Eidos Interactive ships Omikron: The Nomad Soul
San Francisco, Calif., Nov 1, 1999 -- -- Eidos Interactive, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced the release of the eagerly-awaited PC game Omikron: The Nomad Soul. This epic, designed by Paris-based Quantic Dream, crosses new boundaries in game design by combining elements of action, adventure, and fighting.
While moving through variety of visually stunning environments, game players can take the form of more than 40 inhabitants, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Through a "virtual reincarnation process," the players' soul is transformed into the body of the first person who touches the dead body.
This theme of constant metamorphosis is appropriate since David Bowie, the legendary, chameolonic artist and performer, was intimately involved in the gameIs conceptual design both as an onscreen character, Boz, and as a contributing musician. The name Omikron: The Nomad Soul refers to the ever-moving nature of the players' various bodies. When the game begins, the 'soul' of the player enters the Omikron universe in a body the player can't immediately recognize. From that point on, the player must attempt to escape from the strange dimension through a mixture of thought (conversing, investigation and exploring) and physical action (shooting weapons, and driving vehicles).
Omikron: The Nomad Soul was in development for more than two years and implements never-before-seen features such as facial motion capture in real time. Players can visit more than 400 different sets in four huge areas and interact with more than 140 characters and numerous vehicles which all move in the real-time 3D environment.
During their adventures, players can adopt a true virtual life, occupying their own apartment and shopping for clothes and music, including the first-ever, electronic game virtual album recorded by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels, BowieIs collaborator and guitarist since 1989. Both musicians created original music for the game including eight new songs.
"I moved right away from the stereotypical industrial game music sound" said Bowie. "My priority in writing music for Omikron was to give it an emotional subtext. It feels to me as though Reeves and I have achieved that."
In addition to his Boz character, Bowie appears onscreen along with Gabrels and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey in a virtual band that appears in several clubs in the massive Omikron city. Bowie's super model wife, Iman, also appears as an on-screen character.
"We're extremely thrilled to work with both David Bowie and his collaborator Reeves and feel they've made a direct impact on Omikron, assuring that it will be a truly unique gaming experience," said Charles Cornwall, CEO of Eidos Plc.
Eidos Interactive, Inc. is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment products for the PC, PlayStation ® game console, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. Eidos Interactive is part of London-based Eidos plc (NASDAQ: EIDSY) with additional offices in San Francisco, Paris, Hamburg, Singapore and Tokyo. For more information on Eidos Interactive's product line visit http://www.eidosinteractive.com/home.html.
Contacts
Eric Lindbom/Nina Ronstadt
Faiola Davis Public Relations
323/933-4959
Eric@fdpr.com or nina@fdpr.com
Brian Kemp
Eidos Interactive
415/547-1200
bkemp@eidos.com
Monday, November 01, 1999