Sega Enterprises - Press News - Coming Soon Magazine

SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD. AND BANDAI CO. LTD. TO CONSOLIDATE INTO ONE COMPANY TO BECOME A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE GLOBAL MULTI-MEDIA INDUSTRY

Tokyo, January 23rd, 1997 -- Sega Enterprises, Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. agreed to proceed with a merger of the two companies. The merger is scheduled to take place on October 1st, 1997.

By combining the two companies' management resources, Sega and Bandai will strive to become a leading global company providing comprehensive multi- media entertainment.

To the new company, Sega Group will provide leading edge entertainment technologies such as digital contents, virtual reality and computer graphics. Bandai will render its know how on character merchandising, visual and music technologies. In addition, the new company will also enjoy the information technologies possessed by CSK Group, to which Sega also belongs including communication, network, satellite, artificial intelligence, card (e.g. prepaid and IC card) and graphic compression technologies. The combined technical and business resources of Sega, Bandai and CSK Groups of companies will result in a unique company offering all the necessary technologies and know-hows required to be a leader and pioneer in the global multi-media business.

The new company's combined net sales are over 600 billion Japanese yen. The new company will benefit from the merger in all areas of its business including capital, personnel, R & D, technologies, marketing and contents development. As a result, its competitiveness in the global market shall be further strengthened. The merger will allow the new company to venture into a wider range of business opportunities and explore markets for all ages.

The merger ratio will be: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. : Bandai Co, Ltd = 1:0.76 and the new company name will be Sega Bandai, Ltd. Business will include all of the following: Development, manufacturing, sales and export of home video game machines, game software, amusement machines, telecommunication, karaoke, toys and children's cloths; operation of amusement centers and amusement theme parks; operation of character merchandising, music and movie business.

As of September 30th, 1996, the combined capital of the two companies was 60.949 billion Japanese yen, and the total assets were 588.647 billion Japanese yen.

"This merger creates a major new force in the entertainment and multimedia world," says Sega Europe CEO Malcolm Miller.

"Sega and Bandai are global leaders in complementary market, each with major strengths in product development, sales and marketing. As a combined enterprise, we will be in a position to exploit to the maximum the tremendous popularity which products and characters from both companies currently enjoy."

"In the future, we will be able to launch simultaneously across complementary platforms and markets. New products can benefit from presence in arcades, on home consoles and PCs, on television, in toy shops and across a universe of potential merchandising opportunities."

"The Sega Saturn will continue to offer major opportunities for our partners in the games publishing industry - with the promise of heightened profile and increased visibility which the Bandai connection will bring. For the high street retailer, the merger offers greater visibility and synergy - which will in turn translate into increased consumer demand."

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