Sony Online Introduces Station Players™

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, today announced Station Players, a new Web-based service that allows gamers to connect with their friends, their game community, and their in-game characters from SOE games. The new service gives players more ways to access, track and expand upon their game experiences, and also provides a centralized location where communities connect and grow. Station Players is expected to go live in conjunction with the launch of EverQuest II when the game ships to North American and European retail outlets in November.

"Station Players is an amazing service that centralizes the resources our players have traditionally used through multiple external sites in a single, powerful umbrella," said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "It combines the ability to connect with your character, and in-game activities, leader boards, item databases, and a powerful set of guild tools in a single online package for our players."

Station Players is the official online service that connects players to the EverQuest II community. It offers an array of features that give players incredible access to their characters and guilds by merging the game world with real-time web access. This web-based suite offers automatically updated character profiles, item databases, guild site hosting, and much more. Station Players is a unique and powerful source of information, communication, and fame for the player community. No other service gives players the depth and breadth of tools that Station Players offers. To find out more and see the full set of features, visit www.StationPlayers.com.

  Standard Services Included With EverQuest II Subscription
   *  Guild Websites
   *  Server Community Areas
   *  Class Areas
   *  Basic Character Profiles

  Premium Services
   *  Enhanced Character Profiles ($.99/month)
   *  Item Lists & Information ($.99/month)
   *  Guild Tools ($.99/month)
   *  Character Screenshot/Image Storage ($.99/month)
   Complete package bundle including all Station Players features
   for $2.99/month

  Station Players Features in Complete Package Bundle
   *  Check your character's statistics, equipment, and image on the Web
   *  Convenient web hosting for Guilds, providing pre-made tools to create
      websites, allowing Guilds to post news, screenshots and links, create
      private areas for guild members, and including full-featured forums
   *  Chat directly from the Web with your guild, and check your roster to
      see who is online
   *  Detailed information on each item discovered in the game
   *  Upload screenshots to document your adventures
   *  Compare your achievements against other players as you shape the
      history of Norrath
   *  A searchable database that is constantly expanding as new items are
      discovered by players in game
   *  Have your guild's activities tracked and immortalized in a
      "Wall of Fame"
   *  Access community news and features, including character and guild of
      the day profiles, upcoming in-game events, and server-specific forum

  About EverQuest II

EverQuest II is the next generation of massively multiplayer gaming, a huge online world where thousands of players come together for adventure and community. Featuring breathtaking graphics and a vast, beautiful game world to explore, as well as voices for almost all non-player characters, EverQuest II sets new standards in gameplay and immersion. EverQuest II brings players into its world with a powerful epic storyline and gives them the power to be the hero or villain in their personal adventure. Players enter this world by creating their own unique character, choosing from 16 races and 24 classes. Players will encounter hundreds of creatures as they travel across majestic landscapes of rolling hills, barren deserts, dense forests, and bustling cities. Thousands of items, hundreds of spells, and unlimited adventure await all who enter the world of EverQuest II. EverQuest II also features:

   *  A new, massive online world for thousands of players to explore,
      filled with danger, adventure and mystery
   *  Voices for most non-player characters (NPCs) in the game, a huge
      project encompassing almost 70,000 lines and 130 hours of dialog
   *  Unparalleled character customization capabilities.  In addition to
      thousands of armor, weapons and items users can equip, players will be
      able to customize their character's facial appearance to an incredible
      level of detail and personalization
   *  16 races, dozens of levels and 24 classes with a branching system that
      allows players to choose their class as they advance
   *  Player-owned real estate (such as apartments, homes, and guild houses)
   *  No race/class combination limitations, allowing players to truly
      choose who they want to be in game
   *  New user friendly game mechanics with reduced learning curve for both
      new and seasoned players
   *  More than 160 unique creature types, from Orcs and Goblins to huge
      dragons and menacing Living Statues
   *  A state-of-the-art, cinematic quality 3D graphics engine capable of
      improving as hardware technology advances
   *  State-of-the art combat, spell and skill systems
   *  Trade skills available to all player classes

  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 Inc.

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
Entertainment

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