PS2 ONI
March 16, 2000

Rockstar Games announced it is developing Bungie Software's ONI for the Playstation2. Rockstar is developing the title internally in conjunction with Bungie Software who are developing the title for release on PC and Mac formats. All formats of this game will be released simultaneously.

Oni tells the story of Konoko, a cop and one-woman SWAT team. She is also a woman divided and haunted by shadows in her past, by oni ("ghosts" or "demons" in Japanese).

Bungie CEO Alexander Seropian said, "Oni and the PlayStation 2 were made for each other. The remarkable speed and power of the PlayStation 2 is the perfect complement to the vast environments, cutting-edge technology and wide-ranging action of Oni. Oni's blend of martial arts and gunplay is unique, and its anime setting makes it perhaps the most stylish game we've done yet, so bringing it to console involves many challenges. Fortunately, Rockstar has it all. We're as impressed with their sense of style as we are with their talent for game design, and can't wait to see the result of our mutual effort to bring together this excellent game and excellent platform."

Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games, added, "We are extremely excited to bring the groundbreaking action of Oni to the PlayStation 2 in conjunction with Bungie Software. The development teams at Bungie are some of the most respected in the industry and they have successfully challenged the accepted limits of traditional game development. They understand what it takes to make great games and we at Rockstar's internal development teams have the talent and experience to maximize the PlayStation 2 development hardware. Oni will challenge and change the face of traditional action games on PlayStation 2."