Atlus announced at E3 that they have gained the rights to publish The King Of Fighters XIII in North America.

Ryo Mizifune of SNK Playmore said “We are excited to work with Atlus to bring The King of Fighters XIII to North America. Fans have waited patiently for an HD iteration in the series that could live up to the proud tradition of classics like KOF ’98”.

Full press release after the jump.

ATLUS today announced that it has secured North American publishing rights for  THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII, the latest entry in the legendary fighting franchise, for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system (PS3™) and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

With the triumphant return of fan favorite characters like Mai, K’, and Vice, extensive refinement of the core fighting engine based on community feedback, and vastly improved network functionality, THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII represents the HD entry in the series that fans have been waiting for.  Painstaking effort has been made to address every last concern following the last entry: fights play faster; the addition of over a half dozen play modes offers variety and replayability; the game’s beautifully rendered and animated character sprites are better distinguished from the backgrounds-which happen to be richer and more detailed; the camera perspective is less restricted; fighters have more moves, including new supers and the all-new NEOMAX supers; and much, much more!

“We are excited to work with ATLUS to bring  THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII to North America,” stated Ryo Mizufune, President of SNK PLAYMORE.  “Fans have waited patiently for an HD iteration in the series that could live up to the proud tradition of classics like KOF ’98.  We view  KOF XIII as an opportunity to deliver a high definition  KOF game that meets and exceeds fan expectations.  We have worked very hard to listen to all of their concerns and suggestions, to incorporate all of their feedback and ideas, and we hope that  XIII becomes one of their favorite games in the series.”

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII is scheduled to release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems during the 2011 Holiday Season.  For more info, visit http://www.atlus.com/kofxiii.

About  THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII

With a roster featuring over 30 hand-drawn fighters, a number of detailed stages bursting with life, over a half dozen play modes, a refined fighting engine built for speed and complete with new moves and supers, a vastly improved Online mode, and a host of other additions, tweaks, and enhancements,  THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII represents a rebirth for one of gaming’s longest tenured franchises and one of the most popular fighting brands ever.

About ATLUS
Video game publisher ATLUS has established itself as one of its industry’s most consistent, celebrated companies. With proven success across a variety of genres and platforms, including enthusiast-oriented games like the  Shin Megami Tensei franchise of award-winning, fan beloved roleplaying games (including the hit  Persona sub-series of games and the prestigious  Nocturne) and Demon’s Souls, ATLUS provides quality critically acclaimed interactive entertainment to a wide spectrum of customers.

ATLUS has published games for every major video game console and handheld system, including the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, DS™, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable), and PC.ATLUS is a brand of Index Corporation and its privately held subsidiary Index Digital Media, Inc. 

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