Activision acquires Spider-Man license

London, UK - 2001 -- Building on its long-term commitment to top super-hero brands, Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced that it has obtained the exclusive rights to develop and publish interactive entertainment games based on the eagerly anticipated Columbia Pictures/Marvel Entertainment feature film "Spider-Man," which is slated for release in May 2002.

Through an agreement with Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., a limited partnership between Marvel Enterprises, Inc. and Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc., Activision has obtained the worldwide rights to develop games based on the multi-million dollar movie for all current and next generation platforms, the PC and hand-held platforms. The license also grants Activision the option to develop and publish products based on a subsequent movie sequel or new television series.

"We are thrilled to create interactive games based on the storyline, characters and action-packed sequences from the upcoming 'Spider-Man' film," states Ron Doornink, President and COO, Activision, Inc. "Activision will bring our own brand of interactive magic and vision to this unique property and continue building on the success we have already had with the Spider-Man franchise."

According to Al Ovadia, Executive Vice President of Sony Pictures Consumer Products, "We are very pleased to be partnering with Activision on this extraordinary property. Activision has proven themselves as innovative and visionary in the interactive entertainment arena. We are confident that they will develop exciting and dynamic games for the marketplace on a worldwide basis."

Activision will work closely with film director Sam Raimi, Columbia Pictures and Spider-Man Merchandising L.P. to deliver an interactive game that reflects the rich storyline, characters and environments of the upcoming movie. With their input, Activision will once again let gamers live the fantasy of being the world's most notorious super-hero. Slated for release in May 2002, "Spider-Man" will star Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson.

Under a separate agreement, Activision expanded its broad-based association with Marvel Entertainment and obtained the long-term exclusive rights to the classic Spider-Man comic book character. Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will develop and publish an unlimited number of games for all platforms based on the Spider-Man franchise.

Activision's first Spider-Man game was released in September 2000. The game ranked as a #1 title for the PlayStation game console in the UK and was the 10th biggest selling title on the PlayStation in 2000. In addition to strong domestic sales, Spider-Man topped sell-through charts around the world and remained as a top 10 US PlayStation game console title consecutively from September through December 2000.

"We are excited to expand our partnership with Marvel and to have Activision be the long-term home for Spider-Man," added Doornink. "We believe that its compelling characters and locales, extensive history and intriguing storylines make Spider-Man one of the entertainment industry's richest properties and most enduring heroes."

Bill Jemas, President, Publishing, Licensing and New Media at Marvel Enterprises added, "Activision has done a tremendous job of translating Spider-Man for the interactive arena as evidenced by both the strong reviews and sales success that the initial PlayStation game console title has received. One of our main goals at Marvel is to continue to attract new fans to our super-hero franchises through innovative publishing, entertainment and licensed products. We see this expanded agreement with Activision as one of the key partnerships to help increase the appeal of the legendary web-slinger to a younger audience."