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Copyright 2005 Business Wire 2005

November 16, 2005

HEADLINE:
Activision's ``World Series of Poker'' Breaks New Ground as First Title For PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R)Portable) to Use GameSpy Multiplayer Technology

BODY:
IGN Entertainment's GameSpy, the supplier of multiplayer technology used in more than 300 game titles for PC and PlayStation(R)2, has provided the multiplayer technology for Activision's "World Series of Poker." This is the first title for PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R)Portable) to use GameSpy technology.

GameSpy's multiplayer technology allows "World Series of Poker" players to connect with others around the world from home, work or even a WiFi hotspot at a coffee shop. Gamers can either use anonymous logins or their GameSpy profiles known to console game players.

"In 'World Series of Poker,' nothing beats playing against real humans with their varied skills and individual betting strategies. Players can easily set up virtual tables with long time friends or get a seat at a table with like-minded poker players from around the world," said David Oxford, general manager of Activision Value, Inc. "We have enjoyed a great partnership with GameSpy over the years, delivering excellent multiplayer functionality on the PC and PlayStation(R)2. We were pleased with the features we were able to quickly deliver for World Series of Poker and the appeal of PSP(TM) with an adult audience made it a perfect fit."

The cost and time of adding multiplayer capabilities on the title for PSP(TM) was significantly reduced due to the development team's previous experience with GameSpy's technology on other platforms. GameSpy's architecture enabled and simplified the customization that was desired to enhance game play. For example, a player can find a virtual table by game type or betting limit rather than by selecting from a series of game servers, which is often required in more traditional multiplayer games.

"We are happy that we were able to reduce cost and time to the development team so that they could focus on what they do best -- making great game contents. It was exciting to see such a nice PSP(TM) multiplayer implementation right out of the gate. We applaud Activision for their continuous successes with connected gaming across all platforms," said Mark Stieglitz, Vice President and General Manager of IGN Entertainment's Publisher Services.

"World Series of Poker" is now available for PSP(TM), as well as for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, Xbox(R) video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance and PC. All versions of the game have been rated "E10+" by the ESRB.

About Activision, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.4 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia, Spain and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

About IGN Entertainment

IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 30 million unique users worldwide in the month of August 2005, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix.(a) IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.

(a) comScore Media Metrix, August 2005 Worldwide data. Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "PSP" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.

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