December 08, 2004 - THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that Ping Pals(tm) for the Nintendo DS videogame system has shipped to retailers throughout North America. Ping Pals takes advantage of all of the major features of the Nintendo DS, including wireless communication, wireless game sharing, as well as the touch screen utilizing the stylus.

"THQ is proud to support the launch of the Nintendo DS with a creative product such as Ping Pals that takes full advantage of the new DS technology,

" said Peter Dille, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. "As the leading independent publisher of handheld games, THQ is very excited to be at the forefront of this innovative technology by offering Ping Pals to consumers this holiday season."

Ping Pals allows gamers to create and customize their very own avatar on-screen persona, known as a Ping Pal, by choosing from thousands of different options. Players will then be able to play single and multiplayer games in order to win coins. They can then use their coins to purchase additional items at the Ping Pals virtual mall, allowing them to customize their Ping Pal. Special sales will occur at the virtual mall where players must log in at a specific time in order to purchase rare items. In addition, players will be able to trade items with their friends, offering further customization of their Ping Pal.

Ping Pals will also include an elaborate chatting feature that utilizes the touch screen as an interface, allowing up to eight people to chat with each other at a time. Players will also have the ability to play Solo Chat, a game that allows them to hold conversations with various virtual characters. If they'd like to share their Ping Pals game, players can download a trial version to one of their friends' Nintendo DS systems, allowing them to participate in conversations and experience the Ping Pals multiplayer games.

Ping Pals was developed by WayForward Technologies out of Valencia, California. For more information on Ping Pals and the rest of THQ's product line-up, please visit www.thq.com.