DeMatteo Honored at Industry's Annual "Nite to Unite" Charity Event

WASHINGTON, DC (October 16, 2006) - Dan DeMatteo, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of GameStop Corp., has been chosen to receive the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation's 2006 Champion Award at the video game industry's annual "Nite to Unite for Kids" charity event. DeMatteo was selected in recognition of his leadership and contribution to the interactive entertainment industry. "Nite to Unite for Kids" is the computer and video game industry's premiere charity fundraising event, and will take place this year on October 25, 2006, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco .

"This year, the Champion Award is given to Dan as someone who has contributed to the industry's growth and visibility by building what is now the largest video game retailer in the United States," said Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "As a founder of GameStop Corp., Dan was a pioneer in the specialty retail channel which has become so popular with avid video game players, and we are very pleased to be able to recognize him for his exceptional contributions over the past decade."

DeMatteo began his career in the software and gaming industry in 1987 with B. Dalton Booksellers and its fledgling computer software enterprise, Software Etc. In partnership with GameStop's Chief Executive Officer Dick Fontaine and Barnes & Noble, Inc. Chairman Leonard Riggio, DeMatteo spearheaded the evolution of what was Software Etc. into what is today know as GameStop Corp., a company that operates more than 4,500 stores in 15 countries.

Presented by the Entertainment Software Association and hosted by the ESA Foundation, this year's event will include a black-tie optional dinner and a live and silent auction on Wednesday, October 25, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.

Since its inception in 1999, the "Nite to Unite" event has raised over $6.7 million in donations to children's charities. Co-chairs for this year's event are: Brian Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of THQ, Inc.; Bill Gardner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Eidos, Inc.; and Graham Hopper, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Buena Vista Games.

Past Champion Award recipients have included: George Lucas, famed director and founder of LucasArts; Electronic Arts' Bing Gordon; Toys 'R Us' Michael Goldstein; Nintendo's Howard Lincoln; Sega's Isao Ogawa; and Electronic Boutique's Jeffery Griffiths.

Companies and individuals are invited to attend the gala event. Tickets are $500 for individuals, and table sponsorships are also available. For ticket information, please contact Leslie Price, Price Lampert Associates, at 1-800-949-3660, or via email at price.leslie@gmail.com.

About the ESA Foundation

The ESA Foundation was created by the American interactive entertainment software industry to support and provide opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The Foundation is fully supported by proceeds from "A Nite to Unite-for Kids," its annual fund-raiser that has raised more than more than $6.7 million in the last six years. The Foundation provided grants to support: Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Delinquency Prevention Initiative - Year three, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Web Wise Kids, Just Think Foundation, YouthVision Challenge, Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) project, the expansion of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland Computer Learning Center, Starlight Starbright Foundation, PAX, Inc, Association of Hole in the Wall Camps and Work Achievement, Values and Education (WAVE). For more information, please visit www.theESA.com/foundation.