NINTENDO + SILICON KNIGHTS
May 4, 2000

Nintendo of America today announced a strategic investment in Canada-based game developer Silicon Knights. Nintendo has eyed the company as one of the industry's emerging companies.

The partnership, which takes place immediately, makes Silicon Knights a long-term, exclusive Nintendo developer.

Silicon Knights already has several PC and console games. The first title from the Nintendo partnership will be Eternal Darkness, an N64 title slated to launch at the end of October. Eternal Darkness was described as a "psychological thriller" game with the concept of crossing time to thwart various evil creatures.

Nintendo plans to spend several million dollars on marketing the game, as it joins the titles set to launch for the critical holiday selling season (right around the time of the PS2 launch - hopefully Nintendo will have said something about Dolphin by then).

Details on Silicon Knights' specific development work on Dolphin are not available at this time, but will be made public over the next year.

"Quality always has been the Nintendo mantra, so investing in Silicon Knights fits perfectly with our corporate goal," explains Minoru Arakawa, Nintendo of America's president. "As our first joint project, Eternal Darkness will surprise and amaze gamers -- we will introduce yet another dimension of game play."

"Silicon Knights creates and develops games by incorporating the best elements of art, character design, game play, and sound technology," says Denis Dyack, Silicon Knights' president. "Everyone here is thrilled Nintendo so highly regards us and is committed to our company. It just inspires us to create better and better games."