14 DAY TRIAL // THQ announced that to promote the upcoming launch of The Outfit, created by internal studio Relic Entertainment, the company is setting the standard for next-gen online gaming, offering the first pre-launch online multiplayer demo for the Xbox 360.
The demo, available on Xbox Live online game service free of charge, will allow consumers to experience one of The Outfit's intense multiplayer maps with up to eight people battling it out online over Xbox Live. Gamers can also download the multiplayer demo to their Xbox 360 and go head-to-head with a friend via Split Screen. The Outfit, a WWII squad-based combat game, is scheduled to release for Xbox 360 on Tuesday, March 14, with a suggested retail price of $59.99.
In addition, THQ and Relic Entertainment announced plans today to develop and release downloadable content to The Outfit players post launch, utilizing the full potential of the Xbox Live Marketplace. The content, which will include a series of multiplayer map-packs, will allow gamers to continuously extend their entertainment experience. New multiplayer map-packs are scheduled to be released periodically over the next 12 months.
"More than 50 percent of Xbox 360 owners are playing games on Xbox Live and we expect online gaming to be a major factor in the next generation console cycle, both in terms of game content and publisher revenue, said Kelly Flock, executive vice president, Worldwide Publishing, THQ. "The online multiplayer demo for The Outfit and the downloadable content we are announcing today put us at the forefront of this new opportunity and is just the beginning of what gamers should expect from THQ."
"Xbox Live is continuously changing the way people think about games and entertainment and we are very excited to deliver the first ever pre-launch online multiplayer demo to Xbox Live members through THQ's The Outfit," said Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation.
"The Outfit utilizes the power of the Xbox 360 hardware and accessibility of the Marketplace to deliver a multiplayer experience that is all about chaotic battles with larger than life characters and an unmatched fun factor," declared Ron Moravek, general manager, Relic Entertainment. "We can't wait for people to start downloading the demo and getting a taste of what the gaming press have been saying for weeks."