Online Gaming Wire

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) today revealed that former UCLA student-athlete basketball star Kevin Love has been chosen for the cover of the newly named EA SPORTS™ college basketball videogame NCAA® Basketball 09 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.

“There is more to college basketball than just the 65 team post season NCAA Tournament, and our new name reflects this,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. “College basketball is about the entire season, focusing on the fantastic school rivalries, recruiting, home court advantage, student sections, mascots, and loud arenas. The culmination of all of this is the tournament and NCAA March Madness, but to get there it takes so much more.”

NCAA Basketball 09 is not just a new name; it introduces a new way to play college basketball that mirrors real life. A new, strategic gameplay feature challenges gamers to replicate their school’s style of play, set the tempo and win. Whether your school plays up tempo looking to push the ball in transition, runs a half-court offense that utilizes the clock and limits possessions or features a balanced attack that combines transition offense with set plays, NCAA Basketball 09 rewards the strategic gamer and emphasizes team specific styles of play.

NCAA Basketball 09 will feature Division I coaches in-game for the first time. Each coach will provide real time instruction and feedback, helping gamers control the tempo by executing their team’s offense and defense to perfection.

This year on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, NCAA Basketball 09 will operate on a new gameplay engine with over 1,000 new animation sequences that deliver a more responsive experience with improved ball physics and more intelligent AI. The new animation system enables gamers to apply pressure defense with new full-court presses and traps. Plus, improved AI and animations enable quicker players to get up and down the floor faster and make better decisions running the lanes and driving to the rim. Animations can be interrupted at any time, enabling you to read and respond to the action on the floor, just like real life.

Love is the first UCLA basketball player to be featured on the cover of the EA SPORTS college basketball game. A student-athlete with a 3.2 grade point average, Love was a first team All-American while leading the Bruins in scoring at 17.5 points per game and rebounding at 10.6 rebounds per game as a true freshman. Named 2008 Pac-10 Freshman and Player of the Year, Love led UCLA to the Men’s Final Four®. He was the fifth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“It is quite an honor to be named cover athlete of NCAA Basketball 09,” Love said. “When you look back at some of the great players who have had this opportunity, it’s exciting to be a part of the EA SPORTS family and contribute to a game I’ve been playing for a long time.”

NCAA Basketball 09 will build upon the authenticity that epitomized the No. 1 selling(a) NCAA® March Madness® franchise by capturing the emotion, intensity, and atmosphere of a real college basketball game. Feel the excitement of game night with the band playing fight songs, the student section leading the cheers and popular ESPN college basketball broadcasters Dick Vitale, Brad Nessler, and Erin Andrews providing the commentary.

NCAA Basketball 09 is in development at EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. It will ship to stores in fall 2008. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB. To learn more about the game visit www.ncaabasketball09.com. Box art of NCAA Basketball 09 can be downloaded at http://info.ea.com.

(a) Based on total franchise sales in 2007 according to the NPD Group, Inc.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA™, EA SPORTS™, EA SPORTS Freestyle™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports. For more information, go to www.ncaa.org.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots associated with the NCAA, universities, and conferences are the exclusive property of the respective institutions. NCAA and March Madness are trademarks or registered trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. “PlayStation” and “PLAYSTATION” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EA SPORTS
Steve Frost, 604-456-5067
sfrost@ea.com
David Tinson, 604-456-5167
dtinson@ea.com

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Compete for stance supremacy! Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq:ERTS), announced today that it will be partnering with leading global action sports footwear and apparel brand, etnies, to bring their epic Goofy vs. Regular (GvR) skateboarding contest to the videogame world. Gamers will lead a team of goofy foot or regular foot pros as they pit the best skateboarders against each other in the ultimate team competition.

“The Skate franchise has always been committed to showcasing the spirit and soul of skateboard culture,” said Executive Producer, Scott Blackwood. “The etnies GvR competition celebrates the fun, creativity and talent in skateboarding today. Featuring the event as one of the main competitions in Skate 2 felt like a natural integration and a perfect fit.”

Skate 2 picks up five years after the original Skate, a period marred by an unspeakable disaster that left San Vanelona in ruins. Within that time, Mongocorp rebuilt the city but their zealous protection of private property has put a damper on the once thriving skate population. Equipped with double the bag of tricks, gamers are tasked to rebuild their career and revive the New San Vanelona skate scene. With their ability to get off-board to move objects around and with help from a crew of locals, players will embark on a mission to take back the city, one spot at a time. Along the way, they’ll need to get coverage, earn sponsorships, own challenges and enter contests, including a coveted invite to etnies GvR competition.

