ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS®VIII SHIPS TODAY

KOEI Ships Award-winning Simulation to North American Retailers

Burlingame, CA – August 12, 2003 – Brave souls, come forth. The stage is set, and the battle to unite China is ready to begin once again with the release of Romance of the Three Kingdoms® VIII for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. KOEI Corporation today announced Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is shipping to retailers throughout North America today. Consumers can order the title at gamestop.com, ebgames.com, mediaplay.com, and amazon.com.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is the latest and most highly anticipated installment of the historical simulation series set amidst the civil wars of second century China.

“The release of RTKVIII marks the evolution of the longest running historical simulation game for consoles,” said Amos Ip, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at KOEI Corporation. “In direct response to player requests, we are introducing the series’ first multi-character option that uses all of the game’s officers. Each of the game’s more than 700 characters is brought to life as players have complete control of their interpersonal affairs. There are also new levels of Status, new tactical skills, and a new battle process all intertwined into 54 dramatic scenarios. This is certainly the most refined game in the series.” IGN.com agrees, and has honored the game with its Editor’s Choice Award, calling it “the system’s best strategy game to date,” and “one of the deepest games yet available for the PlayStation 2. (9 out of 10)” AsianWeek proclaims, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII offers enormous satisfaction to the videogamer... If you've never tried the franchise before, this is the one to start with...(4 out of 5)"

In the game, players can choose to bring an end to the chaos or fuel their personal ambitions. Choosing from over 600 historical figures and an additional 100 player created characters, gamers can play up to eight characters in a single game- from a loyal officer who helps his lord, to a rogue general forging his own path to fortune and glory.

While depicting historically significant relationships, such as the brotherhood between Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, the game allows players to create new bonds between characters, with new commands such as “Marriage” and “Sworn Brother.”

The game now includes eight Status types. In addition to “Ruler,” “Warlord,” “Prefect,” “General,” and “Free Officer,” there are three new types. “Governor” is a position of authority between Liege and Prefect. “Chief” is the leader of a wandering army with no city under its control, and “Comrade” is one of the Chief’s subordinates. Gamers can decide whether to seek promotion or plot a rebellion to overthrow the status quo.

Previously in the series, it was only possible for a maximum of four forces to participate in a single battle. Now, nearly all forces can take part in a battle, and the most famous officers from each force can meet each other on the same battlefield.

Players can also now begin the game at any year- from the start of The Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 A.D. to the death of Zhuge Liang in 234 A.D. Additionally, there are four more scenarios set after 234 A.D., including one entirely fictional story featuring every officer in the game.

Developed by KOEI, Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII hits retail shelves on August 13, 2003. Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is a 1-8 Player game. Available exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is rated “E” (Everyone- Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Violence) by the ESRB.

About KOEI Corporation

KOEI Corporation, the North American subsidiary of KOEI Co., Ltd. of Japan, established operations in 1988. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company is now in its fifteenth year and is recognized as a leader in the highly competitive video game industry.

KOEI is respected worldwide as the premier brand for Strategy and Simulation games, and is recognized as the innovator of the Tactical Action genre. The company’s Dynasty Warriors™ series has generated more than 5 million units in sales worldwide, since releasing for the PlayStation game consoles in 1997.

KOEI maintains operations in Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, China, Korea and Taiwan. KOEI employs over six hundred people worldwide, with sales exceeding $200 million. The company constantly seeks the fine balance between entertainment, technology, art and education, and provides games that will mesmerize gamers across the globe. More information about KOEI and its products can be found on the company’s websites, located at www.koei.com  and www.koei.co.jp. 

The KOEI logo is a trademark of KOEI Co., Ltd. in Japan and /or other Countries. Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Dynasty Warriors are registered trademarks of KOEI Co., Ltd. ©2003 KOEI Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. All other titles are trademarks of their respective owners. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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