“Stake is an exciting addition to Metro3D’s Xbox line-up for 2002 and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and a must-have title to get this holiday season,” said Joseph Morici, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Metro3D. “With the upcoming launch of Microsoft’s built-in broadband online network, we look forward to allowing Stake players to take full advantage of the Xbox machine’s online game play capabilities, which will permit up to eight players to challenge and compete against one another simultaneously.”

Stake is the ultimate third-person combat event where the wildest, most engaging, and dangerous of competitors reap a ton of cash every two years. It’s Stake time again and everyone is ready for this year’s match-up for which Stake competitor will receive riches and fame and command the respect of all who dare defeat him or her. Three modes of play including Death Match, Team Death Match and Castle Mode, where players fight to be first to light sacred flames on their opponent’s castle are available to heat up each powerful challenge.

Utilizing Microsoft Xbox’s built-in broadband online feature, Stake allows up to eight players to compete simultaneously in four-player split-screen combat or eight-players online. All eight characters are powered with different attacks, defenses, speed and special “anger” power levels, exclusive to each character. Players can also attack with interactive items including grenades, ice, gasses, hot oil, flaming statues, rocks, and more. Exclusive downloadable content such as new maps, additional characters and a level editor are also available through the game’s special online feature. Great Xbox-specific textures and effects, including 4,000 polygon characters, realistic real-time lighting and shadows, and smooth animation are also enhancements of the game.

The developer of Stake, Gameness Art Software, Inc. was established in August 2000 in Taipei, Taiwan. Gameness Art Software develops real-time 3-dimensional video games for the Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation® 2, Nintendo® GameCube® and Personal Computer. The Company is made up of game designers and engineers with years of experience in the video game industry.

Gameness Art Software has built its reputation and products leveraging the Veda?, Gameness Art Software’s proprietary game development engine. Veda allows fast and efficient work integration, giving programmers a way to easily and quickly add or modify details of the game, and smoothly translate code to multiple platforms.

Product Features:

• Exclusive Online 3rd Person 3-dimensional Combat for Microsoft Xbox
• Death Match, Team Death Match and Castle Modes
• Play as eight characters, each with different attacks, defense, speed and special "anger" power levels
• Four-player split-screen combat or eight-player online
• Tons of attacks and magic powers exclusive to each character
• Attack with interactive items: Grenades, ice, gasses, hot oil, flaming statues, rocks and more
• Download exclusive content: New maps, new characters and level editor
• Castle Mode: Race to light Sacred Flames on your opponents castle
• Great Xbox-specific textures and effects: 4,000 polygon characters, realistic real-time lighting and shadows, very smooth camera and animation