“I was stoked when EA committed to putting our etnies Goofy vs. Regular event in their new game! GvR is one the best skate contests of the year and has created some of the most hype and friction over the past 5 years,” said Don Brown, senior vice president of marketing for Sole Technology and goofy footed skateboarder. “The original Skate was incredibly popular, so we’re really proud to be a part of Skate 2.”

etnies will also be partnering with Skate 2 on an exclusive shoe that will hit an etnies preferred retailer in the United States when the game ships in 2009.

Developed by Black Box in Vancouver, British Columbia, Skate 2 ups the ante in delivering an authentic skateboarding experience with all-new tricks that allow gamers to truly skate it their way – on and off the board.

Skate 2 will be released for the PLAYSTATION®3 system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system in early 2009. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Players who cannot wait until 2009 can pick up Skate It for the Wii™ this Fall.

About etnies

Established in 1986, etnies is the first skateboarder-owned and operated global action sports footwear and apparel company. etnies not only pushed the envelope by creating the first pro model skate shoe, but it pioneered technological advances and changed the face of skateboard footwear forever. Today etnies’ vision is to remain the leading action sports company committed to creating functional products that provide the most style, comfort, durability and protection possible. etnies stays true to its roots by sponsoring a world class team of skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, moto-x and BMX athletes and continues its dedication by giving back to each of these communities. For additional information, visit www.etnies.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA SPORTS Freestyle^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. PLAYSTATION is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation and used under license. Nintendo DS and the Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Electronic Arts
Shirley Chu, 604-456-3994
schu2@ea.com
Peter Nguyen, 650-628-3607
pnguyen@ea.com
Tammy Schachter, 650-628-7223
tschachter@ea.com

DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b0ee41/video_games_in_the) has announced the addition of the “Video Games in the US” report to their offering.

This industry is concerned with the broader operations of all aspects of video games in the US. Gaming consoles, games made for those consoles, as well as games produced specifically for PCs make up the retail segment of the report. Also, the development and manufacture of games, consoles and accessories constitute a notable share of the market. Finally, growing revenue from subscribing to online gaming complements the industry products.

Game On!

This industry, although very competitive, is scoring well. The industry has historically proven itself resistant to recession conditions, and the current economic downturn being experienced is unlikely to make a dent in the ongoing strong growth. The primary force behind this growth is the unwillingness of older gamers to stop playing. Woot!

Key Topics Covered:

• Industry Definition
• Key Statistics
• Segmentation
• Market Characteristics
• Industry Conditions
• Key Factors

• Key Competitors

• Industry Performance

• Outlook

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b0ee41/video_games_in_the

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Forget your keys lately? The name of an old friend or co-worker slip your mind? Relax, there’s help on the way. Stephane Bergeron, MD, chief executive officer with Brain Center America (BCA), today announced the U.S. launch of the NeuroActive Program, the new brain-fitness software that exercises the entire brain to produce a sharper, more youthful mind. NeuroActive, which is scientifically proved to increase cognitive function by 20%, resulting in improved brain processing speed, memory and a sharper brain that performs as well as it did 10 years ago, is already helping tens of thousands of Canadians and Europeans of all ages improve their mind-body health and quality of life. The software is now available in the U.S. for $95 at a growing number of online and traditional retail outlets.

“NeuroActive has enjoyed great success since it was launched in 2007 in Canada, and we expect this unique, innovative brain gym and training program will become very popular among Americans who recognize the need for brain fitness to ensure total mind-body health,” said Bergeron, the physician/entrepreneur who founded BCA and collaborated with a team of international brain specialists to engineer the software system. “NeuroActive is the only software of its kind that stimulates a complete set of vital brain functions and uses advanced artificial intelligence to continuously adapt the difficulty level to the users’ performance and generate maximum gains in minimal time. Plus, it’s fun, and anybody can use it.”

NeuroActive is designed to:

• Provide customized and complete brain training that sharpens 16 brain functions, including memory, processing speed, concentration and ability to recall faces, names and information
• Keep users’ brains active and youthful as part of a natural, no-side-effects Alzheimer’s disease-prevention strategy
• Meet users’ needs for quick, long-lasting, measurable results with 15- to 20-minute sessions three times per week that may be performed anywhere – including homes, offices and fitness centers – with an easy-to-use, PC- or MAC-compatible system

Scientific research proves that the brain, at all ages, has significant potential to acquire new knowledge and skills with proper training and exercise. Known as neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, that recently discovered ability to change and map new neural pathways, stimulate new cell growth, and deliver better oxygen and blood flow to the brain is at the heart of Brain Center America’s groundbreaking software, which aims to improve short- and long-term memory functions and speedy analysis of situations and information, as well as enable users to regain long-lost abilities.

