Midway Games Inc., a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, announced today that AREA 51 the story-driven, first-person action thriller has shipped to retail outlets nationwide for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. AREA 51 will also be available for PC and is scheduled to ship on May 23, 2005. Midway has created an action-thriller that features an intense storyline packed with scripted events, an arsenal of both human and alien weapons, and powerful multiplayer modes that allow up to 16 players to battle it out online.

Midway is a company with a deep vault of classic gaming franchises and reinventing some of those, such as AREA 51, is a core part of Midway’s strategy for 2005 and beyond," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "Delivering riveting and suspenseful gameplay that no console or PC owner should pass by, AREA 51 is the only first-person action thriller to be set within the confines of the U.S.’s most secret military base."

Rounding out the complete entertainment experience, AREA 51 features a blockbuster line-up of Hollywood voice talent. Cast in the lead role is David Duchovny, star of the ultimate conspiracy-theory television show, The X-Files, will bring his instantly recognizable voice to AREA 51’s lead character Specialist Ethan Cole, a special forces soldier specializing in hazardous materials investigations. Powers Boothe, who currently appears in the HBO mini-series Deadwood, will provide the voice of Major Bridges, while shock-rocker Marilyn Manson will deliver an unforgettable performance as Edgar, the gray alien.