Namco Bandai games announces new “Surge” publishing label

SURGE Represents Robust Line of Titles and Audience Expansion

Santa Clara, Calif., (December 4, 2008) – Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today unveiled the formation of SURGE™, a new studio and publishing label dedicated to providing cutting-edge, genre-defining games that are targeted at satiating the appetite of western gamers. SURGE will deliver quality interactive entertainment across a wide assortment of categories and platforms.

“SURGE presents a significant milestone for NAMCO BANDAI as it personifies our commitment to deliver compelling content for the discriminating player who is looking for games that are not only groundbreaking but also push the envelope,” said Andrew Lelchuk, executive vice president of sales and marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. “Through passion and innovation, SURGE will complement our portfolio of established franchises and intellectual property while positioning the company as a creative force.”

Afro Samurai®, the high-style title that blends urban hip hop culture with traditional Japanese aesthetics, will be the first game to launch under the new label when it is released on January 27, 2009. Additional IPs currently in development and slated for 2009 will also be published under the SURGE label.

For more information about Afro Samurai and other NAMCO BANDAI Games products, please visit:http://www.namcobandaigames.com.

Activision Publishing Acquires Budcat Creations

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 10, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced that it has acquired video game developer Budcat Creations. Based in Iowa City, Iowa, Budcat Creations is an award-winning development studio with expertise on the Wii(TM) home video game system and the Nintendo DS(TM).

Activision Publishing has worked with Budcat Creations on the development of multiple games in the Guitar Hero franchise including Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM), Guitar Hero(R): Aerosmith(R) and Guitar Hero(R) World Tour. The studio is currently in development on a new game in the Guitar Hero franchise.

“Budcat Creations is an outstanding developer with an experienced management team and a very talented group of programmers, designers and artists,” said Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “In addition to strengthening our development capabilities on the Nintendo platforms, this acquisition increases our Guitar Hero development resources as we continue to grow the franchise and expand our global leadership position in the music-based genre.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Activision and believe that this acquisition is a perfect fit for both companies,” said Jeremy Andersen, General Manager of Budcat Creations. “Their world class sales and marketing support coupled with best-in-class execution across all areas of their business means that we can focus our time and resources on what we love and do best — creating great games.”

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Budcat Creations has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Publishing and the company’s management team has signed multi-year employment contracts with Activision Publishing. The studio will continue to be based in Iowa City, Iowa. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc., is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Cryptic Studios Hires Industry Veteran Bill Roper

Los Gatos, CA – November 3, 2008 – Cryptic Studios™, one of the leading independent developers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), announced today that Bill Roper has joined the company as Design Director and will be working on Champions Online™. 

“Bill brings a ton of creative energy to the Cryptic office and we’re thrilled to have him join our team,” said John Needham, Chief Executive Officer for Cryptic Studios. “His years of gaming and online experience are huge assets to all of our projects, and Bill will assist us in furthering our studio’s vision to create innovative, exciting MMO gameplay.”

“Cryptic has experienced huge growth over the past year and has exciting opportunities ahead of it,” said Bill Roper, Design Director, Cryptic Studios. “The company knows how to choose compelling IPs that have rich histories such as Champions and Star Trek. I’m looking forward to working with the team.”

As a 14-year game industry veteran, Roper has worked directly on numerous top selling titles, including the Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo series. He joined Blizzard Entertainment in 1994 to work in sound, music and voiceover, eventually being appointed as Vice President of Blizzard North and a Director of Blizzard Entertainment where he managed all external projects and coordinated internal development teams. In 2003, Roper co-founded Flagship Studios and Ping0 where he held the role of CEO for five years and oversaw the launch of Hellgate: London and development of Mythos.

Cryptic Studios, headquartered in Los Gatos, is currently in production of two highly anticipated MMO action games, Champions Online and Star Trek® Online. Champions Online, based on the popular Champions™ pen-and-paper RPG and published by 2K Games, will give players the power of total customization for their hero experience while they explore a vast comic book universe.  Set in the year 2409, Star Trek Online will allow players to immerse themselves in the future of the Star Trek universe, exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations in an ever expanding vast universe. 

