New Exclusive Partnerships Unveiled Along With Extensive Catalog Of More
Than 100 Third-Party Games Coming To Platform This Year
CULVER CITY, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer
Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today previewed a robust third-party
software line-up and announced new exclusive game publisher alliances for
PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) at their annual press conference during the E3
Media and Business Summit. In addition to the more than 30 third-party
titles available since launch, this fiscal year over 100 new third-party
titles will be released for PS3, bringing the total number of first- and
third-party games in North America to more than 160. This extensive library
encompasses industry leading franchises as well as new intellectual
properties from Activision, Capcom, Electronic Arts, NAMCO BANDAI, Ubisoft
and Eidos.
"We have been working hard to provide third-party game publishers with
the tools they need to maximize the technological power of PS3 and we're
excited today to showcase first-class exclusive titles from our partners,
as well as new developer relationships," said Riley Russell, vice president
of third party and developer support, SCEA. "This support from our third
parties is ultimately a real win for not only the PlayStation brand, but
more so for our valued consumers who will find something for everyone on
PS3 this fiscal year."
During the press conference, exclusive third-party PS3 games and key
partnerships were announced from NCsoft(R) Corporation, Ubisoft, Midway and
Konami. The strategic alliance with NCsoft, the world's leading developer
and publisher of online games, will provide a wealth of connected gaming
expertise and create several online games exclusively for PlayStation
platforms, including PS3 and PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable), accessible
through the PLAYSTATION(R)Network. NCsoft is the creator of Lineage, the
world's largest online game franchise with a customer reach of more than 60
million.
In addition, PlayStation fans will have further reason to get excited
about growing their game libraries as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and
industry veterans Epic Games announced a multi-stage agreement.
Revolutionizing the industry with the advent of the Unreal(R) Engine when
first launching the Unreal franchise several years ago, Epic Games has
joined with SCE to fully optimize the Unreal Engine for PS3 development to
assist developers using this engine to accelerate game creation and
maximize performance. Already underway, this optimization currently affects
seven developers using the Unreal Engine to create 20 games already in the
works and with many more to come.
As a result of the agreement, Midway and Epic Games will make the
platform debut of Unreal Tournament 3, one of the world's premiere
first-person shooters, exclusively on PS3 this fall, unleashing the full
power of Unreal Engine 3 with graphics, gameplay and challenges brought to
a whole new level. Featuring powerful futuristic weapons and vehicles
unlike anything seen before, players will engage in intense and
hyper-realistic battles with other players online, or against the Unreal
artificial intelligence that has become the defacto industry standard.
"The raw power of PS3 and Unreal Engine 3 allow us to provide gamers
the full Unreal Tournament 3 first-person shooter experience normally found
only on a PC," said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic Games. "The PS3 is the
ideal platform for us to deliver stunning visuals and awesome gameplay. But
now, with the PLAYSTATION Network, we're also delivering a great community
experience and robust user-created content -- everything that gamers have
come to expect from the Unreal Tournament franchise -- for the first time
on a home entertainment system."
Also, releasing this fall, legendary PlayStation development team Free
Radical Design and leading publisher Ubisoft have teamed up to deliver the
mind-altering, technologically superior game HAZE exclusively for PS3 this
holiday season. This highly anticipated first-person shooter marks the
next- generation debut for Free Radical, and will introduce unique gameplay
driven by 'Nectar'. Providing players with the opportunity to fight on both
sides of the same war, HAZE also features genre-defining multiplayer action
for the PLAYSTATION Network.
"Ubisoft and Free Radical are thrilled to be introducing Haze
exclusively for PS3 this holiday," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive
officer at Ubisoft. "When you combine Ubisoft's reputation for top quality
FPS games, Free Radical's outstanding track record on SCE platforms, and
PS3's power and network functionality, it is clear that HAZE will open up a
new arena of entertainment possibilities for players everywhere."
Set for a simultaneous worldwide launch in early 2008 exclusively on
PS3, a new trailer for Metal Gear Solid(R) 4: Guns of the Patriots also was
unveiled during the press conference. In a six minute presentation of
all-new footage, the latest Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer features stunning
real-time graphics, new revelations in the ongoing Metal Gear saga, and a
new location that will be one of many backdrops of Solid Snake's final,
globetrotting mission. In its first-ever presentation in English, the new
trailer also offers a taste of Kojima Production's ambitious, stylized
localization of the game's original script, penned by Hideo Kojima himself,
and highlighted by the return of the industry's most memorable voice
talent, featuring David Hayter as Old Snake, Pat Zimmerman as Liquid
Ocelot, and Phil LaMarr, who will reprise his role as iconic Metal Gear
Solid 2 character, Vamp.
In addition to these key exclusives from NCSoft, Ubisoft, Midway,
Konami, Epic Games and many other publishers, gamers can look forward to 15
more PS3 only games from SCE this fiscal year that truly demonstrate the
advanced technological capabilities of the system.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the
entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation(R) and PS one(R) game console,
the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, the PSP(R)
(PlayStation(R)Portable) system, and the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION(R)3
(PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer
Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and
develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one game
console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the PSP system
and the PS3 system for the North American market. Based in Foster City,
Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. serves as headquarters for
all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc.
Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com
"PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", "PSP," and "PS one" are registered
trademarks and "PS3" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
(C) 1987 2007 Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
"METAL GEAR SOLID" is a registered trademark of Konami Digital
Entertainment Co., Ltd.
"GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS" is a trademark of Konami Digital Entertainment
Co., Ltd.
"KONAMI" is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION.
SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.playstation.com/
CONTACT:
Patrick Seybold, +1-650-655-7549,
patrick_seybold@playstation.sony.com, or Alyssa Casella,
+1-650-655-3617, alyssa_casella@playstation.sony.com, both of
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
|
