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“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

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.

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.”

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.

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 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.

Award-Winning Game Director Of $500 Million, 15 Million Unit-Selling SingStar® Franchise to Lead New Online Game Development Team at Atari, Based In London

LONDON, UK – 8 September 2008 – Infogrames Entertainment, under its consumer brand Atari, today announces the formation of a new in-house game development studio under the creative and production leadership of Paulina Bozek, one of the games industry’s most pioneering and successful producers. At Atari, Paulina will apply her outstanding production and development skills to establish a new game development team and studio based in London. The new studio will focus on innovating and developing mass-market consumer games and services for online-enabled devices including Personal Computers and game consoles.

“This is a significant step in expanding Atari’s online game development capability,” said Phil Harrison, President of Infogrames. “Paulina is one of the industry’s most respected creative leaders with an outstanding track-record of commercial and creative success and I’m delighted that she will bring her unique vision, consumer insight and proven ability for creating amazing entertainment experiences to Atari.”

“I am very excited to be joining Atari at this pivotal time for both the company and the industry,” said Paulina Bozek. “There is a huge opportunity as gaming platforms become more ubiquitous, more connected and attract more mainstream audiences. Atari has a great vision for the future and I can’t wait to start realising that vision in new products and services.”

For the past 6 years Paulina has been Executive Producer and Game Director of the multi-award winning SingStar franchise on PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 at Sony Computer Entertainment’s London Studio. SingStar has achieved combined sales of over 15 Million units and life-time revenue of approximately $500M (measured at retail and online worldwide). The most recent version of SingStar on PLAYSTATION 3 incorporates a variety of online innovations including integrated commerce, community and user-generated content services.

The new Atari studio will initially be located in Hammersmith, west London and will recruit industry-leading technical, creative and production resources, both as in-house employees and externally contracted resources.

Kalypso Media are please to announce their next high-profile recruit, Charlie Barrett, the experienced and well-liked Industry character will begin his career with Kalypso Media on 1st September 2008. 

Charlie will take on the mantel of Global Business Development Director for Kalypso, seeking out new publishing and partnership opportunities worldwide to continue their progressive plan for expansion following their recent success with Top ten PC title “Sins of a Solar Empire”.

Charlie commented “I am delighted to be joining Kalypso at such an exciting time for the company and feel that I can make a solid contribution to help move the company forward. It’s great also to be joining Andy Johnson and I’m sure we’ll make a great partnership.”

Simon Hellwig, Managing Director of Kalypso Media GmbH added “Charlie is a great choice for us, we feel he can bring new vision and vigor to the company and will fit well with the model we have. Both Andy and Charlie will be actively seeking out new products on all platforms and all genres and we are very confident that they will deliver.”

Welcomes Ron Scott as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing and David Hoffman as Director of Business Development

Los Angeles (September 3, 2008)

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced that it has expanded its executive team with the additions of Ron Scott as senior vice president of sales and marketing, and David Hoffman as director of business development.

Both executives will be focusing on expanding Square Enix’s presence in the North American market and developing new opportunities for continued growth. John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. commented, “I have great confidence in both Ron and David’s ability to propel Square Enix forward in the ever-growing North American market. We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and business partners and these new additions to our team will provide the invaluable expertise necessary to achieve greater success in the market.”

Scott brings his extensive video game experience in the US and globally to the Square Enix team, and will be focusing on increasing Square Enix’s presence and awareness in North America. He brings a mix of experience in both marketing and sales, ranging from his role as the executive vice president of Worldwide Publishing for Activision, Inc., to his most recent position as senior vice president of Worldwide Sales and Distribution for Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. He will be overseeing the day-to-day sales and marketing operations of Square Enix, Inc.

Hoffman will be charged with expanding partnerships with development studios in North America. His experience in the gaming business began 20 years ago, providing him a wealth of professional knowledge in today’s gaming market. He is leading Square Enix’s business development department with a wealth of production experience from his tenure at publisher and developer Conspiracy Entertainment Corporation where he served as executive producer. Prior to this, Hoffman worked at THQ, Inc., as senior producer of award-winning franchises WWE Wrestling, MTV Extreme Sports, and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society Fishing. Hoffman has worked on over 100 titles during his tenure in the video game industry, and his career highlights include receiving console fighting game of the year award by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, along with producer credits on top-selling titles such as WCW vs. NWO Revenge, MDK, Earthworm Jim, WWE Wrestling, and Shadowrun.

Scott and Hoffman joined Square Enix as of June 11, 2008 and March 17, 2008 respectively. Both will report to John Yamamoto.