KUMA REALITY GAMES ANNOUNCES NEW KUMA\WAR EPISODE FEATURING IRAQ TROOP SURGE
New York (February 1, 2007) â Episodic game maker Kuma Reality Games announced today the release of âBaghdad Surge,â the 81st episode of its video game series Kuma\War, which turns headline news into first-person suspense. Modeling Haifa street â a notorious stronghold of Sunni insurgents just outside of Baghdadâs Green Zone â the âBaghdad Surgeâ game-episode depicts the real-life battle of January 24, 2007 in which Iraqi and US troops fought to re-assert government control of the war-torn neighborhood. Built from satellite photos and first-hand news reports, Kuma\War Episode 81: âBaghdad Surgeâ will be available for free public download at Kuma Games (www.kumagames.com) beginning Thursday, February 1.
âEach month hundreds of thousands of gamers experience critical real world events for themselves through Kumaâs 3D game technology,â said Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Games. âAs success in Iraq hinges ultimately on the actions and abilities of Iraqi troops, we felt it was essential to put the player in the position of an Iraqi soldier, giving American gamers a view of Iraqi efforts in this important fight.â
Created within one week of the January 24 events, âBaghdad Surgeâ puts players in the role of an Iraqi soldier charged with taking back the capital, following a rise in sectarian violence. Using leadership, marksmanship and a little help from U.S. forces, players have the opportunity to fight the insurgent forces in realistic, first-person firefights along stunning recreations of the streets of Baghdad.
As with every Kuma\War mission, âBaghdad Surgeâ comes accompanied with news reporting, media footage, satellite images, military tactical analysis and eyewitness accounts to help gamers understand a world in crisis. For more than two years, Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. As the leading force in episodic games, Kuma is committed to turning around missions for its audience just days or weeks after real-world events take place. Kuma\War episodes are powered by Source â the same award-winning game engine technology Valve® created to power Half-Life® 2 â and are available for free download at www.kumagames.com.
ABOUT KUMA:
KUMA, LLC. (www.kumagames.com) is the industry leader in the new market for Episodic Video Games - intense, up-to-the-minute 3D game experiences delivered to PCs in weekly episodes. Kuma's network of free, ad-supported game series makes high-end game play accessible to mass market consumers. Each week, players' PCs are updated with the latest "game-isode" from their favorite series inspired by just-released TV shows and films, real world news events and pop culture happenings. With over 100 game-isodes currently available in three titles, Kuma has an excess of two million users, with an additional 200,000 new players signing on each month. Kumaâs synergy with traditional TV programming -- such as The History Channel® series "Shootout!" -- makes television more dynamic and more relevant to a media and tech-savvy generation while presenting distinct marketing advantages for TV partners, advertisers, content owners and distributors. With an unprecedented level of user interactivity, Kuma represents a direct analog for television within video games. Kuma Reality Games, headquartered in New York, NY, is a privately held company.
