MICROSOFT TAPS STREAMING REVOLUTION
Copyright 2001 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ October 18th 2001 ]

EBWorld.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. based Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement with Microsoft Corp to provide PC games on EB1, Electronics Boutique's broadband games-on-demand web site.

Microsoft joins the growing roster of leading PC game publishers - including Take 2 Interactive, Infogrames and Eidos Interactive - that utilize EB1 to deliver the latest and hottest games to broadband customers on a rental basis. Visitors to EB1 will be able to rent the full retail versions of recently released game titles published by Microsoft, including such hits as MechCommander 2 and Age of Empires II. EB1's pioneering site presents visitors with the ability to preview games through streaming technology, with rental costs often credited toward the purchase of a boxed version of the game.

"These agreements further establish EB1 as the premiere provider of broadband gaming-on-demand services," said Seth Levy, president of EBWorld.com. "The selection of games and the quality of the technology at EB1 can't be beat. We are excited to have popular Microsoft games join the ranks of the hit titles available on EB1."

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with EBWorld.com on their EB1 games on demand service," said Stuart Moulder, General Manager of Microsoft PC Games Division. "Gamers now have another way to play many of Microsoft's top games."

The content provided by EB1 adds value to the broadband concept, allowing customers to experience recent release PC games. In cooperation with PC game publishers, EB1 delivers the full version of popular games, allowing customers a convenient method for trying new forms of interactive entertainment.

EBWorld.com offers customers leading game titles via its EB1 Web site powered by Into Network's streaming software-on-demand technology. This technology allows users to access software without requiring downloading or installation. To ensure security, the content is encrypted and encoded using Into's proprietary technology.

Electronics Boutique is among the world's largest specialty retailers dedicated exclusively to video game hardware, software and PC entertainment software and accessories. The company currently operates 850 stores in 46 states and Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Italy and South Korea - primarily under the names Electronics Boutique and EB GameWorld. The company operates an e-commerce website at www.ebgames.com. Additional company information is available at www.ebholdings.com.

Microsoft's Games Division is recognized as one of the world's leading games businesses in four key areas: PC and Xbox(TM) game development and publishing, Zone.com, SideWinder(R) game devices, and the Xbox video game console. Microsoft games developed and published for the PC and Xbox platforms target hard-core gamers and casual players. Zone.com is the Internet's largest multiplayer gaming site, and SideWinder is the best-selling brand of game devices in the world.

Xbox is Microsoft's future-generation video game system, scheduled to ship in fall 2001. 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.