UltraCade Technologies, Breeders' Cup Ltd. and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Tuesday unveiled a coin- operated horse racing game called Breeders' Cup Tournament Edition. The game is currently in testing and will be available in early 2005 through UltraCade Technologies distribution partners. In the game, players can breed, train and race their own Thoroughbred racehorses – all to build up their stables of horses that compete against the computer and players from around the world. The horse and stable information is stored on a proprietary card system that allows players to take their stable of horses with them wherever they go and play on any Breeders' Cup - Tournament Edition machine. "The Breeders' Cup - Tournament Edition game has the potential to have a far-reaching impact on Thoroughbred racing and the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships," said Kenneth E. Kirchner, senior vice president of product development for the NTRA. "By delivering the Breeders' Cup experience in a coin-op format, UltraCade will bring Thoroughbred racing to a whole new audience." "We plan for this game to be the beginning of a long-term franchise," said McKay Smith, NTRA director of product development. "There will be a substantial marketing and promotional plan tied to this game, much of it involving NTRA member racetracks." Breeders' Cup - Tournament Edition is a single, upright arcade machine that has the ability to link up to 12 machines in a single location. An optional overhead display system provides spectators with a great view of the real-time horseracing activities. The game's tournament will coincide with the Thoroughbred racing season, which begins in January and concludes on Oct. 29, 2005, when the 22nd Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be held at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Breeders' Cup - Tournament Edition allows players to compete locally on linked machines or worldwide, using the online connectivity feature that allows players to compete against other players from around the globe in real time with head-to-head action. Players can track results and standings on the UltraCade web site, giving them a fully immersive experience. Breeders' Cup Tournament Edition also uses a feature that automatically matches similarly ranked and skilled horses for competition, which creates excitement and engages players and horses from around the world.
"The opportunity to race against other players from around the world is just one of the many exciting features that our system has and makes the Breeders' Cup - Tournament Edition game stand out from any other horse racing or tournament games," said David R. Foley, CEO of UltraCade Technologies, which is headquartered in San Jose, California. "Operators alike will enjoy this machine because it gives them an affordable game with a small footprint that packs in the best horse racing experience available in coin-op."