DIDMO Expands Mobile Games Library with Six New Game Publisher Partners

Hundreds of Mobile Games from Around the Globe Available for Free Download

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Oct. 23, 2008
DIDMO, a leading mobile advertisement delivery platform, today announced distribution partnerships with six additional mobile game developers and publishers, adding a variety of high-quality games to its expanding library. The latest partnerships include agreements with 59 Pixels, Cotopia Wireless, Faces of Mars, Runestone Games, Trust Solutions, and United Fun Traders. A selection of mobile games from each company is now offered through the DIDMO platform, searchable on DIDMO’s community portal at www.didmo.com . Portal users can even download free, full-version game demos for a 24-hour test drive.

“We are proud to provide our growing user base with access to quality content from a variety of talented developers around the world,” said Roberto Chaves, CEO, DIDMO. “Offering consumers a diverse and rich selection of games, supported with the recent beta launch of DIDMO’s community website, solidifies a new medium for our partners to generate exposure for their product portfolio with a highly captive audience.”

The following mobile content developers and publishers have recently joined the DIDMO network:

59Pixels is a mobile games and applications development studio based in Dundee, Scotland. The company offers a variety of mobile phone solutions to institutions across the UK, including software currently being used by a major UK University. www.59pixels.com

Cotopia Wireless is a Czech Republic-based company with a mobile multiplayer gaming platform. Users can play their favorite mobile games against other players for free, while taking advantage of community features such as messaging and chat. www.cotopia.com

Faces of Mars is an independent mobile content provider based in Mexico City, offering mobile games (sport, action, arcade, strategy, erotic) and other mobile content (wallpaper, ebooks, videos, cartoons, utilities, comics) from artists and game designers located around the world. www.facesofmars.de

Runestone Games creates unique software characterized by vivid color, graphics, sound and technical innovation. But most importantly they will offer the player the best possible gaming experience in a world filled with imagination. Runestone Games is based in London, England. www.runestone-games.com

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Trust Solutions’ main focus is on mobile networking. Using its own open source technology, the company develops user-friendly mobile products and applications in-house. Its flagship product, GameJane, is a skill-based multiplayer gaming service for mobile devices. www.trustsolutions.se

Based in Russia, United Fun Traders (UFT) is a producer and distributor of innovative, quality content for mobile and smart phones. UFT has entered the marketplace with a bulging portfolio of mobile products and services. From J2ME and BREW-based games to animation and videos, UFT aims to meet the needs of both 2G and 3G network users. www.u-f-t.com.

DIDMO consists of an online community portal and mobile application, delivering free, full-version games to mobile devices from leading developers worldwide. Full versions of games are wrapped in an ad-supported shell for 24 hour access, after which consumers have the option to purchase the content or download a new game. Members of the free online community can search through the game library and create a playlist of downloadable games. In addition, DIDMO offers a variety of community features, including the ability to create friends lists, share games and provide feedback. These features serve to strengthen the DIDMO gaming fan base, ultimately increasing content circulation and driving ad impressions.

IGA Worldwide Reaches 30 Million User Milestone

IGA Worldwide also unveils new next-generation advertising technology platform

Wednesday 22nd October/…IGA Worldwide (IGA), the leading in-game advertising network, today announced two key milestones; delivering ad content to its 30 millionth unique user and the launch of the company’s new software development kit (SDK 4.0). IGA’s unique SDK and infrastructure combined with its relationship with top game publishers such as Electronic Arts (EA) and Activision (ATVI) provides advertisers with rapid access to virtual ad space in over 80 premium computer and videogame titles, with an aggregate reach of over 30 million consumers worldwide

The new SDK works in support of the company’s proprietary Radial Network 4.0 and allows for a more seamless integration of dynamic in-game ads into four distinct gaming platforms: PC, Mac, Flash and the most recent addition to the stable, PLAYSTATION®3. Advertisers only need to supply IGA with campaign creative in one of five common sizes to enable the content to be viewed in the IGA network.

