UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE "ROCKS" COMBAT-ADVENTURE GAMING WITH THE SCORPION KING: RISE OF THE AKKADIAN™

New Title For PlayStation®2 And Nintendo GameCube™ Has Shipped Nationwide To Coincide With DVD/Home Video Release of The Scorpion King Film

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., September 24, 2002 – Universal Interactive, Inc., a studio of the Games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, announced today that its video game based on Universal Pictures' blockbuster feature film "The Scorpion King," which stars World Wrestling Entertainment® Superstar The Rock, has shipped to retailers nationwide. "The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian™" is available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo GameCube™ and will be available in stores simultaneously with the home video/DVD release of "The Scorpion King" film.

A 3D combat-adventure title, "The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian" is based on the character first presented in the film "The Mummy Returns," and serves as a prequel to "The Scorpion King" movie. The game was developed by Point of View, Inc.

Players assume the role of Mathayus, an Akkadian warrior-in-training whose experiences will one day lead him to become the legendary Scorpion King. Blending historical record and elements of fantasy, the game tells the story of Mathayus' first true adventure, a challenging quest to thwart an evil lord's diabolical plan to raise a supernatural army of beast-warriors to conquer the world.

Players wield multiple attack combinations against enemies as various as anacondas, falcons and elite soldiers as they travel through twelve richly detailed ancient Egyptian environments. The game includes the voice acting of The Rock™.

"For the first time ever in a console game, fans of the Rock have the opportunity to play as the star in his first leading role as an action-adventure hero," said Nicholas Longano, general manager of Universal Interactive. "'The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian' video game successfully recreates the energy of the movie by providing non-stop action via fierce hand-to-hand and weapon-based combat."

About Universal Pictures' "The Scorpion King"

"The Scorpion King," a spin-off of "The Mummy" series, is based on the character first introduced by The Rock in the 2001 film "The Mummy Returns." Co-starring Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile"), Kelly Hu and Peter Facinelli, the exciting action-adventure was written by Stephen Sommers and Will Osborne and David Hayter, from a story by Jonathan Hales and Stephen Sommers with Chuck Russell ("The Mask," "Eraser") directing. James Jacks, Sean Daniel, Stephen Sommers and Kevin Misher are the producers with Vince McMahon serving as executive producer.

Inspired by the legendary Egyptian warrior, "The Scorpion King" is set 5,000 years ago in the notorious city of Gomorrah, where an evil ruler is determined to lay waste to all the nomadic peoples of the desert. The few remaining tribes, never natural allies, have to unite or perish. Knowing their enemy relies on the visions of a sorcerer, they hire a skilled assassin, Mathayus (The Rock), to eliminate the visionary.

After infiltrating the enemy camp, Mathayus discovers that the sorcerer is in fact a beautiful woman (Kelly Hu). Rather than eliminate her, he takes her deep into the desert badlands, knowing that the ruler's henchmen will stop at nothing to rescue her and bring her back. Seriously wounded in the ensuing battle, Mathayus must find the strength to lead his scrappy band of allies back to Gomorrah for a final confrontation.

About Universal Interactive, Inc.