Sony Computer Entertainment America Broadens PlayStation®Home 3D Gaming Experience With Launch of Unprecedented MMO Space

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced the launch of Sodium One, a new and evolving massively multiplayer online (MMO) game space now available within the ground-breaking 3D gaming community, PlayStation®Home. Since the opening of the beta in December 2008 exclusively on the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, PlayStation Home has dramatically expanded and today offers gamers more than 100 games to play, 50 spaces to experience, and over 2000 virtual items to collect. With the launch of Sodium, PlayStation Home's first MMO, PlayStation Home further evolves into a true social gaming platform, complete with both snack-size mini games and extended gaming experiences to share with both existing friends and new friends met within PlayStation Home.

"The launch of PlayStation Home in 2008 pioneered new ground in interactive entertainment and, since then, increasing support and enthusiasm from our PS3 user and game publisher communities have helped to make this a tremendous first year for the platform," said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. "Today we further push the envelope with the launch of PlayStation Home's Sodium -- an evolving space that leverages the incredible computing power of PS3 to deliver truly unique, and visually stunning social gaming experiences that you won't find on any other platform."

Starting on December 17, PlayStation Home users can step into the Sodium "Teleporter" located in the PlayStation Home Central Plaza and be transported to a futuristic, action-packed social gaming environment. In Sodium, a new technological era has dawned bringing with it interstellar travel, rapid colonization of the galaxy, inexhaustible energy, advanced Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and the power to travel between quantum realities. This new age has also brought a host of new challenges where players must battle for harmony with their environment -- and sometime survival.

Sodium, developed by Outso and published by Lockwood Publishing, starts players in a social hub located in the Nevada desert. Players must check in with A.I. life-force "VICKIE" to obtain their objectives, then battle through multiple levels for a spot on the leader board -- either in individual combat or as a multi-player experience -- while earning credits and rewards to be redeemed within the game. Sodium features objective-based meta-games, full arcade-style games and community events. During the first section of the game, "Salt Shooter," players must hunt self-replacing robots with tanks in order control their population. Gamers can play through the first five levels of "Salt Shooter" for free, or unlock additional levels and experiences with the purchase the virtual items, ranging from $0.99 (MSRP) to $4.99 (MSRP).

By leveraging the power of PS3, Sodium delivers awe-inspiring visual graphics and rich gaming social experiences only possible on the PS3 platform. Due to the flexibility of the PlayStation Home platform, the genre-defying Sodium space will continue to evolve over time. Players can look forward to new games, community events and virtual items to be added, further revealing the story and offering new experiences and challenges.

As with all PlayStation Home spaces, Sodium enables PlayStation Home users to interact, communicate and share experiences. Players looking for a more social experience can become a bartender and serve virtual drinks to friends at the 'Sodium Hub", or compete with friends in mini games. PS3 owners can customize their PlayStation Home avatar with Sodium gear while exploring the virtual community in real time, and communicating freely through text.

Sodium is one of more than 50 spaces within PlayStation Home. Game publishers continue to recognize the value of directly interacting with the gaming community to increase and extend consumer interest in their game titles via new mediums of game play. SCEA has partnered with nearly 30 brands to develop virtual environments and game-specific content for PlayStation Home, including to Activision, Electronic Arts, Capcom Entertainment, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., THQ, UBISOFT, and others.

PlayStation Home has also garnered growing enthusiasm from the PlayStation community, connecting millions of PS3 users to each other and to unique interactive experiences. To date, 10 million users around the world have visited PlayStation Home to play games, attend special events, watch videos, listen to music, meet new friends, and launch into multiplayer PS3 games -- averaging 60 minutes per visit. Over 250 community events have been held in PlayStation Home since its launch, many organized by the PS3 community. With new users, entertaining new spaces and virtual items added regularly, PlayStation Home offers new thrills and opportunities to connect gamers with every visit.

About PlayStation®Network

PlayStation®Network is an entertainment network that unites people and innovative entertainment to deliver captivating experiences worldwide. In addition to offering new and original forms of entertainment, PlayStation Network supports free and community-centric online gameplay, communication tools, and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®3 systems connectivity. PlayStation Network has more than 33 million registered accounts worldwide.

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, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store.

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, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 systems 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.

PlayStation", "PSP", "PS one" and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks and "PS3" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

CONTACT: Ron Eagle, +1-858-824-5585, ron_eagle@playstation.sony.com, or
Patrick Seybold, +1-650-655-7549, patrick_seybold@playstation.sony.com, both
of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

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