Sony Computer Entertainment of America announces first group of U.S. third-party licensees; nearly 100 U.S.-based companies to sign on to produce software for PlayStation™ Video Game System

Business Wire, Jan 4, 1995

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 1995--Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) Wednesday announced the signing of licensing agreements with nearly 100 U.S. third-party publishers and developers to produce software for the company's next-generation CD-based home video game system, the PlayStation, in the United States.

"We have had an overwhelming response from the third-party community, with publishers and developers eager to showcase their creative and technical talents on what will be the superior entertainment technology available on the market," said Steve Race, president, Sony Computer Entertainment of America.

"These include the industry's strongest publishers, and we are working closely with companies such as Acclaim, Virgin Games, Lucas Arts, Crystal Dynamics and Electronic Arts. Together with our growing family of licensees, we will launch an extensive library of U.S. software that will help make PlayStation the game system of choice."

In Japan, 290 licensees have signed agreements with Sony Computer Entertainment, with more than 200 titles currently under development. Nineteen titles are already available in Japan, including Namco's popular arcade game "Ridge Racer"(TM) and "Parodius"(TM) from Konami. Other popular Japanese licensees include Capcom and Bandai.

"We anticipate that many of the existing Japanese and European licensees, as well as other leading third-party American publishers, will come on board to develop software for PlayStation here in the U.S.," added Race.

Sony Computer Entertainment of America, a division of Sony Electronic Publishing Co., is based in Foster City. The company markets the PlayStation console for distribution in North America, produces and markets PlayStation software for the North American market, and manages the U.S. third-party licensing program.

Sony Electronic Publishing Co. has headquarters in New York, with operating divisions throughout the United States and Europe. Together with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Electronic Publishing is a subsidiary of Sony Software Corp., a subsidiary of Sony Corp. of America. -0-

Sony Computer Entertainment of America

Licensees

Abalone Entertainment Software Acclaim Entertainment Inc. Activision Studios Alexandria Alliance Interactive Software Alysis Interactive Software Inc. American Laser Games American Sammy American Softworks Corp. American Technos Archimedia Interactive Artech ASG Technologies Atlantic Coast Digital Concepts Atlus Software Beam Software Pty. Ltd. Blizzard Entertainment Boss Game Studios Core Design Crystal Dynamics Cygnus Multimedia Productions Inc. Data East USA Inc. Deep Thought Digital Dreams Interactive Media Electro Brain Corp. Elite of America Inc. Factor 5 Foley Hi-Tech System Fox Electronic Publishing Inc. GameTek Inc. Gray Enterprises Inc. High Voltage Software Human Soft Ltd. Hyper Image Productions Illusions Gaming Co. Incredible Technologies Interactive Technologies InterWeave Entertainment Inc. Jaleco USA Inc. JVC Musical Industries Kronos Left Field Productions Lifelike Productions Lobotomy Software LucasArts Entertainment Co. Magnet Interactive Studios Manley & Associates Maxis McO'River Inc. Monkey Business Naughty Dog Inc. Nebulous Games Net Game Northstar Studios Novotrade n-Space Inc. NuFx Papyrus Paradox Development P.F. Magic Psygnosis Radical Entertainment Rage Software Ltd. Rainbow America ReadySoft Inc. Redline Games Reidel Software Productions Rozner Labs Software Group Scavenger Sculptured Software Sierra On-line Silicon Knights Single Trac Entertainment Technologies Inc. Softgold Software Toolworks/Mindscape Solid Corp. Sony Imagesoft Inc. Spectrum Holobyte/Microprose Strategic Simulations Inc. Stargate Films Taito America Corp. Takara USA Corp. TeknoCrest Inc. Tetragon THQ Software Inc. Tiburon Entertainment Inc. Trimark Interactive UBI Soft Inc. Unexpected Development VIACOM International Vic Tokai Virgin Games/Virgin Interactive Entertainment Virtual World Entertainment Visual Concepts Visual Integration WaveQuest Inc. Xtreme Software

CONTACT: Sony Computer Entertainment of America

Charlotte Taylor Skeel, 415/655-8020

or

Hill and Knowlton Inc.

Molly Chipp, 213/966-5726