Sony Computer Entertainment America to bring role-playing games to the PlayStation game console; ''Beyond the Beyond'' and ''Arc the Lad'' are among the titles expected

Business Wire, Feb 26, 1996

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 1996--The ever-growing library of games for the PlayStation game console is expanding to meet the demands from consumers.

Recognizing the loyal following role-playing games (RPGs) have, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced Feb. 9 that it is bringing some popular titles from Japan to North America for PlayStation owners. Games like ``Beyond the Beyond'' and the much-anticipated ``Arc the Lad,'' which had sold more than 400,000 units in Japan, are slated to ship this year.

``Beyond the Beyond'' will be the first RPG published by SCEA for North America, and it is expected in June 1996. The compelling features of ``Beyond the Beyond'' are its storyline and the development of its characters. In it, forces of evil emerge from deep within the core of the earth to fight against the character Finn, his dragon pal named Steiner, and his band of friends which is comprised of wizards, warriors, priests, healers, knights and pirates.

They perform a variety of magic spells and have numerous weapons. Gamers can develop and heighten their teams' personal powers through exploration and discovery. Develop your characters and gain increasingly powerful hit points with every combat win.

As one travels through ``Beyond the Beyond,'' gateways open to reveal new worlds to explore and 3-D battle sequences to conquer. In this non-linear storyline, non-player characters provide hints and clues for the gamers to follow, allowing the story to progress in new directions. Hidden secrets may also be uncovered along the way.

Richly detailed, overhead maps, built entirely on texture-mapped and gouraud-shaded polygons are provided in the 3-D worlds to assist gamers through their travels. Puzzles, camera view changes and a unique soundtrack will also entertain gamers.

SCEA is confirming it will be publishing ``Arc the Lad'' in North America. The game's involving storyline features a boy named Arc, who, with the aid of six other characters, is on a mission to save the world. Arc and his friends encounter more than 60 different types of monsters during their journey and they can select from 63 different accessories that enable them to perform many feats.

There are more than 50 spells that can be invoked that are accompanied by visually arresting graphics and gorgeous story scenes. ``Arc the Lad'' features two soundtracks performed by the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

``We will be bringing gamers a wide variety of products in 1996,'' commented Haven Carter Dubrul, marketing director, SCEA. ``We are striving to find software that provides challenging gameplay in all gaming categories and demonstrates the power of the PlayStation in terms of speed, 3-D environments and detailed graphics.''

Sony Computer Entertainment America, a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., is based in Foster City. The company markets the PlayStation game console for distribution in North America, publishes software for the PlayStation game console for the North American market and manages the U.S. third-party licensing program. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

CONTACT: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Foster City

Andrea Vassallo, 415/655-8000

or

Fleishman-Hillard Inc., Los Angeles

Samantha Sackin, 213/629-4974