NFL Blitz 2000

The addition of four-player support reveals Blitz's true colors: it's one of the very best party Paks around.

NFL Blitz 2000 For the three or so readers out there new to the Blitz phenomenon, here's the rundown on this hypercaffeinated game: 30 yards nets you a first down, the clock stops after every play, each side has only seven players and, most important of all, there are no penalties. That means no offsides, no interference, no nonsense about unsportsmanlike conduct. Defensive players can (and do) pile on after every play. It is, in short, the Hong Kong action movie of sports Paks.

 

NFL Blitz 2000

Virtual pain is the name of Blitz's game

Nonstop fun like this was meant to be shared, but unfortunately the original NFL Blitz only supported two-player action. That deficit was highlighted by the four-player support in NFL Blitz '99, which arrived in arcades just at the original Blitz hit the home console. But NFL Blitz 2000 has caught up with its arcade counterpart, meaning that you and your buddies should be saving lots of quarters in the coming months.

Play Hard

Midway has substantially beefed up the playbook, too, although no one will confuse it with the far bulkier offerings from NFL Quarterback Club 2000

NFL Blitz 2000

NFL Blitz 2000

You can chart offensive and defensive plays. All-new moves include blocks and delays for receivers

and Madden NFL 2000. At game's start, you can access 27 offensive and nine defensive plays.

New to Blitz 2000 is the ability to compile a playbook of 36 offensive and 18 defensive plays. You can choose from the default playlist, from an additional 18 offensive and nine defensive plays, and from nine offensive and nine defensive plays that you create. You can also preset three offensive and three defensive audibles.

Options, or Lack Thereof

 

NFL Blitz 2000

Another gravity-defying Blitz tackle

Blitz's stripped-down approach to football extends to the options menus. To keep you focused on the fast-moving action, the game gives you but one (admittedly extremely dynamic) camera. Midway has increased the drama by moving the camera closer to the line of scrimmage and lower to the ground, but there are no replays.

 

NFL Blitz 2000

Updated rosters include Bubby Brister starting as Denver QB instead of what's-his-name

Despite the NFL and NFL Players license, Blitz 2000 is, at best, a broad impersonation of the Sunday afternoon game. All the rosters have been updated (although retired running back Barry Sanders still starts for the Lions) and the Tennessee Titans and expansion Cleveland Browns are here. However, Midway's inattention to detail, NFL-style, can be seen in the fact that all the quarterbacks in the team-select screen are left-handed, while in action they're all right-handed -- even the 49ers' Steve Young!

 
NFL Blitz 2000
True to its arcade roots, Blitz 2000 comes packed with wacky codes

Where there's smoke, there's fire

 

PLAYSTATION® GAME CONSOLE TO $99

FOSTER CITY, Calif., August 16, 1999 -- Continuing its long-range plan to make videogame entertainment accessible to mass-market audiences, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today that effective August 23, its leading PlayStation platform will be available to consumers for $99, a nearly 25 percent reduction from its current suggested retail price (SRP). As an additional benefit to consumers, the company also announced the inclusion of several hit franchise titles to its "Greatest Hits" lineup, a series of the most popular PlayStation games available for as low as $19.99. The new "Greatest Hits" inductees will be in-market August 23.

"The $99 price point has always been part of Sony Computer Entertainment America’s strategy to bring the world’s leading videogame entertainment system to the broadest audience," said Kaz Hirai, president and chief operating officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "With a console in more than one out of every five U.S. households, we are well on our way to establishing PlayStation as the de-facto standard in videogame entertainment. Now withPlayStation set at $99, we have taken the next step in our long-range plan to bring the platform to a mainstream audience of all ages."

PlayStation already enjoys a diverse spectrum of fans and offers game titles in all genres, and the company expects this price reduction to further expand the appeal of its popular system. Company executives also indicate that the new price point, coupled with the sustained demand for PlayStation products, will fuel a strong holiday selling season for the category.

"With the announcement of our new pricing structure, PlayStation is poised to dominate its fifth holiday season," said Jack Tretton, vice president, sales, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Our retail partners have been enthusiastic about this new price and are looking forward to meeting the demand the new $99 price will create."

As the company approaches its fourth anniversary -- the system was launched in North America on September 9, 1995 -- PlayStation has become the undisputed leader in videogame entertainment. In just four years, PlayStation has dominated the marketplace with a North American installed base of more than 20 million consoles, and life-to-date software shipments exceeding 159 million units. According to the unadjusted life-to-date figures in the June reports from the NPD Group, a leading source of information on the videogame industry, PlayStation currently enjoys an impressive 56 percent market share for next generation hardware and 64 percent market share for next generation software.*

There are now more than 600 PlayStation titles available to consumers. As part of its unprecedented $150 million marketing blitz, the company is launching a new campaign designed to support the PlayStation brand and new hardware pricing, plus a multitude of other key videogame releases including the "Greatest Hits" software line. This advertising effort will be rolled out over a two-month period and will consist of national TV and print placements, extensive radio buys and cinema advertising.

"Over the past four years, we have demonstrated that videogaming appeals to a mass-market audience," said Andrew House, vice president, marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "The goal of our extensive 1999 marketing campaign, combined with the new pricing structure, is to ensure that the PlayStation entertainment experience is accessible to all consumers, making it more compelling than ever for people to purchase the system."

*All information reported from The NPD Group’s June 1999 TRSTS reports is unadjusted. Sales monitored by the TRSTS measurement system only accounts for approximately 65 to 75 percent of total PlayStation sales within the North American region in each monthly report.

The pricing announcement is accompanied by the addition of more than five game titles to PlayStation’s "Greatest Hits" series. The new "Greatest Hits" inductees include the following:

  • A Bug’s Life™

  • Crash Bandicoot: WARPED™

  • Gran Turismo™

  • Spyro the Dragon™

  • Cool Boarders® 3 from 989 Studios

  • Twisted Metal® III from 989 Studios

With these new additions, the "Greatest Hits" collection now includes more than 60 of the top-selling and most popular PlayStation games of all time. Consumers can find "Greatest Hits" titles for a SRP of $24.99, with many retailers advertising game titles for as low as $19.99.

Sony Computer Entertainment America, a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., markets the PlayStation game console for distribution in North America, develops and publishes software for the PlayStation game console, and manages the U.S. third party licensing program. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

 


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