SPYRO THE DRAGON RETURNS THIS FALL IN HIS BIGGEST ADVENTURE EVER FOR PLAYSTATION2, XBOX AND GAMECUBE

Currently in development, this new 3D action platformer from the popular video game franchise will feature five playable characters and powerful new Spyro abilities

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 27, 2004) – Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced the development of Spyro™: A Hero’s Tail for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game system from Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube™, scheduled to arrive at retail in Q4 2004. Developed by UK-based Eurocom Entertainment Software and scripted by Emmy Award-winning writer J. Stewart Burns, this new 3D action platformer will feature five fully-playable characters and brand-new Spyro breath attacks, power-ups and moves.

“Since his debut in 1998, our purple dragon Spyro has been a favorite character among console gamers everywhere,” said Michael Pole, EVP of Worldwide Studios, VU Games. “Spyro fans are sure to welcome his greatest adventure to date – an adventure game that immerses players into a deep storyline, more diverse, lush environments and introduces a strong line-up of engaging characters.”

Spyro must save the Dragon Realms from the Evil Red Dragon who has planted light-sapping Dark Gems all over the Dragon Realms in an attempt to capture and control the world. With the help of his allies, Spyro must seek out and destroy all of the Dark Gems to return the lands back to normal and to save the Dragon Realms from the evil dragon’s tyrannical control.

The fierce purple dragon will travel across dark, mysterious lands in which the environments shift from evil to good in real-time -- affecting enemies, music, lighting, objects, sky and more. Outfitted with mighty new abilities including the Wall Kick, Tail Swing and Ledge Grab, Spyro will fight his enemies with powered-up breath attacks -- burning opponents with Flame Breath, deep-freezing rivals with Freeze Breath, obstructing adversaries with Water Breath and destroying mechanical enemies with Electric Breath. In addition to playing as the heroic leader Spyro, gamers will also have the opportunity to play as weapons master Hunter the Cheetah, dive-bombing penguin Sgt. Byrd, loyal sidekick Sparx the Dragonfly or the all-new weapons-equipped, climbing Blink the Mole.

Spyro: A Hero’s Tail will be available for a suggested retail price of $49.99 with an ESRB “E for Everyone” rating.

About Xbox

Xbox ( http://www.xbox.com ) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Nintendo GameCube

A dedicated gameplay system, Nintendo GameCube(TM) delivers new forms of interactive fun for players and offers the easiest development environment for game creators. The system's embedded memory, proprietary optical disc and innovative controller are designed to optimize the gameplay experience.

About Eurocom Entertainment Software

Founded in October 1988 by current owners Ian Sneap, Mat Sneap, Tim Rogers, Neil Baldwin and Hugh Binns, their first game “Magician”, was published in 1990 for the 8-bit NES console. Now in their 16th year, they have steadily expanded their development to cover all the major consoles and handhelds, and have developed over 60 titles in that time, including some of the best-selling games in the industry. Eurocom has a development group of 200 people based in their Derby, England studio, working on multiple projects across PC, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo platforms.

About Vivendi Universal Games

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Vivendi Universal Games ( www.vugames.com ) is a global leader in multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive products across all major platforms including PCs, video game consoles and the Internet. Vivendi Universal Games’ portfolio of development studios and publishing labels includes Blizzard Entertainment, Coktel, Fox Interactive, Knowledge Adventure, Massive Entertainment and Sierra Entertainment. Additionally, Vivendi Universal Games co-publishes and/or distributes titles for a number of strategic partners, including Interplay, inXile entertainment, Majesco and Mythic Entertainment, among others.

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TM, (R) and Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. (C) 2001 Nintendo.

Vivendi Universal Games- http://www.vugames.com 

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