UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE SHIPS CRASH BANDICOOT: THE WRATH OF CORTEX FOR XBOX TO RETAILERS NATIONWIDE

Fur-Raising Action-Adventure Pushes The Limits of Microsoft's Next-Generation Console

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., April 16, 2002 – Universal Interactive, Inc., a studio of Vivendi Universal Publishing, announced today that "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft has shipped to retailers nationwide.

Developed by U.K.-based Traveller's Tales, "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" for Xbox follows the same high-energy storyline as Universal Interactive's popular holiday 2001 release of "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award 2002. Crash travels by land, sea and air to defeat his arch-nemesis and creator, the evil Dr. Neo Cortex.

Composed of more than 30 levels, the new title features the most realistic special effects ever seen in a Crash game. Vibrant graphics, real-time lighting and shadows, and even a new furry coat for gaming's favorite marsupial are made possible by the enhanced graphical capabilities of the Xbox hardware

Level load times have been significantly reduced. "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" offers exceptional replayability with more than 40 hours of gameplay, multiple play modes, real-time sequences and five new bosses.

"'Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex' for Xbox is a perfect example of Universal Interactive's commitment to publishing quality interactive entertainment across multiple platforms," said Jim Wilson, president of Universal Interactive. "Traveller's Tales has done an excellent job maximizing the power of the hardware to create a title that Xbox gamers will enjoy."

Crash Bandicoot is among the best-selling character-based game franchises in the history of the PlayStation® game console. The Crash Bandicoot franchise has sold more than 25 million units worldwide, with more than 11 million units sold in North America alone.

Universal Interactive is a leading global interactive entertainment company focusing on the development of world-renowned, studio-based and original franchises across multiple game platforms including handheld, next generation game consoles and the PC. The company's owned and licensed properties include Bruce Lee, Crash Bandicoot, The Incredible Hulk, The Scorpion King, Spyro the Dragon and The Thing. Based in Universal City, Calif., Universal Interactive is a studio of Vivendi Universal Publishing and part of the company's Vivendi Universal Games division.

About Vivendi Universal Publishing

Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Publishing), the publishing division of the world's second largest communications group (Vivendi Universal), is an international leader in multi-platform publishing and content distribution. As one of the top three players in the global publishing market and the only publisher with an international reach, the Company's key content areas include literature, reference, education, games and consumer press. VU Publishing publishes content in four major languages, including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has strong local publishing brands, including Anaya, Atica, Houghton Mifflin, Knowledge Adventure, Larousse, Nathan and Scipione. In the games category, VU Publishing is a leading publisher of online, PC and console-based games. Its studios include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment and Universal Interactive.

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