Overview:

A lone fighter, a brash sorcerer, a hot-tempered rogue… Three warriors, brought together by an unexplainable force, must embark on a fateful journey that will continuously test their extraordinary battle skills.

Take control of all three, switching characters on the fly to battle an onslaught of enemies from beyond this world, in a cinema-style action-adventure set within the Forgotten Realms®.

Features: * Thrilling pick-up-and-play combat: hand-to-hand battles and melee brawls (the fighter), ranged and projectile power (the sorcerer), sexy stealth attacks (the rogue) * Sprawling story by N.Y. Times - bestselling author R.A. Salvatore * Voice performances by Patrick Stewart and Michael Clarke Duncan * Unique camera angles and video, delivering an exceptional fantasy movie experience * Beautiful ominous Forgotten Realms environments, from the Gemspark Mines to the Jungles of Chult, to the Underdark and beyond * Devastating Dungeons & Dragons® creatures including Bugbears, Slaadi and Yuan-tis * Expansive range of combo moves, skill upgrades, weapons, armor and more

Source:

www.us.atari.com

DESCRIPTION:

Three renegade warriors, each with unique fighting abilities, all drawn together by an inexplicable force...

Enter the mythical land of Faerûn, where magic, prophecy and mystery envelop great heroes and perilous evil.

Within this awe-inspiring, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® world, a fighting saga begins. Control a party of three — a fighter, a sorcerer and a rogue — in a quest to right a wrong and shape the future. Switch characters on the fly to exploit each warrior’s specialized fighting styles (projectile/ranged, melee and sneak combat) and maximize each character’s attributes. The right moves will build the party into a well-balanced fighting trio.

The Demon Stone gameplay elements — diverse, exciting and extremely cinematic — push action/adventure to an entirely new level!

GAME FEATURES:

• An award-winning game engine from Stormfront Studios, delivering action movie thrills within a seamless blend of cinematic visuals! 3D characters, environments and gameplay are all rendered with dynamic, movie-styled camerawork
• Sprawling story written by New York Times best-selling novelist R.A. Salvatore
• Intense, lightning-fast battles against fifteen or more enemies at once; amazing combo attacks and supers that devastate adversaries
• A variety of fighting methods, from three distinct characters: Hack enemies, destroy crumbling columns and shatter ice walls with the fighter; blow apart foes with jaw-dropping spells, and trap groups of enemies under shimmering magical nets with the sorcerer; hide in the shadows and employ sneak attacks with the rogue
• Character upgrades that can be purchased with experience points; provide the sorcerer with stronger spells or improve the rogue’s stealth and lock-picking abilities
• Tons of weapons, armor and miscellaneous items — such as gauntlets, rings and cloaks — to further enhance a character’s abilities
• Ability and non-combat challenges to test a character’s strength
• A cornucopia of enemies to fight! Bugbears, Trolls, Mind Flayer, Slaadi and Yuan-Tis — all from D&D lore — as well as bosses like the Avatar of Merrshaulk
• Ten beautifully detailed levels from the Forgotten Realms campaign including Gemspark Mine, Cedarleaf and the Jungles of Chult

Source:

www.atari.com.au - Windows

Atari partners with Stormfront Studios to develop Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

Article Date: 23-03-2004

Creators of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to Bring Popular Dungeons & Dragons World to PlayStation 2

Atari and Stormfront Studios, under license from Hasbro, Inc., have announced plans to develop Forgotten Realms®: Demon Stone’, an action adventure game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons® world created by Wizards of the Coast. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will place players in the middle of a heated battle between two demonic armies set to overrun the world of Faerun. The intense story setting in Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will highlight the game¡¦s use of an enhanced version of Stormfront¡¦s powerful game engine, allowing for greatly improved graphics, faster gameplay and even more intelligent enemies. Scheduled for release in the fall of 2004, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will push action adventure on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system to an entirely new level.

