Curt Schilling Goes From Pitching Wizard to Virtual Wizard

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a global leader in the online video games industry, today announced an endorsement deal with Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling. The World Series MVP is an avid player of the online game EverQuest® II and is also a long-time fan of its precursor EverQuest®, both SOE online games. The sponsorship will include personal appearances, media tours and opportunities for fans of both games to meet Schilling.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060316/LATH072)

"I'm excited about this partnership with Sony Online," said Schilling. "I've been playing video games a long time. I've been a fan of Sony Online since the first time I logged into the original EverQuest. That passion has only increased since the launch of EverQuest II."

Schilling may be one of today's top athletes in professional baseball, but off the field he plays a unique character in the award-winning Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) video game EverQuest II, a fully realized 3D fantasy world of mythical creatures, magic spells, majestic landscapes, and fierce dragons.

"EverQuest II provides me an opportunity to remain in touch with my family during the incredible travel schedule of a major league baseball season," Schilling said. "One of the greatest elements of EverQuest II is that I can play when I'm on the road. My son Gehrig and I play together when I'm not working and he's not in school."

EverQuest II offers players a huge online world where thousands of players come together for shared adventure and community. This online game sets the standard for graphical realism, as players are immersed in the game's exciting locales and dangerous lands. EverQuest II has a powerful epic storyline and gives players the potential to be hero or villain in a world that never ends.

"I enjoy the anonymity and the ability to interact on a personal level with people I wouldn't normally meet or know," Schilling said. "That, and the game is a riot. There's no end to it, the world is enormous, the possibilities are endless, and above all else, it's a place to go and relax amongst friends. What I can't get enough of is your ability to interact with real live people. The game's about teamwork, and knowing the right way to pick and play your class properly in such a way that it complements a group. That's why EverQuest has stayed so popular."

The 39-year-old baseball superstar has been a long time fan of SOE games, even contributing game reviews of expansion packs to gaming magazines, and is an avid web communicator, feeling this is the best way to connect with the video game fans.

His next role as SOE spokesman and EverQuest II devotee is to immerse his characters in the new Kingdom of Sky expansion, leading his guild on quests, raids and exploration of the Overrealms. Schilling is planning on attending the Sony Fan Faire Convention in Atlanta, April 6 - 8, 2006, where he will give media interviews and get a tour of the game's newest features.

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 hundreds of thousands of subscribers 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 and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, 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, Seattle, WA, and Taiwan, 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. Untold Legends is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

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SOURCE: Sony Online Entertainment Inc.

CONTACT: Courtney Simmons of Sony Online Entertainment, +1-858-577-3335,
or cell, +1-760-505-7879, csimmons@soe.sony.com