MLB 13 Cover Showdown Officially Launches For MLB® 13 The Show™, Exclusively On The PlayStation®3 (PS3™) And PlayStation®Vita (PSVita) Systems

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) announced today the launch of the Major League Baseball® (MLB®)13 Cover Showdown. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite MLB player to be on the cover of the number-one selling MLB videogame franchise MLB® 13 The Show™, developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios' San Diego Studio and available exclusively for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) systems.  This will mark the first time ever in the franchise's history that fans will decide which MLB superstar will grace the cover of The Show.  The winner will serve as the official spokesperson for the highest-rated sports videogame over the past 4 years (according to average ratings on MetaCritic.com and GameRankings.com).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20020701/SFM066LOGO)

Seven of the top athletes in the sport have announced their candidacy to be on the cover of MLB 13 The Show.  The ballplayers participating in the contest are as follows: seven-time All-Star, 2012 American League Most Valuable Player award winner, and the first Triple Crown Award winner since 1967, Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera (#MLB13Cabrera); Two-time All-Star Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp (#MLB13Kemp);  Five-time All-Star, 2007 National League Rookie of the Year, and 2011 National League Most Valuable Player award winner, Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun (#MLB13Braun); Six-time All-Star as well as the 2007 American League Cy Young award winner, New York Yankees' CC Sabathia (#MLB13CC); Two-time All-Star, Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen (#MLB13Cutch); The 2012 World Series Champion, one-time All-Star, 2012 National League Most Valuable Player award winner, and 2010 National League Rookie of the Year award winner, San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey (#MLB13Buster);  All-Star and 2012 National League Rookie of the Year award winner Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper (#MLB13Harper ).

"We are excited to present an All-Star studded line-up of the best baseball players in the game to be a part of our cover contest campaign for The Show," said Guy Longworth, Senior Vice President, PlayStation Brand Marketing, SCEA. "The Show is the best-selling baseball franchise on PS3 because of the fans who are so devoted to this series and it's only appropriate that the PlayStation community chooses our cover athlete.

"The MLB 13 Cover Showdown officially begins on January 7, 2013 and will conclude on January 11, 2013. Voting takes place at mlb.com/covervote, where fans can send a tweet or make a Facebook post in support of their favorite player.  Fans can also vote directly from twitter, just by including an athlete's unique hashtag in any tweet.  Every vote places the fan in their player's virtual stadium, where they can see tweets and posts from other supporters.  Fans can vote once a day.  The player with the most fans in their stadium at the end of the week wins the contest and is crowned as the cover athlete of MLB 13 The Show.

Delivering enhanced, true-to-life gameplay, authentic franchise and season modes, and cross platform save functionality between the PS3 and PS Vita versions, MLB 13 The Show is poised to continue the franchise's reign as the premier MLB licensed game on any platform.  New features and enhancements to this year's installment include an All-New Playoff Mode, which includes an in-stadium atmosphere that replicates the excitement and tension of October baseball, as well as a new beginner mode with instructional enhancements for an accessible, pick-up and play baseball experience. In addition, the improved Play Now mode streamlines gameplay for the option to play faster and simpler games.

For those looking to take The Show on the road, the PS Vita version of The Show features the same list of upgrades and new features as the PS3 version, and players can sync their Season, Franchise and Road to the Show saves between platforms to continue the action on the go. 

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating for MLB 13 The Show is "E" for "Everyone".  For more information about the ESRB visit http://www.esrb.org. 

About Sony Computer Entertainment America

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC 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 LLC 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 LLC serves as headquarters for all North American operations.

All games featured are trademarked and copyrighted properties of their respective publishers and/or licensors. "PlayStation", and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks and "PS3","PSP" and the "PSVITA" logo and the PlayStation Network logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  "SONY" and "make.believe" are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.