CAPCOM® RELEASES STEEL BATTALION™: LINE OF CONTACT - XBOX LIVE COMPATIBLE FOR THE ULTIMATE ONLINE MECH BATTLE EXPERIENCE FEATURING AN ASTONISHING 40 BUTTON CONTROLLER - SUNNYVALE, Calif. — February 26, 2004 - Capcom®, a worldwide leading publisher and developer of innovative games, today announced the release of Steel Battalion™: Line of Contact, the next evolution in the battle-mech genre exclusively for the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft® and is playable only via Xbox™ Live. Based on the award-winning Steel Battalion phenomenon, Steel Battalion: Line of Contact gives players the opportunity to once again use the most elaborate controller interface ever created to partake in futuristic military warfare. Ultra realistic visual effects and mech battles in the first person perspective create the ultimate mechanized military combat experience. Steel Battalion: Line of Contact is rated “T” for teen audiences by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) and is now available as well as the original Steel Battalion bundled with its unique controller at retailers across North America. Steel Battalion: Line of Contact allows gamers to pilot more than 10 new mechs over the course of the game while engaging in up to five on five online combat. Through Xbo6x Live, players must collaborate with other team members to accomplish objectives, scramble for battle power points by destroying enemy aircrafts or capturing enemy strongholds to declare victory over adversaries. Additionally, they can search for rare VT’s hidden throughout the game. Two modes of gameplay each with their own sub mode will keep players locked into their VT’s for hours on end. The award-winning 40-button controller was designed to completely maximize the gaming experience and immerse the player into the role of a Vertical Tank pilot. With trigger buttons to fire weapons; foot pedals to accelerate, boost and brake; levers to shift gears and move left to right, gamers must utilize the full potential of their VT’s abilitiesin order to survive on the battlefield. Mastering the controls of this tactical vehicle will allow players to feel as if the VT is part of their own body. Steel Battalion: Line of Contact boasts the following features: • More intense mission objectives than the original. • Online gameplay only via Xbox Live: o Partake in the biggest online mech melee, as two opposing teams of up to five players clash on the virtual battlefield. o In Steel Battalion: Line of Contact, collaborating with teammates will be a key part of accomplishing mission objectives all the while improving your personal combat skills o Search for rare VT’s hidden throughout the game. o Use the Xbox Communicator to chat and trade items with other players o Intercept enemy communication by using a peeping sphere, equipped on special reconnaissance VTs. With this gear, players can lock-on to an enemy’s communication to eavesdrop. • Two modes of gameplay each with their own sub mode: o Campaign Mode – The main gameplay of Steel Battalion: Line of Contact. Up to 10 players can battle against each other using Xbox Live. * Conquest Mode – Scramble for battle power points by annihilating enemy machines and capturing enemy bases. o Free Mission Mode - Conditions are waived so that players can enjoy unrestricted battle. * Battle Royale Mode– In this mode, it’s every man or woman for themselves and the last person standing wins. * Capture The Container Mode – Similar to capture the flag, both armies scramble for each others’ containers that are located at each respective base. • Control your VT with the exclusive 40-button simulation controller designed and produced for Steel Battalion. • Steel Battalion: Line of Contact will make full use of the Xbox hardware in order to create ultra realistic visual effects and realistic mech battles. • More than 10 new massive Vertical Tank (VT) models to control. • Create and customize emblems to personalize VTs.