Enhancing its strong platform strategies, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc (SCEI) announced today plans to expand its in-home entertainment to outside the home with a new, all-in-one portable entertainment platform, "PSPTM."

Scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2004, the company's goal is to extend the reach of PlayStation to a broader audience, allowing consumers to enjoy gaming and other entertainment content anytime, anywhere. Specific details on release plans and pricing will be disclosed at a later date.

The introduction of "PSP" highlights the company's long-awaited foray into the portable entertainment market. With unmatched advantages of the Sony Group, such as global

Steel Battalion: Line of Contact gives players the opportunity to once again use the most elaborate controller interface ever created to partake in futuristic military warfare. Ultra realistic visual effects and mech battles in the first or third person perspective create the ultimate mechanized military combat experience.

Empires: Dawn of the Modern World

Call Of Duty

Elite Force II

Rome: Total

Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. ("Square Enix U.S.A."), the publisher of Square Enix(TM) products in North America, announced today the North American debut of FINAL FANTASY®XI for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the personal computer (PC) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), held May 14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. FINAL FANTASY XI, will be available for demonstration at several booths including Square Enix U.S.A. (South Hall, booth #624), Sony Computer Entertainment America (West Hall, booth #2416), ATI Technologies Inc. (South Hall, booth #646), Logitech® (South Hall, booth #1300) and NVIDIA® Corporation (South Hall, booth #1636).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030403/SQUARELOGO )

• Grand Theft Auto 4 has been confirmed and Sony announced that the title will debut exclusively on the Playstation II.
• Final Fantasy XI will be published by Sony in all territories at some point in 2004. The reason for Square Enix not publishing the title is unknown at this point in time.
• The Sony press conference is taking place right now, and Sony has announced that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, will be a Playstation 2 exclusive.
• Sony has released new details pertaining to Gran Turismo 4. The game will feature new and improved graphics, better sound, more realistic physics and... online

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. the world's leading third party video game accessory manufacturer, today announced a partnership with Microsoft to develop and manufacture the exclusive microphone and microphone adapter for Microsoft's Xbox(TM) Music Mixer, due for release November 1, 2003. A live demonstration of this product will be at the Mad Catz booth, located in the South Hall, booth #1524, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo May 14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Xbox fans can turn their living rooms into karaoke clubs as they practice their vocal skills with the Mad Catz microphone and microphone adapter. The microphone

BAM! Entertainment® announced today that its video game Wallace & Gromit(TM) in Project Zoo will be on display in the Nintendo® booth at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), May 14-16, 2003. Created by Aardman, the popular clay characters Wallace & Gromit have starred in several half-hour films that have won more than 45 international awards including two Oscars®.

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is the first video game product to feature the popular British characters and is due to release on Nintendo GameCube this fall.

"Having Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo chosen to be part of Nintendo's booth is

Midway Games Inc. a leading software industry publisher and developer, announced today that Grammy-nominated Vanessa Carlton, FLIP/GEFFEN's recording act COLD, DJ Rocky Rock and MC Supernatural will perform live at Midway's booth #800 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center for E3 2003, May 12-16. Each band has recorded original songs for some of Midway's hottest game releases including SpyHunter® 2, ESPionage(TM) and NBA Ballers.

"Midway is proud to once again showcase cutting edge bands performing live on the E3 show floor," said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing, Midway. "The music of Vanessa Carlton, COLD, DJ Rocky

Breaking the sound barrier and unleashing a futuristic two-wheeled assault on the next-generation gaming systems, Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKLM - News), today unveiled XGRA(TM): Extreme-G Racing Association. Developed by Acclaim Studios Cheltenham, XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association is the latest installment in the Company's award-winning Extreme-G Racing brand that has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide. Combining futuristic, high-speed motorcycle racing and combat, XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association will feature all new gameplay modes, features, weapons, bikes, controls and unlockable content.

"The Extreme-G Racing brand continues to set new benchmarks with each installment, and XGRA offers the most intense

Eliminating the need for a referee to pull a red card during a heated match, Acclaim Sports, a division of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKLM - News), today unveiled Urban Freestyle Soccer(TM), a no-holds-barred, 4-on-4, arcade-style street soccer game. Urban Freestyle Soccer takes the world's most popular sport back to its street roots with gang-style teams competing against their rivals for the right to lay claim to their home turf. Urban Freestyle Soccer will feature special player moves, combos, power-ups and playing fields set on the hard blacktop of the city.
"Soccer has the highest participation rate of any sport

E3 Expo attendees will embark on a wild new adventure with Shrek® and his buddies when Activision, Inc. and TDK Mediactive, Inc. unveil Shrek 2(TM): The Game (working title) at Activision's booth #1224 in the South Hall on May 14 - 16.

