Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces Widespread Participation At Annual Game Developers Conference

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today its presence at the 2004 Game Developers Conference, which will be held March 22-26 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. In addition to a keynote address by Andrew House, executive vice president, Sony Computer Entertainment America, company game developers, programmers, producers and technology specialists will speak at various sessions at the 18th annual conference.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/SFM066LOGO )

The Game Developers Conference, the world's largest event exclusively devoted to game creators, hosts more than 10,000 attendees from around the world who gather to share ideas, build skills, and learn about the latest tools and technologies. This year, Sony Computer Entertainment America will support developers and publishers in the creation of PlayStation® content by providing the latest development tools and technologies through conference presentations, panels and booth demonstrations. Booth demonstrations will be held at booth number 1308, which will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. March 24-25, and from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March 26.

"The best in gaming content is available on PlayStation platforms thanks in part to the role developers play in striving to push exceptional content and further game innovation," House said. "The Game Developers Conference gives us the opportunity to affirm our widespread involvement and commitment to the global development community."

Sony Computer Entertainment America staff will be available at the booth throughout the exposition to share the latest developments in tools and technologies, including:

  -- The PlayStation®2 Performance Analyzer, a development tool for
     conducting detailed performance analysis of games during development.
     Private 60-minute sessions will provide developers hands-on access as
     well as an opportunity to speak with experts regarding how to best
     utilize the Performance Analyzer.
  -- Experts will offer demonstrations of the expanding online capabilities
     for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, and provide
     additional information for developers interested in creating
     online-enabled titles for the platform.
  -- Support engineers will be available to discuss methods for enhancing
     game designs through use of titles that utilize the internal Hard Disk
     Drive (40GB)(for PlayStation®2), such as FINAL FANTASY®XI.
  -- The new PlayStation 2 Debug LT, a development solution for developers
     who don't require the full function of a PlayStation 2 development
     tool, will be publicly shown for the first time. The Debug LT start-up
     card allows developers and artists to target the debugging station over
     an Ethernet connection.
  -- Experts will demonstrate voice over IP technology via the USB headset
     (for PlayStation®2) as well as games that utilize a USB microphone.
     Support engineers will be on hand to provide their insight on the
     benefits and opportunities of incorporating voice in game design.
  -- Sony Computer Entertainment Europe will feature EyeToy™, including
     demonstrations of the newest title, EyeToy™:  Groove. EyeToy enables
     developers and publishers to create games where the player's own
     movements, gestures and actions are captured via camera and transmitted
     to the game to control gameplay in real-time.

Sony Computer Entertainment America developers, programmers, producers and technology specialists will speak on a variety of topics at the 2004 Game Developers Conference. Below is a list of Sony Computer Entertainment America and affiliated speakers:

