Nintendo GameCube: 2002 FIFA World Cup Countdown

Distributed by
NintendoPosted: April 25th, 2002. THE COUNTDOWN STARTS FOR THE 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP KOREA/JAPAN(tm)
AND THE LAUNCH OF NINTENDO GAMECUBE

Nintendo Joins Forces with Yahoo! And FIFA to Sponsor FIFAworldcup.com, theOfficial Website of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan(tm)

SUNNYVALE, Calif. and LONDON – Nintendo, which launches itsnext-generation home console, the Nintendo GameCube, across Europe on May 3,is sponsoring the Official Website of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan(tm) -FIFAworldcup.com.

The global programme, established between Nintendo, Yahoo! Inc., the producerand commercial marketer of FIFAworldcup.com, and Fédération International deFootball Association (FIFA), the world governing body of football, is primarilyfocused at consumers across Europe through FIFAworldcup.com, and will runduring the build up to the European launch of Nintendo GameCube and throughoutthe FIFA World Cup(tm).

Through the agreement, fans across Europe accessing FIFAworldcup.com will seeNintendo sponsoring two of the most popular features on FIFAworldcup.com.

A Nintendo GameCube “countdown” timer will be featured alongside the OfficialCountdown Clock to the 2002 FIFA World Cup(tm) and will countdown the secondsto the May 3rd launch of Nintendo’s latest groundbreaking home console. Nintendois also sponsoring the Entertainment section of the site, which includes aninteractive Game Zone, the Mascot Zone micro-site, Download Central, and theOfficial Music of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Nintendo will also have branding visibility through various multi-mediaadvertising units across the FIFAworldcup.com and media exposure across anumber of Yahoo!’s European-based World properties, including Yahoo! UK,Yahoo! Germany, Yahoo! France and Yahoo! Spain.

“We are extremely pleased that Nintendo has chosen FIFAworldcup.com as avehicle to promote the launch of GameCube across Europe,” said Randy Bernstein,vice president, Yahoo!-FIFA World Cup relationship. “By focusing on aEuropean audience, Nintendo’s global sponsorship package on FIFAworldcup.comtruly leverages the Internet’s unparalleled ability to directly target anaudience geographically. FIFAworldcup.com’s Entertainment section containssome of the site’s most compelling areas, and is a natural and relevant tie topotential Nintendo customers.”

Comments Franco De Cesare, head of marketing, Nintendo of Europe:“May is going to be an historic month for games and sports fans across Europe.Nintendo GameCube launches on the 3rd, while the FIFA World Cup starts on the31st.

The sponsorship is a perfect fit for us as the tension builds to the launch ofthe years most anticipated games console, the Nintendo GameCube, and the years mosttalked about sporting event, the 2002 FIFA World Cup.”

Nintendo GameCube launches across Europe on May 3 2002 and is expected toretail for £129.

It launches with over 20 software titles, including 2002 FIFA World Cup fromEA Sports.

The sponsorship package was negotiated and managed by StarCom Motive in London.