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Take-Two/SEGA
Sign ESPN Publishing Deal
(Press
Release)
New
York, NY - June 8, 2004 - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:
TTWO) announced today the Company has signed a binding letter of intent
with SEGA Corporation to co-publish and exclusively distribute on a
worldwide basis all SEGA ESPN Videogames sports titles, including ESPN
NFL Football, ESPN NHL Hockey, ESPN NBA Basketball, ESPN College Hoops
and ESPN Major League Baseball. The ESPN Videogames titles are developed
and marketed by California-based Visual Concepts Entertainment, Inc., a
subsidiary of SEGA Corporation, and will be co-published under the
SEGA/Global Star Software label. The products will be exclusively
distributed through Jack of All Games in North America and Take-Two
Europe for international territories.
The
multi-year co-publishing and distribution agreement includes a provision
for Take-Two to further extend its participation in SEGA's sports game
business and all associated intellectual property for current and future
gaming platforms.
"We
believe this exclusive relationship with SEGA is a great opportunity for
Take-Two," said Paul Eibeler, Take-Two's President. "We have
tremendous respect for the critically acclaimed properties that Visual
Concepts has created and we are confident that our global sales and
distribution capabilities provide the resources that will fully support
these products." "The combined efforts of SEGA and Take-Two
will create an exciting and powerful partnership that is sure to
heighten the level of aggressive competition in the growing sports game
segment," said Hisao Oguchi, Representative Director and President
of SEGA Corporation.
"We
are excited to have Take-Two bring their second-to-none distribution
power and proven experience reaching the mass market to the ESPN
Videogames franchise we've built with SEGA," said Greg Thomas,
President of Visual Concepts. "We are proud of the quality of our
games and the loyalty of our fans, and we look forward to being able to
reach a whole new audience."
A
significant part of Take-Two's strategy is to gain market share by
offering extremely high quality products, supported with aggressive
marketing and value pricing. "We plan to expand the audience for
ESPN Videogames' sports titles by applying a variety of proven marketing
techniques," said Mr. Eibeler. "We are also adding the
compelling element of value pricing to this high quality line, creating
a significant point of differentiation for both core and casual gamers.
We believe the recent console price cuts are bringing new consumers into
the interactive entertainment market, and sports titles will be a
meaningful part of their software purchases. Finally, with Sony and
Microsoft not publishing sports titles this holiday season, there is a
significant competitive opportunity for ESPN Videogames titles. The
combination of these factors should expand the overall market for sports
titles."
Visual
Concepts' critically acclaimed ESPN Videogames are considered some of
the most innovative, high-quality sports games on the market. ESPN NBA
Basketball and ESPN NHL Hockey were the world's #1-rated games last year
in their respective genres, and ESPN NFL Football is a top-ranked
offering considered by many to be the most realistic, true-to-life
football simulation available anywhere and for any price.
About
SEGA Corporation
SEGA®
Corporation is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both
inside and outside the home, encompassing consumer business, amusement
machine sales and amusement center operations. The company develops,
publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products
for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and
those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. SEGA® Corporation's Web site is located at http://sega.jp.
About
ESPN
ESPN,
Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is a multinational, multimedia
sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of
multimedia assets in sports marketing with over 40 business entities.
The company is comprised of seven domestic television networks (ESPN,
ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes , ESPN Now, ESPN Today),
ESPN HD (a high-definition simulcast service of ESPN), ESPN Regional
Television, ESPN International (25 international networks and
syndication), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, SportsTicker,
ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other
growing new businesses including ESPN Broadband, ESPN Wireless, ESPN
Video-on-Demand and ESPN Interactive. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80
percent owned by ABC, Inc, which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt
Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in
ESPN.
Visual
Concepts Entertainment is the maker of the critically acclaimed 2K
series of sports games. The company is responsible for the full
development and marketing for all ESPN Videogames titles and is
committed to delivering the best, fully integrated sports gaming
experience for all consumers. Visual Concepts Entertainment is wholly
owned by Japan-based SEGA Corporation. For more information on ESPN
Videogames games, visit http://www.espnvideogames.com.
About
Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered
in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated
global developer, marketer, distributor, and publisher of interactive
entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation®
game console, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox,
Nintendo GameCube(TM) and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and
develops products through its wholly owned subsidiary labels: Rockstar
Games, Gathering, Global Star and Joytech. The Company maintains sales
and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris,
Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands) and Auckland.
Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol
TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our
website at www.take2games.com.