The following is a press release from NIS America:

NIS AMERICA ANNOUNCES BLADE DANCER™ ~LINEAGE OF LIGHT~ FOR THE PSP™
NIS America will publish Blade Dancer™ ~Lineage of Light~ developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios JAPAN Studio and Hit Maker Co., Ltd.

Santa Ana, Calif. (February 09, 2006) –NIS America Inc. announced today its plan to release its first 3D role-playing game Blade Dancer™ ~Lineage of Light~ for the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios JAPAN Studio (SCE WWS JAPAN Studio) and Hit Maker Co., Ltd., Blade Dancer™ is a PSP™ exclusive title that truly appreciates the full potential of the PSP™ system. Blade Dancer™ is also one of the first RPG title for the PSP™ that adopts a dynamic multi-player system. Gamers can now play an RPG with anyone, anytime, anywhere. With a revolutionary game system, vivid detail, and stunning visuals that seamlessly combine 3D with 2D, Blade Dancer™ will capture the hearts of all PSP™ users. The North American release of Blade Dancer™ ~Lineage of Light~ is scheduled for July 2006.

“To say we are excited is an understatement. Blade Dancer™ has originality and depth like no other. SCE WWS JAPAN Studio, experts of the PSP™ system, and Hit Maker, a top-gun developer that excels in all genres but especially in RPGs, have collaborated on this project to bring a truly remarkable title,” said Haru Akenaga, president of NIS America, Inc.

About Blade Dancer™ ~Lineage of Light~
Dread Knight, the evil dark knight that killed the legendary hero Blade Dancer in the Great War, has appeared once again. The reappearance of Dread Knight signals the rise of the demon empire, which threatens all humanity. Now Lance, a young knight with mystical powers from the land of Foo, and his fellow comrades must rise to stop Dread Knight and his army of darkness.

In Blade Dancer™ ~Lineage of Light~, players will take on the role of a young hero named Lance and travel the full 3D real time world for an epic adventure. Battles will take place by physically encountering enemies that are visible on the map. During combat, players are not confined to a slow turn based battle system. Rather, they will maneuver through a brand new revolutionary real time battle system.

Key Features

• Full 3D real time world (Time will change from day to night)
• Unique real time battle system (Not turn based)
• A brilliant item synthesis system (Over 650 synthesizable items)
• Unique monster encounter system (Physically see enemies on world map)
• Unique power sharing abilities with friendly and enemy units
• Network multi player mode (Up to four players)

About Hit Maker
Established in 1998, Hit Maker Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo-based developer specializing in the design and production of console-based entertainment software. From concept to final code, the company handles all aspects of software development including game design, project management, and PR support. Previous titles developed by Hit Maker include "Dino Crisis 3" for the Xbox and "Cyber Formula" for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. "Blade Dancer™" is the company's first collaborative effort with Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios JAPAN Studio.

About NIS America
NIS America is a subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, Inc., a Japanese company famous for its unique line of strategy RPGs including titles such as Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and Makai Kingdom.

In 2003, NIS America was established in Southern California to publish exciting and innovative game titles for North America.

NIS America’s team members devote themselves to the fans. Our respect for our fans is at the heart of everything we do. As a growing strategy RPG publisher in the U.S., we are committed to continuous improvement and dedication.

© Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. BLADE DANCER is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Licensed to and Published by NIS America, Inc. "PSP" is a trademark and "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

- - Kinderfeld