In Dr. Bergeron’s words: “Although most people recognize the benefits of regular athletic exercise, many aren’t aware that their brains can improve significantly and rapidly with training programs that are scientific and fun. The condition of their minds also affects their physical health, and brain-training exercises are critical to ensuring total mind-body health and maintaining the best-possible quality of life.”

About Brain Center America

Brain Center America (BCA), with headquarters in Florida, is the U.S. division of Brain Center International, the Canadian neuroscience company that developed and launched the NeuroActive Program in Canada in 2007. It manufactures and distributes software designed to improve memory, concentration, energy and total mind-body health with brain-training exercises. Developed by physicians and brain specialists, the patent-pending software is the only one of its kind that targets 16 key functions throughout the entire brain and deploys advanced artificial intelligence to customize training to the users’ skills and generate maximum gains in minimal time. It is sold on the company’s Web site, through Amazon.com and at a growing number of online and traditional retail outlets. For free online demos and information or to buy NeuroActive, visit www.braincenteramerica.com or call 1.888.780.BRAIN (2724).

Editor’s Notes: Interviews, photographs, product samples and demos are available upon request

MediaLine Marketing Communications
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jolie Balido, 305-586-0419
jolie@medialinemc.com
or
Jeannie Salameh, 727-644-5010
jeannie@medialinemc.com
www.medialinemc.com

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Seattle-based mobile game publishers Reaxion Corp. and Mobliss Inc. announce their merger. Mobliss is known for delivering high-quality, big-brand titles, including Deal or No Deal, Family Feud and The Price is Right. Reaxion focuses on delivering award-winning, original titles, including Gin Rummy, Detective Puzzles and Mahjong Deluxe, providing technologies that enhance a player’s experience through mobile communities, as well as offering proprietary rapid development tools and services.

The combined company, PressOK Entertainment, will focus on being a top 10 publisher of mobile entertainment products. Millions of mobile gamers worldwide play PressOK’s combined list of game titles. The merger will immediately increase game output from 8 new titles to 12 with no additional VC investment, in addition to expanding wireless operator and IP brand relationships. One-third of PressOK Entertainment’s new game portfolio will be based on major entertainment brands.

“The merger of Mobliss and Reaxion brings together two organizations with complementary skill sets, creating a more profitable and successful company in the increasingly competitive mobile entertainment industry,” said Colin Prior, CEO of Press OK Entertainment. “PressOK Entertainment has an unwavering commitment to providing our operator partners and mobile consumers with entertaining mobile gaming products that drive consumer uptake and revenue.”

“As the mobile entertainment market matures and consolidates, only the largest and most innovative companies will thrive,” notes Brad Farkas, general partner of I-Hatch Ventures. “This merger creates a more lean company, with the right skill set and experience to succeed in this competitive landscape.”

PressOK’s proprietary BRAVA technology allows it to develop mobile games and applications in J2ME and automatically port them to other platforms, including BREW and Windows Mobile. BRAVA significantly reduces PressOK’s time-to-market and increases the number of channels it serves. In addition, PressOK’s development offices are in Moscow, Russia and Minsk, Belarus, allowing PressOK to quickly scale its development infrastructure without dramatically increasing costs.

After the merger, Reaxion’s existing development services business will continue to operate as Reaxion, a business unit of PressOK Entertainment. Reaxion will focus on providing high-quality mobile development and porting services, on a contract basis, to entertainment brands and publishers.

PressOK Entertainment

PressOK Entertainment is a market-leading developer and publisher of mobile gaming products. By providing fun, connected, mobile games, PressOK enables mobile operators and distribution partners to increase data usage, drive consumer uptake and increase revenue. PressOK’s portfolio of games include: Deal or No Deal, Family Feud, Detective Puzzles, Gin Rummy, Mahjong Deluxe and Secret Agent Puzzles. PressOK is headquartered in Seattle, WA, with offices in Moscow, Russia and Minsk, Belarus. Please visit PressOK Entertainment and Reaxion online at www.pressokentertainment.com.