“IGA Worldwide’s intention is to make the process of incorporating dynamic in-game ads into relevant games as streamlined as possible,” said Peter Sispoidis, chief technology officer of IGA Worldwide. “The new Software Development Kit is a major step in the right direction, as it aids all parties involved in placing in-game ads, from the game developers to the media buyers.”

Reporting and communication between the Radial Network and the SDK has also been updated. When an ad appears on screen, the SDK monitors the length of time the impression has remained viewable. Should that impression meet a certain time requirement at a predetermined viewing angle and screen size, it is then relayed to Radial as a served ad unit. This allows the Radial Network to report on the actual time on screen and the number of unique views of the ad across each title in the campaign. IGA does not use nor collect any personal information from game players and tracks content based on a unique user identification established by the SDK.

The in-game advertising industry continues to grow rapidly as more advertisers discover its effectiveness and look to move budget to more measurable mediums. A recent Nielsen Games study revealed that more than 80 percent of consumers feel games were just as enjoyable with ads as without. Consumers’ positive brand attribute association increased 33 percent when viewing in-game advertisements.

Realtime Associates selects Reverb Communications as agency of record

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – October 9, 2008 – Realtime Associates, one of the longest-established independent video and computer game studios in operation, announced today that it has engaged Reverb Communications to oversee its marketing and public relations campaigns and to provide strategic consulting services. Reverb Communications will launch Realtime’s recently announced “Realtime Audio Adventures,” a collection of interactive audio adventure games designed exclusively for the Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® touch, kicking off later this month with the first game title, Soul Trapper.

 

Reverb has extensive experience launching titles for the App Store, including its work with six platform launch titles from Publisher X as well as Enigmo, Bugdom 2 and the current #1 App Store title Cro-Mag Rally from Pangea Software. The agency is also well known for its current work on MTV Games’ award-winning music videogame franchise Rock Band®, and the soon-to-be-released AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack. Reverb Communications also worked previously on Guitar Hero™ and Guitar Hero II.

 

“Reverb’s roster of successful clients speaks for itself. When it comes to launching games on the App Store Reverb has the proven track record we need,” said David Warhol, president of Realtime Associates. “Realtime Audio Adventures are truly unique to the game space and we trust the Reverb team’s expertise in helping us craft a custom launch campaign that speaks to all iPhone and iPod touch users.”

 

Realtime Audio Adventures are compelling “interactive audio dramas” that combine audio stories with gameplay to create in-depth storylines that require the active participation of the listener to complete.  These casual games have serious plotlines and feature complex stories that involve solving puzzles, listening for clues, and mastering action sequences.

 

“Instead of the Triple A graphics that traditional videogames employ, these games have Triple A audio that really engage players to interact with the game, listening for clues and choosing actions that drive the plotline,” said Tracie Snitker, vice president of public relations for Reverb Communications.  “Realtime has created videogames that are completely driven by the things you hear – there is nothing else like it on the App Store, and iPhone and iPod touch owners are going to really enjoy these games.”

 

To find out more about Realtime Audio Adventures, please visit: www.RTAudioAdventures.com.

Flashman Studios adds Crazy Pixel Productions to it’s roster

Business Management Firm to Help Development Studio Apply its Film and Television Experience to Videogames

San Francisco, California – October 7, 2008 – Flashman Studios, a leading business management firm in the interactive entertainment industry, announced today that it has finalized an agreement with Crazy Pixel Productions, a development studio that excels at telling stories though art, design and game programming. Flashman Studios will handle business management responsibilities for the studio.

“When you look at the caliber of work Crazy Pixel is capable of creating and see some of their past projects, you realize that they are an exceedingly talented bunch,” said Brad Young, founder and CEO of Flashman Studios. “Through their astounding art and animation they excel at creating exciting story-driven video games.”

