Tech Shout!

Midway Games Inc. has announced that it will be launching the forthcoming action game developed in association with action film director John Woo, in an exclusive version for Sony Corp.’s Gaming console PlayStation (PS3) that packs in a high-definition copy of one of Woo’s films.

The Sony Blu-ray technology will be applied in the collector’s edition of Midway’s ‘Stranglehold’. Sony is banking on Blu-ray to help boost the sales of the PS3, which faces competition from Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s Wii.

The special edition of ‘Stranglehold’ will bundle ‘Hard Boiled’, Woo’s 1992 classic film starring Chow Yun-Fat as a Hong Kong detective. He too lends his likeness and voice to the videogame. The PS3 release will also be a full resolution, 1080p high-definition version of Woo’s 1992 action classic. Its slow-motion scene of Chow blasting away with a pistol in each hand inspired homages in movies such as “The Matrix” and in video games like ‘Max Payne’.

‘Hard Boiled’ appears courtesy of The Weinstein Company and Genius Products who are scheduled to unveil a 15th anniversary Two-Disc Ultimate Edition of the classic film via their Dragon Dynasty DVD label on July 24, 2007.

“We are very excited to be offering PS3 owners this exclusive collector’s edition of Stranglehold, complete with John Woo’s classic film ‘Hard Boiled’,” said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. “Thanks to SCEA, the Blu-ray Disc Association and The Weinstein Company, fans will now be able to fully experience the world of John Woo in one complete and special package.”

“The exclusive collector’s edition of Stranglehold demonstrates the power of PlayStation 3 Blu-ray disc and the total entertainment experience that can only be found on PlayStation 3. The 50GB capacity of Blu-ray disc allows PS3 content publishers to do things simply not possible on our competitor’s 9GB DVD-based systems. Thanks to the advanced technology found in PS3, developers like Midway can truly realize their visions, bringing consumers even closer to the game,” said Riley Russell, senior vice president Third Party Relations and general counsel, SCEA.

‘Stranglehold’ was written as a sequel to ‘Hard Boiled’ and Midway said Woo has been involved in the storyline and reviewing development of the game’s creation. The game is expected hit the PS3, PC and Xbox 360 platforms this summer.