A video game inspired by the hit cable-TV show "Deadliest Catch" will be launched in April for PCs and the Xbox 360® gaming console.
The release of the game coincides with the premiere of the showâ??s fourth season on the Discovery Channel. The show draws an estimated 3 million viewers each week.
"Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm" is an immersive experience that puts gamers at the helm of one of the world's most dangerous professions - that of a crab boat captain in the Bering Sea. Players will battle 40-foot waves, storms, ice and a nearly 100 percent crewmember injury rate in the hunt for undersea riches.
The game was inspired by Sig, Edgar and Norman Hansen, three brothers who operate their family's fishing vessel, the Northwestern. The Hansen brothers started game development with Liquid Dragon Studios in October 2005.
Gamers can select one of five real crab boats, including the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie and Sea Star - all featured on the series - or create and customize their own boat. Gamers then recruit and lead their own crew from a roster of 20 crab fishermen.
Authenticity and realism were critical to the Hansen brothers, who invited the development team to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to personally experience life on a crab boat.
The game's realism is enhanced with four real Bering Sea harbors and 34,000 miles of Bering Sea coastline created from the United States Geological Survey. The game is not yet rated. For more information, visit www.alaskanstorm.com.