¡§The work that Stormfront Studios have done in the past, most recently the acclaimed and highly successful The Lord of the Rings’: The Two Towers’, showed that they were the perfect team to bring all the action and intensity of the D&D® universe to the PlayStation 2,¡¨ said Martin Spiess, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Atari Europe. ¡§Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is a fantastic looking game, offering an incredible gameplay experience made possible by a vastly improved gaming engine and innovative gameplay features. The ability to switch between characters while in the middle of intense action is a first for an action adventure game of this kind, adding a completely new dimension to the gameplay.¡¨

In Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, the player directs a party of three characters ¡V Fighter, Sorcerer and Rogue. The player controls one party member at a time -- switching between them on the fly -- while the other party members are controlled by the engine¡¦s sophisticated artificial intelligence. For example, when the player controls the Fighter, the Sorcerer and Rogue will continue to engage in combat, cast spells and assist the player in defeating all challengers. In many situations, the characters will be able to divide and conquer difficult objectives ¡V while the Fighter holds back a horde of Yuan-Ti snakemen with brute force, the Sorcerer supports him with devastating ranged magic while the rogue sneaks above and behind them for a coup de grace. The player participates seamlessly in each critical moment as they are cinematically switched from one perspective to another.

This real-time, on-the-fly character switching design allows Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone to challenge players with innovative and compelling encounters. In true D&D fashion, each of the characters excels at a certain type of gameplay. The Fighter thrives in melee combat, the Sorcerer is excellent at ranged and magical combat and the Rogue excels at jumping, sneaking and disarming traps. Players will be continually tasked with choosing the best character for each challenge as well as using each character¡¦s gameplay specialty to maximum effect.

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will utilise an extensive fighting system which is both easy to learn and visually stunning. Characters will perform amazing attacks and feats at the simple touch of a button, but the system has sophisticated features for advanced players who want to tailor their attacks to maximize their damage in specific situations. Unique special attacks, combinations, linked combos, super attacks and even group super attacks allow advanced players to excel against their most fearsome foes.

In addition, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will allow players to upgrade their characters with a branching path of new feats and combos as they gain experience and levels. Each character will feature a number of unique abilities, such as the Fighter¡¦s combat skills and strength, the Rogue¡¦s stealth and lock picking abilities and the Sorcerer¡¦s plethora of new spells. For example, when upgrading the Fighter, the player might have the choice of upgrading his Strength, his Melee Skill or his Hand-to-Hand skill. Within those choices, there will be other dependencies, such as the requirement to earn Power Attack before Cleave can be acquired.

Demon Stone¡¦s intense, cinematic action is set entirely within the visually stunning Forgotten Realms fantasy world. Familiar characters, such as the famous drow Drizzt Do¡¦Urden„§ and the legendary mage Khelban ¡§Blackstaff¡¨ Arunsun; terrifying monsters, including Dragons, Orcs, Slaadi, Yuan-Ti and Trolls; as well as geographical locations straight from the popular D&D campaign setting will make appearances and serve as backdrops throughout the game. The story of Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone revolves around the adventuring party¡¦s unwitting intrusion into an age-old conflict between two warring demonic armies; one led by a Githyanki Princess and, the other, a Slaad Lord. After inadvertently releasing both demons back upon the world after eons of imprisonment, it becomes the adventurer¡¦s quest to right their wrong and restore order to the world of Faerun.

Source:

Press Release - PlayStation 2

Faerun, eine entlegene Region der Vergessenen Reiche: nachdem zwei verfeindete Dämonenheere jahrzehntelang in einem erbitterten Krieg um die Macht rangen, gelang dem Magier Khelban schließlich das Unglaubliche: mittels eines mächtigen Zaubers bannte er die Dämonen-Oberhäupter in ein Juwel, dem Blood Stone. Dieser Edelstein galt lange als verschollen, bis drei Abenteurer ihn nun wieder entdeckten: Ranek, ein Krieger mit mächtiger Rüstung und Schwert - Illius, ein Zauberer und Hüter magischer Beschwörungsformeln - und Zhai, eine Dunkelelfin und zugleich Meisterin der Schleich-Künste. Jedoch gelingt den gefangenen Dämonen die Flucht. Nun liegt es an Ihnen, in der Rolle der drei Helden das Chaos aufzuhalten. Denn in diesem D&D-Spiel kontrollieren Sie nicht einen sondern alle drei Charaktere gleichzeitig! Große Schlachten werden eben nicht allein geschlagen.

