LADYDRAGON.COM - E3 2002

NAMCO HOMETEK INC. ANNOUNCES ITS E3 LINEUP

Namco Hometek Inc. has announced the list of titles it plans to show at this year’s E3 Expo. Showing will be: Dead to Rights™, Tekken®4, Xenosaga™ (tentative title), Ninja Assault™, Pac-Man World™2, Pac-Man Fever™, and Namco Museum™.

Dead to Rights™, debuting on the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft, is Namco Hometek’s largest in-house developed game to date. A new maximum-velocity, supercharged Action Noir thriller, it features a never-before-seen mixture of storyline, game play elements and mechanics, as well as character interaction. Dead to Rights also introduces Namco’s new action hero, Jack Slate: a once proud officer now a fugitive hunted by good cops, bad cops, and crooks alike. Without a home and with pitifully few friends, Jack wages war on the criminal element that murdered his father, destroyed his life and continues to rain crime and heartbreak on Grant City. Dead to Rights will be available in July 2002 for Xbox.

Tekken® 4, for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, marks the return of Namco’s premier fighting franchise. Tekken strikes back with new jaw-dropping graphics, game play mechanics, and fearsome fighters. Newcomers engage old favorites in interactive, multi-leveled arenas. New strategies in fighting are introduced with the addition of walls, terrain effects, position changes, and enhanced side-stepping. Expanded game modes such as Training, Team Battle and the new Tekken Force provide the player with a deeper game play experience. Tekken 4 will be available in August 2002.

Xenosaga™ (tentative title), for the PlayStation 2, is an unforgettable journey that awaits gamers in the form of an epic RPG. This intergalactic story takes place years into the future, well after the human race abandoned Earth in favor of the next frontier of space. An amazing 50+ hours of intriguing game play, a variety of mini-games, gorgeous movie sequences and a sprawling sci-fi storyline make this RPG a must-have for any game fan. Xenosaga will be available in Q1 2003.

Ninja Assault™, for the PlayStation 2, is the newest addition to the GunCon™2 compatible list of shooters. Set to the backdrop of Feudal Japan, three heroic ninjas must fight off hundreds of powerful demons in order to save the Princess Koto from being sacrificed in a ritual to resurrect the evil Shogun Kigai. Featuring new levels, modes, and rendered cut-scenes, plus improved graphics over the Arcade version, this new shooter is ready to put trigger fingers back in action. Ninja Assault will be available in September 2002.

Pac-Man World™ 2, for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo Gamecube™ and now for Xbox, takes the timeless pop-culture icon on his most challenging adventure yet. Pac-Man sets out on a quest to recapture the Magical Fruit stolen by the pesky Ghost Gang and the most evil of all entities, Spooky. With new skills like in-line skating, ice-skating, the shimmy and flip-kick, plus using the handy Pac-sub, Pac-Man will battle new enemies and explore new areas. This whimsical adventure also includes 3-D Pac-mazes and classic arcade favorites. Pac-Man World 2, now playing on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube, will be available for Xbox in October 2002.

Pac-Man Fever™, for the Nintendo Gamecube and PlayStation 2, will make its debut at E3. The outrageously fun party game stars Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and many other Namco favorites from popular franchises such as Tekken, Ridge Racer and Soul Calibur. Up to four players partake in more than 30 mini-games and three differently themed game boards. Try to recover all of the mini-games stolen by those pesky, party-crashing Ghosts and determine who the real party animal is! Pac-Man Fever will be available on both systems in September 2002.

Namco Museum™, for the PlayStation 2 and now for the Nintendo Gamecube and Xbox, will give gamers a chance to experience the great classics of the Arcade’s Golden Era. The original quarter munchers: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, and many other favorites are all here. Old-school gamers will re-live their greatest arcade moments and brand new gamers will experience the excitement of what makes these classic games so much fun to play. Namco Museum, now playing on the PlayStation 2, will be available for the Nintendo Gamecube and Xbox in October 2002.

Exhibiting on all three home game consoles, Namco’s line-up at E3 will show the diversity, quality, and fun gaming experience that has won fans over around the world.

Namco Hometek Inc. is the U.S. consumer division of Namco Limited, a Tokyo-based world leader in the high-tech entertainment industry. Committed to providing the ultimate entertainment experience, Namco uses cutting-edge technology and advanced electronics to take their theme parks, arcades, and home video games far beyond traditional entertainment.