Born to Lead…SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs

E3, LOS ANGELES, 17 May 2005 - Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announces the release of SOCOM 3, the only military combat game developed in collaboration with the elite U.S. Navy SEALs. Due for release this autumn, SOCOM 3 will deliver an enhanced single player experience allowing you to discover if you have what it takes to command an elite US Navy SEAL unit

SOCOM 3 captures the reality of modern day warfare and builds on the success of the multi-million unit selling SOCOM franchise. It features three Areas of Operation: Southern Asia, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe and is packed with over 10 missions.

Driving the single player experience, the latest streaming environment technology has allowed the team at Zipper Interactive to expand each mission area, making them up to six times larger than in SOCOM 2 whilst allowing seamless progression during mission gameplay. Multiple save points eliminate having to replay a failed mission from the beginning

And, for the first time, SOCOM 3 sees land and water vehicles play a central role. Vehicles can be commandeered by both players and AI and cover a range of military and civilian vehicles including turret-equipped pickups and SEAL team military Humvee and SOC-R Assault Boats.

An innovative new weapon customisation system allows players to use more than 30 different weapons and attachments which, when combined, offer nearly a thousand possible customised combat executions. Larger maps, multiple paths to mission resolution and new team command actions guarantee a richer, realistic more intense strategic warfare experience.

SOCOM 3 comes packed with great new features:

• Areas of Operation: Southern Asia, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe are designed with detailed plots and varied mission destinations.

• Land and water vehicles, drivable by both players and AI characters bring new tactics to the SOCOM franchise.

• Using 31 authentic weapons and 21 compatible attachments on multiple hard points, players have nearly 1,000 different weapon combinations for customised combat execution.

• New Team Command Actions let the player direct the SEAL team quickly with a single button press.

• Complex AI behaviour makes use of cover positions, blind firing, and fallback behaviour to better simulate urban combat. Leader AI provides rallying behaviour and coordinated chain-of-command scenarios.

• Swimming and water combat play a tactical role in SOCOM 3. Use water for cover or pilot strike boats for waterborne assaults.

• Streaming environment technology enables gameplay maps five to six times the size than in SOCOM II. Larger maps provide much more varied and rich gameplay experiences.

• Multiple paths to mission resolution bring replay ability and variety to the single-player experience.

• New technology brings advanced particle and graphic effects for more realistic weaponry, environments, and equipment.

• Association with Naval Special Warfare Command ensures authentic and realistic SEAL gameplay and mission designs.

Have you got what it takes?

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PS one^®, PlayStation^®2 and PlayStation Portable^® software and hardware in 102 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes games software for the three formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the PAL territories. At the end of March 2005, over 40 million PlayStation^® units had been shipped across these PAL territories, over 102 million worldwide. Between its European debut on 24 November 2000 and the end of March 2005, over 31 million PlayStation^®2 units have been shipped across the PAL territories, over 87 million world-wide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at http://www.scee.com and www.playstation.com.