VU Games and Konami ink Japan deal

Publishers VU Games and Konami have announced an exclusive distribution deal effective in the Japan market. According to the new deal, Konami will act as the distributor of games, while publishing responsibilities will remain with VU Games.

In accordance with this agreement, VU Games plans to bring five console games to Japan. Four will be released this year; the fifth, the third-person action game Red Ninja, will be released early next year.

2004/2005 VU Games lineup is as follows:

• Van Helsing (also to be known in Japan as Van Helsing)
• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Release Date: September 9, 2004

• Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage
• Japanese Title: Crash Banditcoot Advance WakuWaku Tomodachi Daisakusen
• Platform: Game Boy Advance
• Release Date: December 9, 2004

• Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy
• Japanese Title: Spyro Advance WakuWaku Tomodachi Daisakusen
• Platform: Game Boy Advance
• Release Date: December 9, 2004

• Crash Twinsanity
• Japanese Title: Crash Bandicoot E - Crash & Cortex no Yabou!?
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Release Date: December 9, 2004

• Red Ninja: End of Honor
• Japanese Title: Red Ninja
• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Release Date: Q1 2005

VU Games CEO Bruce Hack stated, "Japan is an important market to VU Games, and Konami's strong distribution network will greatly increase our exposure in this key region." Konami's chief officer of computer and video games division, Kazumi Kitaue, added, "We think of VU Games as our important partner for the further reinforcement of not only the domestic distribution of products, but also a worldwide joint development in all kinds of business areas. We are very glad that VU Games will develop activities as a publisher in Japan. We will do our best to sell products."