Sony Online Entertainment to Launch New EverQuest Servers in European Markets

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2001

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO & LONDON, ENGLAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2001

Company Leads Online Gaming Market Internationally With Localized

Content and Translation Software

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) announced today that EverQuest(R), the world's No. 1 multiplayer online game, will be hosted on local servers based in the United Kingdom starting Nov. 1, 2001.

Europe's most popular online game is now more accessible and international gamers can now enjoy a more local EverQuest experience. Additionally, SOE is in the process of localizing several games at The Station (www.station.com) using human and automated translating agents for French, German, Japanese and Korean. The localization will allow players to fully interact textually within the game in their own language.

"We are committed to bringing online gaming to everyone, everywhere," said Kelly Flock, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "The roll out of our first European servers mark the beginning of our global initiatives and we are committed to continuing these efforts to meet the demands of our growing global community."

Sony Online Entertainment's global efforts are in response to customer demand and current increases in global adoption of the Internet. According to the International Development Conference, more than 50 percent of current Web users reside outside of the United States. This percentage is expected to increase to 60 percent by 2003. Additionally, by 2003 nearly half of worldwide e-commerce will take place outside the United States.

European Servers

EverQuest, the world's No. 1 massively multiplayer online game, already boasts more than 410,000 members across the world and is poised to grow as servers are deployed into new nations. With over six million online gamers in Europe alone, localized servers will offer lower latency for a heightened interactive experience for this growing market. With the first overseas hub in the U.K., additional servers will rollout as each market ripens.

Localization Efforts

SOE has already begun the multi-language duplication process for several games. The identical version preserves the look and feel of the game while making it accessible to a foreign language audience. SOE's plans include the use of real-time machine translation of in-game player chat. This will allow players to chat even if they do not share a common language. The combination of localization and advanced translation software will facilitate SOE's position as a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games.

Leading off the localized products is EverQuest: The Shadows of Luclin(TM), the third expansion pack to EverQuest, the most successful online role-playing game of all time. Also planned for localization is PlanetSide(TM), the world's first massively multiplayer first-person action game set in a persistent world.

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), the online gaming division of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming. Headquartered in San Diego, SOE develops, publishes and distributes entertainment for the PC and online markets. With more than 10 million registered users, SOE's award-winning Web site, The Station(R) (www.station.com) hosts a variety of entertaining games and player communities spanning all genres. In addition to blockbuster hits EverQuest(R) and Jeopardy! Online, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as PlanetSide(TM), Star Wars(R) Galaxies(TM) and Sovereign(TM).