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UBISOFT AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CONSUMER PRODUCTS GROUP ANNOUNCE UNVEILING OF PETER JACKSON’S KING KONG

Award-winning Videogame Creator and Three-time Academy Award® Winner Collaborate to Create Groundbreaking Videogame Experience

SAN FRANCISCO — MAY 10, 2005 — Today Ubisoft and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, announced that the first preview of Peter Jackson’s King Kong, the video game based on Universal Pictures’ December 14th release, King Kong, from three-time Academy Award® winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), will be unveiled at Ubisoft’s booth (#1300, South Hall) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

The King Kong area of Ubisoft’s booth will be the largest ever created for a Ubisoft title, representing 40 percent of the entire booth and standing 20 feet (6 meters) tall. It will showcase the phenomenal creative results that are possible when industry-leading film and video game professionals come together to create a new paradigm in entertainment.

“Ubisoft is thrilled to be collaborating with Peter Jackson, Wingnut Films and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to make Peter Jackson’s King Kong video game an unforgettable experience,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer of Ubisoft. “The game exceeds any previous movie-based title in graphic quality and adaptation of a storyline while taking full advantage of the strengths of the interactive video game experience. Peter Jackson’s King Kong will be Ubisoft’s most impressive and successful game of 2005.”

Beth Goss, executive vice president of Universal Studios Consumer Products Group added, "King Kong has provided the unique opportunity to put two visionary storytellers – Peter Jackson and Michel Ancel – together to create an extraordinary piece of interactive entertainment. This video game has been a great adventure, both in its development and in the experience it will deliver to players."

The King Kong Collaboration:

Michel Ancel, creative director at Ubisoft, regarded as one of the top innovative minds in the video game industry, and his team at Ubisoft’s Montpellier (France) studio are working with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films to capture and create the King Kong movie dynamics through a unique video game experience.

"It's an absolute pleasure working with Ubisoft on the video game," said triple Academy Award® winner and King Kong director Peter Jackson. "Being able to collaborate closely together from day one is of utmost importance, which is why we've given Ubisoft unlimited access to every creative aspect of our film production. We really want the game and the film to be part of the same universe."

“We’re amazed by Peter Jackson’s creativity and what he brings to the project,” said Michel Ancel, creative director at Ubisoft. “Peter Jackson’s King Kong is a creation that closely follows the storyline of the movie yet, as video games have the innate ability to do, will push the emotional tension of the film to even greater depths. We are incorporating content directly from Weta, some of which is exclusive, and creating unprecedented gameplay that will lead players into an emotional journey featuring epic battles, tough choices and a dynamic experience in a visually stunning environment.”

© 2005 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubsoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Universal Studios' King Kong movie © Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All Rights Reserved.

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Peter Jackson’s King Kong

Product Description

Acclaimed game creator Michel Ancel and the Montpellier studio collaborate with triple Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson and visual-effects company Weta Ltd. to develop Peter Jackson’s King Kong, a video game that will capture the imagination, vision and emotion of the epic film.

Delve deeper into the film experience through alternative viewpoints designed to immerse the player into the action and truly “feel” the tension of the adventure.

Key Features

· Unprecedented Alternating Gameplay
Battle for survival on Skull Island in first-person as Jack Driscoll AND experience the staggering power of King Kong in third-person taking on massive beasts.

· Cinematic Quality
By integrating Weta assets directly into the game engine, and taking a true cinematic approach, from both a visual and audio perspective, players are thrust directly onto the Skull Island where the dark jungles, over-sized environment and lurking danger become reality.

· Cooperate with Your Expedition Team
Each team member plays a crucial role and complements each other with valuable skills and abilities. The player relies on them and vice-versa to succeed. The unique resource management system keeps the action seamless and plausible while keeping items, weapons and assets

· The Power of King Kong
King Kong is one of the most powerful of all the creatures on Skull Island and players will learn first-hand what it means to be feared, respected and dominant. Kong will use both his agility and his raw, brute strength by any means necessary to battle enemies and navigate though the perils of Skull Island.

· Experience All Key Movie Moments and More
Journey through the explosive action of all the key movie moments, as Jack and Kong, and even explore the beautifully-rendered mysterious jungle environments not seen in the film.

· Engage in Climactic Battles
Intense and unbelievable battles with all creatures featured in the film challenge players’ nerves and skills in fighting the savage beasts created by Weta – some of which are exclusive to the game.

· Film Cast Likeness and Voice
Full immersion into the dynamic King Kong universe realized via inclusion of film cast member’s likenesses and voice-over.

Product Specifications:

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Ship Date: Holiday 2005
Category: Action-Adventure
Rating: “RP” (T anticipated)

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UBISOFT TO LAUNCH INTERACTIVE GAME FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ KING KONG FOR HOLIDAY 2005

SAN FRANCISCO – October 12, 2004 – Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest interactive video game publishers, and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group today announced plans to release an interactive game based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming motion picture adventure, King Kong. The game will be available worldwide on all platforms at the beginning of the holiday season in conjunction with the December 14, 2005 theatrical release of the movie.

Triple Academy Award® winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) brings his sweeping cinematic vision to the iconic story of the gigantic ape-monster captured in the wild and brought to civilization where he meets his tragic fate. Jackson assumes directing, producing and co-screenwriting duties and surrounds himself with a list of superlative filmmaking and acting talents.

Working very closely with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films, Ubisoft’s prized Beyond Good & Evil development team, based in Montpellier (France) and award-winning Montreal studio - some of the interactive game industry’s most creative designers - are creating a game that will reflect the visual interpretation, character dynamics and dramatic narrative of Jackson's epic film.

Serge Hascoet, Executive Director, Worldwide Content Strategy for Ubisoft stated: “Through this creative association, Ubisoft shows its growing dedication to bringing intense emotions inspired by the movie industry to interactive games. In the King Kong game, players will be able to experience all the power, drama and emotion of the film thanks to the interactive possibilities provided by the game.”

“I’m really enjoying the collaboration with these artists, and all the creative possibilities we’re discovering,” said Peter Jackson. “By working closely with the development team, Ubisoft is enabling me to help shape the kind of gaming experience that I will be proud to associate with this new version of King Kong, a story that began my life-long love of film.”

About King Kong

Jackson re-teams with longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, co-writing the screenplay with three-time Oscar®-winning partner Walsh and The Lord of the Rings co-writer, Academy Award® winner Boyens. The screenplay is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by adventurers Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham, Fran Walsh and Jackson are producing the film under their WingNut Films banner, with Universal Pictures releasing King Kong worldwide on December 14, 2005.
Starring in the Universal Pictures release is a slate of some of Hollywood’s most versatile and accomplished actors, including Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts (21 Grams), Jack Black (School of Rock) and Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist). Cast members include Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Thomas Kretschmann (U-571), Colin Hanks (Orange County) and Kyle Chandler (Angel’s Dance, television’s Early Edition).

Jackson brings his sweeping vision and employs the latest motion picture technology to cinematically portray the timeless tale of the beast and his beauty. He expands on the chapters of the tale that take place in the mysterious and dangerous jungles of Skull Island, and his Kong promises to be a unique and breathtaking creation.

As with his Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson is currently shooting King Kong on location in his native New Zealand. Visual effects are accomplished by New Zealand-based companies Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, recipients of multiple Academy Awards® for their collective work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Visual effects and miniatures supplement practical locations in creating primordial jungles and '30s-period America. This film has not yet been rated. Please consult www.filmratings.com or www.parentalguide.org for more information.