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Acclaim International to Publish inXile Entertainment's Forthcoming Game 'The Bard's Tale' in Autumn 2004 Throughout Europe

By Deko
Posted Monday, November 10, 2003

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LONDON, UK, November 10, 2003 – Acclaim Entertainment International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ.SC: AKLM), and inXile Entertainment announced today a European publishing agreement for inXile's first game in 2004, The Bard's Tale. Under terms of the agreement, Acclaim will publish inXile's new original role-playing game (RPG) on multiple console platforms and the PC.

"The game released in the 1980's, also called The Bard's Tale, is considered to be one of the great forefathers of the genre - a true classic with a fan base who has been eagerly awaiting a revival of the concept for almost two decades. We're very excited that Brian Fargo, one of the original title's main creative forces, with his exceptionally talented group, inXile Entertainment, will be delivering this anxiously-awaited title, which we believe will deliver a compelling modern-day game that will not just please fans of the original, but will generate a new and even wider fan base," commented Larry Sparks, Vice President, Marketing (International). "Offering a fusion of great new technologies, truly innovative story telling, sophisticated humour and wonderful characterisation, The Bard's Tale will be a 'must-have' title when it is released next year. We look forward to what we hope will be the beginning of a strong relationship with inXile."

"I am very pleased to be working with Acclaim's International division on our first project at inXile, as I've worked well with in the past," said Brian Fargo, founder and CEO of inXile Entertainment. "They will be an important partner for us in these territories because they have excellent marketing and distribution capabilities and a proven track record for delivering successful launches."

The Bard's Tale was produced by Brian Fargo and published by Electronic Arts in 1985 on the Apple II computer. Following its release, the title quickly achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim. After selling more than one million units worldwide, The Bard's Tale became a #1 best-seller and later spawned two sequels and a series of books. The inXile game is not a sequel to the game released in the 1980's. It is a completely new game, providing a truly innovative action-RPG experience with witty dialogue, stunning graphics and non-linear gameplay.