Acclaim Entertainment Takes Equity Interest In ECW - Extreme Championship Wrestling.

First ECW Video Game Title "Hardcore Revolution" to ship Feb. 17, 2000

Posted by Staff
First ECW Video Game Title "Hardcore Revolution" to ship Feb. 17, 2000

Glen Cove, NY, Nov. 18, 1999 -- Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKLM), a leading worldwide interactive entertainment company, announced today the company has taken a minority equity interest in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), one of the "Big 3" nationally recognized wrestling organizations. As part of the agreement, Acclaim will be the exclusive, long-term interactive software licensee of ECW. ECW puts on more than 150 live events per year, including six pay-per-view shows, and is carried weekly on the CBS Cable's TNN, available in more than 90 million U.S. and Canadian homes.

"We are thrilled to secure an equity interest in ECW and to bring its cutting-edge, over-the-top wrestling to the video game market," said Gregory Fischbach, president and CEO, Acclaim "ECW has a reputation as the most innovative and underground league. Featuring world-class wrestlers, ECW is at the forefront of the wrestling craze, which an estimated 30 million homes tune into each month. The ECW has all the ingredients video game wrestling fans crave."

ECW Executive Producer Paul Heyman added, "Acclaim is the most experienced, creative and successful interactive entertainment partner when it comes to producing wrestling titles. We are excited to partner with Acclaim - a company that has sold over 12 million wrestling games and has a dedicated internal development team that knows and loves wrestling. If you are a fan of wrestling, this will be a must-buy video-game title."

Acclaim will release the first ECW video game - ECW Hardcore Revolution - Thursday, Feb. 17, 2000 for the Playstation™ and Nintendo® 64. The game is expected to be rated "M (mature)" because of adult language and content, making it the first wrestling title for audiences over 17 years old. Acclaim will back this release with a multi-million dollar TV campaign that will begin prior to the release of the game and will target video game and wrestling fans 17 and older.

Hardcore Revolution will feature the most popular ECW stars such as current heavyweight champ Mike Awesome, "Mr. Pay-Per-View" Rob Van Dam, the legendary Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, Raven and "The Queen of Extreme" Francine along with more than 40 other ECW wrestlers. In addition, the game will feature the first-ever "barbed wire match" where players substitute ring side ropes with barbed wire.

"Players will go wild over the outrageous, edgy content and faster gameplay of ECW Hardcore Revolution," said Mike Archer, producer of Hardcore Revolution at Acclaim. "We expect our ECW games will be the most highly-anticipated wrestling titles in the market."

Acclaim used the video game industry's most experienced wrestling design team, Acclaim Studios-Salt Lake, to develop ECW Hardcore Revolution. With the strength of its studio design experience, the edginess of ECW, and the marketing power of Acclaim, the company expects ECW Hardcore Revolution will be the most successful wrestling game to launch in 2000.

ECW's popularity has grown tremendously since its inception in 1993. Hardcore wrestling fans have been captivated by ECW's new and innovative style of wrestling. ECW premiered on TNN this past August and currently airs Friday at 8:00 p.m. (ET). ECW is the highest rated regularly scheduled weekly show on TNN. Since its debut, ECW has improved its time period among hard-to-reach demographic Men 18-34, by 224% compared to the same time period the previous year.

ECW is the brainchild of former wrestler Paul Heyman (A.K.A. Paul E. Dangerously). "ECW has a long list of 'firsts' in wrestling that we are very proud of. The ECW style has raised the bar in wrestling, set the standard that has been adopted by the WWF and WCW leagues. ECW continues to push the creative envelope that others follow."

The new domain www.hardcorerevolution.com went live Thursday 18th
November @ 9am EST.

For further product information, images, or questions please contact:-
Jeremy Chubb or Simon Smith-Wright,
Press Office,

Acclaim Entertainment Ltd., Moreau House, 116 Brompton Road, London, SW3 1JJ.
Telephone: 0171-344-5000
Fax: 0171-344-5040
Email: jchubb@acclaimworld.net

Ssw@acclaimworld.net
Web: www.acclaim.com

Acclaim Entertainment Background Information

Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and mass marketer of software for use with interactive entertainment platforms including Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sega hardware systems, and PCs. Acclaim owns and operates six studios located in the United States and the United Kingdom, and publishes and distributes its software directly in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Australia. Acclaim also distributes entertainment software for other publishers worldwide and publishes comic books and software strategy guides. Acclaim's headquarters are in Glen Cove, New York, and Acclaim's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol AKLM. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.acclaim.com

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) Background Information

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is a sports entertainment company that promotes more than 150 live wrestling events annually, including six live pay-per-view television broadcasts. In addition, ECW has two weekly television series. ECW on TNN airs Fridays at 8 p.m. (EST/PST) on TNN, clearing more than 90 million North American cable homes, and ECW Hardcore TV is a syndicated program that airs on more than 40 stations throughout the United States. ECW also owns the ECW Hardcore Hotline (900 RUN-4ECW), a pay-per-minute telephone wrestling news service; ECWwrestling.com, the company's official website; and an interest in ECW Magazine. ECW also has several licensees including Pioneer Home Video, The Original San Francisco Toy Makers, and American Pop Clothing. ECW is owned by HHG Corp., Scarsdale, NY.
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