February 19^th, 2004 (12:00am) - Namco has announced that its unique first person fighting/shooter game, Breakdown, has gone gold. Exclusively for the Xbox, Breakdown is scheduled to reveal its mysterious plot and sneak onto store shelves on March 16, 2004.

“Breakdown breaks down the barriers of any existing first-person game category,” said Rod Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Research and Development. “Combining revolutionary hand-to-hand combat with heavy weaponry, Breakdown provides a twist from your typical first-person game with its story-driven action and intrigue. It’s not just an FPS, it’s also an FPF (first-person fighter) and an FPD (first-person driver)—take your pick—it masters all.”

Breakdown offers players an unprecedented level of game play realism. With a compelling military science fiction storyline unfolding through the game’s intricate graphics and lifelike animations, Breakdown is a comprehensive first person hand-to-hand and weapons-based action shooter.

Breakdown is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and will be available in stores nationwide the week of March 16, 2004. For more about Breakdown, visit www.project-breakdown.com.