HALF-LIFE (R) NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE PLAYSTATION(R)2

Sierra(tm) and Gearbox Software Bring Valve(r)'s Landmark Thriller to Living Rooms for the Holidays

Bellevue, WA (November 6, 2001) - Sierra(tm) announced today that Half-Life(r) for the PlayStation(r) 2 computer entertainment system, developed by Gearbox software, is shipping to retailers across North America on November 14, 2001 and around the world by November 23, 2001. A must have for the holiday season, Half-Life for the PlayStation 2 blurs the lines between fiction and reality, with an award-winning game experience that is as close to starring in an action movie as technology allows.

Half-Life for the PlayStation 2 is an all-new experience for console gamers featuring new multiplayer cooperative and competitive modes set within the Half-Life universe as well as a complete next-generation upgrade of the original groundbreaking game. The Texas-based development team used the advanced technology of the PlayStation 2 to give the epic, original game a graphic revamp from the ground up resulting in characters and models with four-times the detail of the PC original. In addition to the legendary single-player story a new console exclusive mode, called Half-Life: Decay, allows fans to explore the Black Mesa Research Facility cooperatively for the first time in franchise history.

"The Half-Life franchise on the PC has received unprecedented support from both its fans and the press alike, winning well over 50 Game of the Year awards from publications around the world," said Mike Ryder, president at Sierra. "Working with Sony to take full advantage of their technologically advanced next-generation system, I believe we've set the stage for Half-Life for the PlayStation 2 to make another significant impact on the gaming world."

"This is the definitive version of Half-Life," said Randy Pitchford, president and director of Gearbox Software. "With the graphically enhanced award-winning original, head-to-head combat mode, and Decay, the exclusive cooperative mission, it is like three games in one."

Originally created for the PC by Valve, Half-Life was twice named "Best PC Game Ever" by Imagine Media's PC Gamer magazine (November 1999, August 2001), and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Blending action, drama, and adventure with stunning technology, Half-Life creates a frighteningly realistic world where players need to think smart to survive and telling friend from foe is no longer a simple matter of humans vs. monsters. Gamers are given opportunities to wreak havoc--in true action-game fashion--but they are also challenged to explore and strategize.

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.