NBA ShootOut 2002 Takes the Court With High-Flying Basketball Action For the PS One™ Console

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today that NBA ShootOut 2002 from the 989 Sports™ development team is now available in stores, marking the release of the latest installment of the heralded PlayStation® basketball franchise. NBA ShootOut 2002 features new gameplay with updated graphics, as well as customizing options for players and playbooks. Coupled with restructured artificial intelligence (AI) and refined player models, NBA ShootOut 2002 produces the most authentic basketball action for sports enthusiasts and fans alike.

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No other PlayStation basketball game replicates the high-flying competition of the NBA better than NBA ShootOut 2002. Updated graphics features include recognizable player models and impeccably designed arenas and courts. With top NBA athletes motion captured performing an assortment of outstanding dunks, effortless outside shots and spectacular dribbling, NBA ShootOut 2002 brings true-to-life NBA action to your television. Arenas are designed to mirror reality as courts resonate realism with true lighting and sound effects. Players are scaled to reflect height, weight and body styles and individual faces have been texture mapped from authentic NBA photos to further enhance the realism of NBA ShootOut 2002.

"NBA ShootOut 2002 provides the most realistic and exciting basketball action available for PlayStation," said Ami Blaire, director, product marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. "With refined graphics and the best gameplay available, the 989 Sports team has developed a game that genuinely lives up to the high-flying action of the NBA."

Whether playing a leisurely game in Exhibition mode or taking on all comers through a full season and into the Playoffs, NBA ShootOut 2002 offers a true interactive basketball experience. With an array of options and challenges including statistics following the progress of every player in the game, hot and cold streaks for shooters and the ability to set screens and call for picks in order to free up the player with the hot hand, NBA ShootOut 2002 brings to life the skill, energy and athleticism that is the NBA.

  NBA ShootOut 2002 for PlayStation Key Features:
  -- Refined GamePlay and Restructured Artificial Intelligence (AI) bring
     fast paced NBA realism to life.  Improved computer management of
     passing, clock, fouls and timeouts further enhance the realism of the
     game.  Additionally, the computer AI will take advantage of gamer
     miscues and tendencies.
  -- Award-Winning Graphics including recognizable player models taken from
     motion captured movements of NBA athletes reflecting actual height,
     weight and body style.  Arenas are designed to mirror reality while
     courts resonate realism with true lighting and sound effects.
  -- 18 1-Touch Player Controls include Screen, Auto Defend, Pump Fake,
     Special Dribble and more.  Players won't get bogged down with
     cumbersome controller combinations and more advanced controls have also
     been simplified for better player movement.
  -- TV-Style Presentation now with a two-man booth featuring more than 100
     hours of play-by-play from commentators Ian Eagle and Bill Walton.
  -- Playbooks Designed With NBA Stars include more than 450 team specific
     plays and sets designed to replicate every team in the NBA.  Top NBA
     players consulted include Stephon Marbury, Chris Webber, Jason Kidd,
     "Bo" Outlaw, Robert Horry and more.
  -- NBA Signature Animations from more than a dozen NBA stars.  Motion
     captured animations include everything from ball control and passing to
     shooting and rebounding and more than 50 signature dunks.

  NBA ShootOut 2002 for PlayStation Key Features (con't):
  -- Total Control Passing allows gamers to pick passes and get the ball to
     a specific teammate, or work the defense and kick the ball outside for
     the open three-pointer.
  -- Total Control Screening allows gamers to set a pick or call for a
     screen to give the hot shooter the open look.
  -- Touch Shooting helps players to refine their touch by using the shot
     meter to control the accuracy of the shot.
  -- Total Control Dribbling puts ball control in the palm of your hands as
     players go between the legs, behind the back or go for the cross-over
     dribble.
  -- Create Dunk will have gamers fabricating unbelievably unique dunks with
     bits and pieces of the most famous dunks in the game.
  -- Hot & Cold Streaks effect the game just like the pros.  Hitting three
     consecutive shots to puts a player in the zone while missing three
     consecutive will cause a player to have trouble hitting from the paint.
  -- Create Player allows gamers to utilize player ratings to create an
     all-world talent or design a player to reflect their own
     characteristics.
  -- Play Creator lets gamers design their own custom plays and save them to
     a playbook for the ultimate offensive edge.
  -- Comprehensive Statistical Analysis allows gamers to track stats for
     teams, individuals and league leaders through the monitoring of
     comparison charts.
  -- Extensive Roster Management allows a gamer to edit the starting lineup,
     trade players or release and sign free agents to build a dynasty.
     Six Game Modes including Exhibition, Season or Playoffs in Simulation
     and Arcade modes, each with four levels of difficulty.
  -- Extensive In-Game Options allow gamers to control every aspect of the
     game from quarter length to fatigue, touch shooting, player ID and auto
     replays.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates NBA ShootOut 2002 "E" for "Everyone." For more information about the ESRB visit http://www.esrb.org/.

989 Sports is the sports software brand of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Known for its top-selling sports franchise titles such as NFL GameDay™, MLB™, NBA ShootOut, NHL FaceOff™, NCAA® Final Four® and NCAA® GameBreaker™, 989 Sports is committed to developing authentic and innovative sports games to appeal to both the professional athlete and hard-core sports videogame fan.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® game console and the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system. The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize the home entertainment market, offering the most compelling interactive content and the capability to be used as a network terminal in the coming broadband era.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation game console and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PlayStation game console and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment 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.989sports.com/ .

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SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Contact: Jamie Tica of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., +1-858-824-5854, or jamie_tica@playstation.sony.com; or Rick Heineman, +1-310-274-7800, or rheineman@bncpr.com, for Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Web site: http://www.playstation.com/