Black Bean Announces The X Factor Sing™

Varese, Italy 9 Sept 2005. Black Bean, the publishing arm of Lago SRL, today announced the UK release of The X Factor Sing, the official game of the UK's biggest televised talent search, The X Factor, for PlayStation^®2 and PC-CDROM.

Developed by Milestone, The X Factor Sing gives players a chance to put their talents to the test before two of the show's infamous judges, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, for a fun and exciting experience which can be enjoyed solo or with family and friends. With 20 amazing tracks from some of today's hottest stars including Natalie Imbruglia, Melanie C, Sugababes, and Ronan Keating, The X Factor Sing allows players to experience the show that has captivated the British nation.

The X Factor Sing analyses the tone, pitch and timing of players' voices as they sing into a USB microphone and provides feedback in the form of witty and amusing comments we have all come to expect from Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh. Regardless of whether you are classically trained or vocally challenged The X Factor Sing ensures that everyone can have a go and be a part of this TV phenomenon.

FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, the licensing division of FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers or programme brands in the world, has licensed the game rights to Lago SRL and is representing all ancillary rights for The X Factor brand.

Marco Minoli, Head of Marketing at Black Bean said, "The X Factor Sing is a really exciting title which will appeal to a massive audience bringing gaming to a whole new market. It's fun and incredibly entertaining, and we are delighted to be publishing it in the UK."

Dom Wheeler, Vice President, Licensing UK, FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide added: "Black Bean has done a great job in translating the essence of The X Factor into a hugely entertaining and interactive game and we are confident it will be a bit hit with fans of all ages."

Exclusive Game Features include:

• Comments from The X Factor judges Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.

• Exclusive footage from The X Factor television show featuring the most entertaining clips from the series.

• Multiplayer options for up to 8 players.

• Mini games like Fat Cat, Blind Fold and Serenade.

• 20 tracks from some of today's hottest artists, including Natalie Imbruglia, Melanie C, Sugababes and Ronan Keating.

• A USB microphone supplied by Logitech.

The X Factor Sing is due for release in the UK on PlayStation 2 and personal computer on 21st October 2005 for £39.99.

The X Factor is produced by Syco and Thames Television, one of the UK production companies owned by FremantleMedia, for ITV.

www.itv.com/xfactor

About Lago/Black Bean. Black Bean is the games label of Lago Srl, which is part of the Leader Group. Leader SpA has been the leading independent distributor in Italy since it started business in 1984. Leader is based in Gazzada (Varese) which is situated 30 miles north of Milan in northern Italy. Black Bean philosophy is to focus on a wide range of games genre leveraging on the niche targets that remain uncovered into the market. By adding original content to the products and by fully localising the titles Black Bean's vision is to remain close to player's needs. Black Bean has distribution partners all across Europe and PAL territories including Australia and South Africa. www.blackbeangames.com

About Milestone. Milestone was founded on 1996 in Milan, by Antonio Farina.

The company's first products were the successful Screamer series of driving games published on the Virgin Interactive label.

In the following years Milestone has specialised in the production of racing simulations and has rapidly become the most successful games developer in Italy.

Until 2001 Milestone has developed, exclusively for Electronic Arts, under the EA Sports brand, the officially licensed

simulation of the Superbike World Championship, which became the best motorbike racing simulator ever. In 2003 Milestone completed its first console title, with the critically acclaimed Racing Evoluzione (Apex in the US), developed exclusively for the Xbox and launched by Atari.

About FremantleMedia. FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) is the licensing division of FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of programme brands in the world, with leading prime time drama, serial drama, entertainment and factual entertainment programming in over 40 territories. FLW exploits FremantleMedia's many strong brands including the award winning international format, Idols and the cult children's classics, Rainbow and Danger Mouse, across multiple off-screen platforms including merchandising campaigns, interactive and wireless support, home entertainment and music publishing.

For the latest news, release schedules, and images visit www.blackbeangames.com or contact Indigo Pearl