NAMCO HOMETEK INC. TO BRING BATEN KAITOS TO NINTENDO GAMECUBE THIS FALL

An Intense and Innovative RPG Takes Players on an Epic Journey

San Jose, Ca., (July 12, 2004) – Leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that the highly anticipated, epic role-playing adventure Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean will be available for the U.S. market in November 2004. Available exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube entertainment system, Baten Kaitos takes players on an incredible voyage to unlock the mystery of the lost ocean.

Amidst a world in crisis, at a time where the mighty continent and the once-vast oceans are a mere legend, players take the role of a guardian spirit that advises and guides Kalas, the story’s hero, throughout his expedition. The story unfolds as Kalas meets up with an unlikely companion, Xelha, and the two embark on a quest to overcome a conspiracy for power that threatens to lead the world to its final destruction.

“The beautiful graphics, brilliant 3D character designs by Nakaba Higurashi and unique turn-based battle system sets Baten Kaitos apart from other games in the RPG genre,” said Rod Nakamoto, executive vice president of research and development at Namco Hometek Inc. “We’re looking forward to giving gamers the chance to experience the adventure first-hand when it hits the U.S. market this fall.”

Baten Kaitos features an intense and extraordinary “Magnus” card-based RPG battle and item system that allows players to capture the essence of certain objects, weapons and spells to reproduce them during combat, healing, solving puzzles and more. Additionally, the more than 1,000 types of “Magnus” cards can age through time: foods will ripen or rot and items will rust, gain or lose value with age. This fast-paced and intuitive battle system gives players a simplistic, yet in depth game play experience never before seen within the RPG genre.

Breathtaking graphics help illustrate the mystical nature of the game’s environments including a kingdom in the clouds protected by knights, a city of illusion that shifts between dimensions, a nation of rainbows protected by a magical shield and many other fantastic sub-worlds.

About Namco Hometek Inc. Namco Hometek Inc. is the U.S. consumer division of Namco Limited, a Tokyo-based world leader in the high-tech entertainment industry. Based in San Jose, CA, Namco Hometek Inc. is an award-winning video games publisher for next generation game consoles. Namco has created some of the industry's greatest video game franchises: Tekken®, SOULCALIBUR®, Dead to Rights®, Pac-Man World , Ridge Racer® and Time Crisis®. For more information about Namco and its products log onto www.namco.com.

BATEN KAITOS &©2003 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ,®, and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, PAC-MAN WORLD , Ridge Racer® and Time Crisis® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Namco Limited in the United States and/or other countries. Dead to Rights is a trademark or registered trademark of Namco Hometek Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

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