Press Release Details

id Software's Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory™ Now Available Online - For Free

May 29, 2003 at 12:00 AM EDT

MESQUITE, Texas - May 29, 2003 - id Software™ and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) are enlisting players for frontline combat with the free, online release of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory™.  Developed by Splash Damage, Ltd, and executive produced by id Software, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory enlists players to battle across multi-level WWII campaigns as one of five classes, gaining skills and promotions, constructing strategic assets, and battling with weapons ranging from tank-mounted machineguns to mortars.   Now available free of charge at www.castlewolfenstein.com, the standalone game does not require the original Return to Castle Wolfenstein and is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB.

"Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a new breed of online action games," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software.  "Each battlefield is a unique environment, with terrain ranging from dense foliage to open deserts, and weather conditions like snow and rain.  Every distinctive mission requires a different strategy for victory; so while character advancement through battlefield promotions personalizes your appearance and skills, the fire-team communication, dynamic map overlay, and commander's voice facilitate teamwork in constructing defenses, scouting, infiltration and assault."

"With the free, online release of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, gamers can instantly jump into the action and experience the fun of team-based, tactical combat through exciting campaigns in Western Europe and the deserts of Egypt," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president, Activision Worldwide Studios.  "Splash Damage has created an incredibly unique Wolfenstein experience that fuses the intense action of first person team combat with exciting new strategy, communication and persistent role-playing elements."

Featuring multiplayer support for up to 32 players, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is the ultimate test of communication and teamwork on the battlefield.  Players join the fray as one of five distinct character classes each with unique combat abilities.  The Covert Ops can steal the uniforms of fallen enemies and perform covert reconnaissance behind enemy lines, while Engineers can plant and diffuse land mines as well as construct battlefield structures including bridges, guard towers and forward operations bases in the midst of combat to gain advantages for their team.  Medics provide health and revive fallen teammates, as Field Ops use their binoculars to mark enemy positions for a Soldier's mortar barrage.  Each Axis or Allies team can divide itself into smaller fire teams for quick and easy communication using an intuitive messaging system and dynamic command map of the entire battlefield.

No longer does winning a single battle win the war.  In Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory multiple objective-based scenarios are linked together over the course of three maps to form a campaign where teams struggle for successive victories.  Throughout a campaign, players gain experience in categories like battle sense and light weapons as well as their class specific abilities, each of which persist and accumulate over the course of the campaign.  As players reach higher levels in each of the seven categories they are awarded with enhanced abilities as well as battlefield promotions that are represented as ranks on each players helmet.  The 28 enhanced abilities range from higher ammunition capacity and faster power-bar recharge times, to the ability to see land mines, revive fallen teammates at full health or use a machinegun instead of a pistol as your secondary weapon.

In addition to objective and campaign modes, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory introduces a team-based Last-Man-Standing game mode, where squad-mates cooperate to ensure their team has the last surviving man on the battlefield.  Additionally, Splash Damage has created a new terrain foliage system that allows players to hide or take a sniper position in the cover of long grass or snowy mountaintops. With numerous game modes, epic campaigns, persistent character progression and an arsenal of overwhelming firepower including land mines, mortars, mobile MG-42s and a silenced sniper rifle, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory will have players battling in the trenches for hours.

About id Software
id - Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth - has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991.  As a renowned leader in the industry, id Software forged such frenetic titles as Wolfenstein 3D®, DOOM®, DOOM II™, QUAKE® and QUAKE II™.  With intense graphics and mind-blowing action, id's games have helped redefine the modern video game, continually setting industry standards for technology and gameplay.  And, in keeping with tradition, id Software has amplified the world of adrenaline pumping 3-D gaming with the release of their latest action titles, QUAKE III Arena™, QUAKE III: Team Arena™, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein™.  id's advanced DOOM III engine is leading the next revolution in 3-D interactive games.  Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.com.

About Splash Damage
Splash Damage is a young game development studio dedicated to the creation of First-Person games with a focus on online multiplayer gaming.  Formed in June 2001 from key members of the online mod development community, Splash Damage has grown quickly into a full-size studio and now employs some of the best known 'names' in the community.   Splash Damage is based near London, England.  Visit www.splashdamage.com for further information.

About Activision, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.  Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $864 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia and the Netherlands.  More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements."  The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Activision's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements.  These important factors, and other factors that could affect Activision, are described in Activision's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.  Readers of this press release are referred to such filings.


© 2003 Id Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. under license. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Wolfenstein 3D, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, DOOM, DOOM II, DOOM III, QUAKE, QUAKE II, QUAKE III Arena, QUAKE III: Team Arena, and the id Software name are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Id Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.



Mike Mantarro
Senior Publicist, Corp. Communications
Activision, Inc.
(310) 255-2731
mmantarro@activision.com
Sibel Sunar
The Bohle Company
(310) 785-0515, Ext. 271
sibel@bohle.com