World Cyber Games Announces Official Games For 2005 Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WCG selects action game for the first time, ensuring genre diversification and increased spectator fun

SEOUL, Jan. 21, 2005 - The World Cyber Games Committee announced eight game titles that will serve as official games for the World Cyber Games 2005 (WCG 2005) to be held in Singapore this coming November. Korea Culture & Tourism Minister Dong-chea Chung and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman & CEO Jong-young Yun lead the WCGC committee.

Based on the success of the WCG 2004 in San Francisco, the WCG 2005 Grand Final will be held in Singapore, with the active cooperation from the Singaporean Economic Development Board (EDB, a Singaporean government organization). ICM, the global organizer of the WCG, brings the world's largest e-sports festival to the Asian IT hub in anticipation of attracting more than 800 players from 70 countries for the Grand Final this year.

Six PC games and two console games were chosen for the competition, which organizers expect to attract more than 1.25 million competitors worldwide. The official list of games includes: StarCraft: Brood War; Warcraft III: Frozen Throne; Warhammer 40,000 : Dawn of War; Counter Strike: Source; FIFA 2005; Need for Speed : Underground 2 ; Halo 2 (Console/Xbox); and Dead or Alive Ultimate (Console /Xbox).

While the number of official WCG games remains the same, two titles from 2004, 'Unreal Tournament 2004' and 'Project Gotham Racing 2' were replaced with a Real Time Strategy (RTS) PC game, 'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (aka Warhammer 40K)' and a console-based action game, Dead or Alive Ultimate. Dead or Alive Ultimate is the first action title selected as an official WCG game.

Warhammer 40K, which first joins the list of official games this year, was first launched in the United States last September as a next generation RTS game expected to follow in the footsteps of the popular PC game Starcraft. Gaming industry webzine Gamespy (www.gamespy.com) selected Warhammer 40k as one of the top 10 PC games for 2004.

Dead or Alive Ultimate, a new player in the console arena, is the latest installment in the Dead or Alive series. Since first launching last October, Dead or Alive Ultimate has enjoyed enormous worldwide popularity. The addition of a high caliber action game further diversifies the official WCG game lineup, which was previously comprised of RTS, First Person Shooter (FPS), and sports genres.

The WCGC conducted online surveys of gamers, communities and partners in many countries prior to making title selections. The committee also sought opinions from game experts with an aim to fully reflect preferences of gamers and trends in the world game market. Publishers' technical support in terms of event operability and fulfillment of sports spirit were also among the factors taken in to consideration.

About the World Cyber Games

The World Cyber Games (Co-Chairmen Chung, Dong-chea & Yun, Jong-yong, www.worldcybergames.com) is a global game culture festival that was founded in 2000 to promote global harmony through e-sports. The event started in 2000, and has been running annually ever since (this will be the fifth year). With the slogan "Beyond the Game," the World Cyber Games has truly developed into a global game phenomenon with arguably the largest prize amount at stake. The World Cyber Games prides itself on leading the "Digital Entertainment Culture." The 2005 Games in Singapore will be held in November.

WCG 2005 Official Games

PC: 6 Games

1)StarCraft: Brood War - RTS

2)Warcraft: Frozen Throne - RTS

3)Warhammer 40,000 : Dawn of War - RTS

4)Counter Strike: Source - FPS

5)FIFA 2005 - Sports

6)Need for Speed : Underground 2 - Sports

Console: 2 Games

7)Halo 2 (Console/Xbox) - FPS

8)Dead or Alive Ultimate (Console /Xbox) - Action

WCG 2005 Official Games Descriptions

StarCraft^®: Brood War^TM (PC)

Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Genre: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)

Released: 1997

StarCraft^®: Brood WarTM is a real-time strategy game in which players control any of three different species battling for domination. Commanding Terran, Protoss or Zerg forces, players must complete a series of missions while managing resources, amassing armies and defending their base. Each race is truly distinct with unique units, technologies, attributes and abilities. In multiplayer, up to eight players can compete head-to-head in a variety of game types including Melee, Capture the Flag and Free for All. Gameplay can be customized using StarCraft's campaign editor, which allows players to edit unit attributes and create missions and campaigns.

WarCraft^® III: The Frozen Throne^TM (PC)

Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Genre: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)

Released: 2003

Warcraft 3 expansion pack, detailing more of the story as new factions arise, and old heroes are transformed. Players return to war-ravaged Azeroth months after the defeat of the Burning Legion, to face a new threat. Each race features an added hero with new abilities and spells. New shops, which the player can build for specific races, keep units supplied with items. Multiplayer modes have been extended to include new clan and tournament support, among other new games. Neutral Heroes can be persuaded to join in the fight and add new abilities and magic spells to the player's arsenal.

