Sony Online Entertainment Ships EverQuest®: Evolution™ To Retail Stores

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, announced today that EverQuest®: Evolution™, an affordable, all-inclusive collection that offers the original game as well as the five current expansion packs, The Ruins of Kunark®, The Scars of Velious®, The Shadows of Luclin™, The Planes of Power™ and The Legacy of Ykesha™ is available in stores everywhere for the suggested retail price of $29.99.

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"This is the perfect time for new players to jump in and experience EverQuest," said Don Vercelli, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "EverQuest: Evolution offers new players the perfect opportunity to experience the entire world of Norrath in one package at a very reasonable price."

EverQuest: Evolution offers players a total of 5 huge continents, an enchanting moonscape and many planar zones to explore, 15 races and literally thousands of creatures to battle from fierce orcs to fire-breathing dragons. With more than 400,000 active subscribers around the globe, players can quest alone, form a temporary group or join a guild for cooperative play.

  EverQuest: Evolution features:
   *  EverQuest Classic game
   *  EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark Expansion Pack
   *  EverQuest: The Scars of Velious Expansion Pack
   *  EverQuest: The Shadows of Luclin Expansion Pack
   *  EverQuest: The Planes of Power Expansion Pack
   *  EverQuest: The Legacy of Ykesha Extension
   *  Collectible maps of Norrath
   *  Comprehensive EverQuest manual for new players

  About EverQuest

Developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), EverQuest launched in 1999 and has since become both a gaming and cultural phenomenon. The game has sold more than 2 million copies while continuing to grow with award-winning expansions The Ruins of Kunark®, The Scars of Velious®, The Shadows of Luclin™, The Planes of Power™, and The Legacy of Ykesha™, making it the largest online 3D fantasy world ever created. During peak periods, more than 118,000 simultaneous adventurers have explored the fully detailed world of Norrath, filled with monsters, magic, adventure and more. The active global EverQuest subscriber base of more than 430,000 players is comprised of people from 40 different countries including North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Sony Online is committed to bringing EverQuest to various entertainment platforms, releasing titles such as EverQuest Online Adventures™ for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, EverQuest for the Pocket PC and EverQuest: Hero's Call for wireless phones. This Winter, SOE will launch the highly-anticipated sequel, EverQuest II, on PCs around the globe.

About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with a subscriber base of over 500,000 active players around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises, EverQuest® and PlanetSide™, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™: An Empire Divided™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX and St. Louis, MO, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development.

EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. SOE and the SOE logo are registered trademarks and PlanetSide is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment Inc.

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SOURCE: Sony Online Entertainment, Inc.

CONTACT: Tamara Sanderson, +1-858-577-3362, tsanderson@soe.sony.com , or
Chris Kramer, +1-858-577-3481, ckramer@soe.sony.com , both of Sony Online
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