Inspired by the upcoming film and expanding its storyline, Shrek 2: The Game (working title) features Shrek's signature humor and comedic interactions. Players experience key moments from the film and encounter a variety of new characters, environments and sub-plots as they switch between Shrek, Donkey or one of their six friends. The game is being co-published worldwide by Activision,

New Application Enables Nintendo Game Boy Advance and Game Boy

Advance SP To Play Color and Sound Cartoon Episodes

4Kids Entertainment announced today the debut of GBA-TV, an exciting new application for the estimated installed base of 12 million Game Boy® Advance systems.

GBA-TV cartridges containing cartoon episodes play on Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP systems in the same manner as video game cartridges. Special proprietary technology developed by the 4Kids Entertainment subsidiary, 4Kids Technology, Inc., enables kids to watch the cartoons contained in the GBA-TV cartridges on their Game Boy Advance. The technology enables the Game Boy Advance to

Atari, Inc. and TimeGate Studios, Inc. announced today a partnership to develop a new PC installment of Axis & Allies, the popular World War II game franchise. Axis & Allies: RTS (working title) is inspired by the game of war, strategy and economics found in the best-selling Axis & Allies board game, but features unique elements that allow players to change the course of history in new ways. Axis & Allies: RTS is being developed for the PC by TimeGate Studios, creators of the award-winning Kohan series, and is scheduled for release in fall 2004 for the PC.

In Axis &

Serving up a dose of sun, fun and sand right into gamers' living rooms, Acclaim Sports, a division of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKLM - News), today unveiled Summer Heat Beach Volleyball(TM) for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The only beach volleyball game available for the PlayStation®2, Summer Heat Beach Volleyball takes players on a journey to the world's hottest summer spots to face off in fast-paced 2-on-2 arcade action.

"We're very excited to offer PlayStation®2 owners their own exclusive beach volleyball game," said David Knies, Director of Acclaim Sports. "With addictive gameplay and easy-to-use controls, Summer Heat Beach

Flying off the top rope and into the hands of every wrestling fan, Acclaim Sports, a division of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. today announced its return to the squared circle with the spring 2004 release of Legends of Wrestling(TM) III for the next-generation systems. Currently under development with Acclaim Studios Austin, the latest installment in the series is being rebuilt from the ground up with enhanced graphics, new features, new matches, more than 70 Legends and an all-new intuitive player control scheme.

"The original concept behind the Legends of Wrestling(TM) brand continues to appeal to wrestling fans and gamers alike,

Aquanox 2 (PC)

Chaser (PC)

Cold Zero (PC)

Microsoft Corp. is introducing a series of enhancements for its Xbox videogame system, including music software and online-gaming options that underscore the software giant's plans to use videogames to move more broadly into digital entertainment, Tuesday's Wall Street Journal reported.

Presenting to members of the videogame industry assembled for a convention here this week, Microsoft described software that can let consumers record, mix and organize digital music on the Xbox. The company also announced enhancements to its online-gaming service, called Xbox live, that lets players set up online games and check scores from their personal computers and cell phones as well

In an attempt to boost sales and lure more video-game players online, Sony Corp. plans on giving buyers of its PlayStation 2 system a free modem device that previously cost $40.

Sony will now sell its PlayStation 2 standard with its Network Adapter, which allows video-game players to hook up via the Internet to compete with each other. The company didn't specify an exact start date for the promotion, but said it would happen over the summer.

Industry watchers had been uncertain whether Sony would offer any promotion, since PlayStation 2 sales have eclipsed competitors in the game-console arena, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox

Under license from Hasbro Consumer Products, Atari has announced plans to take one of the most popular trading card games ever created to the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft with the release of "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds." A PC CD-ROM version of the game was also announced. Currently in development by Secret Level, "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds" is filled with faithful translations of classic creatures, spells and enchantments from the premier trading card game in a visually stunning 3D game environment rife with real-time strategic fighting, devastating wizard arsenals and intense creature combat.

"`Magic' represents one of the best

Riverdeep today announced the upcoming release of School Tycoon an all-new life simulation strategy game that presents kids with the ultimate fantasy ? the opportunity to rule their own school. The product combines classic "build and management" simulation with wacky and hilarious comic mischief, as kids endeavor to balance the super-cool elements they have created within their school, with the typical administrative policies and procedures required to run an orderly campus. School Tycoon will be available this fall on Windows for a suggested retail price of $29.95.

School Tycoon sends players on a mission to design, build, and master the Ultimate