World Tour Soccer 2006 Heads Onto PlayStation®2

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the launch of World Tour Soccer 2006 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Now available in stores, the World Tour Soccer franchise has established itself as one of the most popular soccer titles by featuring the tightest, most realistic soccer action available with an unprecedented line-up of teams and players from around the globe.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000510/SFW104-a )

Building upon the roots of the franchise, World Tour Soccer 2006 provides gamers with a familiar yet enhanced gameplay experience, complete with even more features, players, teams and stadiums. Highlighted by more than 935 international and club teams from around the globe, along with an astounding 19,000 FIFPro licensed players from 32 different leagues, eight international tournaments and 28 unique stadiums, the global game of soccer has been recreated with exceptional detail in order to capture its enormous scope and popularity.

To enhance the gameplay experience, World Tour Soccer 2006 features a revamped and enhanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) to challenge a gamer's skills and reflexes. On the field level, teams are more unpredictable as they alternate offensive moves, the timing of tackles and even the style of play. The controls have been advanced so that now, depending on the situation, gamers can choose to power the ball past a wall of defenders with a bending shot or use the icon passing system to have a striker make a run and head the ball into the net. All this is accomplished with new animations, celebrations, lighting details, and smoother game play, making World Tour Soccer 2006 easy to pick up and play, yet challenging enough for the seasoned veteran to fully master.

Developed by true soccer fans at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's London Studios, World Tour Soccer 2006 brings a new level of authenticity to life with the inclusion of EyeToy™ functionality and the all-new Digimask™ technology. Utilizing the EyeToy USB camera (for PlayStation 2), sold separately, gamers can take snapshots of themselves and literally get into the game. Once the player has taken their self-portraits, Digimask technology converts the high-resolution images of a gamer's head into a full 3D model so that they can personally battle against the world's best.

Offering multiple modes of play, including Exhibition Match, Season, Career and Challenge Mode, World Tour Soccer 2006 provides players with the option of a quick game or the opportunity to play out an entire season where they will have to manage player contracts, trades, salary caps and injuries. For the hard-core soccer enthusiasts, World Tour Soccer 2006 offers a Competition Mode, in which players can create their own Custom Cup or Custom League to their exact specifications, all while highlighting their own Custom Team. With successful play, gamers will be able to unlock hidden teams, stadiums, and cheats to help fill up their trophy cabinet with any of the 49 available trophies.

"With an unmatched roster of the world's best players and top teams from around the globe, endless number of gameplay options and modes, and inclusion of EyeToy functionality, World Tour Soccer 2006 is the most true-to-life soccer experience available for PlayStation 2," said Scott Rohde, director of product development, 989 Sports. "The attention to detail and dedication to recreate the world's most popular sport is sure to excite soccer fans of all ages."

World Tour Soccer 2006 adds athlete Tim Howard to its lineup of soccer royalty that has graced the cover of the popular franchise. 2004's English Premiere League Keeper of the Year came up in the youth leagues of New Jersey, beginning his professional career in Major League Soccer with the NY/NJ MetroStars in 1998. Howard split time between the MLS and the fourth-place U.S. Olympic Team in 2000 and in 2001, while starting for the MetroStars, he became the youngest player ever to be awarded the Aquafina Goalkeeper of the Year. Howard is currently the starting keeper for the venerable Red Dragons of Manchester United. The 25-year-old is considered one of the most active goodwill ambassadors in the game today and one of the most skilled keepers around.

Marketing efforts for World Tour Soccer 2006 will include national print advertising across newspapers, sports and consumer publications, online advertising, dedicated point-of-purchase displays and merchandising support, and public relations support.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates World Tour Soccer 2006 "E" for "Everyone." For more information about the ESRB visit www.esrb.org.

About 989 Sports

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, 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.

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, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) handheld 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. PSP is a new portable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio.

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, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP handheld 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 www.989sports.com

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SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

CONTACT: Paul Murphy of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.,
+1-858-824-5963, or paul_murphy@playstation.sony.com; or Eric Raymond,
+1-310-854-4841, or eraymond@bncpr.com, for Sony Computer Entertainment
America Inc.

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