WWE Crush Hour

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. – March 18, 2003  THQ® Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) today announced the release of their newest World Wrestling Entertainment™ (NYSE: WWE) licensed video game, WWE Crush Hour for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo® GameCube™. WWE Crush Hour takes the intensity, competitiveness and brute strength of the squared circle and drops it into the world of vehicular combat. The game is now available at retail outlets nationwide.

“WWE Crush Hour is a fun and exciting new twist to the sports entertainment genre,” said Phillip Holt, vice president, product development, THQ. “We’ve given WWE fans everywhere the opportunity to get behind the wheel as one of thirty of their favorite WWE Superstars to wreak havoc on their opponents.”



“For the THQ/JAKKS Pacific joint venture, WWE Crush Hour represents our expansion into an additional genre of vehicle action gaming,” commented Nelo Lucich, Director of Interactive, JAKKS Pacific. “This hi-energy game features WWE superstars with fantasy, stylized vehicles that have the same hardcore attitude as their drivers. Non-stop vehicle action meets WWE superstar attitude, and the result is pulse-pounding gameplay for WWE fans with a GameCube or Playstation 2.”


About WWE Crush Hour

WWE Crush Hour features more than 30 fantasy, personalized Superstar vehicles including Hulk Hogan’s™ sports car, Brock Lesnar’s™ (ADD VEHICLE), The Rock’s® luxury sports car and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s™ jacked-up monster truck. Players will be able to compete in multiple match types including tag-team and hardcore matches modified for insane car combat. World Wrestling Entertainment fans can also destroy opponents with multiple weapons customized for each vehicle or grab power-ups. WWE Crush Hour utilizes unparalleled driving physics with the “Powerslide Advantage” allowing quick 180 turns, strafing attacks and pinpoint cornering. World Wrestling Entertainment’s very own Jim Ross™ gives on-the-fly commentary and players will be able to taunt opposing drivers with signature phrases from their favorite Superstar.

For more information about the THQ/JAKKS Pacific World Wrestling Entertainment videogame franchises and the rest of THQ’s 2003 line-up, visit www.thq.com.

About World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. Information on television ratings and community activities can be found at parents.wwe.com.


About THQ

THQ Inc. is a leading, worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms including PC CD-ROM, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Nintendo and Microsoft. The THQ web site is located at www.thq.com. The THQ Wireless site is located at www.thqwireless.com.


About JAKKS Pacific

JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: JAKK) is a multi-brand company that designs and markets a broad range of toys and leisure products. The product categories include: Action Figures, Arts & Crafts Activity Kits, Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush and Dolls. The products are sold under various brand names including Flying Colors®, Road Champs®, Remco®, Child Guidance®, Pentech®, Toymax®, Funnoodle® and Go Fly a Kite®. The Company also participates in a joint venture with THQ Inc. that has exclusive worldwide rights to publish and market World Wrestling Entertainment™ video games. For further information, visit www.jakkspacific.com.


Trademark Statement

The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.