Already released and critically acclaimed in Europe and Canada, Syberia is the latest title developed by Microïds and Benoît Sokal. This winning combination produced the hit adventure game Amerzone, which has sold more than half a million copies internationally since its launch in 1999.
"Syberia has the "Adventure Game-of-the-Year" label written all over it," said Richard Wah Kan, CEO of DreamCatcher. "We are very happy to add this quality title to The Adventure Company's lineup and are convinced of the commercial potential of Syberia for the US market. The partnership is a natural for both Microïds and DreamCatcher."
Added Elliot Grassiano, CEO of Microïds: "DreamCatcher and The Adventure Company label are well established in the adventure market and benefits from a strong reputation built throughout their years of experience in the US territory. With Syberia, we provide them with a definite AAA-title that has enormous potential. Microïds will take advantage of that partnership by establishing itself as a quality entertainment software developer in a very competitive market."
The Game Development
Syberia was developed entirely in Montreal, Canada, under the direction of Benoit Sokal, and is the most ambitious venture that the Paris-based company has ever undertaken. In total, Syberia took over two years to design and, at the most critical points of its development required the involvement of 35 people.
"What we are aiming at with Syberia is to thrust the player into a fantastic, yet at the same time, realistic universe that will guarantee a unique entertainment experience," author Benoît Sokal explained.
In order to achieve this, the members of the development team chose to integrate concepts and techniques taken from a varied range of artistic forms, including comic strips, cinema and, obviously, video games.
"The exceptional visual artistry of the pre-rendered backgrounds, the depth and richness of the plot and the variety of characters encountered throughout the quest make this game truly one of a kind," Sokal added.
The Storyline
Syberia features Kate Walker, a young lawyer from New York who, through a series of remarkable events, finds that her destiny is inextricably linked with that of Hans Voralberg, a scientific genius who designs and manufactures automatons.
To succeed in her quest, conducted through an intricate and rich story-line and an engaging cast of characters, the solitary heroine depends on the decisions and reasoning power of the player, whose task is to guide her through the maze of events, on what turns out to be a voyage of personal growth for Kate.
Syberia was released in Canada on June 13th 2002 and in Europe a few weeks prior to the Canadian launch.
About The Adventure Company
The Adventure Company, a division of DreamCatcher Interactive, is a leading publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment devoted exclusively to releasing titles geared towards adventure gamers. The Adventure Company is committed to publishing games that deliver maximum value on multiple platforms including the PC, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, GameCube®, and Xbox™. The Adventure Company is based in Toronto, Canada. (www.AdventureCompanyGames.com.)
About Microïds
Microïds was founded in France in 1985, and develops, publishes and distributes PC- and console-based interactive entertainment software all over the world. Microïds has development studios in Paris and Montreal, and subsidiary distribution companies in France, Canada, Italy, and England; it employs over 200 people, including a hundred in Montreal. (www.microids.com)