Hunt for the monsters of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt all over the world using Google Maps

GRAPEVINE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2015-- Exploring cities all over the world just got a lot more interesting -- as GameStop and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment are using Google Maps to turn city streets into monster tracking courses. The world’s largest gaming retailer is hosting the biggest monster hunt online ahead of the May 19 launch of Warner Brothers and CD PROJEKT RED’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The consumer engagement program kicked off at 12:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, May 11 and will be live through Tuesday, May 19 at 11:59 a.m. CDT. In this digital pursuit, players will experience the exploration and great detail seen in the fantasy world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as they spot characters from the game in real-world locations and seek its monsters for prizes.

“We are excited to partner with WB, CD PROJEKT RED and, of course, Google, to bring this experience to life,” said Frank Hamlin, chief marketing officer at GameStop. “This program is the first of its kind for GameStop and we are having fun dipping our toe into new waters, especially waters filled with monsters.”

The Monster Hunt is hosted on GameStop.com (www.gamestop.com/witcher3), and easy to play on a desktop. It leverages the Google Maps API and Javascript API alongside the Street View function to transform a Google Map into a live race to find monsters hidden at historic and exotic locales all over the globe.

From there, players can start their chase for 100 monsters and a chance to win one of 100 $50 GameStop gift cards.

How it works

• Once a hunter hopeful logs in and confirms they are over 18, they will be able to hunt for monsters – anywhere!
• Any area or city that has Google Street View is fair game
• Hunters can go to a location via the Google Map and then select the Google Maps Street View icon and drag it to anywhere they want to go before dropping in to hunt
• Once a hunter is near a monster in Google Maps Street View, a blood trail will appear, indicating they are getting closer to their prey
• Once a monster is found, the hunter will be able to click on the monster
• If they are the first to find the monster they will win a $50 GameStop gift card
• If they are not the first to find the monster, they can continue their hunt for another monster and another chance to win

Ready to play? Click here.

Fortunately, GameStop will offer hints through its social channels (Google+, Facebook and Twitter) for intrepid travelers to follow as they traverse the world.

For more information about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and to pre-order, visit a local GameStop store location or www.GameStop.com/witcher3.

Fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can also pre-order the expansion pass from GameStop for an additional 30 hours of gameplay. The expansion pass includes the Hearts of Stone, a 10-hour adventure into the wilds of No Man’s Land and the nooks and alleys of Oxenfurt, where Geralt will try to complete a contract from the mysterious man of Glass. It also includes the Blood and Wine, a 20-hour tale that will introduce the all new in-game region of Toussaint.

Hearts of Stone will premiere in October, while Blood and Wine is slated for release in early 2016.

About GameStop

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is a global, multichannel video game, consumer electronics and wireless services retailer. GameStop operates more than 6,600 stores across 14 countries. The company’s consumer product network also includes www.gamestop.com; www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; and Game Informer® magazine, the world’s leading print and digital video game publication. In addition, our Technology Brands segment includes our Simply Mac and Spring Mobile businesses. Simply Mac, www.simplymac.com, operates 60 stores, selling the full line of Apple products, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones and offering Apple certified warranty and repair services. Spring Mobile, http://springmobile.com, an authorized AT&T reseller, operates 361 AT&T branded wireless retail stores and 63 pre-paid wireless stores under the name Cricket Wireless, www.cricketwireless.com. General information about GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GameStop.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150512006397/en/

Source: GameStop Corp.

GameStop Corp.
Jackie Smith
817-722-7520
jackiesmith@gamestop.com