Sony Interactive - Press News - Coming Soon Magazine

SONY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS AMERICA TO PUBLISH CYBERSTRIKET 2

3D Action Game Coming to the PC and Internet.

San Diego, CA, November 1997 -- Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA), one of the original developers of interactive entertainment software for the PlayStation game console -- and now also a developer and publisher of PC and online titles -- announced today that it will be the publisher of CyberStrike 2 from Simutronics.

"With CyberStrike 2, Simutronics demonstrates their ability to lead the software industry into the next arena of technology driven online and PC mass market entertainment," said Kelly Flock, President of Sony Interactive Studios America. "We are very pleased to enter into this publishing relationship and are especially thrilled to be working with the caliber of talent Simutronics has attracted in the guise of John Ratcliff and Greg Hammond."

Following the original award-winning Internet game CyberStrike, CyberStrike 2 promises to up the ante in the ever-competitive 3D action arena. Players will control teams of giant robots in a series of intensive singleplayer, objective-based missions and greatly expanded multiplayer combat scenarios. States John Smedley, Director of PC Development at SISA, " The original CyberStrike was one of the best online games ever made, but the sequel will blow people's minds."

Both singleplayer and multiplayer modes will take place in a variety of stunningly detailed 3D environments ranging from industrial compounds to precipitous alien landscapes. Teamwork will be emphasized as players attempt to conquer territory and broaden power bases against enemy teams. Day and night cycles, complete with weather, will also directly impact gameplay. An arsenal of modules is available to players, allowing virtually unlimited customization possibilities to the robot CyberPods.

Players of the Windows 95 version interested in getting in on the multiplayer action will have two options: LAN play or connecting to the CyberStrike 2 servers on the Internet. Through the Internet, players will team up and compete worldwide through servers operated by SISA and Simutronics.

"Multiplayer games are the future of computer games," says David Whatley, Founder and President of Simutronics. "With CyberStrike 2, that future is here, now. We're showing the world that the graphics in an online game can be as good or better than stand-alone games, and that the game play will be unbelievable."

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CyberStrike 2 is now in development by Simutronics Corporation, a long-time leading multiplayer gaming company. Simutronics Corporation specializes in the design, development, and management of games created specifically for collaborative play in virtual online communities. Their Internet sites can be found at gemstone.net, dragonrealms.net, cyberstrike.net, and modusoperandi.net. Founded in 1987, Simutronics Corporation is a privately held corporation with offices in St. Charles, Missouri, and Rockville, Maryland.

The Simutronics CyberStrike 2 team is headed by its President, David Whatley; Lead Software Engineer, John Ratcliff; and Lead 3D Artist, Greg Hammond. Whatley was the designer and lead developer of the original CyberStrike game as well as the GemStone series. Ratcliff is a veteran game programmer of titles including Seawolf and Scarab. Hammond is also a long-time industry veteran of titles including the Secret of Monkey Island, Loom, and Dr. J and Larry Bird go One-on-One.

Formed in 1995, Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA) began as an entertainment software company developing titles for the PlayStation game console. Due to the success of its PlayStation titles, SISA has now expanded into the personal computer and online markets. SISA has recently moved their PC group to its fourth San Diego location.

Headquartered in Foster City, California, SISA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

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