Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Little League® World Series Baseball 2009, the sequel to 2008’s acclaimed hit baseball game, will be released this June for Wii™ and Nintendo DS™. The title is a natural progression for the franchise, offering Little Leaguers and their families more features and refined, accessible gameplay.
“We are very proud of the warm reception our first Little League baseball video game received last year,†said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. “Little League® World Series Baseball 2009 aims to broaden the franchise’s appeal even wider, giving experienced gamers a sense of depth and to feel more challenged while still making it easy for parents or grandparents to pick up and play!â€
Little League® World Series Baseball 2009 is the second officially licensed Little League® video game for next-generation consoles, and once again it is being developed by world renowned Japanese studio NOW Production. Players will have the chance to become a Little League World® Series baseball Champion, or play with up to three other friends in a variety of exhibition modes. New features include a full team editor, regional tournaments, all new stadiums, new skills challenges, an expanded set of collectible content and much more. Both versions improve upon the popular motion and stylus controls, respectively, for batting and pitching.
“The response to last year’s game was phenomenal, and Little League fans have been enthusiastic in giving us ideas for the 2009 version,†Jud Rogers, Sr. Marketing Executive, Little League International. “Activision and NOW Production are the best partners imaginable and we look forward to creating the best family-friendly baseball game of all time.â€
For more information, visit www.activision.com.
About Little League International
Little League International is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2.7 million participants, led by more than one million adult volunteers, in all 50 states and more than 70 other countries. Founded and headquartered in Williamsport, Pa., Little League’s goal is to bring the sports of baseball and softball to children and their families, instilling the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play. While thousands of Little Leaguers have advanced to become Major League Baseball players, with some attaining induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Little League’s purpose is to create good citizens first.
About NOW Production
NOW Production is a premiere video game developer founded in 1986 and based in Japan. It has developed games for many major publishers, including Namco, Konami and Activision, working on games such as Katamari Damacy, Dance Dance Revolution, Little League World Series 2008, and the upcoming Bakugan. In recent years, “NOWPro†has started creating original, independent titles and is also involved with developing mobile software and online games.