Counter Strike^TM: Source (PC)

Publisher: Vivendi Universal

Developer: Valve

Genre: FPS (First-Person Shooter)

Released: 2004

Counter-Strike^TM: Source is a remake of the original Counter-Strike, running on the Half-Life 2 Source engine. It is a tactical action game, challenges you to compete with and against cunning AI opponents in mission-based campaigns spread across the globe. As squad leader of an elite counter-terrorist operative, use specialized maneuvers and weapon skills to complete over 20 new missions, each containing numerous objectives. Drop into challenging scenarios -- from harsh jungle environments to severe arctic terrains, from unforgiving deserts to dangerous international city streets. Rescue hostages. Escort VIPs to safety. Locate and defuse bombs. This collection of entirely new episodes challenges your ability to think quickly and strategically. Features highly-detailed models, atmospheric enhancements such as snow and rain, and many more dynamic special effects.

Warhammer 40,000 : Dawn of War (PC)

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Relic

Genre: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)

Released: 2004

Ten thousand years have passed since the treasonous acts of Chaos toppled the Golden Age of mankind. Fires burn brightly throughout the galaxies, illuminating carnage and slaughter as mankind defends itself from ancient enemies. Hardened forces collide with one goal in mind, the complete extermination of their opposition. Relic Entertainment brings the world's most successful tabletop war game to the PC. Control one of four unique races in head-to-head or cooperative multiplayer action, where faith, skill, and strategy are requisites in ruling the universe.

(Source : IGN, http://pc.ign.com/objects/620/620554.html?fromint=1)

FIFA Soccer 2005^TM (PC)

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: EA Canada

Genre: Sports

Released: 2004

Great soccer players need a great first touch -- and the same is now true for gamers with FIFA Soccer 2005. Using an all-new fluid player kinetic system, a player's first touch becomes a key advantage for players who can think quickly and act fast to outsmart the competition. An all-new animation system reacts to every button press with authentic responsiveness, directly translating to the speed and vision of the world's greatest players. With more than 350 official team and league licenses from around the world, more than 12,000 officially licensed players and an enhanced Career Mode, FIFA Soccer 2005 is billed as the only complete, authentic, and intelligent soccer experience.

(Source : IGN, http://pc.ign.com/objects/681/681801.html)

Need for Speed^TM : Underground 2 (PC)

Publisher: EA

Developer: EA Canada

Genre: Sports (Racing)

Released: 2004

Need for Speed Underground 2 will challenge gamers to immerse themselves in the tuner culture, exploring an expansive, free-roaming city divided into five distinct neighborhoods. Gamers will encounter rival racers who will initiate events, tip players off to the hottest racing spots, and show them where to buy the most sought-after licensed aftermarket upgrades. The game will feature new game modes, deep new performance customization and tuning, and more than 30 licensed cars. The game also delivers twice the visual customization upgrades as the original game, providing a staggering 70 billion possible car combinations for total automotive self-expression.

(Source : IGN, http://pc.ign.com/objects/679/679035.html)

Halo 2^TM (Xbox)

Publisher: Microsoft(X-box)

Developer: Bungie Studios

Genre: FPS (First-Person Shooter)

Released: 2004

The defeat of the Covenant in the first Halo game was only a temporary victory, as the alien attackers have renewed their mission to wipe out all of humanity. Despite the human military force's and Master Chief's efforts, the Covenant have breeched the Earth's defenses and have left its inhabitants in a dismal situation. In the midst of desperation, players assume the role of Master Chief and lead the resistance against the Covenant to save the people of Earth from a gruesome demise. Halo 2 will feature an immense and epic single player mode, as the story picks up where it ended in the first game. In addition to the single player mode, Halo 2 will also feature a redesigned multiplayer mode. While the first game limited players to LAN connectivity, Halo 2 takes multiplayer missions online by way of Xbox Live.

(Source : IGN, http://xbox.ign.com/objects/482/482228.html)

Dead or Alive^® Ultimate (Xbox)

Publisher: Tecmo

Developer: Team Ninja

Genre: Action

Released: 2004

Tecmo's esteemed development group, Team Ninja, has created the ultimate Dead or Alive fighting experience, Dead

or Alive Ultimate, by coupling the original version of Dead or Alive^TM with a completely redesigned Dead or Alive^TM 2 on the Xbox video game system to create one of the first 3-D online fighting games to date. Both games will be Xbox^TM Live multi-player compatible enabling you to test your fighting skills against a vast community of gamers from around the world.

Contact:

Michelle Kim,ICM, michelle@icm2k.com, +82-2-2106-6550

D.K Ha,ICM, dk@icm2k.com, +82-2-2106-6551

Mia Yu,ICM, miayu@icm2k.com, +82-2-2106-6552