Crazy Pixel Productions is a full-service development house that already has extensive videogame experience. The studio leads have worked on titles across nearly all platforms (Playstation 2, Xbox, PC, Gamecube, coin-operated arcades and Internet-based games), including Starcraft: Ghost, Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Hunter: The Reckoning, NHL 2K3 and more. Crazy Pixel Productions is approved to develop on the Nintendo Wii and has worked on such cutting edge game engines as the Unreal Engine, Vicious Engine, Infernal Engine and Gamebryo Engine.

“We’re all big gamers here at Crazy Pixel, and love that we make a living applying our creative energies toward the common goal of making compelling games through the artistic and creative processes,” said Brian McRae, president and creative director of Crazy Pixel Productions. “Flashman Studios is a perfect fit for us, as their wealth of industry experience and insight will prove invaluable.”

In addition to their work on both established and original intellectual properties within the videogame space, Crazy Pixel has also worked on the major films Beowulf and Barnyard, as well as commercials for Doritos and in-game bumpers for the Chicago Bulls. With the assistance of Flashman Studios, they are looking to apply their wealth of high-level film and television experience to future game development projects in the interactive entertainment industry.

For more information about Flashman Studios, please visit www.flashmanstudios.com. For more information about Crazy Pixel Studios, please visitwww.crazypixelproductions.com.

True Games Interactive adds Peter Jarvis as its CTO

Former NCSoft and EA/Origin Exec Brings More Than 10 Years of MMO Technology, Billing and Publishing Experience to the post

Orange County, Calif. October 7, 2008 — True Games Interactive (www.truegamesinteractive.com), a new global multi-player online game publisher announced today that it has appointed industry veteran Peter Jarvis as its Chief Technology Officer. Jarvis, who most recently held the post of Vice President and Chief Information Officer at NCSoft, has more than 15 years of experience in information technology including 10 years focused on IT and game operations in the MMO category. As CTO of True Games Interactive, Jarvis will be responsible for building the True Tech platform and will oversee all applications and web development while launching and integrating multiple AAA MMO titles.

“Our mission is to deliver AAA social games to a free to play world. The foundation of our success will be building flawless, advanced technology to support our games,” said Bob Drobish, CEO of True Games Interactive. “The addition of a highly experienced head of technology to our executive team is critical and Peter’s background and in-depth knowledge make him a perfect fit for the role.”

Most recently as Vice President and CIO of NCSoft Corporation, Jarvis directed all information technology and online game operations for the western hemisphere. During his seven years at the company, Jarvis grew the business through operations from a single MMORPG with less than $1m/yr revenue to supporting 6+ live games with $70m+/yr in revenue while increasing operating profits by fully developing integrated account management, billing, monitoring, and automated publishing platforms.

Prior to NCSoft, Jarvis held positions as head of information technology at ClearCommerce Corp, and EA/Origin Systems. Jarvis has been in the IT industry more than 15 years and in the gaming industry more than 10 of those years, with a focus on billing and fraud systems.

“I was highly impressed with the management team and the business model that True Games Interactive has in place, so the decision to join was an easy one,” said Jarvis. “I am confident that my background in technology and my experience with some of the top MMO games on the market will help me to accomplish the company’s goals of publishing AAA quality entertainment backed by some of the best technology available today.”

“With the development of our own advanced technology platform, and the creation and launch of several multi-million dollar titles on the horizon, our technology must be state of the art,” said Jeff Lujan, Chairman and Founder of True Games Interactive. “The position of CTO is arguably the most important role in accomplishing our strategic goals and snagging Peter is nothing short of a coup.”

True Games Interactive has several key partnerships in place and a number of products already in development, including its recently announced project being developed by renowned developer, Petroglyph. The Petroglyph team, best known for its award winning Star Wars®: Empire At War and Universe at War series, is creating a global free-to-play, micro-transaction based game for the personal computer. True Games and Petroglyph will soon announce full product details and a launch timeframe.

The True Games Interactive team is also looking to fill several other key employment roles. For more information on the company, its products and open positions visit www.truegamesinteractive.com.

