God of War(R) III Brings a Thrilling End to the Epic Trilogy, Exclusively for the PlayStation(R)3 System

FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announced the North American release of God of War® III, exclusively for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system.  Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's award-winning Santa Monica Studios, God of War  III is the final installment of the multi-million unit-selling trilogy that brings epic battles to life with stunning graphics, groundbreaking depths of scale, and signature gameplay along with an elaborate plot placing ex-Spartan warrior Kratos at the center of carnage and destruction as he seeks revenge against the Gods who have betrayed him.

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Utilizing a new game engine built from the ground up and state-of-the-art visual technologies, the development team behind God of War III has made standard-setting strides in giving players the realistic feel of actually being on the battlegrounds.  With texture resolutions quadrupling since God of War® II on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, God of War III, in its debut on the PS3 system, will feature fluid, life-like characters, as well as dynamic lighting effects, a robust weapon system, and world-changing scenarios that will truly bring unmistakable realism to Kratos' fateful quest.  Players will have a chance to join battles on a grand scale that is four times larger than its predecessor, while experiencing detailed and unique 3D worlds lit by thousands of dynamic lights and textures that allow for astonishing realism and new heightened levels of brutality and gore.

"Since its announcement last spring and our demonstration shown at E3 2009, God of War III has remained one of the most eagerly anticipated titles in recent memory," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA.  "With this unique experience, our development team has truly set a new bar for the video game industry, leveraging the power of the PS3 to create a technical masterpiece that couples jaw-dropping visuals with a gripping story sure to amaze fans and newcomers alike."  

Set in the realm of brutal Greek mythology, God of War III picks up where the franchise left off allowing players to take on the climatic role of Kratos as he scales through the intimidating heights of Mt. Olympus and the dark depths of Hades to seek revenge on the gods.  Armed with double-chained blades, and an array of new weapons and magic for this iteration of the trilogy, Kratos must take on mythology's darkest creatures while solving intricate puzzles throughout his merciless quest to destroy Olympus.

God of War III is a single-player action-adventure that has an ESRB rating of "M" for Mature. For more information about the ESRB, visit www.esrb.org.  For more information about the God of War franchise, visit www.GodofWar.com.

God of War Storyline

Set in the dark world of ancient Greek mythology, players take on the role of Kratos, a Spartan warrior. Plagued by the nightmares of his past, the ash covered warrior would do anything to be free of his debt to the Gods and the memories that haunt him. For ten years he has labored for Olympus, now on the verge of losing all hope, the Gods have given him one last task. Destroy Ares, the God of War. Armed with the deadly chained Blades of Chaos, Kratos will have to overcome armies of mythological monsters, legions of undead soldiers, and amazingly dangerous and brutal landscapes.

God of War II Storyline

God of War saw Kratos, a mortal warrior, set upon an epic quest to dethrone a God. But his journey did not end there.  In God of War II, Kratos sits atop his Olympus throne, as the new God of War – far more ruthless than Ares ever was.  To end his continued torment, Kratos must journey to the far reaches of the earth and defeat untold horrors and alter that which no mortal, or god has ever changed ... his fate. God of War sets an epic stage for a devastating mythological war to end all wars.

Acclaim for the God of War Franchise

God of War releases have set the bar for the action-adventure genre and been acknowledged by some of the videogame industry's key publications, which include PlayStation: The Official Magazine (Editor's Choice Award), Game Informer (Action/Adventure Game of the Year and Handheld Game of the Month Award), GamePro (Editor's Choice Award), Electronic Gaming Monthly (Best PS2 Game), IGN.com (Editor's Choice Award and Game of the Year Award), and four nominations in the Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, including Overall Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year.  The franchise has also been awarded with several honors including several E3 Best of Game Awards (given by several online publications), numerous Game of the Year and Best Action Game Awards (given at Spike TV's Video Game Awards, Golden Joystick Awards, PSX Extreme Awards and the 3rd Annual G-Phoria Awards, and by PAX, GameZone, GameDaily, GameSpot), to name just a few.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store.

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, PlayStation 3 and the PSP 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.

"PlayStation", "PSP", "PS one" and the "PS" Family  logo are registered trademarks and "PS3" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. God of War is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. © Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.