IGN Entertainment’s Direct2Drive Leads Digital Distribution Revolution, Launches ``Playboy: The Mansion’’ Same Day as Traditional Retailers

BRISBANE, CA -- January 27, 2005 -- “Playboy: The Mansion,” ARUSH Publishing and Groove Games’ mature, Playboy-licensed title based on Hugh Hefner’s famous Beverly Hills mansion, launched day-and-date on Direct2Drive. IGN Entertainment’s digital download retail site began carrying the title on the same day and at the same price ($39.99) as game retailers around the country.

The partnership between ARUSH (a wholly owned subsidiary of Hip Interactive), Groove and IGN is another milestone for digital distribution of games. With same day retail and online launches of blockbuster games Direct2Drive is leading the digital revolution. IGN will hold exclusive digital distribution rights to offer the “Playboy: The Mansion” downloads.

“It only made sense to offer Playboy through Direct2Drive,” said Jim Perkins, president, ARUSH Publishing. “The audience for our game is already on the IGN network, reading and playing; now the game they just added to their wish list is a click away.”

At Direct2Drive.com, gamers can buy “Playboy: The Mansion” from the comfort of their desks and start downloading immediately to their computers. Fans can stop worrying about whether they will find the games they want on the store shelves; at Direct2Drive games are available for direct download 24 hours a day.

Since its launch in September 2004, Direct2Drive has been gaining popularity among IGN’s largely 18-34 male customer base. The digital retailer builds on the proven operational infrastructure of FilePlanet, IGN Entertainment’s download site, and IGN’s separate HitPoints program, which provides full game downloads as rewards to IGN and GameSpy subscribers.

“We are thrilled to work with ARUSH and Groove, and add ’Playboy: The Mansion’ to our rapidly growing roster of great games,” commented Sutton Trout, director, digital content, IGN Entertainment. “With publishers like ARUSH and Groove supporting day-and-date online releases, the digital delivery revolution is further validated.”

Game publishers interested in learning more about the distribution opportunities on Direct2Drive can contact Sutton Trout, IGN’s director of digital content, at 415-508-2062, or by e-mail at strout@ign.com.

About Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

Playboy Enterprises is a brand-driven, international multimedia entertainment company that publishes editions of Playboy magazine around the world; operates Playboy and Spice television networks and distributes programming via home video and DVD globally; licenses the Playboy and Spice trademarks internationally for a range of consumer products and services; and operates Playboy.com, a leading men’s lifestyle and entertainment Web site.

About Groove Games

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Groove Games is a global publisher of interactive entertainment software. Groove partners with leading developers to deliver great games for avid gamers everywhere. Currently Groove is publishing Digital Extremes’ cutting-edge new first-person action game, “Pariah,” as well as co-publishing the highly anticipated multi-platform game, “Playboy: The Mansion.” For more information visit www.groovegames.com.

About ARUSH Publishing

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., ARUSH Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hip Interactive Corp., is a worldwide publisher of interactive entertainment software for personal computers and advanced entertainment consoles. ARUSH publishes PC and console video games for sale in retail outlets and on the Internet. The Company’s current projects include “Playboy: The Mansion” and “Fear Factor: Unleashed(TM).” For more information, please visit www.ArushGames.com.

About Hip Interactive

Hip Interactive (www.hipinteractive.com) is a leading provider of electronic entertainment products, including PC and video games, movies, video arcade games, and proprietary games, branded as Hip Games(TM), and accessories, branded as Hip Gear(TM). The Company distributes all first party products, including SCEA, Microsoft and Nintendo hardware, software and accessories, as well as third party licensed video game software. With offices across North America and in Europe, Hip uses its distribution business to leverage into higher margin, higher growth areas of the electronic entertainment industry, such as licensing, publishing and its proprietary games and accessories. Hip Interactive trades on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “HP.”

About Direct2Drive

Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com), IGN Entertainment’s digital download retail store, serves the users of IGN’s popular games and entertainment sites. Direct2Drive offers game publishers a new channel to sell both their new and catalog PC game titles. The service uses the proven ActiveMARK(TM) technology from Trymedia Systems, which helps to ensure a secure transaction for both the buyer and the game publisher. As a digital-download-only store, Direct2Drive carries no physical inventory, meaning Direct2Drive can offer as many games to its customers as a publisher wishes to put on sale.

About IGN Entertainment

IGN Entertainment provides many of the Internet’s leading destinations for video gaming, entertainment and community targeted at teens and 18-34 year-old males. The company’s properties include IGN.com, GameSpy.com, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet.com, GameSpyArcade.com, GameSpyArena.com, Direct2Drive, TeamXbox.com, more than 70 community sites and a vast array of online forums. Collectively, these properties reached 28.7 million users worldwide(a) in the month of October 2004, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. IGN Entertainment is also a leading provider of technology for online game play in video games. The company’s paid content, download and game play services are among the most popular game-related subscriptions available on the Internet. The privately held company has its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S.

IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.

(a)Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis.

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