Reported by Adam Martin of WrestleView.com
On Monday, November 7, 2005 at 7:46 PM EST

Midway Games officially announced their video game deal with TNA today. The first TNA game will be released in 2007. It should be noted that there were rumors of TNA getting a video game deal since 2003, but that TNA President Dixie Carter was hesitant to sign any deals she felt the company deserved. Midway then came along and offered the right deal. Here is the press release that was issued today:

Midway Acquires Exclusive Worldwide Videogame Rights to TNA Wrestling

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2005--Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, today announced that it has signed an exclusive worldwide, multi-year agreement with TNA Entertainment to publish videogames based on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling(TM). Under the terms of the agreement, Midway has the rights to develop and publish games for the console, handheld and PC platforms. The first TNA Wrestling(TM) product is scheduled to ship in 2007 for current generation game systems.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is the future of sports entertainment. TNA iMPACT!(TM) airs exclusively on SpikeTV on Saturdays from 11 PM-midnight ET/PT with an encore on Mondays at midnight ET/PT. In addition to the weekly show, TNA Wrestling also produces a monthly pay-per-view special where its top stars such as Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kevin Nash and Rhino compete in, above and beyond the signature six-sided ring.

"TNA Wrestling is one of the fastest growing and most exciting forms of sports entertainment available today," said David F. Zucker, president and CEO, Midway. "It's fast, powerful and cutting-edge in both presentation and style. We are very pleased to be working with TNA and look forward to leveraging our expertise in the fighting game genre to create the most compelling wrestling experience yet."

"Our brand of wrestling is perfectly suited to videogames and Midway is the perfect company to create them," said Dixie Carter, president, TNA Entertainment. "We are very excited about this collaboration and the opportunity to expand TNA Wrestling to a new medium."

About TNA iMPACT! (working title)

TNA iMPACT! is set to be the most complete wrestling videogame to date. Featuring top talent such as Raven, Jeff Jarrett, Monty Brown, Rhino, Christopher Daniels, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and more, TNA iMPACT! will deliver all of the excitement and action of the top-rated weekly television show.

About TNA Wrestling

TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville,TN. TNA iMPACT! airs Saturday nights at 11 PM ET/PT on Spike TV. TNA programming is currently available in 118 countries and is also available on monthly pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network and TVN as well as Viewer's Choice, Bell ExpressVu and Shaw PPV in Canada. The names of all Total Nonstop Action Wrestling televised programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and all TNA Wrestling logos and trademarks are exclusive property of TNA Entertainment, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com.

About Midway

Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices throughout the world, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for major videogame systems and personal computers. More information about Midway and its products can be found at www.midway.com.

TNA, TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION, and other TNA indicia used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual property of TNA Entertainment, LLC and may not be used in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of TNA Entertainment, LLC. (C) 2005 TNA Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. Distributed under license by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. MIDWAY is a registered trademark of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Midway has provided the www.tnawrestling.com link solely as a convenience for you. The information on this site has been prepared by third parties, and Midway does not monitor, endorse or accept responsibility for the content on non-Midway sites.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning future business conditions and the outlook for Midway Games Inc. (the "Company") based on currently available information that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the interactive entertainment industry, dependence on new product introductions and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, the console platform transition and other technological changes, dependence on major platform manufacturers and other risks more fully described under "Item 1. Business -- Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and in the more recent filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, financial guidance, speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Midway undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances.

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Our good friend Tim Baines over at The Ottawa Sun recently conducted an interview with former ECW, WWE and now TNA star Rhino. In the interview, Rhino talks about his jump to TNA, winning the NWA World Heavyweight Title briefly and more. To check it out, click here.

TNA booker and Team Canada's Scott D'Amore recently opened up a sports bar in Windsor, Ontario, Canada titled "Stars of the Game" located at 2055 Sandwich West Parkway.

Credit: Mike Johnson @ PWInsider.com