Microsoft To Publish Steel Battalion In Europe

LONDON, 18 December 2002 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has entered a publisher partner deal with renowned Japanese game developer Capcom which will see Microsoft publish the widely anticipated title ‘Steel BattalionÔ’ in Europe. Steel Battalion will be exclusively available on Xbox™, the future-generation video game console that delivers new and unforeseen gameplay experiences.

Steel Battalion, a mech-war simulation game, offers a level of realistic and gritty gameplay unlike any other game. A fully immersive futuristic military warfare game, players take a virtual seat inside the cockpit of a mechanised VT (Vertical Tank) to complete missions. Steel Battalion can only be played with a unique controller equipped with 40 buttons and switches, two joysticks, a gear stick and three floor pedals which has already seen it awarded a prestigious “Best of What’s New” award from US magazine Popular Science.

“Microsoft Game Studios is pleased to be publishing this title in Europe,” said Sandy Duncan, VP Xbox, EMEA. “It is an extraordinary game which really demonstrates the scope of what can be achieved using Xbox hardware. Capcom is one of the most respected publishers and developers in the industry and we are pleased to be working with them so closely on this title. We believe Steel Battalion will push the boundaries of gameplay to an even more realistic level.”

“We are very pleased to be working so closely with Microsoft to publish Steel Battalion in Europe,” said Shigeru Ota, President of Capcom Eurosoft. “Our partnership demonstrates Microsoft’s continued commitment to Steel Battalion, to Capcom and to the gaming community, by supporting such an innovative title. Their support ensures that European gamers can buy Steel Battalion at the earliest opportunity and we believe that Steel Battalion will be a totally new experience for gamers worldwide.”

Founded in 1979 in Japan, Capcom is responsible for some of the most successful games and franchises in gaming history, including Street Fighter, Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

About Xbox

Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/) is Microsoft’s future-generation video game system that delivers never before seen gameplay experiences. With more than three times the graphics performance of other game consoles, top-quality DVD playback, Dolby 5.1 surround sound to make games and movies come alive, and a hard disc that opens up new kinds of gameplay, Xbox is the video game system that delivers more of what gamers want. Xbox is now available in Europe for an estimated street price of €249.99/£159.99.

About Capcom

Capcom, Co., Ltd. of Japan is a leading force in the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment industry with a legacy spanning more than 22 years of entertaining video gamers. Capcom develops, markets, and distributes home video games for the PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo® GameCube, and XboxÔ game consoles, Game Boy® Advance and Game Boy® Color Systems, personal

computers, and coin-operated games. Worldwide recognisable product lines include the Resident EvilÔ, Street FighterÔ, Mega ManÔ, Breath of FireÔ, and OnimushaÔ series. World headquarters in Osaka, Japan, the company also has offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Sunnyvale, California. The company is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange code number 9697.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.