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Retailers Deluged With Record Breaking Amount Of Customer Orders FOSTER CITY, Calif., August 18, 1997 -— With hundreds of thousands of PlayStation™ gamers already having placed their pre-sale orders for Final Fantasy®VII, Sony Computer Entertainment America is anticipating that September 7 will mark the most successful videogame launch in the history of the PlayStation™ game console. Since August 1, consumers have been able to pre-purchase their copies of Final Fantasy VII -- the latest installment in the world's best-selling role playing game (RPG) series by Square Soft, Inc. -- in retail outlets across North America through a massive pre-sell program. This program was instituted because of the long waiting lists that were developing six to nine months in advance of the launch of this PlayStation exclusive game. Also, the pre-sell program allows consumers to reserve their copy of Final Fantasy VII and be assured of receiving the game when it arrives in-store on 9/7/97. "Based on Final Fantasy VII's incredible record-breaking sales success in Japan, with 2.5 million copies being sold in the first three days, and the incredible feedback we've already been receiving from North American retailers, we want to make every attempt to ensure that consumers don't walk away empty-handed on September 7," said Jack Tretton, vice president, sales, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "We want to give the customer every possible opportunity to purchase this ground-breaking title as soon as it hits the market." "In addition to receiving a copy of Final Fantasy VII, consumers that participate in the pre-sell program will receive a limited edition T-shirt," said Tretton. "To date, we have distributed more than 260,000 T-shirts to retail accounts who are participating in this program." "Consumers are starved for this game," said Pete Roithmayr, director/senior buyer, video games, Electronics Boutique. "We have been pre-selling Final Fantasy VII for more than a month in stores all across the country. Measuring this product release with others to date, Final Fantasy VII will be the single largest-selling title in the history of Electronics Boutique." In addition to the national pre-sell program, Sony Computer Entertainment America has launched a multi-million dollar marketing campaign for Final Fantasy VII which includes: three dedicated television advertising campaigns (cable, network, spot and syndication), massive print advertising, major national promotions, comprehensive public relations and dedicated in-store point-of-purchase displays. To add to this blockbuster marketing support, Sony Computer Entertainment America is offering one million new North American PlayStation owners the opportunity to play and sample Final Fantasy VII. In an unprecedented move starting in September 1997, each PlayStation hardware package will contain an interactive demo disc featuring Final Fantasy VII and additional PlayStation-exclusive games from Square Soft. With more than 50 hours of seamless gameplay featuring movie-like animation and incredible 3D graphics, Final Fantasy VII is an epic adventure that will rewrite the rules of videogames across the world. With hundreds of computer-generated images, aerial views and vivid battle scenes, the game contains mesmerizing visuals equating to a cinematic experience. In December 1996, Sony Computer Entertainment America agreed to a multi-title publishing deal with Square Co. Ltd., allowing the company full North American publishing and distribution rights to Square's 1997 PlayStation product line. Along with the rights to publish the revolutionary Final Fantasy®VII, Sony Computer Entertainment America has first rights of refusal on at least three additional PlayStation-exclusive releases, Bushido Blade™, Final Fantasy®Tactics and SaGa Frontier™. Square Soft, Inc., a subsidiary of Square Co. Ltd., Japan, manages the publishing and development of video games in North America. The company was established in 1989 in Redmond, Wash. and relocated its headquarters to Costa Mesa, Calif. in July 1996. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets and distributes the PlayStation game console in North America, develops and publishes software for the PlayStation game console, and manages the U.S. third party licensing program. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Contacts:
Chris Kniestedt -- 916.441.7606
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