MORTAL KOMBAT DESIGNERS DEPART MIDWAY GAMES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, Illinois (August 20, 1999) - John Tobias, co-creator of the highly successful Mortal Kombat video game series, announced his resignation from Midway Games Inc. as of July 30th, 1999. Also departing are David Michicich and Joshua Tsui, veteran Midway game designers. The three have been responsible for the art direction and design of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat 4, Ultimate MK3, MK Trilogy, and MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero, as well as a handful of other Midway video games.

"Our careers at Midway have been prosperous for ourselves as well as the company. Now it’s time to seek new opportunities that will only be possible by taking this step," said Tobias. "We would also like to express thanks to our incredible fan base for their continued support and welcome them in joining us on our further adventures."
Management at Midway approached the group to complete Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, the current MK game in development, but could not come to an agreement. "We seriously considered Midway’s offers to complete the game, but were unable to reach an agreement consistent with our long term goals," added Tobias.

With 21 years of experience between them within Midway, The trio intends to pursue several creative ventures in the entertainment industries. Further details will be available shortly.

The highly successful Mortal Kombat series has sold tens of thousands of coin-operated arcade units and over 20 million home games (released on all major consoles). It has also spawned two major motion pictures (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), a live-action television series (Mortal Kombat: Conquest), an animated series (Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm), as well as hundreds of licensed products. Altogether the Mortal Kombat franchise has generated billions of dollars worldwide.