Sony Online Entertainment Announces PlanetSide®: Aftershock

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, today announced PlanetSide: Aftershock, the complete PlanetSide collection. Featuring PlanetSide, the original game that defined the massively-multiplayer online action genre, PlanetSide: Core Combat expansion pack, and the recently announced BattleFrame Robotics (BFRs) action pack, PlanetSide: Aftershock is the ultimate adrenaline rush for any online action enthusiast. PlanetSide: Aftershock is expected to ship to North American retail stores on October 18, 2004.

"PlanetSide: Aftershock brings together all of the action of the original PlanetSide game, Core Combat expansion, and our new BattleFrame Robotics action pack and combines them in one definitive PlanetSide collection," said Alex von Minden, producer, Sony Online Entertainment. "With more than 40,000 people now taking part in PlanetSide's 24-hour battles, there's terrific action and conflict to be found online."

In PlanetSide: Aftershock, players choose their allegiance and enlist in the army of one of three unique empires in the fight for total domination. As battles are fought and experience gained, characters can chose to advance in more than 30 combat specialties, including infantry, sniper, stealth commando, engineer, hacker, medic, pilot, driver and more. New BattleFrame Robotics put players in control of giant mechanized robots, powerful vehicles for conquering your enemies on the battlefield. With massive online battles and thousands of people from around the world in the game, PlanetSide: Aftershock delivers a unique online action gaming experience in a hostile futuristic world.

PlanetSide: Aftershock has a suggested retail price of $19.99, which includes a 30-day subscription (for new subscribers only) to the game's online world. Additionally, the game carries a monthly subscription fee of $12.99 for continuing access to the game world. Players can subscribe using a credit card, or purchase SOE 30-day and 90-day Game Cards, which open the PlanetSide universe to those who choose not to use a credit card.

The BFR action pack will be available as a free download for those who already own PlanetSide: Core Combat, and will automatically patch to PCs with the Core Combat expansion enabled when it is released.

About PlanetSide: Aftershock

PlanetSide: Aftershock puts players in the middle of a futuristic, all-out-war across the planet of Auraxis™, with thousands of other players from around the globe. Experience frenetic online action in the form of infantry assaults, ground-based vehicle mobilizations, dynamic air battles, and new giant robot assaults, as you join one of three empires and engage your enemies in large-scale battles and tactical base assaults for total control of Auraxis. PlanetSide:Aftershock also features:

   *  The original PlanetSide, featuring massively-multiplayer online action
      with up to thousands of players in all-out-war
   *  PlanetSide: Core Combat with more weapons and vehicles, underground
      combat caverns, unique alien complexes to conquer, ancient
      technologies to discover, and zip lines for easy transportation
      through the core
   *  BattleFrame Robotics (BFRs), giant heavily-armored mechanized robots
      feature multiple weapon systems for devastating firepower
   *  Call for "Combined Arms" and coordinate maximum firepower through the
      use of a complete array of vehicle, armor and weapon configurations
   *  "Instant Action" mode puts you into the heat of battle
   *  Employ more than 30 unique combat specializations to customize your
      style of play
   *  Unique assault vehicles include the air bomber, anti-aircraft buggy,
      ATV assault vehicle and vehicular transport aircraft
   *  Wage war on four new "Battle Islands" designed for tactical assaults,
      large-scale battles and strategic terrain advantages

  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 750,000 active accounts 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 an additional development studio in Austin, TX, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development.

EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. SOE, the SOE logo and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Sony Online Entertainment

CONTACT: Sean Kauppinen, +1-858-577-3387, skauppinen@soe.sony.com, or
Chris Kramer, +1-858-577-3481, ckramer@soe.sony.com, both of Sony Online
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