Phantom EFX to relocate and build new HQ

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY TO UNVEIL PLANS FOR PHANTOM PARK

Phantom EFX, Barmuda Corporation and T8 Design to relocate to Industrial Park

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – September 30, 2008 – Phantom EFX, Barmuda Corporation, and T8 Design broke ground September 26 on a new $4 million building project that will serve as their headquarters in the Cedar Falls Technology Park.

The 54,000-square-foot facility named Phantom Park will be located at the corner of Technology Parkway and Chancellor Drive and is scheduled for completion in spring of 2009. The facility will include professional office suites along with warehouse and light manufacturing space to accommodate Phantom’s and Barmuda’s Distribution operations. The company’s previous building on 209 Roosevelt St. was destroyed in the floods of 2008 and the companies have been forced to relocate since that time.

Darin Beck, manager for the project and owner and CEO of Barmuda MMC and Barmuda Distribution, is also a owner/partner in Phantom EFX and T8Design. “These new headquarters will allow the companies to grow and be a showcase facility for our national and global clients. I’m very excited that we have finally broken ground,” said Beck. “Phantom Park will be a world-class facility for us and will accommodate our growing companies for years to come.”

Founded in 1998, Phantom EFX is the leading game developer and publisher of interactive card, slots, and casino entertainment titles for PC and Mac. Phantom is also an intellectual property developer for casino gaming companies, the iPhone and other mobile platforms.

An artist’s rendering of what the completed Phantom Park will look like. Construction is estimated to be completed by spring of 2009.

Phantom EFX owner/partner and CEO Aaron Schurman said, “Phantom Park will enable us to capitalize on the synergy we have between all of the companies and will serve as a prestigious headquarters for our global operations we can all be proud of.”

Phantom EFX, along with its warehouse and distribution divisions, will occupy 30,000 square feet and will feature a high-tech environment that will be helpful to recruit and retain employees nationally and internationally. With the ever-growing casino gaming market and Phantom’s ever growing importance in the gaming industry, Phantom felt it was necessary to take the companies image to the next level. Phantom EFX distributes PC games world-wide and soon will boast titles on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Barmuda MMC, founded by Darin Beck in 1986, is Iowa’s dining and entertainment leader with eighteen different restaurants, nightclubs and lounges, including a new catering company and two event centers. The downtown Waterloo Bourbon Street, Voodoo Lounge, and Sky Event Center are under construction now. Another new Bourbon Street and Voodoo Lounge are scheduled to open in Grinnell, Iowa in October. The new properties are included in the eighteen stated. Barmuda will occupy 15,000 square feet of the building and feature a modern facility to showcase its F&B and distribution operations.

Barmuda CEO and owner Darin Beck said, “We’re planning for more rapid growth. We were in the middle of adding a new wing of office suites in our old building when the flood came. The new building will provide us with the ability to grow in a much easier way than before. But most important to me is the ability to have all of our companies back together again under one roof. We have an incredibly talented group of people in all three companies and the synergy between us makes for some very remarkable chemistry. We have missed that since being displaced by the flood.”

Beck said the new facility was prompted by the loss of the former building in the flood of 2008 and without the city’s diligence, none of this would have been possible. “We are very pleased with everyone’s efforts including the Mayor, City Council, City staff and especially Bob Seymour, Community Services Manager for the City of Cedar Falls,” added Beck. “Bob was a Godsend in the whole process and I’m very proud of our city for making this all happen so quickly.”

When completed, the project will be home to the fast-growing T8Design, a web-based technology company serving the banking industry as well as Fortune 500 companies such as John Deere, Nike, Adobe and others. T8Design will occupy 5,000 square feet and boast having a direct fiber connection to the Team Data Center. This will allow T8 to have direct access to its servers and infrastructure.

T8Design owner/partner and CEO, Wade Arnold is excited to be a part of the new Phantom Park. “Our business compliments Barmuda and Phantom quite nicely,” said Arnold. “Being able to have T8’s partners headquartered in the same building is simply an amazing accomplishment I wouldn’t have thought possible. The flood is bringing us all together in ways we couldn’t have imagined prior to June.”