Reaxion

A division of PressOK Entertainment, Reaxion has over 7 years of experience in delivering cost-effective, high-quality, mobile games and applications. Utilizing its proprietary BRAVA development framework, Reaxion has delivered mobile development solutions for customers such as Warner Music Group, Hudson Entertainment, WDA, Superscape and Smashing Ideas. Please visit Reaxion online at www.reaxion.com.

PressOK Entertainment Corp.
Ryan Morel, 1-206-240-4425
ryanm@pressokentertainment.com

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–From CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2008®: Following an exclusive development deal earlier this year, Handmark®, a global leader in the development and distribution of mobile media, today announced the debut of the first Sony-branded titles for smartphones, including Wheel of Fortune Deluxe, JEOPARDY! Deluxe, and Q*Bert. These games are available through Handmark distribution channels for BlackBerry® smartphone, Palm®, and Windows Mobile® users.

“Sony stands out as a leader in entertainment with some of the most admired, timeless television game shows in history,” said Paul Reddick, Handmark CEO. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to take their vision and translate it into new, exciting mobile gaming experiences for smartphone users.”

Corresponding with the 22^nd James Bond film set to hit theaters November 7, Handmark will also be releasing “Quantum of Solace” for BlackBerry smartphones later this year, featuring characters and situations inspired by the film.

Handmark owns and operates a variety of desktop and on-device mobile stores. Sony titles will receive prominent placement within these channels, including www.handmark.com, Pocket Express® “Extras”, as well as a variety of other mobile stores it operates for major mobile operators and device manufactures.

Wheel of Fortune Deluxe and JEOPARDY! Deluxe are available for a one-time purchase of $14.99, Q*bert is $9.99.

“Quantum of Solace” and other derivatives of the Wheel of Fortune and JEOPARDY! Titles, including Wheel of Fortune Road Trip and Rock & Roll JEOPARDY! will be available in the coming months. For more information visit www.handmark.com.

About Handmark

Handmark® is a global leader in the development and distribution of mobile media, for a wide range of mobile devices, including BlackBerry®, Palm® Treo™, Symbian™ OS, and Windows Mobile® devices, as well as the Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® touch. Its award-winning Pocket Express® news and information service transforms handsets into powerful business and entertainment tools. Handmark manages distribution partnerships around the world with major device manufacturers and operators. The company has offices in Kansas City (world headquarters); London, UK; San Francisco; Atlanta; Dallas; and Astraware®, the Handmark Game Studio, in Knutton, UK. For more information, visit www.handmark.com <http://www.handmark.com/>

© 2008 Handmark, Inc.; Handmark®, the Handmark® Game Studio™, and the distinctive hand design are registered trademarks of Handmark, Inc. in the U.S. and other territories. Astraware® is the registered trademark of Astraware Limited in the U.S. and other territories. All rights reserved. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–mDisney, the mobile content division of the Disney Interactive Media Group, announced today at the Wireless Association’s CTIA convention it has signed a new agreement with leading Korean mobile game publisher Com2uS. Under the new agreement, Com2uS will develop games for the U.S. market that will be published and distributed by mDisney. The first game to be released as part of the agreement, “Disney Puzzle Family,” will be available later this month.

“Com2uS is one of the top mobile game publishers globally, and they have demonstrated clear industry leadership both in terms of content and forward-thinking business models such as micro-billing,” stated Larry Shapiro, executive vice president and managing director, mDisney. “This is a great opportunity for us to combine the Disney brand with their innovative gameplay to bring a unique mobile game experience to a broad U.S. audience.”

“We’re excited to be working with Disney, the world’s #1 entertainment company”, said Ji Young Park, president, Com2uS Corporation. “This partnership with mDisney will be very opportunistic for our growth in the US market. Integrating Com2us’ award-winning games with Disney branding is a solid strategy for mass-market adoption.”

The first game to be released under the new agreement is “Disney Puzzle Family,” which offers in-depth game experiences and technological features based on five puzzle games that represent a different “Family” member. The puzzles are easy to play but difficult to master with simple and intuitive controls. Players can customize their characters and upgrade their Family with Disney wearable items such as hats and costumes. Network leaderboards track high scores and allow friend challenges.

About mDisney

mDisney publishes Disney-branded mobile games, graphics and tones based on popular Disney characters and franchises such as Hannah Montana, Pirates of the Caribbean, High School Musical and Disney Fairies to major North American wireless carriers. mDisney also recently launched a mobile Web site that allows users to access the world of Disney on their cell phones and will soon be connected across platforms with Disney.com, the No. 1 site on the Internet for kids and families. The mobile Web site can be accessed by texting the word MOBILE to 347639. Additionally, mDisney works closely with Walt Disney Studios, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Records, Radio Disney, Disney Interactive Studios and Disney Live Events to create unique mobile entertainment and content for key initiatives around The Walt Disney Company and its affiliated companies.