• Packende Fantasy-Storyline von R. A. Salvatore, dem bekannten Romanautor der New York Times
• Drei Spielfiguren mit unterschiedlichen Fähigkeiten stehen zur Auswahl, die Sie nahezu gleichzeitig kontrollieren - ein einfacher Tastendruck genügt!
• Actiongeladenes Gameplay: Jeder der verschiedenen Charaktere beherrscht individuelle Kampftechniken und durchschlagkräftige Magie
• Das Spiel basiert auf einer neuen, revolutionären Grafik-Engine der renommierten Entwickler Stormfront Studios: Dramatische Kamerafahrten, hochdetaillierte 3D-Welten und atemberaubende Spezialeffekte zeichnen die phänomenale Optik aus
• Entwickeln Sie Ihre Helden und statten Sie sie mit den verschiedensten Ausrüstungsgegenständen aus. Nur so sind Sie für jede Spielsituation gewappnet
• Durchqueren Sie zehn fantastische Spielwelten und überleben Sie die tödlichen Gefahren der vergessenen Reiche

Source:

www.atari.de - PlayStation 2/Xbox

From the Developersof the Bestselling GameThe Lord of the Rings’: The Two Towers’

Three Powers,One Unstoppable Force

Switch characters on the fly to control extraordinary battle skills of three lone warriors: the fighter's hand-to-hand and melee combat; the stealth attacks of the rogue; the sorceror's ranged destruction.

Three distinct powers will shape the future in this cinematic saga of awe-inspiring worlds and exceptional pick-up-and-play combat.

Source:

Atari PC Catalog 2005

ATARI'S FORGOTTEN REALMS: DEMON STONE HITS RETAIL STORES

Date: September 14, 2004

Popular Dungeons & Dragons World Explodes Onto PlayStation®2; Xbox and PC Versions to Ship in November

LOS ANGELES - Sept. 14, 2004 - Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) under license from Hasbro, Inc., today announced that the highly anticipated Forgotten Realms®: Demon Stone’, an action game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons® world created by Wizards of the Coast, is now available at retail outlets nationwide. Demon Stone for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system is retailing for an estimated price of $49.95 and is rated "T" for Teen. Demon Stone is expected to become available for the Xbox® videogame system from Microsoft and the personal computer in November.

Designed by Stormfront Studios, developers of The Lord of the Rings®: The Two Towers’, Demon Stone features a storyline developed by New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, and includes the extraordinary talents of actors Patrick Stewart and Michael Clarke Duncan, who provided their voices to two prominent roles in the video game. These combined talents bring Demon Stone to life in a classic story of good versus evil, with a world on the brink of destruction and a party of heroes seeking redemption.

"Demon Stone's intense, action-oriented and cinematic gameplay represents the transition of a brand that has traditionally been associated with niche gameplay to one that is more accessible to a mainstream consumer audience," said John Hight, executive producer, Atari's Los Angeles studio. "Demon Stone also demonstrates Stormfront Studios' perfection of the immersive, interactive experience by combining all of the important elements into a cohesive presentation, including: the prodigious vocal talents of Patrick Stewart and Michael Clarke Duncan; a powerful story by R.A. Salvatore and a moving orchestral score."

In Demon Stone, the player directs a party of three characters - Fighter, Sorcerer and Rogue. Each of the characters excels at a certain type of gameplay. The Fighter thrives in melee combat, the Sorcerer is excellent at ranged and magical combat and the Rogue excels at jumping, sneaking and disarming traps. The player controls one party member at a time -- switching between them on the fly -- while the other party members are controlled by the engine's sophisticated artificial intelligence.

