July 15, 2002

TEMPLAR® STUDIOS TAKES HOME THREE AXIEM AWARDS
Studio Recognized for Web Games and Innovative Design

Templar Studios, LLC has been honored with three awards from the prestigious AXIEM Awards competition. Templar received two awards for its work with LEGO®: www.bionicle.com/matanui received a Copper Award for Web Animation and www.lego.com/studios/backlot was honored with a Silver Award for Games Website. Templar’s own site, www.templar.com received a Copper Award for Self Promotion Website. Peter Mack, Templar’s president and general manager, made the announcement.

The AXIEM AWARDS is an international competition that recognizes “Absolute eXcellence In Electronic Media.” A complete list of the 2002 winners is available at www.axiemawards.com. The COPPER AXIEM
is the top honor and was given to only 7% of the 1400 entrants this year.

This is the fourth award Templar has received for BIONICLE™ Mata Nui, an online adventure game produced for LEGO. The innovative site was designed to introduce visitors to the exciting product line from the LEGO Company. The Flash site has generated a loyal following and regularly receives more than 600,000 visitors per month. After its release in the summer of 2001, BIONICLE quickly became one of the top-selling toys of the year.

With LEGO Studios, children ages 8-16 can bring the imaginative adventures in their LEGO worlds to life. The set includes a PC movie camera, editing software, and an assortment of LEGO props and unique elements. Templar designed and produced the Backlot game to showcase this exciting new toy to kids and parents. Players explore a simulated movie studio where they can get a job, learn about filmmaking, and find clues to help solve a mystery. The 3D game is delivered via the Web using Shockwave 8.5, which includes a groundbreaking 3D engine. The game play has achieved near-console quality and has become and extremely popular part of LEGO.com.

According to Mack, “Both the Bionicle and Backlot games have proved extremely popular for LEGO and have undoubtedly helped to expose consumers to these incredible product lines. We are very pleased with the additional recognition of these awards and we are already working on additional games for LEGO.com.”

LEGO Company, a privately held firm based in Billund, Denmark, is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." For more information, visit www.LEGO.com.

Based in New York City, Templar is a multimedia development studio, specializing in high quality video games and other interactive entertainment. The collective of artists, animators, writers, composers and technology specialists has worked with clients such as LEGO, National Geographic, BMG/RCA, Noggin, and HBO. Formed in 1998, Templar is currently developing its own video games and on-line properties. In the past two years, Templar has taken home fourteen industry awards for design, gaming, arts and product promotion and is part of the Intel® Developer Alliance. Templar’s own website, www.templar.com, was recently named “Cool Site of the Day” by coolsiteoftheday.com.

Note: LEGO and BIONICLE are trademarks of the LEGO Group 2002. Templar is a registered trademark of Templar Studios. Other product and company names herein are trademarks of their respective owners.