About Com2uS

Com2us Corporation (KOSDAQ 078340) established in July 1998, became the first and leading mobile entertainment provider in Korea. Since then, Com2us has developed a reputation for creating innovative and entertaining games and applications around the world, which are available in over 40 countries in Asia, Europe and North America.

Disney Interactive Media Group
Brandy Phillips, 818-623-3764
Brandy.Phillips@Disney.com
or
For Com2uS
Michael Meyers, 925-551-8080
Michael@mmpr.com

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The power of immersive video games to engage and maintain student’s attention in classrooms has captured the attention of yet another leading K-12 school district. Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the nation’s sixth largest school district, today announced that it will begin delivering supplemental pre-algebra and algebra concepts to students at 24 middle schools using Tabula Digita’s DimensionM™ video gaming software. Broward County joins other notable counties in Florida such as Orange, Seminole, Palm Beach, Volusia and Pinellas in adopting the video games as a learning tool.

“Students naturally like to learn through games, and the three-dimensional, virtual world format is deeply engaging. It’s a high impact, motivating learning tool that greatly assists when teaching a complex subject like algebra,” said Jeanine Gendron, Ed.D., director for the district’s department of instructional technology. “That subject is especially challenging during the middle school years, and quite often children become turned off because they view it as difficult. But from observing students using this program, we know that Tabula Digita is going to have a profound positive effect on the attention of our middle school learners.”

The decision to bring the Tabula Digita immersive math games to Broward County began with an extensive internal review process, complete with product demonstrations and testing. District math supervisors and educators from BCPS first spotted the video game software at the 2008 National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) annual conference in Salt Lake City.

Tabula Digita’s DimensionM product series offers several game titles that incorporate key algebraic concepts both single and multiplayer contemporary game formats. All of the games’ content is aligned to standards set by the NCTM, and several leading state standards, for grades 6-9. The supplemental curriculum offers “missions” or lessons which cover everything from proportions, number lines, and adding and subtracting integers to linear equations. A full listing of math concepts is available at the DimensionM.com website.

The software also provides automatic progress tracking for each student so teachers can provide additional instruction to help students gain mastery of specific concepts.

“In addition to the high engagement factor, the collaborative nature of this solution is going to be a big plus to the students in Broward County,” said Ntiedo Etuk, chief executive officer of Tabula Digita. “Students will feel empowered to help other students master difficult concepts needed to advance to the game’s next level, and in some cases they may even help teachers with the little nuances needed to learn the concepts and advance in the game. This role reversal is truly the foundation for engaging students in their own learning process and building a new way to teach and learn.”

There are several purchase options available for schools and districts to consider when purchasing the DimensionM games. Please visit www.DimensionM.com or contact sales@tabuladigita.com for more information.

About Broward County Public Schools

Broward County Public Schools is the nation’s sixth largest public school system and the largest fully accredited district with over 260,000 students in more than 260 schools and education centers. For more information about Broward County Public Schools, visit the District Web site at (www.browardschools.com).

About Tabula Digita

Tabula Digita is an educational video game company focused on delivering innovative and effective educational games to students and institutions. Through its fusion of education and technology-based immersive learning systems, Tabula Digita successfully offers standards-based, high impact educational tools that engage middle and high school students in learning and applying Pre-Algebra and Algebra I concepts. For more information, please call 1-888-9-Tabula or 1-888-982-2852, or visit www.DimensionM.com.

SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NCsoft^® Corporation (KSE: 036570.KS), the world’s leading publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), including award-winning franchises Lineage^®, Guild Wars^® and City of Heroes^®, today announced the formation of “NC West™”. A wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft with operating responsibility for western regions including the US and Europe, NC West will be led by Chris Chung as CEO, Jeff Strain as president, product development, David Reid as president, publishing, and Patrick Wyatt as CTO as well as yet unannounced European executives.

NCsoft’s existing subsidiaries NC Interactive, NC Europe, NC Austin, and ArenaNet will be led as a unified organization under NC West with a dedicated focus towards becoming the world’s premier western publisher of MMOs. NC West is the tentative name for the organization, and the company expects to announce final naming and corporate structure in the near future. NC West’s headquarters is planned to be established in Seattle, WA by the end of 2008.

