Head-to-Head Vehicular Combat, Customizable Vehicles, and Online Gameplay

Delivers High-Speed Action and Intense, Competitive Experience

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    FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment
 America Inc. announced today the launch of Jak X: Combat Racing(TM), created
 exclusively for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system by
 award-winning development team, Naughty Dog, Inc.  Jak X: Combat Racing treads
 new ground as players engage in head-to-head vehicular combat within the Jak
 and Daxter universe, while racing in fully customizable vehicles armed with
 deadly weaponry.  The introduction of online gameplay, where up to six players
 can compete head-to-head utilizing a broadband connection, will appease fans
 of the franchise as well as automotive enthusiasts and fans of the car combat
 genre.
     (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000510/SFW104-a )
     "We are very excited to take the Jak and Daxter franchise online for the
 first time," said Grady Hunt, senior producer, product development, Sony
 Computer Entertainment America.  "Naughty Dog has made significant strides in
 delivering an intense and competitive racing experience to the largest console
 online gaming community, and gamers will feel exhilarated as they experience
 vehicular combat racing for the first time in the series, while still feeling
 like they are in familiar territory as they explore the Jak and Daxter
 universe."
     Since Jak's last adventure, cities were rebuilt, people flourished and
 sports reemerged and combat racing becoming the biggest sport of all, as the
 excitement of high-speed competition brought crowds to the track.  Kras City
 led the way, with people flocking to the dangerous city of death and intrigue.
 When Jak and Daxter receive a mysterious invite to Kras City for the reading
 of Krew's Last Will and Testament, they find many familiar faces including
 Ashelin, Keira, Samos and Torn.  During the presentation of Krew's recorded
 will, he reveals that everyone present, including his daughter, Rayn, has been
 poisoned.  Krew gives everyone an ultimatum -- the only way to get the
 poison's antidote is to race for him and win the next Kras City Grand
 Championship, or they will all die.  Jak and his friends are forced into a
 high-speed contest for their lives as they are swept up into a deadly plot to
 win the biggest racing event on the planet.
     As destructible objects, other racers and their ammunition careen by,
 players will compete at dangerous speeds in more than 80 events in
 single-player Adventure Mode.  Gamers will be tasked with a variety of
 challenges spanning across various play modes including Circuit Race where
 players must compete to be the first driver to cross the finish line and Death
 Race, where players try to take down as many drone vehicles as they can while
 they roar through the richly detailed terrain.  Exhibition Mode supports up to
 six players online, or two individuals can play against each other or other
 racers in either online, LAN or offline multiplayer split-screen mode.
     "While completing Jak 3, we realized we wanted to expand on vehicular
 gameplay in our next game, so we created vehicles that were fully customizable
 with paint jobs, body parts and accessories," said Evan Wells, co-president,
 Naughty Dog, Inc.  "We wanted to provide gamers unique-looking vehicles to
 choose from when racing, and the degree of personalization available in Jak X:
 Combat Racing is one of the elements that has made it the most fun.  Showing
 off your custom designed car online to your friends and competitors adds a fun
 element of personality and bragging to the game."
     Players will have access to 31 diverse venues, 24 of which are race
 tracks, and seven vast combat arenas.  Jak X: Combat Racing boasts enormous
 tracks and wide open terrain featuring a high level of graphic detail, while
 Rigid Body Physics technology to deliver vehicles that feature unique and
 lively handling characteristics and damage levels.  With more than a dozen
 customizable vehicles, featuring multiple "snap-ons" body parts, paint
 patterns and colors, and fun add-on accessories such as helmuts and antennae,
 each player can customize their vehicle to best reflect their personality.
     The Eco power-up system is based on Eco from the Jak and Daxter universe
 providing players with multiple strategies for success as players can pick up
 Blue Eco for turbo boosts, Green Eco to repair vehicle damage and Red and
 Yellow Eco for weapons as they complete their missions.  Power-ups include
 projectile weapons, smart bombs, mines, catastrophic attacks, shield systems
 and attack drones, each helping to deliver a more destructive and challenging
 experience for players.
     To accompany the fast-paced action, the Jak X: Combat Racing soundtrack
 features two licensed songs from Queens of the Stone Age, as well as a host of
 original content from Billy Howerdel.  In addition, an elite album will be
 released featuring music from the soundtrack as well as exclusive remixes from
 John Digweed, El-P, and Overseer which is only available for download on Sony
 Connect.com.
     Jak X: Combat Racing is also compatible with Daxter for the
 PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R) Portable), releasing this spring and developed by
 Ready At Dawn. By connecting a USB cable from the PSP system to the
 PlayStation 2, players will be able to unlock new characters introduced in
 Daxter as drivers in Jak X: Combat Racing as well as a special vehicle for
 Daxter. More information will be announced on unlockable items between the two
 games closer to the launch of Daxter.
     Jak X: Combat Racing is receiving full marketing support in the following
 categories to generate consumer awareness and excitement for this amped-up
 title.
 
