NAMCO SIGNS LICENSING DEAL WITH HIP INTERACTIVE TO BRING KEY VIDEO GAME FRANCHISES TO PC

Kill.switch, Extreme Force: Grant City Anti-Crime and PAC-MAN WORLD 2Available Worldwide on PC in 2004

San Jose, Ca., (Sept. 17, 2003) – Leading video games publisher, Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that it has expanded its relationship with Hip Interactive Corp. (TSX: HP) to license several of Namco’s key video game properties for the PC.  Hip Interactive will develop and distribute PC versions of kill.switch, Extreme Force: Grant City Anti-Crime (working title) and PAC-MAN WORLD2 in North America and Europe in 2004.  As previously announced, Hip Interactive will be releasing another top Namco franchise, Dead to Rights® for PC in North America and Europe in fall 2003.

“We have a great opportunity to expand the commercial potential of our video game properties through licensing,” said Robert Ennis, Chief Financial Officer of Namco Hometek Inc.  “Hip Interactive is an established player in the PC games industry worldwide and we are confident that our franchises will perform very well for them on the PC platform.”

 “Namco creates some of the best video games in the industry,” said Arindra Singh, President and CEO of Hip Interactive.  “Their titles sell very well on the next generation console platforms and we feel that together we can be very successful in the PC games marketplace.”

Kill.switch is Namco Hometek Inc.’s newest internal development project.  This 3rd person action/adventure game features a unique Offensive Cover System, allowing the player to engage the enemy from various cover positions.  Six war-themed missions are spread out across 18 different levels and feature environments from Middle Eastern deserts to an underground submarine base. The game also utilizes Blindfire, enabling the player to launch a frontal assault technique against the enemy without being exposed to counter-fire.

Extreme Force: Grant City Anti-Crime is a 3rd person action/adventure game that takes place on the deadly streets of Grant City – a well-known setting from Namco’s blockbuster, Dead to Rights.  As a member of Grant City’s elite GAC Squad, the player will be submerged into the crime-fighting world of special weapons and covert tactics.

PAC-MAN WORLD 2 offers gamers non-stop action with their favorite arcade characters.  Players explore Ghost Island and help Pac-Man save his friends through six unique worlds.  In the Maze Mode, there are mazes galore to fulfill gamers’ cravings to chase Pinky, Inky, Blinky and Clyde in a variety of 3D puzzle environments.  There is even a Classic Mode for the nostalgic-at-heart to play the original arcade legend.


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 the 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®, Time Crisis® and Ace Combat®. For more information about Namco and its products log onto www.namco.com 

About Hip Interactive
Hip Interactive ( www.hipinteractive.com ) is a leading North American provider of electronic entertainment products, including PC and video games, movies, video arcade games, and proprietary games, branded as Hip Games, and accessories, branded as Hip Gear.  The Company distributes all first party products, including Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo hardware, software and accessories, as well as third party licensed video game software.  Hip uses its distribution business to leverage into higher margin, higher growth areas of the electronic entertainment industry, such as licensing, publishing and the distribution of proprietary games and accessories.  Hip Interactive trades on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “HP” and has 60.6 million common shares issued and outstanding.

kill.switch & © 2003 Namco Hometek Inc., All rights reserved.EXTREME FORCE : Grant City Anti-Crime & © 2003 NAMCO HOMETEK INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, PAC-MAN WORLD, Ridge Racer®, Time Crisis® and ACECOMBAT® are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Namco Limited in the United States and/or other countries. Dead to Rights® is the trademark or registered trademark of Namco Hometek Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

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