According to Dan Levi, the project’s architect and Owner of Levi & Associates of Cedar Falls, the building will be placed on three lots in the technology park, plus a portion of two more. “The front of the building will be dominated by glass, steel and limestone and a great deal of green space, initially used for landscaping, that eventually will be used for business expansion. The remaining 4,000 square feet are comprised of a shared board room, training facility and restrooms as well as vending and break areas. It will certainly be a beautiful new building for the already successful Technology Park.”

Combined employment of Phantom EFX, T8 Design, Barmuda and all of its affiliated companies is approximately 560 people throughout the Cedar Valley. Around 100 people will work at the new headquarters building. It is expected that the combined growth of all the companies will be around 200-300 people in the next two or three years.

Majesco Entertainment announces distribution agreement with Scholastic Interactive for console and portable video games

NEW YORK – September 22, 2008 - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, announced today an agreement with Scholastic Interactive, a division of Scholastic Media (SM) (http://www.scholastic.com/), to distribute the Group’s console and handheld titles in North and South America. Titles under the agreement include Goosebumps HorrorLand for Wii, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo DS and Ultimate I SPY for Wii, scheduled for release in October, as well as catalog titles I SPY Fun House and Animal Genius for Nintendo DS.

“The Majesco team is excited to help Scholastic bring to market games based on two of their most well known and successful franchises, Goosebumps and I SPY, as well as expand the distribution of their catalog titles,” said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco.

Alan Waldman, SVP of Scholastic Interactive, added “Majesco’s success in mass market and family oriented video games coupled with their strong retail distribution relationships strongly support Scholastic Interactive’s goal of broadening our consumer reach with the expansion of our gaming business.”

Scholastic Interactive publishes and markets interactive software for all platforms, including video games, digital downloads, electronic toys and more. The company is highly respected for delivering high-quality, award-winning games that educate and entertain children with titles like I SPY Challenger and Clifford Reading for the Leapster Learning Game System. Scholastic Interactive will expand its portfolio of titles in 2008 with entertainment driven games such as Goosebumps HorrorLand and Ultimate I SPY. Both titles will be published under Scholastic Interactive’s new games’ label, ELASTIC.

Majesco Entertainment is a leading provider and distributor of video games for the mass market. The Company has a successful record in the casual gaming genre with best-selling and award-winning titles in the Cooking Mama and Cake Mania franchises. Upcoming releases include: Major Minor’s Majestic March, a music-based marching band game for Wii that marks the return of the creative team behind the renowned PaRappa the Rapper franchise; Away: Shuffle Dungeon for Nintendo DS, a premier role playing game that features creative contributions from renowned industry visionaries; and Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii, the first game of its type to combine a celebrity fitness trainer with the Wii and innovative Wii Fit Balance Board accessory to offer players a fun and entertaining way to get in shape.

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Comments on EA Announcement

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Comments on EA Announcement

New York, NY – September 14, 2008 – Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today responded to Electronic Arts Inc.’s (NASDAQ:ERTS) announcement that it does not intend to pursue an acquisition of Take-Two at this time.

Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of the Board of Take-Two, commented, “We remain focused on creating value for our stockholders and our consumers. This has been our goal since EA launched its conditional and unsolicited bid six months ago, a bid which was repeatedly rejected by our stockholders. As part of that commitment, we remain actively engaged in discussions with other parties in the context of our formal process to consider strategic alternatives. We’re especially proud of the success we’ve enjoyed over the past eighteen months and we remain confident in our ability to generate value for stockholders.”

“Take-Two’s business has continued to strengthen since the time EA first made its offer. We have delivered terrific products to our consumers and we’ve been rewarded with very strong financial performance. We have an exciting future ahead of us, powered by our profitability, a significant cash position, the absence of debt, an undrawn credit facility and a terrific lineup of games. We are confident in the unique value of our business given our strong position in what is a growing and dynamic industry,” said Ben Feder, Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two.