     National Print Advertising Campaign:
     To extend the mainstream appeal of Jak X: Combat Racing, a full blown
 print advertising campaign will be running at launch and through the holiday
 season, reaching more than 15 million readers.  These publications include
 Game Informer, Electronic Gaming Monthly, PlayStation Magazine, Official
 PlayStation Magazine; Transworld Skateboarding, Transworld Snowboarding,
 SuperStreet, C-16, Maxim, Marvel Comics, and Stuff.
 
     National Broadcast/Cable Advertising Campaign:
     The television campaign for Jak X: Combat Racing begins the week of
 October 17, running through the early weeks of December.  The spots will run
 on networks such as ESPN News, MTV, Comedy Central, and VH1.
 
     National Online Advertising Campaign:
     The online advertising campaign drives the message that Jak X: Combat
 Racing is a completely new take on the franchise.  Utilizing custom and
 exclusive opportunities through affinity brands like MaximOnline, IGN,
 Gamespot, MySpace and MTV, Jak X: Combat Racing is reaching audiences in
 unique and interactive ways, including a Jak Buddy Profile, a downloadable Jak
 Playlist, "Jak up your Car!" mini-games, as well as a national sweepstakes to
 win lessons for Auto Racing school.  The campaign is expected to garner more
 than 62 million impressions.
 
     National Viral Advertising Campaign:
     To get Jak X: Combat Racing into the hands and minds of our target
 audience, the viral advertising campaign is four-fold:  Local street team
 efforts, concentrated in the top ten markets, will distribute demo discs; Jak
 X: Combat Racing will have a large, dedicated presence at the IGN Live
 Convention October 22 and 23 for on-site demos; Jak X: Combat Racing wild
 postings will be making a big splash in Los Angeles and New York during the
 holiday shopping season; and a Jak X: Combat Racing media stunt is in the
 works to utilize 3rd party media channels in buzz marketing.
 The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated
 Jak X: Combat Racing "T" for "Teen."  For more information about the ESRB
 visit www.esrb.org.
 
     About Naughty Dog, Inc.
     Naughty Dog, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer
 Entertainment America Inc., develops cutting-edge technology, graphics and
 gameplay for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.  Additional
 information can be found on the company's web site at
 http://www.naughtydog.com .
 
     About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
     Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the
 entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation(R) and PS one(TM) game console,
 the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and the PSP(TM)
 (PlayStation(R) Portable) handheld entertainment system.  The PlayStation 2
 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize the home entertainment
 market, offering the most compelling interactive content and the capability to
 be used as a network terminal in the coming broadband era.   PSP is a new
 portable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with
 high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio.
     Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment
 America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops,
 publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the
 PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP handheld entertainment
 system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony
 Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North
 American operations and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Computer
 Entertainment Inc.
     Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com .
 
 

SOURCE  Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.