Twenty game titles are to be released in South Korea within the year.

Ever since the DS debuted in South Korea last year, 1.4 million units of the handheld game system have been sold along with 2.6 million game titles, the report said.

In Taiwan, Nintendo will sell localized DS systems through cellular phone shops.

Kyoto-based Nintendo will debut the device this month in Taiwan and introduce it to the Chinese market by year-end.

Meanwhile, the game unit of Sony Corp. plans to work with Taiwanese authorities to train game creators starting in September, the Nikkei said.

It will dispatch personnel to a local educational institution to offer instruction, with newly developed games to be distributed online for the PlayStation 3.

Sony Computer Entertainment also intends to expand operations in South Korea, where it distributes video online for the PlayStation 3.

($1=106.82 yen)

yasuhiko.seki@thomsonreuters.com

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Blockbuster is featuring its expanded game offerings -- including hardware and accessories, along with rental and retail titles such as "Mario Kart" and the soon-to-be-released "Grand Theft Auto IV" -- on the new release wall in a specially designated game section.

"We're committed to offering a full assortment of everything gamers want in our stores -- hardware, accessories and retail and rental games across all platforms -- including Nintendo Wii, Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS," said Rod Murray, vice-president, games merchandising, Blockbuster Inc.

To further support expansion of its game business, Blockbuster will also be implementing a variety of special consumer game offers, such as an exclusive Sony PS3 movie and game bundle. The bundle, available at corporate-owned stores while supplies last for $499.99, excluding tax, includes: a 40GB Sony PS3 game console that also plays Blu-ray DVDs, PS3/Blu-ray DVD remote, HDMI cable, "Spiderman 3" Blu-ray disc, "Transformers" PS3 game and a BLOCKBUSTER 12-week PS3/Blu-ray rental card that entitles users to one free PS3 or Blu-ray rental per week for 12 consecutive weeks.

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI)(NYSE: BBI.B) is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with more than 7,800 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at http://www.blockbuster.com/.

SOURCE Blockbuster Inc.

http://www.blockbuster.com

"Just like Wii Sports, Mario Kart Wii will have everyone in the household playing together, laughing and having fun," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "With the Wii Wheel and ability to race with Mii caricatures, Mario Kart Wii literally puts players directly into the game."

While newcomers will find it easy to hop into a race, Mario Kart Wii holds plenty of challenges to keep veterans busy. Mario Kart Wii features 16 new tracks, as well as 16 retro tracks from previous Mario Kart games. Dozens of characters from the Mushroom Kingdom are present, and each has his or her own collection of customized vehicles to race.

For the first time in the Mario Kart series, racers can compete on either motorbikes or karts as they find shortcuts, grab power-ups and take down other racers in a frantic free-for-all. In addition to the Wii Wheel, players can also choose from three other control configurations, such as the Nunchuk(TM) and Wii Remote controllers, Nintendo GameCube(TM) controller or the Classic Controller(TM), so everyone will find a suitable setup.

Four people can compete on a single Wii(TM) system, or up to 12 people near or far can race via Nintendo(R) Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's online gaming service. A new Mario Kart Channel on the Wii Menu lets players compete in tournaments, check rankings, see when their friends are playing and download ghost data.

For more information about Mario Kart Wii, visit www.mariokart.com. Remember that the Wii console features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario(TM), Donkey Kong(R), Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please contact Danny Beardsworth at 213-438-8835 or dbeardsworth@golinharris.com. Users can receive instant Nintendo information by subscribing to the site's RSS feed.

SOURCE: Nintendo

GOLIN HARRIS
Elisa Greene, 415-274-7911
egreene@golinharris.com
or
Eileen Tanner, 509-628-1993
etanner@golinharris.com

"The Crash Bandicoot franchise has built a wide audience of loyal fans, appealing to both male and female gamers of all ages," said Al Simone, senior vice president, Global Marketing for Sierra Entertainment. "The Crash series remains one of the most recognizable franchises in our industry and we're excited to make this year's family-friendly title appear at the top of every gamer's wish list this holiday."

    Key features in Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant include:
    -- Mutant in your Pocket! -- Not only does Crash gain the ability to
       control his enemies when he jacks them -- now he can store his favorite
       monsters in his pocket, upgrade them and utilize their powers when they
       are most advantageous
    -- "Free-Romping" World Design -- Wumpa Island becomes a "free-romping"
       environment, allowing players to travel and explore through
       intersecting worlds, with different gameplay options available
       depending on what creature you've brought along for the ride
    -- Girl Power! -- Your co-op partner is Crash's sister, Coco, playable for
       the first time in the cooperative mode.  Not only does Coco make the
       game that much more inviting for girls to pick up and play, she also
       brings with her a new tactile "treasure hunt" ability

    -- New Abilities
       o Roll and Counter Combat System -- Crash will have a fun, agile dodge
         move and "counter" move which will inflict extra damage on his
         enemies
       o Digging -- Crash can now dig underground as real-life bandicoots
         really do;  this will allow for Crash to unlock bonus items
       o Climbing -- Crash can climb vertical surfaces and jump side-to-side
         to connected areas and dodge hazards

Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant is being developed by Radical Entertainment and will be available this fall at retail stores worldwide on Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Xbox 360(R), PlayStation 2 system and PSP system. For more information, please visit http://www.crashbandicoot.com.

About Sierra Entertainment

Sierra Entertainment (http://www.sierra.com), a division of Vivendi Games, creates and publishes innovative, high-quality interactive entertainment for personal computers, videogame systems and handheld gaming devices. Sierra features a strong portfolio of titles based on original IP and popular licenses from industry-leading content partners. Sierra has four integrated internal studios providing top-notch creative talents, development capabilities across multiple genres and a global perspective: High Moon Studios in San Diego, CA; Massive Entertainment in Malmo, Sweden; Radical Entertainment in Vancouver, B.C.; and Swordfish Studios in Birmingham and Manchester, England.

"PlayStation", "PS" Family logo and "PSP" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Memory Stick Duo(TM) may be required (sold separately). Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. (C) 2006 Nintendo. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Sierra Entertainment

http://www.vugames.com