Award-Winning God of War® Franchise Sales Exceed 21 Million Units Worldwide

TOKYO, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today an epic milestone for the God of War® franchise - the award-winning series has now surpassed 21 million units* sold as of May 30, 2012. This outstanding sales figure was achieved in just seven years after the series made its debut on the PlayStation®2 in 2005 with the first title released in the franchise, God of War.

"We at Sony Santa Monica Studios thrive on delivering fantastic gaming experiences to the community and to our fans across the world," said Shannon Studstill, Sr. Director of Product Development, Sony Santa Monica Studio. "We are extremely proud to have hit this incredible milestone, and owe a large part of it to our fans for all of their support throughout these years."

Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Sony Santa Monica Studio, the God of War series has continued to evolve alongside various PlayStation platforms. Since 2005, seven titles have been released across the PlayStation®2, PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems, with the newly announced PS3 exclusive God of War: Ascension currently in production. Known for its stunning graphics, epic cinematic storytelling, and visceral battles, the God of War series has been acknowledged by the videogame industry's key publications and influencers as one of the most critically-acclaimed franchises, as well as a series that continues to set the bar for the action-adventure genre.

Accolades for the franchise include PlayStation: The Official Magazine (Editor's Choice Award), Game Informer (Action/Adventure Game of the Year and Handheld Game of the Month Award), Electronic Gaming Monthly (Best PS2 Game), IGN.com (Editor's Choice Award and Game of the Year Award), and four nominations in the Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, including Overall Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year. The franchise has also been awarded with several honors including several E3 Best of Show Awards (given by several online publications), numerous Game of the Year awards (given by several online publications), a Best Action Game Award (given at Spike TV's Video Game Awards), numerous Golden Joystick Awards, G-Phoria Awards, and more.

* Sell-in number

    Cumulative Worldwide Sell-In Numbers of the God of War Series
    -------------------------------------------------------------

                                           SCEA(*3)                    SCEJ(*4)              SCEE(*1)                WW
    God of War                                               2,881,524               142,990               1,592,833     4,617,347
    God of War II                                            2,527,522               113,280               1,603,727     4,244,529
    God of War III                                           2,818,033               417,866               1,961,733     5,197,632
    God of War Collection                  1,748,663(*2)               155,600(*2)           514,253(*2)                 2,418,516
    God of War: Chains of
     Olympus                               1,728,407(*2)               136,478(*2)           1,399,293(*2)               3,264,178
    God of War: Ghost of
     Sparta                                530,815(*2)                 60,429(*2)            605,382(*2)                 1,196,626
    God of War: Origins                    424,464(*2)                 47,336(*2)            239,937(*2)                   711,737

    Totals                                                  12,659,428             1,073,979               7,917,158    21,650,595

    (*1): Including PAL
     territories
    (*2): Including Download
     Version
    (*3): Including LATAM
     territories
    (*4): Including SCE Asia
     territories

    Title Release Dates in North America

    ---
    God of War                           March 22, 2005
    God of War II                        March 13, 2007
    God of War: Chains of Olympus        March 4, 2008
    God of War Collection                November 17, 2009
    God of War III                       March 16, 2010
    God of War: Ghost of Sparta          November 2, 2010
    God of War: Origins                  September 13, 2011

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.

SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.

CONTACT: Jennifer Clark, +1-650-655-5994, jennifer_clark@playstation.sony.com, or Jacqueline Efron, +1-650-655-5332, jacqueline_efron@playstation.sony.com