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LEGACY INTERACTIVE UNLEASHES PAIR OF REALISTIC ANIMAL CARE GAMES FOR HOLIDAYS Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals Ships. Farm Vet to Follow Shortly. Los Angeles, CA – November 1, 2007 – Legacy Interactive announced today that Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals has shipped for PC/MAC. At the same time the original veterinarian simulation experts announced a second animal doctor game, Farm Vet, will be available on PC at retail in early December. Vivendi Games is distributing both titles at retail in North America. The reality-based Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals is the follow-up to the 2005 hit Zoo Vet and has already garnered a coveted 2007 Editor’s Choice Award from the Children’s Technology Review. Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals features 30 scenarios created by real life veterinarians in which players treat 20 different endangered animals including a lion, elephant and panda in situations ranging from setting an eagle’s broken wing to saving a crocodile that has swallowed a penny. Three levels of play teach animal lovers about actual medical tools, animal statistics, vet techniques and true-to-life zoo maladies while trivia, memory and hidden object mini-games help unlock nearly 100 beautiful photos and video segments provided by the African Wildlife Foundation, which benefits from a portion of the game’s proceeds. “By including conservation information and scenarios in Zoo Vet that address real-life animal endangerment issues, we hope to spread AWF’s message to a whole new audience. We love what the African Wildlife Foundation does and believe that their work is incredibly important. Collectively, our customer community can do good in a big way!” said Legacy Interactive CEO Ariella Lehrer. Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals is rated E 10+ and is available at retail outlets for an estimated retail price of U.S. $19.99. A downloadable PC version is expected to be available at www.legacygames.com early next year. In the real-time 3D Farm Vet simulation game, players will take on the role of a veterinarian’s apprentice, working hard to build a thriving farm and learn enough to become a full-fledged veterinarian. Animals will not just need to be medically treated, but also fed, played with and loved. The farm starts out with only a few buildings and animals, growing dramatically as players master cases and tasks in mission-based gameplay. Farm-specific mini-games such as collecting eggs, sheep herding, horse training, and milking cows add to the fun. As with Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals, real veterinarians contributed the 40 animal care cases encountered in Farm Vet, including coming to the aid of a cow that has choked on an apple and treating a newborn lamb with a nursing problem. About the African Wildlife Foundation Founded in 1961, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is the leading conservation organization focused solely on the African continent. AWF’s programs and conservation strategies are based on sound science and designed to protect both the wild lands and wildlife of Africa and ensure a more sustainable future for Africa’s people. Since its inception AWF has protected endangered species and land, promoted partnerships with the private sector for ecotourism to benefit local African communities as a means to improve livelihoods, and trained hundreds of African nationals in conservation – all to ensure the survival of Africa’s unparalleled wildlife heritage. AWF is a non-profit organization headquartered in Kenya with offices in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Washington, DC, and Zambia and is a registered 501(c)(3) in the United States. Visit www.awf.org to learn more about the work of the African Wildlife Foundation. About Legacy Interactive Legacy Interactive is a developer and publisher of casual games. Entertaining customers since 1998, the company has built a reputation for developing intelligent, realistic and engaging games for a broad audience. Located in Los Angeles, Legacy is well known for its TV-branded games, such as Law & Order and The Apprentice, as well as for its popular simulation games Pet Pals: Animal Doctor, Emergency Room and Zoo Vet. Through Legacy’s online casual game portal at www.legacygames.com, customers can download and try more than 500 casual games plus read and write reviews and share playlists of their favorite games. Legacy has ongoing distribution, marketing and content strategic partnerships with a number of companies, including Vivendi Games, Universal Studios, Ubisoft, Mindscape, Majesco Entertainment, and Scholastic. Legacy Interactive can be found on the Web at www.legacyinteractive.com. About Vivendi Games Vivendi Games (www.vivendigammes.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is the leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player (MMO) games category, holds leading positions in the PC, console, handheld and mobile games markets, and is an emerging player in casual online games. Vivendi Games’ two principal studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, headquartered in Irvine, CA, the creator of World of Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, and Warcraft; and Sierra Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles, which includes Radical Entertainment, Swordfish Studios, High Moon Studios, and Massive Entertainment. Sierra is the owner of Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Empire Earth, SWAT, Leisure Suit Larry, and Ground Control. Vivendi Games also includes Vivendi Mobile Games and Sierra Online divisions. Vivendi Games maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and Ludlum Entertainment. The company has 16 offices around the world conducting business in 75 countries.
