Sony MICRO VAULT - enabling portable bragability for Gran Turismo 4 gamers!

Paris/London, 3 March, 2005 - Sony Europe's Recording Media & Energy (RME) division today announced that the publishers of Gran Turismo 4 (GT4), Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, have recommended Sony's MICRO VAULT range as the ideal storage medium for downloading photos generated by the game's new Photo Mode. The new function has been introduced to GT4 to enable gamers to capture images of their best moments - such as precious wins, newly unlocked cars or fastest laps. Ultimately, the use of a Sony MICRO VAULT enables these images to be stored to a portable device so that gamers can carry them with them wherever they go.

The MICRO VAULT range can accommodate the most memory hungry images - allowing gamers to quickly transfer hi-res images from the Photo Mode to the MICRO VAULT and then again to their own PCs. This gives them the ability to brag about their success to their friends over email, on gamer websites or in person by printing out postcard perfect snapshots. For the ultimate in trumpet blowing, gamers can even reinstall their images from the MICRO VAULT to their friends' own PS2 when visiting them.

Céline Haffner, Product Manager, Sony RME commented, "We are very excited that Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has recommended the MICRO VAULT range as the ideal storage format for use with the Photo Mode. With GT4 expected to be a big hit, we are convinced that we will further establish the MICRO VAULT family as a leading USB storage media."

In conjunction with the launch of GT4 in March, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe will be running a competition for the best image captured using the new Photo Mode. Gamers can use the Micro Vault to upload these images onto the official GT4 website www.granturismoworld.com for a chance to prove their superiority!

The Sony MICRO VAULT range provides gamers with access to a range of portable storage devices with fast transfer speeds. Ranging from the 128 MB midi MICRO VAULT all the way up to the 5 GB MICRO VAULT Pro, the MICRO VAULT range features write speeds up to 18 MB/s and is able to read at a rate up to 28MB/s.

For more information, please contact our PR agency:

Responsible for Press and Public Relations:

Clemens Schuette, Sony Europe Marketing Communications / PR

Tel. +44 (0) 1932 817402 fax +44 (0) 1932 816649 email: clemens.schuette@eu.sony.com

About Sony

Sony manufactures audio, video, communications and information technology products for the global consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to become a leading personal broadband entertainment company in the 21st century. In Europe Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 13.47 billion (yen 1,765 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, based on an average market exchange rate for the same period of yen 131 to the EUR. Sony Europe, with its corporate heaquarters at the Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, is responsible for the company's European electronics business and registered consolidated sales of EUR 8.71 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004.

Sony Europe's Recording Media & Energy division is responsible for the retail and corporate data media, consumer and professional media and battery business.

For more information please visit http://www.sony-europe.com