In a world where graffiti has been banned and freedom of expression has been suppressed by a tyrannical city government, an unlikely hero rises to win back his neighbourhood and become an urban legend of the city of New Radius. Play as Trane, a "toy" (beginner) graffiti artist with the street-smarts, athletic prowess and vision necessary to become an "All City King," the most reputable of all graffiti artists. The sport of graffiti flows through his veins as he risks his life navigating vertical landscapes while battling rival crews, a corrupt Mayor and the city's Civil Conduct Keepers (CCK) all in an effort to reach the sweet spots of New Radius where a well-placed tag brings respect and reputation.Game development and design is being executed by The Collective, with Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure slated to be published by Atari in the second half of 2005 for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system.
"Atari is thrilled to work with Marc Ecko and The Collective on this groundbreaking project," said Bruno Bonnell, Chairman and CEO of Atari. "Marc brings a completely fresh creative viewpoint and a voice that speaks directly to urban youth culture, which has rapidly emerged as one of the most influential social groups of our time."
"We have the chance to finally tell the urban narrative the right way...with soul and sincerity in the real voice of our culture," said Marc Ecko. "Atari shares my passion for this project. They understand that the video game is the ideal medium to deliver a fully immersive urban experience. Working with The Collective, we're going to shatter cliche stereotypes and create the first truly authentic urban video game experience."
Dedicated to creating a story and environment that is a true representation of graffiti culture, Mr. Ecko has enlisted 50 of the world's most elite graffiti artists to lend their best artwork and personal experiences to the game and consult with The Collective to give Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure the authentic look and feel of a real urban environment.
Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure will create its own genre of gameplay, combining combat, action, adventure and stealth. The game uses a thrilling graffiti-driven framework to tell its story of self-expression and the fight for creative freedom. A thug, an outcast, a rebel...the lead character, Trane, is all of these in Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. He sets out to earn his street cred by getting his graffiti tag up throughout the politically oppressive city of New Radius but as events unfold, Trane becomes the unlikely leader of an urban revolution.
The story's "Get In, Get Up and Get Out" gameplay mechanic offers gamers a unique arsenal of swift stealth and street fighting abilities to GET IN restricted areas of New Radius and battle through the city's rough streets; the dexterity and agility to scale any object in order to GET UP and place graffiti tags, spreading the message of rebellion; and the ingenuity to evade, escape and GET OUT.
"The city of New Radius is a living character in Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure; it sets the tone and offers the thematic boundaries that oppress Trane from the opening cinematic to the dramatic conclusion," said Richard Hare, VP of Creative, The Collective. "We're honored to be entrusted with bringing Marc's vision from the written page to the small screen. Collaborating with so many creative forces is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity."
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