  -- Wednesday, March 24, Noon - 1 p.m.:  Jason Rubin, co-founder, Naughty
     Dog, moderates a panel discussion, "Interfacing with Hollywood:
     Challenges and Opportunities," Business and Legal Track, room B2,
     Convention Center. The session will discuss the possibilities and
     pitfalls of working with Hollywood, and cover some of the realities
     that the current movement of increasing synergy between the videogame,
     music, movie and television industries will bring to game development.
  -- Wednesday, March 24, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.:  John Crocker and
     Bruce Woodard, senior software engineers, Incog Inc., speak on
     "Destruction on a Diet," Programming Track, room A6, Convention Center.
     This lecture follows the evolution of techniques for environmental
     interactivity successfully used in Twisted Metal:  Black®, War of the
     Monsters™, and Downhill Domination™. The session will also
     discuss effective optimizations for implementing interactivity and some
     of the implications of a changing environmental topology on Artificial
     Intelligence (AI).
  -- Wednesday, March 24, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.:  Dev Madan, art director,
     Sucker Punch Productions, will participate in a lecture entitled,
     "Visualizing Sly Cooper," Visual Arts Track, Salon IV, Marriott. This
     lecture takes a look at the visual development behind 2002's Sly Cooper
     and the Thievius Raccoonus® for PlayStation 2.
  -- Wednesday, March 24, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: E. Daniel Arey, creative
     director, and Bob Rafei, art director, both of Naughty Dog, will
     participate in a lecture entitled, "From Script to Joystick:
     World-Building 101," Game Design Track, room A2, Convention Center.
     Arey and Rafei will provide a glimpse into Naughty Dog's world building
     and design process, as well as character and game creation in
     Jak II™, the sequel to Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy®.
  -- Wednesday, March 24, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.:  Buzz Burrowes, audio
     director, Sony Computer Entertainment America, participates in a panel
     "Mixing and Mastering Music and Sounds for Games," Audio Track,
     Almaden, Hilton. Attendees will learn about mixing and mastering
     techniques and the importance of relative volumes, space and dynamics
     that create a more dramatic entertainment experience for gamers.
  -- Thursday, March 25, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.:  Naty Hoffman, senior
     programmer, Naughty Dog, Inc., will participate in a lecture entitled,
     "Advanced Real-Time Reflectance," Programming Track, room A3,
     Convention Center. Attendees will learn the principles behind
     reflectance models and efficient ways to use them.
  -- Thursday, March 25, 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.:  Vangelis Kokkevis, research
     engineer, Sony Computer Entertainment America, lectures on "Practical
     Physics for Articulated Characters," Programming Track, room J2,
     Convention Center. Attendees will gain a more solid understanding of
     the issues surrounding dynamics simulation of articulated characters,
     including the difficulties and options available.
  -- Thursday, March 25, Noon - 1 p.m.:  Mark DeLoura, manager of developer
     relations, Sony Computer Entertainment America, participates in a panel
     "Towards Relevant Research: Collaboration 101," IGDA Track, Salon IV,
     Marriott. Discussion will center on feedback on current research and
     development efforts, as well as long-term thinking about potential
     collaboration between academic researchers and commercial development
     teams.
  -- Thursday, March 25, Noon - 1 p.m.:  Bob Rafei, art director, Naughty
     Dog, on "Jak's Makeover for Jak II: Why the Dramatic New Look for a
     Sequel?," Visual Arts Track, Salon III, Marriott. This lecture follows
     the evolution of Jak, the cast and their universe to the new look in
     Jak II through an in-depth look at the production designs that paved
     the way for a colossal makeover.
  -- Thursday, March 25, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.:  Dave Coombes, senior development
     support engineer, and Peter Young, software engineer, both of Sony
     Computer Entertainment America, lecture on "Programming the PlayStation
     Portable (PSP™)," Programming Track, room B2, Convention Center.
     Attendees will gain a greater understanding of the resources it will
     take to create a game for PSP and the types of gameplay experiences it
     enables.
  -- Thursday, March 25, 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.:  Seth Luisi, senior
     producer, Sony Computer Entertainment America, speaks on "SOCOM II:
     Creating a Compelling Online Console Game," Game Design Track, room B1,
     Convention Center. This lecture will focus on how to overcome the
     online console gaming frontier, covering topics including managing the
     resources conflict between single player and multi-player, creating a
     competitive online game, designing an online user interface that a
     console player will understand, and the challenges and pitfalls of
     developing an online console game.
  -- Thursday, March 25, 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.:  Dominic Mallinson,
     director, Sony Computer Entertainment America, research and
     development, and Richard Marks, manager, Sony Computer Entertainment
     America, research and development, special projects, discuss future
     speculation as to how computer entertainment might evolve in the years
     to come in this sponsored session entitled "PS9," Game Design Track,
     room C4, Convention Center.
  -- Friday, March 26, 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.: Victor Rodriguez, music supervisor,
     Sony Computer Entertainment America, takes part in a panel entitled,
     "Music Licensing for Videogames: How Popular Music and Artists Can Make
     Games Pop," Business and Legal Track, room A2, Convention Center. This
     panel discussion will highlight how to get the best popular music into
     games.
  -- Friday, March 26, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.:  Chuck Doud, music director, Sony
     Computer Entertainment America, will participate in a panel discussing
     "Producing Orchestral Scores for Games," Audio Track, room A7,
     Convention Center. Speakers will cover information and data to help
     producers see the benefits of getting a live orchestra into their games
     and working it into their budgets to do so.

For information on how to register for the 2004 Game Developers Conference, visit http://www.gdconf.com/ . Please note that speaker times and locations are subject to change; please refer to the conference program for updated information.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one™ 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 family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one 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.us.playstation.com/

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SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

CONTACT: Teresa Weaver, +1-650-655-5324, or
teresa_weaver@playstation.sony.com, or Janette Barrios, +1-650-655-5583, or
janette_barrios@playstation.sony.com, both of Sony Computer Entertainment
America Inc.

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

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