D&D for your PSP

by: John - posted: 5/2/2006 10:01:00 AM

Atari has announced a D&D game for the PSP for release this Holiday season. Dungeons and Dragons: Tactics lets you take six adventurers through the realm using the D&D 3.5 rule-set. There seems to be a good set of classes to choose from including two Psionic varieties. The game will also take advantage of the wireless capabilities offering co-op play through the campaign and Deathmatches.

Atari Announces First Ever DUNGEONS & DRAGONS(R) Game for PSP(TM) System

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Tactics(TM) to Hit Retail in Holiday 2006

NEW YORK, May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News) today announced the development of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®: Tactics(TM) for the PSP(TM) (PlayStation®Portable) system, marking the first time the highly- coveted D&D® license has ever graced a next-generation portable system. D&D®: Tactics authentically utilizes the D&D 3.5 rule-set created by Wizards of Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - News) and allows players to take a party of six adventurers into a wide variety of dangerous environments to experience deep and exciting turn-based action. Developed by Kuju Entertainment, D&D: Tactics is not yet rated and is planned for a 2006 holiday season release. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc.

"DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Tactics will offer role-playing game fans and PSP system owners the only chance to bring this fantasy-based game wherever they go," said Rick Mehler, Director of Marketing, Atari, Inc. "With wireless cooperative game modes, downloadable content, customizable characters and the acclaimed 3.5 rule-set, Atari is thrilled to extend the D&D world to the handheld market."

"The PSP system has proven to be a very exciting platform to work with and an ideal choice to expand the world of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS within the interactive gaming space," said Jerry Chu, Senior Licensing Manager, Hasbro. "Making full use of the PSP system's unique capabilities, gamers will be granted an accurate D&D experience and story combined with a robust multiplayer system and the ability to extend gameplay thru downloadable content."

D&D: Tactics offers an original, intriguing DUNGEONS & DRAGONS storyline. Players take on the role of a mortal child caught in a conflict of two competing dragons striving for godhood. Alignment is critical, as it affects the end of the story and allows players to change from good to evil, or the other way around, depending on which quests they choose. Gamers will play through a series of adventures, completing various objectives along the way. D&D: Tactics offers all the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS base character classes including Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer and Wizard. Five Prestige Classes are available, as are two Psionic classes, the Psion and the Psychic Warrior. Players will be able to customize their characters and store as many as their memory stick can handle.

D&D: Tactics will take full advantage of the PSP system's wireless capability and offer gamers a multiplayer mode. The co-operative mode allows a group of gamers to play the single-player campaign with their friends as a team. In Deathmatch mode a series of special arenas, such as the randomly- generated and populated Dungeon Bash, allows players to fight one another with their saved parties. D&D Tactics also features the ability to utilize downloadable content helping extend the play in the form of new dungeon maps.