LONDON, Jan. 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Empire Interactive PLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSTR), today announced that since its release in June 2006, sales of the critically acclaimed FlatOut 2 franchise have exceeded a million copies.
FlatOut 2 has also won numerous awards including 'Best Racing Game of 2006' from G4's X-Play games show (topping the likes of Need For Speed Carbon and Test Drive Unlimited in the process) as well as the 'Game Of The Month' award on its launch from Official Xbox Magazine. The game was also awarded 'Best PlayStation 2 Racing Game of 2006' from IGN and on PC 'Best Racing game of 2006' from Krawall Gaming Network.
Empire anticipates releasing the 3rd generation version of its award winning franchise in the first half of 2007. The new game, tentatively titled FlatOut Ultimate Carnage is a re-imagining of FlatOut 2 rebuilt from the ground up and specifically developed to make use of the additional feature sets and improved processing ability of third generation technologies. The final product will produce an entirely new, breathtaking FlatOut experience.
Commenting on the success of the FlatOut franchise, Ian Higgins, CEO of Empire Interactive remarked, "We are delighted that leading industry publications have recognized the quality of the FlatOut franchise by citing it ahead of some major players as the best racing game of 2006. The public seems to agree, as to date, the first two games in the series have sold over one million copies worldwide. We anticipate an official announcement of a launch date for the 3rd generation version in the near future. Since the acquisition of Empire Interactive by Silverstar Holdings, we have been working on a number of exciting projects and anticipate further significant announcements from the company throughout 2007."
Clive Kabatznik, CEO of Silverstar Holdings, said "FlatOut is the flagship franchise of our group. The tremendous public response to the title and the numerous industry awards are testimony to the quality and popularity of this game franchise. We believe that this bodes well for the next generation release of the FlatOut franchise, both in terms of the new capabilities showcased by third generation console technology as well as increased popular appeal for the latest incarnation of this most successful franchise."
About Empire Interactive:
Empire Interactive is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software that has been established for 18 years. Headquartered in the UK, Empire Interactive also has offices in the US, Germany, France and Spain. The company develops and publishes a varied range of titles for all current platforms in the US, Europe and Asia. Games such as Starsky & Hutch, Big Mutha Truckers, Ford Racing and FlatOut have all enjoyed success across the world. Its budget label, Xplosiv, is one of the fastest growing in Europe. Further information about Empire Interactive and its products can be found at www.empireinteractive.com
About Silverstar Holdings:
Silverstar Holdings Ltd. is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq:SSTR), focusing on acquiring controlling positions in high-growth retail-driven and fee-based electronic game businesses that stand to benefit from the economies of scale generated by the Internet and other technology-related platforms. It currently owns Empire Interactive PLC and Strategy First Inc. as well as a stake in Magnolia Broadband.
Empire Interactive PLC is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software games such as Starsky & Hutch, Big Mutha Truckers, Ford Racing and FlatOut. Empire's products are delivered on both console and PC platforms. Strategy First Inc. is a leading developer and worldwide publisher of entertainment software for the PC. Magnolia Broadband is a fabless semiconductor company and innovator of radio frequency (RF) solutions for the cellular industry.
The statements which are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future financial results, additional financing requirements, development of new products, regulatory approval processes, the impact of competitive products or pricing, technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Market News First logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3162