FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Kyoko Yamashita, Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. 714-438-1708 x220, kyoko@sqea.com 

Erica Yenni Thomas, C.H.E.N. PR 303-394-1968, eyenni@chenpr.com 

Nat Missildine, C.H.E.N. PR 650-357-8749, nmissildine@chenpr.com

FINAL FANTASY IX GRABS TOP SEAT AS THE NUMBER ONE SELLING TITLE FOR PLAYSTATION® GAME CONSOLE

Popular Role Playing Game Topping Sales Charts; "Must Have Game" This Holiday Season

COSTA MESA, Calif., December 19, 2000 - Square Electronic ArtsSM L.L.C. (Square Electronic Arts), the exclusive publisher of all SQUARESOFT® products, today announced that sales momentum for FINAL FANTASY IX for the PlayStation® game console, the latest installment in the popular FINAL FANTASY series, has continued since its debut on November 14 and was the number one selling PlayStation title for the month of November.

According to the NPD Group's TRSTS Video Games Data, FINAL FANTASY IX debuted at number one selling more units than second and third ranked games combined on the PlayStation sales chart. Sales of FINAL FANTASY IX in Japan and in North America have increased the life-to-date sales of the series to an astounding 30 million units, making the FINAL FANTASY franchise one of the best-selling series across all platforms in the history of the interactive entertainment industry.

Babbage's Etc. reports significant sales of the title. "We’ve seen a terrific response to FINAL FANTASY IX in our stores," said Doreen McKenzie, Director of Merchandising, Video Games. "Copies of the game have flown off the shelves throughout the holiday shopping frenzy. This title will be one of the top sellers this holiday season."

Retail stores aren’t the only outlets reporting substantial sales of the game. FINAL FANTASY IX has earned best-seller status at e-tailers like amazon.com, ebworld.com, gamestop.com and express.com. In addition, various publications including the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, dailyradar.com, ign.com, gamers.com, gamepro.com and videogames.com have selected FINAL FANTASY IX as a "must have game" for their holiday gift guides.

About FINAL FANTASY IX: 

FINAL FANTASY IX takes players through an immersive storyline with numerous subplots as they play with eight unique characters. Players battle a variety of monsters and mythic creatures using weapons and magic in a quest of good over evil. The game centers on Brahne, the evil Queen of Alexandria, who has begun using highly advanced magical weapons to terrorize neighboring kingdoms. Players follow a group made up of bandits, knights, and magicians lead by a skilled thief, Zidane, who all must ban together to try to stop the Queen. Soon after embarking on their quest, they discover that the queen’s threats merely cover a far more sinister plot. For the sake of mankind, Zidane and company must put an end to the Queen’s reign before she and the evil forces that accompany her can carry out the deadly plan.

FINAL FANTASY IX is compatible with DUALSHOCK(TM) analog controller and has a suggested retail price of U.S. $40. The game carries an ESRB rating of "T" (Teen). BradyGAMES' FINAL FANTASY IX Official Strategy Guide is also available and priced at $12.99. An online strategy guide is also available at PlayOnline.com(TM) (http://www.playonline.com). Currently, PlayOnline.com offers a preview to PlayOnline, a comprehensive network entertainment and community service which is scheduled to launch in 2001 in Japan, followed by the U.S.

Adding to the line up of FINAL FANTASY IX merchandise - t-shirts, calendars, keychains, lunch boxes - is a high quality art book titled "The Art of FINAL FANTASY IX". Published by BradyGAMES, the 160-page art book will include rarely-seen concept art and detailed pencil sketches, an immense collection of character art, airship and vehicle designs, monsters and unique weapon images, and full-page scenes from the most beautiful cinemas in video game history. It also includes image illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano and an exclusive cover by FINAL FANTASY IX Art Director Hideo Minaba. The Art of FINAL FANTASY IX is available now at video game specialty stores and major book stores across the U.S. and Canada, for $19.99 and $28.95, respectively.

Online shoppers can also look forward to the re-opening of the SQUARESOFT Online Store before the end of the year. Selected FINAL FANTASY IX merchandise, as well as the entire library of titles published by Square Electronic Arts will be available for purchase at http://www.playonline.com.

Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. and Square Co., Ltd. Square Co., Ltd., is the leading third-party developer and publisher of home video game console software in Japan with annual sales of more than US $687 million consolidated base (based on average annual exchange rate of 106 Japanese Yen per US Dollar during fiscal year 2000) and 1,200 employees worldwide. Square Co., Ltd. became famous for its role-playing games, including its world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series, which has sold more than 30 million units to date, and now publishes other titles under the SQUARESOFT brand spanning all genres. Square Co., Ltd. is based in Tokyo, Japan, and maintains a branch office in Osaka. More information about Square Co., Ltd., can be found on the Internet at http://www.square.co.jp.

Square Electronic ArtsSM L.L.C. is the exclusive publisher of all SQUARESOFT® products in North America. Square Co., Ltd. publishes its SQUARESOFT titles in North America through Square Electronic Arts L.L.C., located in Costa Mesa, CA. Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. is a Limited Liability Company established on May 1, 1998 by Square Soft, Inc. and Electronic Arts to manage the marketing and distribution of SQUARESOFT products in North America. More information about SQUARESOFT products can be found on the Internet at http://www.squaresoft.com.

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FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE SOFT and the SQUARESOFT logo are registered trademarks of Square Co., Ltd. FINAL FANTASY IX ©2000 Square Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. COMPUTER GRAPHICS MOVIE: ©2000 Square Co., Ltd. & Square Visualworks Co., Ltd. ILLUSTRATION:©2000 YOSHITAKA AMANO. U.S. Patent No. 5390937, 5649862. PlayOnline.com is a trademark of Square Co., Ltd. Square Electronics Arts is a service mark of Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. Electronic Arts is a trademark or registered trademark of Electronic Arts in the U.S. and/or other countries. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

Kyoko Yamashita 

Marketing Communications Manager 

Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. 

Tel: 714.438.1708 x220 

Fax: 714.438.2465 

E-mail: kyoko@sqea.com