Legacy Press contact: African Wildlife Foundation contact:
LEGACY INTERACTIVE’S ZOO VET: ENDANGERED ANIMALS Proceeds From Sales of Veterinary Simulation, Boasting 30 New Treatment Scenarios, LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27, 2007 — Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals, the latest in Real Life Games® from Legacy Interactive®, will arrive in time for the Holidays, first at retail (October 2007) and then in a special downloadable version available at www.legacygames.com. Vivendi Games will distribute the title at retail in North America. This interactive exploration of veterinary medicine is the follow-up to 2005’s Zoo Vet, which earned the Parent’s Choice Seal of Approval, sold more than 250,000 copies and inspired the Washington Times to note: “Zoo Vet provides the perfect balance of learning, interaction in real-life situations and honing logic skills to make it one of the best animal-care simulations on the market.” “We’re proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds from sales of Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals will benefit the African Wildlife Foundation, which supplied some incredible content, including more than 80 gorgeous photos for the Andrew’s Album feature of the game,” says Legacy Interactive CEO Ariella Lehrer. The leading international conservation organization focused solely on Africa, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has played a major role in ensuring the continued existence of some of Africa’s most rare and treasured species. “We are very happy to be associated with Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals and Legacy Interactive,” notes AWF CEO Patrick Bergin. “Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals will provide important support for our work to protect Africa’s imperiled wildlife. Ariella and her team also have done a marvelous job of incorporating content into the game that will educate and hopefully inspire consumers to become more involved in conserving wildlife in Africa, and throughout the world.” Andrew’s Album – in which players hunt for the missing photos zookeeper Andrew took during his recent trip to Africa – is one of several mini-games enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of the 20 animals populating the Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals world. The virtual practice of veterinary medicine affords players the opportunity to perform surgery, administer medicine and carry out other treatment procedures using a variety of realistic medical tools. Helpful hints are available from the friendly zoo staff so that players of all levels are able to succeed. “One of my favorite parts of the game is helping the eagle with the broken wing,” notes producer Don Marshall, who also oversaw production of Legacy Interactive’s popular game Pet Pals: Animal Doctor. “You have to carefully use a scalpel on the eagle’s wing, examine the broken bone, set it using a pin and then close up the incision so the bird can fly again.” Thirty gameplay scenarios – starring a lion, an elephant, a polar bear, an otter, a tortoise, a zebra and a crocodile that has ingested pennies tossed into his enclosure, among other animals – were contributed by veterinarians practicing throughout the world. In addition to the 30 unique medical cases and Andrew’s Album expedition, Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals boasts beautifully rendered, photorealistic 3D modeling of its patients, as well as the ability to visit and interact with the animals in their zoo enclosures. Moreover, would-be veterinarians can settle in at the zoo’s office computer to investigate conservation issues, actual video footage of at-risk species in Africa, and information about the education and skills required to pursue a career as a vet. The animal action is rounded out by a memory game, a trivia test, a word search and a jigsaw puzzle. Since 2001, when Legacy Interactive launched the “aspiring vet” genre with the introduction of “Vet Emergency,” the company has established a reputation for respecting the intelligence of its audience and in so doing, providing both children and adults with compelling educational experiences that emphasize learning through activity. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than on the Legacy Games’ website, where a fan of Zoo Vet revealed, “I always wanted to be a vet, and now I can!” About Vivendi Games About the African Wildlife Foundation About Legacy Interactive |
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