PSP World

Critically Acclaimed Baseball Franchise Set for the New Season With MLB 08 THE SHOW on PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2 and PSP

Popular Baseball Title Delivers the Perfect Blend of Unique Gameplay Features, Authenticity and Realism

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) announced today the North American launch of MLB 08 THE SHOW(TM), available exclusively for PLAYSTATION3 (PS3(TM)), PlayStation2 and PSP (PlayStationPortable). Already widely considered the most authentic baseball franchise on the market, MLB 08 THE SHOW comes out swinging for the fences to deliver an unrivaled simulation with broadcast quality presentation. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studios, San Diego Studio, MLB 08 THE SHOW looks to build on its critical acclaim and its history as the longest-running officially licensed baseball title on PlayStation platforms.

To provide the closest experience possible, next to actually trying to make it in the Majors, MLB 08 THE SHOW introduces a more immersive Road to The Show mode. As gamers attempt to make a starting line-up in the Big Leagues, playing on both offense and defense from a custom-created player's perspective, a more robust dynamic goal system and a new career advancement system will determine when a player is eligible for a promotion. Additionally, the custom-created players are more interactive, with pitchers now experiencing mound visits, catchers enduring more defense situations, and with gamers being able to further adjust a player's positioning -- all making Road to The Show mode even more realistic.

"Baseball fans know that the MLB franchise has a long-standing winning tradition and that we strive to create highly-innovative and intuitive features in order to deliver the best baseball title on the market," said Jeff Reese, director, software marketing, SCEA. "With the advancements made to the feature set, along with the lighting, textures and the added little nuances in the game, MLB 08 THE SHOW sets a new bar for authentic play and unsurpassed realism."

Providing players with some additional performance incentives, the MLB franchise introduces the new Progressive Batting Performance feature, which will both reward players for superior performance and penalize them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, players will be rewarded or punished, based on how that batter that performs beyond his "natural ability" while under user control. Adding to the online feature set, which includes customizable Online League Play, scrolling MLB Score Ticker and more, MLB 08 THE SHOW introduces SCOUT (SportsConnect Online User Tracking), which allows gamers to set and store their game preferences on the MLB server, and then enables the system to look for a Quick Match with opponents that fit similar competitive criteria.

As the only first party franchise officially licensed by Major League Baseball Properties Inc. (MLBP), Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), MLB 08 THE SHOW features more than 3,000 individual player animations, including personalized stances, pitching animations, individual swings, batting rituals and motion captures from MLB(R) players. Additionally, the franchise adds to the realism by including Umpire Personalities combined with Interactive Hot and Cold Zones and Player-scaled Strike Zones, Release, and comprehensive commentary, featuring the three-man booth of Rex Huddler, Matt Vasgerian and Dave Campbell.

Joining an elite group of MLB All-Stars that have graced the cover of the MLB franchise, such as New York Mets(TM) third baseman David Wright, Boston Red Sox(TM) designated hitter David Ortiz, and Angels(TM) outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, this year's cover athlete and spokesman, Philadelphia Phillies(TM) All-Star first basemen Ryan Howard, is known for his personality and work ethic, which exemplifies the MLB franchise. Howard is just the second player in Major League Baseball(TM) history to win the Rookie of the Year honors and a Most Valuable Player award in successive seasons.

Marketing efforts for MLB 08 THE SHOW include a marketing campaign across TV, radio, print and online, that will run nationally throughout the entire Major League Baseball(R) season. Additionally, MLB 08 THE SHOW will receive full public relations and promotional support, as well as dedicated point-of-purchase displays and merchandising support.

The Independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates MLB 08 THE SHOW "E" for "Everyone." For more information about the ESRB visit www.esrb.org.