Solid State Networks Announces Partnership with Funcom to Advance Digital Distribution Initiatives for Games

Solid State delivers Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Anarchy Online; Prepares for the future of game delivery

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sept. 10, 2008 – Content delivery software maker Solid State Networks, Inc., the leading developer of game and patch delivery solutions, today announced a partnership with leading independent game developer and publisher Funcom to launch new digital delivery solutions that meet the ongoing challenges of distributing large video game files via the Internet.

“Solid State’s technology has enabled us to extend our game experience, starting with the launch of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, to our gamers in new ways. Solid State Networks understands gaming and game delivery and they continue to demonstrate their ability to create solutions that help us to overcome the challenges of delivering large games electronically to a global audience,” commented Trond Ystanes, Operations Manager for Funcom. “We are extremely excited to announce our partnership because it represents an opportunity to make significant steps in the evolution of game delivery.”

Solid State has been working with Funcom since April to deliver the beta releases of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, culminating with the Early Access program which made the game available for purchase to a select group of beta testers one week prior to the retail launch. Funcom and Solid State successfully delivered the title to over 100,000 players in a matter of days, generating more than 2 petabytes of data transfer. Solid State deployed its software solution, which includes secure P2P capabilities based on the BitTorrent™ Protocol, in conjunction with the content delivery network (CDN) provided by Highwinds Network Group, thereby creating a true hybrid CDN/P2P delivery solution.

In June, Funcom expanded the use of Solid State’s solutions to support the distribution of Anarchy Online. Today, the companies are working closely together to incorporate Solid State’s technology in a manner that addresses challenges associated with taking the online game experience to new audiences on a variety of platforms.

“We are honored to partner with Funcom because they continue to push the envelope when it comes to game development, and in doing so, they are elevating the challenges of delivering and keeping those games updated,” stated Rick Buonincontri, founder and CEO of Solid State Networks. “We are proud to be playing such a crucial role in delivering Funcom’s games to players around the world and we will continue to strive to deliver the ultimate game acquisition experience as Funcom expands to other platforms and develops future projects.”

Activision Publishing Acquires U.K. Game Developer FreeStyleGames

Studio to Focus on Music-Based Games

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept 12, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — Further strengthening its development resources and underscoring its commitment to the music-based genre, Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced that it has acquired FreeStyleGames, a premier U.K.-based video game developer specializing in music-based games.

This acquisition represents the latest step in Activision Publishing’s strategy to expand its global leadership position in the music-based genre. The company established the genre with the Guitar Hero(R) franchise, which has sold in excess of 22 million units worldwide, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and GFK. FreeStyleGames is currently developing localized downloadable content for the Guitar Hero franchise, as well as a yet to be announced new, intellectual property in the music genre.

“Activision Publishing is the undisputed leader in the music-based games and we see tremendous opportunity for continued growth, particularly in Europe,” said Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “An important part of our European growth strategy is to work with local developers and provide music content that resonates with the market. FreeStyleGames has an award-winning team with a history of developing innovative and creative music-based games and they are uniquely positioned to help us expand our leadership in the genre.”

“This is an exciting time for our company and great recognition of our success to date that Activision Publishing would look to welcome us to their studio roster,” said Jamie Jackson of FreeStyleGames. “Our goal has always been to deliver the most compelling entertainment experiences, and with the infrastructure, support and financial resources of Activision Publishing, we will be able to set our goals even higher than they are today.”

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, FreeStyleGames has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Publishing and the company’s management team has signed long-term employment contracts with Activision Publishing. The studio will continue to be based in Leamington Spa, U.K. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Infogrames Entertainment and Namco Bandai Games Europe to establish a Strategic Partnership

Partnership expected to provide Namco Bandai with a global distribution network and substantially increase distribution revenues of Infogrames

Lyon, France, September 9, 2008

Infogrames Entertainment (“Infogrames”) and Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S. (“Namco Bandai”) today announced that they have signed a binding letter of intent establishing a strategic partnership between Infogrames and Namco Bandai. Under the terms of the agreement, Namco Bandai would acquire a 34% stake in Infogrames’ European and Asian distribution operations, with the remaining stake being retained by Infogrames.

