ELBO Electronics Boutique Hldgs (MM)

Electronics Boutique Opens 2000th Store Highlights Commitment to International Expansion WEST CHESTER, Pa., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:ELBO) today announced the opening of its 2000th store in Trieste, Italy. The store began operations on February 21, 2005, marking the Company's 57th store in Italy and its 527th international location. "We are very excited to announce the opening of our 2000th store -- a significant milestone in the history of our Company," commented Jeffrey Griffiths, President and Chief Executive Officer. "It is fitting that our 2000th location is situated in Europe, reflecting our continued commitment to expanding our international presence and building upon our strong brand equity. The fact that we have been able to grow from a single kiosk in 1977 to 2,000 stores today confirms the strength of our business model. Given the highly fragmented nature of the international video game arena, we believe many opportunities exist to expand into both new and existing markets. Finally, this important step in our store growth further advances our goal of being the destination of choice for all gamers worldwide." Electronics Boutique, a Fortune 1000 company, is the leading global specialty retailer dedicated exclusively to video game hardware and software, PC entertainment software, accessories and related products. As of February 21, 2005, the company operated 2,000 stores in the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico and Sweden -- primarily under the names EB Games and Electronics Boutique. The company operates an e-commerce website at http://www.ebgames.com/. Additional company information is available at http://www.ebholdings.com/. This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements by Jeffrey Griffiths related to expansion opportunities in international markets. Forward-looking statements refer to expectations, projections and other characterizations of future events or circumstances and are often identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "estimated," "continue" or comparable terminology. In addition to factors specified in Electronics Boutique's recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, there are other factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements, such as the schedule and sell-through for new software releases, consumer demand for video game hardware and software, the timing of the introduction of new generation hardware systems, pricing changes by key vendors for hardware and software and the timing of any such changes, the adequacy of supplies of new and pre-played product, increased competition and promotional activity from other retailers, and the availability of locations for, and timing of the opening of, new stores. In light of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the forward- looking statements, these statements should not be regarded as a representation by Electronics Boutique or any other person that the projected results, objectives or plans will be achieved. Electronics Boutique undertakes no obligation to revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. DATASOURCE: Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. CONTACT: James A. Smith, Chief Financial Officer, Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp., +1-610-430-8100; or Charlie Armitstead/Melissa Merrill, Financial Dynamics, +1-212-850-5600, for Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. Web site: http://www.ebgames.com/ http://www.ebholdings.com/

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