SAN DIEGO, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that its high-intensity, squad-based, first-person shooter PAYDAY™ The Heist is now available via digital download on the PlayStation®Network. In PAYDAY The Heist, players take on the role of a hardened career criminal and engage in a number of high-stakes, death defying heists in a never-ending pursuit of the ultimate score.

"In an effort to publish the most innovative and entertaining independent titles on the PlayStation®Network, SOE is focused on releasing games that will challenge and engage players with unmatched gameplay experiences and endless replayability," said Christopher Sturr, Executive Director of Business Development, SOE. "PAYDAY offers just that. It's an intense, gritty, cooperative shooter where players must rely on a solid trigger finger and cooperative team defenses to pull off these Hollywood epic style high-stakes heists."

Published by SOE and developed by OVERKILL Software, PAYDAY The Heist is an online co-op shooter game that features six dynamic heists based in a variety of urban settings that demand quick thinking, strategy, and above all else, teamwork.

"For a group of developers that love the FPS genre and have an affinity for blockbuster heist movies, PAYDAY is truly a game after our own hearts," said Bo Andersson, CEO of OVERKILL Software. "Each PAYDAY scenario makes FPS fans prove their worth as players while co-op teams are pushed to collaborate and accomplish strategic tasks that only an action hero could dream of surviving. And, there will be much more exciting content to enjoy with upcoming DLC and a motion picture based on the game currently in production."

PAYDAY The Heist is now available in North America for $19.99 USD via digital download on the PlayStation®Network. Dates for release of PAYDAY The Heist on the PlayStation®Network for European territories, as well as for the PC in both North America and Europe have yet to be announced.

KEY FEATURES

• Six High-Intensity Heists: Whether you're blowing the roof off a building to extract a safe via helicopter, or emptying the vault at the First World Bank, these action-packed heists will have players on edge and always checking their six.
• Interactive Co-op Gameplay: Whether AI or live, your crew of four must operate as one to bring in the "big score." Sharing extra ammo and med kits, helping regenerate wounded partners, guarding key positions, taking civilian hostages, or cracking through various security measures — it's all for one and one for all.
• Endless Replayability: Dynamic environments, adaptive enemy behavior, shifting entry points, FBI agents repelling through skylights on ropes, SWAT teams crashing through the windows, and special units crawling through the ventilation shafts makes each play-through of every heist a unique fight.
• Massive Character Progression Tree: Players choose a specialty — assault, sharpshooter or support — to gain weapons and equipment that fit their preferred form of violence. Unlock trip mines, silenced pistols, machine guns and much, much more.
• Shout Out Button: Players need to be vocal and shout commands and directions to the co-op crew, as well as hostages and the police if they want to survive to spend their cut of the take.
• Hostage Trading: Hostages can be used as lifelines. If anyone in the crew is taken into custody, trade hostages to get crewmembers back and increase the odds of completing your objectives.
• PlayStation®3 system or PC*: For keyboard and mouse marksman, as well as handheld controller snipers, PAYDAY is the uber-FPS for a high intensity shooter fix. *PC release date to be announced.
• More DLC: Additional heists, weapons and equipment means PAYDAY — a digitally distributed AAA quality title for less than half the price of a retail game — is total OVERKILL.

For new videos and more information please visit:

www.payday-theheist.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/PAYDAYTheHeist

Media assets are available here:

http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/product_page.asp?i=1196

PAYDAY The Heist is rated M for Mature. Please be aware that any assets for this title may only be displayed behind an age-gate that: (1) is age-neutral (i.e., requires the user to input their date of birth or select it from a drop-down bar); (2) employs reasonable technical measures to keep underage users from re-entering their age after initially being denied access; and (3) does not display any ESRB rating information on the video player or the age-gate itself. Failure to implement these requirements may jeopardize your ability to obtain material of this nature from us in the future.

About SOE

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games.  Best known for its blockbuster hits and franchises, including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, PlanetSide®, Free Realms®, Clone Wars Adventures™, and DC Universe Online™, SOE creates, develops and provides compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms.  SOE is building on its proven legacy and pioneering the future of online worlds through creative development and inspired gameplay design for audiences of all ages.  To learn more, visit www.soe.com.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest, Champions of Norrath and PlanetSide are registered trademarks and Untold Legends, Legends of Norrath, and Free Realms are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

For more information about OVERKILL Software visit www.overkillsoftware.com.

SOURCE Sony Online Entertainment LLC