November 21, 2002

TEMPLAR® STUDIOS WINS WEB AWARD FOR LEGO® “BACKLOT”
Second Award for Studio’s Innovative Web Game

Templar Studios, LLC has been honored with an Outstanding Website Award at the annual WebAwards. The award was given for the 3D web game entitled “Backlot” (www.lego.com/studios/backlot), which Templar designed and produced for LEGO. Peter Mack, Templar’s president and general manager, made the announcement.

This is the second award Templar has received for the Backlot game, a 3D interactive game designed to introduce the LEGO Studios product line to kids and parents. 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. 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 console quality game-play and has become a popular part of LEGO.com.

“Who has not dreamed of visiting a Hollywood movie set? Or how about getting a job right on the lot?” said Mack. “The Backlot game is a chance to play out that fantasy, and is a great introduction to the Studios product line. Recent advances in web technology have allowed us to deliver a true 3D play environment, via the Internet, that is fun and challenging, and we are extremely pleased with the positive response from users.”

"Our goal was to create a LEGO version of a Hollywood movie studio, that extended the play concept of the LEGO Studios product into a make-believe world of movie production," said Raymond Doherty, Producer for LEGO Studios. "Templar delivered a web-based game that was well beyond our expectations, with a wonderfully immersive LEGO environment. Backlot has been a great success with kids on our site."

The Web Marketing Association is the producer of the WebAwards (www.webaward.org), an annual award competition that is designed to judge corporate Web sites against and Internet standard and against peer sites within their industry. Entries are judged by a panel of independent Internet experts in such areas as design, navigation, innovation, and usefulness to target audience.

The 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's historic Lower East Side, 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 on a variety of interactive projects for clients such as LEGO, National Geographic, BMG/RCA, Noggin, and HBO. Formed in 1998, Templar is currently developing its own line of video games and online properties. In the past two years, Templar has taken home fifteen industry awards for gaming, design, arts and product promotion and is part of the Intel® Developer Alliance. Templar’s own website, www.templar.com, was named “Cool Site of the Day” by coolsiteoftheday.com, earlier this year.

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