PLAYERS LAUNCH INTO PIRATE INFESTED WATERS VIA NEW GAME TECHNOLOGY

"Somali Showdown: Pirates on the High Seas," DRAMATIC PIRATE ATTACK RE-ENACTMENT FREE TO GLOBAL MULTIPLAYER AUDIENCE IN ACTION-PACKED GAME EPISODE, Game Available For Free Download Thursday, May 7th 2009 at www.KumaGames.com

WHAT:

Ground-breaking episodic game producer Kuma Games announces the latest "ripped-from-the-headlines" video game to immerse video game players in today’s real-world conflicts. Developed using state-of-the-art video game technology and inspired by last month’s heroic actions by an unarmed captain and crew on a commercial cargo ship hijacked by pirates, Kuma launches players inside a harrowing hijacking in its newest multiplayer release.

In "Showdown", Kuma recreates the clashes that are fast defining the modern dangers of seafarers: hijacking and hostage-taking by ruthless pirates. Last month’s battle ended in a surprising twist when the unarmed crew managed to secure the ship against the bloodthirsty pirates until help arrived. Kuma, the developer of seven game titles, plans to expand its 100+ episode Kuma\War title with the company’s debut at-sea episode to honor the unlikely crew of heroes.

"We‘re back!" said KUMA CEO Keith Halper. "During the past year we’ve upgraded our graphics, sped up downloads and added two new game series -- all of which have helped grow our community of players. But O the long faces around the office! We needed some exciting news-based gaming on a ridiculous production schedule to shake things up."

Video game enthusiasts can download the game for free and immediately relive the news by entering the story in a heart-pounding game of attack and defend. Like the real world event, vicious Somali pirates hijack a commercial cargo ship and attempt to hold the captain and crew hostage. Players re-live the sailors’ harrowing ordeal by attempting to beat back the pirates en route to securing their operations room. Players entering the game as pirates attempt to infiltrate the operations room in order to re-power the ship and sail it into Somali waters.

WHO:

Video game enthusiasts from around the world.

WHEN:

Available for free download beginning Thursday, May 7th, 2009

WHERE:

Download Kuma Games at the official site: www.KumaGames.com/pirates

ABOUT KUMA:

KUMA, LLC. (www.kumagames.com) is the world leader in the new market for Episodic Video Games - intense, up-to-the-minute 3D game experiences delivered to PCs in weekly episodes. Kuma's network of free, ad-supported game series makes high-end console-quality game play accessible to mass market consumers. Each week, players' PCs are updated with the latest "game-isode" from their favorite series inspired by just-released TV shows, real world news events and pop culture happenings. With over 150 game-isodes currently available in seven titles, Kuma has an excess of 13 million users, with an additional 250,000 new players signing on each month. Kuma’s synergy with traditional TV programmers such as THE HISTORY CHANNEL®, and ANIMAL PLANET® makes television more dynamic and more relevant to a media and tech-savvy generation while presenting distinct marketing advantages for TV partners, advertisers, content owners and distributors. With an unprecedented level of user interactivity, Kuma represents a direct analog for television within video games. Kuma Reality Games, headquartered in New York, is a privately held company.

VIDEO TRAILER: http://company.kumagames.com/XFER2/pirates.wmv

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Keith Halper, Chief Executive Officer | Kuma Reality Games | keith@kumagames.com

Joe Kressaty, VP Global Sales & Television Relations | Kuma Reality Games | Joe@kumagames.com