company in computer gaming," said Ken Brown, managing editor at Computer Gaming World magazine. "Their early designs are fresh, creative and compelling and bear the unmistakable mark of master game designer John Romero."

"Our expectations for ION Storm's titles are extremely high," said Mike McGarvey, CEO of Eidos Interactive, Inc. "ION Storm has an incredible roster of talent with John, Tom, Todd and Jerry; and their gift for game design will be proven tri-fold when these games are released over the next two years."

Action/Adventure Game (with a plot!) -- Daikatana

John Romero, the former master of gore at id Software, is bringing his penchant for fast-action/3D adventure games to ION Storm's first title, Daikatana, which uses id Software's unrivaled 3D QUAKE engine. Daikatana is an action-packed adventure of time travel where the player's mission is to set history straight. The Daikatana is both the player's sacred samurai sword/weapon and time-travel device that thrusts the gamer into the nucleus of medieval and futuristic warfare. By incorporating role-playing elements into his game, John will create an engaging environment that contains more variables, choices and outcomes for the player. Daikatana will debut in the fourth quarter of 1997.

Fantasy Role-Playing Game -- Anachronox

Tom Hall, a former designer at id and 3D Realms, is channeling his talent into a fantasy role-playing game, Anachronox, that he describes as a "turbulent story with a roller coaster of emotion." In Anachronox, space begins folding in on itself as the player travels through towns, planets and dimensions collecting weapons and technology that help solve the game's puzzles. Tom's first title promises to bring more personality and humor into the genre. Anachronox will be released in the third quarter of 1998.

Real-Time Strategy Game

Todd Porter will oversee the development of a unique real-time 3D strategy game. Porter, the former head of 7th Level's 3D department, is developing a hybrid game that combines the intense chaos of an action game with the strategic elements and layers of complexity found in a strategy game. This title will take strategy games to a new level with its strong storyline and unpredictable twists of plot. This yet-to-be-named title will be released in the third quarter of 1998.

# # #

Eidos Interactive is a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment products for the PC, Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Macintosh. Eidos Interactive is part of the Eidos group of companies, which includes Eidos Technologies, a software-based video compression and decompression technology company, Glassworks, a post-production facility specializing in digital effects and video editing for the television and advertising industries, and an independent record label called Naked Records.

ION Storm, based in Dallas, TX, is a revolutionary new computer game design company where the designer's vision is law. Led by industry legends, John Romero, Tom Hall, Todd Porter and Jerry O'Flaherty, ION Storm currently has three titles in development: a role-playing game, an action/adventure game and a real-time strategy game. Founded in November, 1996, the company will break down the barriers between computer game genres creating a more immersive and engrossing gaming experience.

[Main] [Back issues] [Feedback]