Ubisoft, one of the world’s leading videogame companies, today announced that Chessmaster® will launch on the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft in North America this October. For the first time on Xbox™ Live, players will also be able to test their skills and square off against other chess players.

Chessmaster for Xbox Live is designed to help players learn, improve and master the game of chess, while challenging a variety of AI-controlled opponents and meeting other chess players online. Players can go on Xbox Live to play against friends and other ranked players, as well as obtain a ranking, chat about what’s new in chess and join a thriving online chess community. Chess novices will appreciate the easy-to-use interface for smooth navigation through basic opening moves and winning chess strategies. Players looking to improve their game or gain new skills can receive extensive advice from International Master Josh Waitzkin at the new Chessmaster Academy. At the Academy, players can also take advantage of the best aggressive chess moves taught by instructor and Grandmaster Larry Christiansen. Chessmaster is powerful enough to challenge a Grandmaster, but wise and friendly enough to teach first-time chess players.

“Now Xbox owners can play one of the greatest board games of all time and learn at their own pace, with the option of challenging other online players on Xbox Live,” said Helene Juguet, Director of Marketing. “Chessmaster is a great gift idea for whole family.”

Whether you are new to chess or a tournament-level player, Chessmaster provides features for all levels of play:

An extensive training mode that provides quick hints, comprehensive advice, in-game coaching, game analyses and blunder alert warnings.
More than 180 AI opponents of different skill levels and various playing styles provide a challenge for everyone.
More than 60 predefined tournaments and the option to customize your own tournament.
More than 500 famous chess games with commentary, spanning five centuries of chess.
An unlimited number of brain-teasing chess puzzles.
Three special chess sets with whimsical animations to play just for fun – great for the whole family!

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is an international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products. A leading company in the multimedia industry, Ubisoft’s strong and diversified lineup has grown considerably, as has Ubisoft itself. As well as steadfastly continuing to partner with several high-profile companies, Ubisoft has also confirmed its presence on the global market by developing its own exceptional properties. Founded in 1986 in France, Ubisoft is now present on every continent, both through offices in 21 different countries including the United States, Morocco, Germany and China and through sales of products in over 50 countries. The group is dedicated to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge videogame titles to consumers around the world. Ubisoft generated a turnover of 508 million euros for the 2003/2004 fiscal year, up 22.5% over the previous fiscal year. To learn more, visit http://www.ubi.com .

© 2004 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Portions of Chessmaster Academy instructional content © 2004 Joshua Waitzkin. Chessmaster is a registered trademark and Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.

About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

Posted By: Adam Paoli - 158 Reads

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February 15, 2005