NPD REPORTS STRONG LAUNCH FOR NEW, PORTABLE VIDEO GAME SYSTEM, GAME BOY ADVANCE

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, June 27, 2001 - Leading marketing information provider, The NPD Group, Inc., today reported TRSTS video game sales of Game Boy Advance (GBA) for launch week, June 10 through June 16, 2001. The much-anticipated portable console system earned approximately $45 million in revenue in its first week at retail.

Not surprisingly, Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance hardware took 76% of video game unit sales during its launch week, while Sony’s PlayStation 2 was pushed to second place, capturing only 10% of hardware unit share, compared to 37% one week prior to the GBA launch.

In its first week, Game Boy Advance software earned approximately $18.5 million in revenue, with over 540,000 units selling through retailers in the U.S. alone. The average retail price (ARP) of Game Boy Advance software is $33.99, almost nine dollars more than its predecessor, Game Boy Color, which sells for an ARP of $25.09.

According to NPD, six titles for Game Boy Advance sold more than 5,700 units combined during the week of June 3 through June 9, one week before the actual system was available to the public. At launch, seven of the top ten selling video games were Game Boy Advance titles. The number one selling GBA title during that week was Super Mario Advance.

"The Game Boy Advance launch is a shot in the arm for the video games industry. Kids and adults alike were looking forward to seeing cutting edge technology hit the portable market with the same fervor as the console market," commented Ilene Haase, director of NPD Interactive Entertainment Service. "The GBA, a 32-Bit handheld machine, offers higher resolution and color graphics, reverse compatibility with a huge library of Game Boy games, better multi-player gaming and, of course, online gaming to follow in the near future. The Game Boy Advance will also offer a multitude of usability for Nintendo’s GameCube console, which will launch this November," added Haase.