25 to Life is the game the streets have been waiting for. Play as either cops or gangsters, in this urban action third person shooter. The game delivers intense Online gameplay for up to 16 players, as well as a rich single player experience. Set in the heart of today’s cities, experience the gritty lifestyles of police task forces or as a gangster survive the local neighborhood thugs while fighting your way up the ranks. Bust out of prison, or infiltrate the inner sanctum of the drug lord’s mansion, your knowledge of the streets will be put to the test because… 25 to Life IS the streets!

Key Features:

• Battle online with up to 16 players in this intense urban battlefield. Establish and defend your turf or uphold the law and exchange fire against your opponents using the USB Headset!
• Compelling single player game-play. Experience the world of 25 To Life as you try to survive life in the hood as a rising Thug forced into life threatening situations.
• Highly interactive urban environment delivers a superior and realistic game-play experience. Car alarms and pedestrians are few of the items that may give your position away.
• Fully customizable character system gives you the freedom to define your looks and style. Display your ranking by unlocking and customizing your gear with the latest threads!
• Robust weapons arsenal includes both lethal and non-lethal ways to take down your opponents.
• Cutting Edge Hip Hop soundtrack featuring undeniable rap classics as well as the best of current and breaking artists.

GCM:	Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Could you start by introducing yourself and telling us about the team behind 25 to Life?
Jake Neri:	Sure. I am Jake Neri, my company is called Highway 1 Productions. 25 to Life represents our first original IP and it is being developed with a really solid team in Salt Lake City called Avalanche Software.

GCM:	Please tell us a little bit about the story and the characters in 25 to Life.
Jake Neri:	The main character “Freeze” is torn between a life with his crime family or a life with his real family. But you aren’t just let out of the 22nd Street D-Boys that easy, so he is makes a deal…one last heist and then he can be out. Things don’t go the way he planned.

GCM:

Due to the nature of the game it is likely to draw accusations (similar to GTA) that it glamorizes illegal activity and violence. While it's true that 25 to Life may not be any more severe than other games on the market, could you give us a thoughtful response to these kinds of accusations, and do you think having the police as a playable element will help take some of the proverbial “heat” off?

Jake Neri:

25 to Life represents a time honored entertainment theme that a large segment of consumers has been looking for online: Cops vs. Robbers. Like GTA, we must adhere to the guidelines set in place by the ESRB in our development, marketing, and distribution of the game. I ’m not sure how the inclusion of Law Enforcement will influence people’s perceptions, but I know that various Law Enforcement personnel have seen the game and seem to like it.

GCM:	When it comes to authenticity, did you consult with any law enforcement or actual gang members to keep things “real”? (i.e. Police tactics, gang slang, etc.)
Jake Neri:	We definitely did our homework and one of my closest friends is a police officer in Central California. He got plenty of late night phone calls brainstorming ideas and sprinkling us with elements that would help us keep the game real. Frank Williams is also part of the team, working with the dialogue and story line. He’s one of hip-hop’s most respected scribes.

GCM:

Based on the theme of the game, it sounds like you had the opportunity to include some great hip-hop. What can you tell us about the music and or artists featured in the game?

Jake Neri:

25 to Life is surrounded by passionate hip-hop fans and the games’ music was extremely important to us. . Our track list is hot from head to toe. Early on we signed a track called “Ghetto Star” from Tupac, and it set the tone. The finished product will contain tracks by legends like Boogie Down Productions, The Geto Boys, Gangstarr, and DMX. We also have some dope up and comers like Tech N9ne, Aasim, Grafh, Shade Sheist, Pook D and on and on. We also have my favorite rapper Ghostface, we got his track “Run” from the Pretty Toney album. Needless to say we got hot MC’s lined up, and we have some exclusive jewels that I am not allowed to talk about.

GCM:	What kind of customizations will be possible? Will the characters remain fairly consistent or will they receive upgrades based on new weapons and abilities?
Jake Neri:	We have an insane amount of customizations that all affect the way a player or a clan will look and feel in the game. Over the course of the game you will unlock a lot of different clothing styles, colors, items, etc. that you can dress your character in. This allows players to look how they want online, and they can outfit their clans in matching gear so that they stand out.

GCM:	25 to Life looks like a realistically gritty representation of the inner city. What are some of your favorite locations in the game?
Jake Neri:	That’s a good question. I like a wide range - Prison, Subway, Hacienda, Penthouse, Cul-De-Sac. The tag line we use is “from the streets to the suites” as we didn’t just want to have only hood levels.

GCM:	Please tell us about the online multiplayer features of 25 to Life.
Jake Neri:	25 to Life features 8-on-8 gameplay for both the PS2 and the Xbox. We have full USB head set support and a variety of unique modes from Raid Mode to Robbery Mode. We touched on customization so you know about that but again we are the only online title allowing 16 players to bring 16 unique looks online at the same time. Did I mention that we are the first ever, online game of Cops vs. Robbers?

GCM:

Cops or Gangsters? Do you or the design team secretly have a favorite side they prefer from a gameplay standpoint, or if not, what steps are being taken to make sure each side is just as much fun to play as the other, especially when picking sides in online play.

Jake Neri:

That’s a great question. I just spent the other night combing the message boards looking at all the people asking this same question “COPS OR GANGSTERS YO!” I can tell you that both sides are being well balanced so that the real difference will come from the ability of the player and not the side of the law he chooses to play. I like playing as both honestly. There is nothing finer than tazing someone while playing with a State Trooper hat and Aviator shades on, but there is also something very satisfying about holding a 9mm while donning a fur coat and a fresh pair of ice white sneakers. Incidentally, in the message boards it’s about even when it comes to what side of the law most people want to play on.

GCM:	What can we expect from the graphics in 25 to Life?
Jake Neri:	Avalanche’s engine makes gorgeous looking graphics. Expect to see some great stuff in 25 to Life. We are using multi pass texturing, which really makes levels come to life. You will see, it looks very good and stands up to anything on the market.

GCM:	Will there be any significant technological or gameplay differences between the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game?
Jake Neri:	Gameplay wise they are similar, we are supporting the Xbox 720p widescreen support which looks incredible. To have the most consistent experience, we've focused heavily on making the community aspects high quality across all platforms taking "the best" of Xbox Live plus PS2 online, and melding that into a great community experience.

GCM:	Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Would you like to leave us with any final thoughts or comments?
Jake Neri:	Thanks and look for 25 to Life hitting the streets later this summer. Check out www.25tolife.com

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