Under the terms of the transaction, Infogrames has agreed to regroup its distribution operations into a standalone entity with exclusive physical packaged-goods distribution rights for video games produced by Namco Bandai and Infogrames within Infogrames’ European and Asian territories. Infogrames would continue to invest in, develop and publish interactive video games in a packaged format or online as one of its core activities. The newly formed entity will benefit from the extensive distribution network of Infogrames, with global reach and localized presence, while filling its pipeline from the entire range of products created by Namco Bandai and Infogrames, as well as other publishers.

Consequently, this entity is expected to increase the revenues and profitability of Infogrames’ distribution operations by establishing distribution contracts with multiple publishers. This transaction formalizes the close relationship between the two companies which dates back to 2001 and generates a number of key benefits:
A highly efficient network of distribution across Europe and Asia which can be leveraged to deliver the products of both Namco Bandai and Infogrames, thereby increasing revenues of the distribution company
Economies of scale in operating the distribution network generating significant cost savings
Access to Namco Bandai’s and Infogrames’ extensive product portfolio on an exclusive basis
Opportunity to establish distribution contracts with other global video game companies

David Gardner, CEO of Infogrames, said: “I am delighted that this transaction strengthens our outstanding partnership with Namco Bandai, one of the industry’s greatest creators and publishers of video games, and is a significant development in Infogrames’ reinvention. The agreement will give Infogrames a guaranteed and strengthened product portfolio and provide us additional means to invest in new product development for packaged and online markets.”

The main terms of the contemplated transaction would be the following:

• The proposed enterprise value of the newly formed entity comprising the distribution operations would be €95 million on a ‘cash free, debt free’ basis, including a €15 million earn out mechanism based on the actual audited results of the newly formed entity for the fiscal year 2008/2009.
• Until June 30, 2012 Infogrames will benefit from a put option to sell its remaining stake of 66% in the newly formed entity to Namco Bandai.
• From June 30, 2012 to June 30, 2013, Namco Bandai will benefit from a call option over 66% of the newly formed entity held by Infogrames.
• For the purposes of Namco Bandai’s call option and Infogrames’ put option, both parties have agreed that the enterprise value for 100% of the new formed entity would be in the range of €60 million and €190 million based on 7x EBIT of the entity at the time of the exercise of the option.
• Formal closing of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including notably the satisfactory completion of due diligence, and is expected to take place before the end of February 2009.

ZeniMax Online Studios Recruiting at Austin GDC

ZeniMax Online Studios Recruiting at
Austin Game Developer Conference

September 11, 2008 (Hunt Valley, MD) – ZeniMax® Online Studios, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that it will be recruiting talented game professionals at the upcoming Austin Game Developer Conference. The show will run September 15-18 at the Austin, TX convention center.

“If you are an industry professional who wants to help create the quintessential MMOG, then we want to talk with you,” said ZeniMax Online president, Matt Firor. ZeniMax Online will be meeting with potential employees with experience in game development – Art, Programming, Design, Server Technology, Customer Support, QA and Marketing.

ZeniMax Online, located in beautiful Hunt Valley, Maryland, is the sister company of Bethesda Softworks® – the developer and publisher of megahits such as The Elder Scrolls® series and the highly anticipated Fallout® 3, which is launching worldwide this Fall.

The ZeniMax Online team will be in booth 100 on the conference show floor. People interested in joining this world class online game development studio are invited to stop by to discuss employment opportunities.

“We’re hard at work creating the next big MMOG – one that will challenge the current market leaders – and are looking for talented developers to add to the team,” added Firor. “Austin is known in the online gaming industry as a hub of talent – the perfect place for us to find experienced professionals.”

For those who can’t make it to Austin GDC, but are still interested in positions on the team, please go to www.zenimaxonline.com for a complete listing of employment opportunities.

ZeniMax Online is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, a major east coast hub of game development just north of Baltimore that includes Firaxis, Big Huge Games, Breakaway, LTD, and Day 1 Studios. Also located in the Washington-Baltimore technology corridor are Bethesda Softworks and Mythic Entertainment.

For more information, visit www.zenimaxonline.com.