Chris Chung, previously CEO of NC Interactive, has a long history with NCsoft. He began his tenure at NCsoft’s ArenaNet^® studio, where he managed that studio’s business and helped launch the multi-platinum selling Guild Wars franchise. Chung later went on to become the chief publishing officer for NCsoft’s Seoul headquarters. Prior to NCsoft, Chung spent more than five years at Microsoft and later co-founded a marketing research firm. As CEO of NC West, Chung will continue to report directly to NCsoft CEO Taek Jin (TJ) Kim.

“We are confident that by combining our subsidiaries into a unified global organization under Chris Chung’s leadership, NC West will become a more powerful force to be reckoned with in the western MMO market,” said TJ Kim. “Chris has become a guiding force within our company and has been extremely successful at every position he has held with us. His detailed first-hand knowledge of all aspects of our business is invaluable and will help establish NC West as a global leader.”

Jeff Strain was formerly the president and co-founder of ArenaNet, a company he formed with Patrick Wyatt and Mike O’Brien when they left senior roles at Blizzard Entertainment in 2000. Additionally, Strain held the position of executive producer of Guild Wars 2^™ prior to taking this new role. Strain will report directly to Chung and manage all NC West development studios across all existing and future products. Strain will also direct the production of NCsoft’s Asian-developed titles for NC West territories.

David Reid began with NCsoft in March 2008 as vice-president, marketing for North America. Reid came to NCsoft from Turner Broadcasting’s GameTap, where he served as vice-president, marketing. Prior to that, he worked at Microsoft as director of global platform marketing, where he launched the Xbox 360. In his new role, Reid will continue to report to Chung and will lead franchise management, marketing, public relations, sales, and customer support for NC West.

As a founder of ArenaNet, Patrick Wyatt led the development of the network and server technologies for the Guild Wars franchise, and directed the architecture and deployment of ArenaNet’s global game network infrastructure. Before co-founding ArenaNet with Strain and O’Brien, Wyatt was the vice president of research and development for Blizzard Entertainment, where he led programming for the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises. As CTO for NC West, Wyatt will report to Chung and will focus on platform technology development, network operations, and systems engineering.

“There is an unparalleled opportunity for growth in the massively multiplayer online market,” said Chris Chung. “By combining the strength of our US and European teams, NCsoft has the best global infrastructure to win in new and existing markets, and the best developer talent capable of creating blockbuster MMO franchises.”

About NC West

NC West is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, a world leading publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games including Lineage/Lineage II, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa^®, and Aion^®: The Tower of Eternity^™. More information about NCsoft can be found at http://www.PlayNC.com.

NCsoft, ArenaNet, Lineage, City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, Tabula Rasa, Aion, The Tower of Eternity and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–D3Publisher (D3P), a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, today announced that RocketBowl™ is available now for download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. A refreshing twist on a classic sport, RocketBowl offers a 50’s style retro-futuristic vibe, out-of-this-world courses and rocket-powered bowling balls for a perfect game of fun on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360. Players will compete in tournaments, challenge their friends in multiplayer, test their bowling skills and more! Players can enjoy the robust, full game features of RocketBowl for 800 Microsoft Points.

In addition to an indoor bowling alley, RocketBowl features 10 crazy courses filled with ramps, tunnels, loops, hills, curves and more to create a bowling experience like never before. Players will enjoy fun and varied gamplay modes as they take on the different courses in Free Play or challenge the course pros in Tournament and Challenge mode where they can wager and win money to upgrade more than 15 unique bowling balls including Strawbally, 8-Ball and the Kalamazoo Special. RocketBowl offers exciting mulitplayer mode matches with up to 4 friends competing against each other over Xbox LIVE or locally on one system with Xbox LIVE play featuring unranked Player and Ranked matches.

RocketBowl was developed by 21-6 Productions Inc., and is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB. For more information on RocketBowl, please visit: www.d3publisher.com.

About D3Publisher

D3Publisher, a subsidiary of D3, Inc., is a leading interactive entertainment publisher and distributor for licensed and original titles for personal computers, major console platforms and handheld systems. D3Publisher has operations in the U.S., U.K., and Japan. The company also owns development studio Vicious Cycle Software, Inc., and its technology platform, Vicious Engine. Recent releases have included Dark Sector®, Dead Head Fred®, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords®, and Ben 10™: Protector of Earth. For more information about D3Publisher, please visit: www.d3publisher.com.

Dark Sector® is a registered trademark of Digital Extremes. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. All rights reserved.