Video Game Industry Announces Charity Auction Benefiting Children's Charities; Dana Carvey to Host Computer and Video Game Industry's Black Tie Dinner

Business Wire, Oct 6, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The fifth annual computer and video game industry charity auction featuring rare computer and video games and memorabilia and benefiting children's charities will be held from October 11 to 18 on eBay, The World's Online Marketplace(R). The charity auction is presented by the ESA Foundation, the charitable foundation of the interactive entertainment software industry, and will be held in conjunction with the computer and video game industry's annual "Nite to Unite for Kids" charity dinner.

This year's "Nite to Unite for Kids" dinner will be emceed by Dana Carvey. Mr. Carvey appeared on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE from 1986 to 1992, and is best known for his characters the Church Lady; Hans, of the Hans and Franz bodybuilding duo; Garth, Wayne Campbell's (Mike Myers) "Excellent Cohost" on the immensely popular sketch "Wayne's World"; and Weekend Update's Grumpy Old Man.

"We're thrilled that over the years the `Nite to Unite for Kids' dinner and online auctions have allowed the computer and video game industry to donate almost $6 million to children's charities," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "Whether it's helping sick kids, protecting children from Internet predators or keeping students in school, we hope gamers everywhere will join us from October 11 to October 18 to aid great causes."

Highly prized items in this year's charity auction will be available on eBay at http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid= nite2unite and include:

--Fiberglass statue of Master Chief from Halo

--Autographed Halo artwork and memorabilia

--Private tour of Nintendo of America

--Tickets to private parties at E3Expo

--Doom 3 autographed by the design team

Presented by the ESA and hosted by the ESA Foundation, a "Nite to Unite for Kids" is the computer and video game industry's premier charity fundraising event, comprising a black tie optional dinner and live-auction on Tuesday, October 19, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Twenty-six leading computer and video game companies have come together to support this year's "Nite to Unite for Kids" benefit for children.

Co-chairs of this year's event are Paul Eibler, president, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.; Geoffrey H. Mulligan, COO, Konami Digital Entertainment-America; and Larry Probst, chairman & CEO, Electronic Arts. The industry will also pay tribute the 2004 Champion Honoree, William "Bing" Gordon, executive vice president and chief creative officer with Electronic Arts.

Companies or individuals interested in supporting this worthwhile cause are invited to attend the gala event, and/or participate in the online charity auction. Tickets to the gala are $500 for individuals; table sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Leslie Price, Price Lampert Associates at 1-800-949-3660, or via email at leslie_price@computerworld.com.

About the ESA Foundation and the Entertainment Software

Association

The ESA Foundation was created by the American interactive entertainment software industry to support and provide opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The Foundation is fully supported by proceeds from "A Nite to Unite for Kids," its annual fundraiser that has raised more than $5.7 million in the last six years. The Foundation provided grants to support Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Delinquency Prevention Initiative - Year three, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Web Wise Kids, Just Think Foundation, YouthVision Challenge, Mothers Against Violence in America's Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) project, the expansion of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland Computer Learning Center, Starlight Starbright Foundation and Work Achievement, Values and Education (WAVE).

The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2003, and billions more in export sales of American-made entertainment software.