Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements Announced

It's finally official:
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES DARK MESSIAHTM OF MIGHT AND MAGIC®: ELEMENTS FOR XBOX 360

London, UNITED KINGDOM 3 July 2007 Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that it will launch Dark Messiah of Might and Magicâ„¢: Elements for the Xbox 360â„¢ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Powered by the award-winning Source® engine created by Valve® for its Half-Life®2 video game, the game will allow Xbox 360 gamers worldwide to experience the brutal combat, highly detailed interactive environments and dark atmosphere that won the hearts of thousands of PC players, while building and expanding the experience in several areas. Players will have to use the environment as a weapon to outsmart the most fiendish monsters.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements is being developed by Ubisoft's Annecy studio, supported by Valve and Arkane Studios. Ubisoft Annecy has been critically acclaimed for the innovative multiplayer modes in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell® games.

About Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements:

In Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, players will be introduced to the dark and unforgiving world of Ashan, scarred by a bloody history and threatened by the apocalyptic prophecy of the Dark Messiah.

The game will sport a refined experience thanks to several improvements in gameplay, design and other technical aspects. Players will embody the young hero Sareth and choose his evolution path to acquire spells, skills and abilities that will set his destiny.

Key Features of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements for Xbox 360 include:

'¢ More action, new challenges. Experience Might and Magic® like never before, with refined game mechanics carefully crafted for pad-controlled carnage, including a brand new lock-on feature and tweaked level design and game statistics. Explore three previously unreleased secret levels with new objectives, gameplay, and rewards.

'¢ Multiplayer remixed. New multiplayer maps have been created exclusively for Xbox 360, while all other features have been completely remastered for an optimal Xbox LIVE® experience, allowing you to play with up to 10 players. Enlist with the Humans or the Undead and choose to play as an archer, priestess, mage or knight. Make use of powerful and unique skills and spells on the battlefield, including powers such as meteor shower, berserk charge and rain of arrows.

'¢ Cutting-edge technology. Discover the power of the Source engine on Xbox 360, featuring jaw-dropping environments, incredible graphics and top-notch physics. Immerse yourself in a gritty first-person experience with complete body awareness, realistic movements and physics rendering, making Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements the first action game to feature a complete first-person combat system.

· Environmental mischief. Use your environment as a weapon to outsmart the most fiendish monsters. From bottomless pits to diabolical traps, players will find that that their spells and weapons are not always the most effective solution to dispatching their foes.

'¢ Never-ending action. Challenge the forces of evil across 12 chapters and master over 30 weapons and 12 devastating spells. Engage the enemy in intense melee combat with swords, bows, staffs and daggers; summon magic powers or sneak in the shadows to stalk depraved creatures. Show no mercy as you carve deep into the enemy's flesh and use the environment as a weapon to outsmart the most fiendish monsters.

'¢ The Might and Magic universe's darkest side. From bottomless pits to abandoned temples, dark catacombs and swelled cities, explore the remotest recesses of Ashan, populated with fearless Orcs, dreadful Undead, elusive Cyclops and many other creatures that defy nature's creation. This is the darkest side of the legendary Might and Magic universe, where the forces of evil are stronger and more cunning than ever.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements will be released in Q1 2008. For more information, please visit www.mightandmagic.com

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of 680 million Euros for the 2006-07 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

About Valve

Valve is an entertainment software and technology company founded in 1996 and based in Bellevue, Washington. The company's portfolio of entertainment properties includes Half-Life®, Counter-Strike®, Day of Defeat®, and Team Fortress®. Valve's catalog of products accounts for over 20 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 80% of the PC online action market. In addition, Valve is a developer of leading-edge technologies, such as the Source game engine and Steam, a broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content.

About Arkane Studios

Arkane Studios is an independent game development studio founded in Lyon, France in 1999 with a newly opened office in 2005 in Austin, Texas. The studio released its first game worldwide, Arx Fatalis, in 2002. With its innovative magic and items combination systems and gorgeous graphics, this critically acclaimed first-person action RPG earned major awards, including a nomination as "Rookie Studio of the Year" at the prestigious GDC Awards Ceremony. In 2006, Arkane further innovated with Dark Messiah of Might & Magic. Combining incredible environments and special effects with a unique first-person combat system, Dark Messiah garnered the IGN Reader's Choice for the Best PC Action Game of 2006. Today Arkane builds on this expertise developing immersive first person experiences and expanding to online and next gen console games. More information on www.arkane-studios.com