RNS Number:1842L
Empire Interactive PLC
16 May 2003

16 May 2003


                             EMPIRE INTERACTIVE PLC

       Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment for

                              Starship TroopersTM


Empire Interactive plc ("Empire"), the leading AIM listed UK computer games
developer and publisher, announces today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo
(E3) in Los Angeles, the signing of an exclusive five-year global licencing
agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop and publish Starship
TroopersTM.

The game will be based on the movie of the same name and animated series
franchise.

Developed internally by Empire's award-winning Strangelite Studio, the game will
be released on PC, and all current and next generation consoles.  The length of
the agreement will allow Empire to produce multiple titles.

Ian Higgins, CEO of Empire, said: "Starship TroopersTM is a film licence that
lends itself perfectly to the video game genre.  We believe it will have global
appeal and, combined with our award-winning development team, we will deliver a
franchise that will allow gamers the chance to play their favourite scenes from
the blockbuster movie."

                                    - Ends -


For further information, please contact:

Empire Interactive plc                           020 8343 7337
Ian Higgins, CEO (ian.higgins@empire.co.uk)

Weber Shandwick Square Mile                      020 7067 0744
Christian San Jose

Note to Editors:

Starship Troopers TM & (c) 2004 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights
Reserved.

About Empire

Empire is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software that has
been established for 14 years. The company floated on the Alternative Investment
Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange in July 2000. Headquartered in the UK,
Empire also has offices in the US, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The company
develops and publishes a varied range of titles for current and next-generation
platforms in the US, Europe and Asia. Further information about Empire and its
products can be found at: http://www.empireinteractive.com

About Sony Pictures Consumer Products

Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP), based in Los Angeles, handles the
merchandising and branding efforts for some of the most recognized properties in
film and television. This includes theatrical properties such as Charlie's
Angel'sTM:  Full Throttle, S.W.A.T.TM, and Underworld as well as television
properties such as Astro BoyTM, "Stuart LittleTM," "Jackie Chan AdventuresTM,"
and "PyramidTM."  And, as Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., a 50/50 limited
partnership between Marvel Enterprises, Inc. and Sony Pictures Consumer Products
Inc., oversees the licensing and merchandising for Columbia Pictures
"Spider-Man" feature film and the upcoming sequel, as well as Sony Pictures
Television's new animated series, also entitled "Spider-Man," all based on the
Marvel character.  SPCP is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE).  SPE
is a division of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based
Sony Corporation.  SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production
and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content
creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment
acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new
entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed
entertainment in 67 countries.  Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the
World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their
respective holders.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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