Condemned: Criminal Origins

SEGA Announces "Condemned"; Next-Gen Psychological Thriller

**Hunt for Serial Killer is Unpredictable, Terrifyingly Real

SAN FRANCISCO (February 17, 2005)** SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced Condemned™, a suspense-filled, first-person psychological thriller game developed exclusively for the next generation of game consoles and the PC. The hunt for a serial killer has never seemed so terrifyingly real, prompting top gaming enthusiast publication Game Informer to comment that: "Condemned has redefined the horror genre (March 2005)."

Developed by award-winning Monolith Productions, the game allows players to experience an unnatural level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee combat to track serial killers and bring them to justice. Gamers will play as Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent in the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through detailed urban environments filled with deadly sociopaths who lurk on the periphery of humanity.

"SEGA expects Condemned to engage the game player with visceral, in-your-face, urban combat and an unparalleled level of unpredictability," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of entertainment marketing, SEGA of America. "The atmospheric tension and cinematic qualities of Condemned offer consumers the rich experience of a psychological thriller; something that has not been accomplished on previous hardware platforms."

"To become a leading independent game publisher, we must reinvigorate the SEGA brand by publishing great content that boosts revenue across all western territories," said Simon Jeffery, president and COO, SEGA of America. "Condemned represents an aggressive product acquisition strategy created to compliment SEGA IP with market-appropriate next-generation games."

"New leaps in technology are allowing our teams to create immersive game environments that are incredibly realistic," said Samantha Ryan, CEO of Monolith Productions. "Monolith's goal with Condemned, is to combine a disturbing atmosphere with realistic physics, devious AI, and a sophisticated combat system."

Condemned, the first next-generation console and PC game announced by SEGA, is slated to ship in Winter 2005.

Source:

Press release (17th February 2005)

Condemned: Criminal Origins™

Platform: Xbox 360, PC

Category: First-Person Psychological Thriller

Developer: Monolith

Release: Fall 2005

Developed by award-winning Monolith Productions for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PC, Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience a heightened level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee/firearms combat to track serial killers and bring them to justice. Gamers will play as Agent Thomas, an investigator in the FBI's Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through urban environments filled with sociopaths lurking on the periphery of humanity.

Presented in a first-person view for maximum visceral effect, this atmospheric thriller is best played with the surround-sound up and the lights off. Given the power of nextgeneration hardware, Condemned: Criminal Origins features photo-realistic backdrops, life-like physics, and highly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Weapons and ammunition are scarce, leaving the player vulnerable to a gallery of mentally deranged criminals. Careful detective work and precision reflexes are a player's primary means of survival. Inspired in part by the films of the psychological thriller sub-genre, Condemned: Criminal Origins maintains an intense, focused pace. Players can never be sure what waits around each corner.

Features:* Next-generation lighting, mapping, and filtering techniques provide for environments of unprecedented detail and visual quality. * Intelligent enemies respond strategically to your offensive and defensive maneuvers. * High-level physics allow players to manipulate background items, which respond realistically when picked up, kicked, or bumped. * A tightly wound story is backed with strong character development and major plot twists. * Meticulously crafted 5.1 surround-sound will cue players to the location of offscreen enemies.

Source:

E3 Fact sheet (18th May 2005)

SEGA Announces Award-Winning 'Condemned: Criminal Origins' For the PC

**PC Gamers Hunt a Deranged Serial Killer this Spring

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (January 25, 2006)** – SEGA Europe Ltd and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced Condemned: Criminal Origins™ for the PC. Condemned: Criminal Origins, awarded Best Xbox 360 Action Game of 2005 by IGN.com, is a suspense-filled, first-person psychological thriller that made its debut with the launch of the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Developed by Monolith Productions, the game allows players to experience an unnatural level of psychological tension as they use their instincts and forensic tools to track down serial killers and bring them to justice. Players will take on the role of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent in the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through detailed urban environments filled with terrifyingly real sociopaths who lurk on the periphery of humanity.

Condemned: Criminal Origins features amazingly photorealistic environments and true-to-life sound effects that transport players directly to the scene of the crime. Gruesome weapons can be fashioned by clever players from the environment: paper-cutter handles, wooden planks and lead pipes ripped from walls can all be used to attack opponents. The enemy AI is highly intelligent as well as enemies don't merely run at the player; they find an appropriately powerful weapon to attack with and then hide in the shadows, waiting for an open opportunity to strike.

Condemned: Criminal Origins has also received the following accolades for its superior gameplay and audio excellence, including the GameSpot.com Best of 2005 award for Best Sound Effects, the GameSpy.com editor's choice award for Top 5 Xbox 360 Game of the Year, and the IGN.com The Best of 2005 award for Best Use of Sound.

Condemned: Criminal Origins for the PC is slated to ship in Spring 2006. For more information about Condemned: Criminal Origins and other SEGA products please visit www.sega-europe.com.

Source:

Press release (25th January 2006) - PC version

THE HUNT FOR A SERIAL KILLER HAS NEVER BEEN SO TERRIFYINGLY REAL.

A cunning and ruthless killer is taunting authorities with a series of grisly murders. As FBI agent Ethan Thomas, your investigation will pit you against the most violent side of humanity as you unravel clues left by the killer.

Unpredictable enemies with complex AI.

• Stay alive using any weapon you can from firearms to lead pipes to whatever you can prey from the fully interactive environment.

• Unprecedented high-definition graphics and meticulously crafted 5.1 surround sound plunge you into a world of violent crime.

Engage in furious hand-to-hand combat. * Use sophisticated forensic tools to investigate crime scenes and uncover evidence in this intense one-of-a-kind psychological thriller.

Use forensic technology to analyze murder scenes.

Source:

Back of Case (Canada/U.S.)

Developed by award-winning Monolith Productions for Xbox® 360™ Condemned allows players to experience a heightened level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee combat to track serial killers and bring them to justice. Gamers will play as Agent Thomas, an investigator in the FBI’s Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through urban environments filled with sociopaths lurking on the periphery of humanity.Weapons and ammunition are scarce, leaving the player vulnerable to a gallery of mentally deranged criminals. Careful detective work and precision reflexes are a player’s primary means of survival.

• Realistic first-person view: Gives players the maximum visceral effect.
• Next-generation lighting, mapping, and filtering:New graphics techniques provide for environments of unprecedented detail and visual quality.
• Intelligent enemies:Bad guys respond strategically to your offensive and defensive manoeuvres.
• High-level physics: Allows players to manipulate background items, which respond realistically when picked up, kicked, or bumped.
• Fresh characters and plot: A tightly wound story is backed with strong character development and major plot twists.
• Surround Sound: Meticulously crafted surround sound will cue players to the location of off-screen enemies..

Source:

www.xbox.com