BREAKING NEWS: Pub installs Virtual Snooker Hall (DS)

London, England ? 5th November 2007 ? A London pub have announced plans to install a ‘Virtual Snooker Hall’, inspired by the Nintendo® DS launch of World Snooker Championship? Season 2007-08 game, released by Koch Media and available at all games retailers now.

Gordon McIntyre, landlord of the The Metropolitan (60 Great Western Road, W11), says he was inspired to bring back the pub snooker halls of old on a smaller scale, inspired by having played the addictive new DS title. Drinkers at the pub will be able to hire a DS with copy of the World Snooker Championship game from behind the bar, for a half-hour session to play against their friends or for a solitary game versus one of the world’s best professional players as featured in the game. The World Snooker Championship Virtual Snooker Hall will be featured at The Metropolitan from the 8th November, when the pub reopens after closure for refurbishment: As far as we are aware, this is the world’s first instance of a virtual snooker hall being installed anywhere!

?It’s a shame that these days there’s very few pubs with Snooker tables. Most London pubs couldn’t even fit a snooker table inside even if they wanted to. I played World Snooker Championship and thought this would be the ideal way to bring snooker back to pubs. And using the DS wand as a snooker cue makes it the next best thing!? ? Gordon McIntyre, landlord of The Metropolitan

World Snooker Championship Season 2007-2008 has already caught the eye with a high profile ad campaign featuring snooker legend Steve Davis (who also features in the game, as does John Virgo on commentary duties), including a hilarious viral video that features the notoriously deadpan Davis relaxing on the sofa over a frame or two of World Championship Snooker. (The video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIGBle4bGrI)

Since its 1980s heyday as the UK’s most popular televised sport, Snooker has been a popular sporting genre for video games, yet has historically been restricted by how the player controls each shot. Home console joypads and computer mice have never quite achieved the level of interaction and accuracy promised by Nintendo’s immensely popular DS handheld format with its dual touch screen and stylus.

Game Features:

· Choose one of best professional Snooker players, each with his own unique abilities based on real personal abilities

· Unlockable professional players to challenge even the most skilled snooker fan

· 9 official licensed Championship Events of a Snooker season, for example the Welsh Open, Grand Prix, UK Championship, Masters, China Open, World Championship and all the others

· A unique atmosphere through the novel commentary system ‘Shot Watching’ hosted by John Virgo

· Change between two distinct modes ‘Challenge’ and ‘Championship’ for mini games or a complete Snooker season

· The duel screen format of DS, it can display both the full 3D view of the action on one screen and a top down perspective on the other screen