LADYDRAGON.COM - Anna Kournikova Joins Two-Time Grand Slam Winner Lleyton Hewitt On the Cover Of "Top Spin" For Xbox

Wednesday May 14, 2003

Anna Kournikova Joins Two-Time Grand Slam Winner Lleyton Hewitt On the Cover Of "Top Spin" For Xbox

Pete Sampras Also Joins the "Top Spin" Family as a Featured Tennis Star Anna Kournikova will join current number-one ranked Lleyton Hewitt on the cover of "Top Spin," the new tennis title created exclusively for Xbox.

Microsoft Game Studios announced the Russian tennis star's affiliation with the game at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, CA. Kournikova conducted a motion capture session and will serve as headliner for the featured tennis title in the new XSN Sports brand.

In addition to Hewitt and Kournikova, "Top Spin" will feature the high-octane rocket launching serve and baseline game of tennis legend Pete Sampras. The all-time great lent his game and insights to the developers during a motion capture session earlier this year. As the most experienced and highly decorated member of the "Top Spin" tennis team, Sampras rounds out an All-Star cast of 16 tennis stars that lent their likenesses during motion capture sessions, including:

Tommy Robredo

Jan-Michael Gambill

Michael Chang

Gustavo Kuerten

Sebastian Grosjean

James Blake

Daniela Hantuchova

Martina Hingis

Barbara Schett

Ashlet Harkleroad

Elena Dementieva

Meghann Shaughnessy

Amanda Coetzer

"The addition of Anna Kournikova and Pete Sampras to the 'Top Spin' family reconfirms our commitment to creating the world's best tennis game," said Dave Curtin, studio manager at Microsoft Game Studios. "'With a world class roster of athletes, features and gameplay, 'Top Spin' truly is the complete tennis experience for all gamers who want nothing less than the world's No. 1 ranking."

Developed by Power and Magic (PAM), "Top Spin," will be Xbox Liveä enabled offering tennis fans a pulse-pounding glimpse into professional tennis. "Top Spin" challenges each player to master all the shots including slices, lobs, drops and spins while playing on various surfaces including clay, hard court and grass.

XSN Sports is changing the way sports gamers compete online and offline.

"Top Spin" will utilize XSN Sports' revolutionary technology to unite sports fans and gamers through web-based devices for an intense and competitive tennis experience. Acting as the ultimate tournament director, tennis fans can control and build a tennis tournament with friends, compete online using Xbox Live and even receive match results on a cell phone or PDA from a centralized website www.XSNsports.com. This new web based technology, exclusive to XSN Sports titles, will allow gamers to view their tournament's up-to-date scores, standings and stats each morning on a virtual sports page. Whether it is on grass, clay or online, "Top Spin" will be looking to win the Grand Slam this year.

"Top Spin" is tennis with attitude. Top Spin is the only game where momentum and risk-taking combine with intense action for the complete tennis gaming experience. Use the highly detailed player creator with over 30 parameters to create a unique tennis superstar. The new guy or girl can fire up the crowd and feed off of their energy, pump a fist after a great shot or slam a racket to the ground to argue a bad call. Top Spin allows gamers to play tennis their own way.

"Top Spin" will be serving aces and cross-court winners in Fall 2003.