Demon Stone utilizes an extensive fighting system which is both easy to learn and visually stunning. Characters perform amazing attacks and feats at the simple touch of a button, but the system has sophisticated features for advanced players who want to tailor their attacks to maximize their damage in specific situations. Unique special attacks, combinations, linked combos, super attacks and even group super attacks allow advanced players to excel against their most fearsome foes.

Demon Stone's intense, cinematic action is set entirely within the visually stunning Forgotten Realms fantasy world. Familiar characters, such as the famous drow Drizzt Do'Urden and the legendary mage Khelban "Blackstaff" Arunsun (played by Patrick Stewart); the formidable Slaad Lord, Ygorl (played by Michael Clarke Duncan); terrifying monsters, including Dragons, Orcs, Slaadi, Yuan-Ti and Trolls; as well as geographical locations straight from the popular D&D campaign setting will make appearances and serve as backdrops throughout the game.

Demon Stone is now available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system for an estimated retail price of $49.95 and is rated "T" for Teen. Additional information about Demon Stone can be found online at www.atari.com/demonstone.

About Stormfront Studios

Stormfront Studios develops top quality, award-winning entertainment products for PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, and interactive TV, producing both AAA-quality originals and high-profile licensed titles for clients including Atari, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony and AOL. The company's most recent hit is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (PlayStation 2 & Xbox, developed for EA, based on the Peter Jackson Film from New Line Cinema), which has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Founded in 1988, Stormfront has been named to the Inc. 500 list of entrepreneurial companies three times, and the company owns all of the engines and technology in its games. The company is based in San Rafael, California, and is privately held. For more information, visit www.stormfront.com.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games and their method of play (TCGs) and produces one of the world's best-selling TCGs, Magic: The Gathering®, as well as the celebrated Dungeons & Dragons® roleplaying game. Publisher of adventure games, family card and board games, and electronic media products, Wizards of the Coast is also one of the world's premier book publishers of fantasy series fiction whose novels have made numerous appearances on The New York Times best-seller list and have sold millions of copies worldwide. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at wizards.com.

About Hasbro, Inc.

Hasbro (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

About Atari

New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as Driver’, Enter the Matrix’, Neverwinter Nights’, Stuntman’, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2004, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children's games such as Backyard Sports’, Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues’ and Dora the Explorer’, Civilization®, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

Forgotten Realms, Demon Stone, Dungeons & Dragons, Neverwinter Nights, Drizzt Do'Urden and Magic the Gathering are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

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Source:

Press Release - PlayStation 2

A warrior, sorcerer and rogue take on two demonic armies hell-bent on destroying each other and the Realms.

From the Dungeons and Dragons world comes the tale of three unwitting heroes fooled into releasing two powerful and incredibly evil beings back into the Forgotten Realms. Bringing with them their powerful, other-worldly armies, the two beings set about bringing chaos, destruction and death to the magical realm. As the trio of adventurers, it's your role to return the warring pair to the Demon Stone forever.

From the creators of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers game comes an adventure set in the same universe as Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Orcs, wizards, trolls and dragons await as you track the demons across Faerun. Familiar Forgotten Realms characters feature to help and hinder your progress, such as Khelben "Blackstaff" and Drizzt Do'Urden.

As you fight your way through the vile creatures that bar your way, you can switch between the three characters at will, bringing their formidable individual talents to the fore. The fighter Rannek is a brawny master of hand to hand combat, sorcerer Illius wields powerful spells and rogue Zhai prefers striking from the shadows and defeating the myriad deadly traps you'll encounter.

• An all-action adventure in the popular D&D location the Forgotten Realms
• Switch between three unique heroes at will
• Upgrade your characters with new weapons, abilities, armour and magical items
• Written by bestselling fantasy author R A Salvatore

Source:

uk.playstation.com