NBA Shoot Out '97 Rocks the House; PlayStation Video Game Delivers Unprecedented Hoops Action

Business Wire, March 10, 1997

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 1997--Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today that it will ship NBA Shoot Out '97 -- available exclusively for the PlayStation game console -- to retail stores across North America on March 11, 1997.

A key distinction for NBA Shoot Out '97 is its realism -- "real" players on "real" teams in "real" uniforms playing on the "real" NBA courts. Players perform to their "real" abilities based on their actual stats and attributes. There are tons of "real" NBA moves like dribbling between your legs or around your back, spin moves, pump fakes, fade-away jumpers, one-handed swats, steals and jump shots, as well as seven different, right- and left-handed dunks. The realistic player animation was created with the help of three-time All-Star Latrell Sprewell from the Golden State Warriors, who was motion-captured for the game.

"With all of the new features, the new motion-capture animation and the improved AI (artificial intelligence), NBA Shoot Out '97 has risen to a whole new level," said Peter Dille, senior director, product marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Combine those elements with the incredible level of realism and the game's fun factor, and NBA Shoot Out '97 becomes the best NBA licensed basketball video game available."

NBA Shoot Out '97 borrowed a play from some of the other hit sports titles from Sony Interactive Studios; Icon Passing, giving video game players greater control over their game. Icon Passing allows players to pass the ball to a teammate of choice who is identified by his corresponding icon on the PlayStation controller. Icon Passing also allows the player to "run the break," execute "skip passes" or a "give and go," or to follow-up a pass with a quick shot.

For example, if the player was playing as the Utah Jazz and John Stockton had the ball, the player would activate Icon Passing by pressing the L2 button. Perhaps Karl Malone would be identified by a circle icon underneath him. By pressing the circle button, Stockton would pass the ball to Malone. For quick shots, double-tapping the circle icon, Stockton would pass the ball to Malone who would then immediately shoot the ball.

During the development of NBA Shoot Out '97, Charles "Bo" Outlaw and Rodney Rogers of the Los Angeles Clippers visited the sports studio to get a behind the scenes look at the development of the game. Both NBA players are huge PlayStation fans. In fact, they both take their PlayStation with them on the road. Outlaw commented, "I can't leave home without it." Rogers added, "We play it on the airplane and every hotel we go to sometimes until two, three o'clock in the morning."

Besides playing as their virtual selves, Icon Passing was a top highlight of NBA Shoot Out `97. "I like the icons and the way you can pass to who you want to instead of using the controller to point in the direction you want to pass," said Rogers. "It makes it so much easier to get a guy open under the bucket," added Outlaw.

"Icon Passing revolutionized football video gaming in the NFL GameDay series," stated Dille. "By bringing it to NBA Shoot Out '97 video gamers will have more control than ever before. It really takes the game up a notch from the rest of the competition."

NBA Shoot Out '97 features 1997 All-Star Eddie Jones, from the Los Angeles Lakers, on the package and will have an MSRP of $49.99 when it goes on sale March 11.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. distributes and markets the PlayStation game console in North America, develops and publishes software for the PlayStation game console, and manages the U.S. third party licensing program. Based in Foster City, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Visit Sony on the Web at http://www.sony.com

CONTACT: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Kevin Horn 415/655-5513

kevin_horn@interactive.sony.com

or

Luis Gonzalez, 213/489-8233

gonzalel@fleishman.com