SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT AND
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT COLLABORATE FOR ONLINE PROJECTS
Companies Sign Exclusive
Long-Term Agreements Covering DC Comics and The Matrix Online MMO Licensing
SAN DIEGO and BURBANK, CA – June 17,
2005 – Sony Online Entertainment Inc., and Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment today announced exclusive long-term licensing agreements allowing
SOE to develop a DC Comics massively multiplayer online game for PC and next
generation consoles, as well as the acquisition of The Matrix Online game by SOE.
“By working with Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment we will fuse the knowledge SOE has in the online space
with some of Warner Bros.’ phenomenal properties,” said John Smedley, president,
Sony Online Entertainment. “SOE will work closely with Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment and DC Comics to maintain the authenticity consumers demand from
the DC Comics franchises. We will also take steps to continue the same high
level of service that subscribers have come to expect from The Matrix Online
game.”
“Our goal is to deliver quality
content and consistently advance our key properties within the online games
space,” said Jason Hall, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment. “We’ve done just that with The Matrix Online. Because of our
compelling work in developing and launching that game we can now move it over to
the leaders in the MMO space, SOE. We look forward to working with SOE to
enhance our overall services to massively multiplayer online gamers for The
Matrix Online and a new DC Comics game.”
"Expanding our fans’ ability to
participate in the DC universe through a great online game is a terrific step
forward for DC Comics," said Paul Levitz, President & Publisher of DC Comics.
"We look forward to working with our colleagues at Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment and the talented folks at SOE."
SOE, a worldwide leader in MMO
gaming, will work with WBIE, a major creator, developer and licensor of key game
properties, to create a next generation online game based on the vast universe
of DC Comics. DC Comics is the largest English-language publisher of comics in
the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman
and the Sandman. SOE will be creating a DC Comics game for the PC and next
generation gaming platforms, and is currently planning on a fourth quarter
release in 2007.
About Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment Inc., a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is a premier licensor
and a developer of entertainment content for the interactive space across all
current and future platforms, including consoles, PC-based gaming and wireless
applications.
About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE),
a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in
massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers
around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment
for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for
its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II,
Champions of Norrath™, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for
developing Star Wars Galaxies™: An Empire Divided™, SOE continues to redefine
the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities
while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered
in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle,
WA, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development.
EverQuest is a registered trademark
of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. SOE, the SOE logo and PlanetSide are
registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment Inc. Untold Legends is a
trademark of Sony Online Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and trade names
are properties of their respective owners.
