The Agency(TM): Covert Ops Brings Exciting World of International Espionage to Facebook(R)

The Agency(TM): Covert Ops Brings Exciting World of International Espionage to Facebook(R)

Sony Online Entertainment launches new game full of pulse-pounding action and intrigue

SAN DIEGO, May 5 -- Ever wanted to live the life of an elite agent in the world of international espionage? Thanks to Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), the world of jet-setting super spies and shady operatives comes to Facebook® with today's launch of The Agency(TM): Covert Ops (http://apps.facebook.com/AgencyCovertOps/), the company's first social action game.

Developed in SOE's Tucson studio, The Agency: Covert Ops is a compelling social media action game that immerses players in the top secret world of spies and super villains from the safe house of the Facebook platform. Players in The Agency: Covert Ops will be the first to get a taste of the action and intrigue in SOE's upcoming FPS-MMO The Agency(TM) (PlayStation®3 and PC). Covert Ops agents engage in pulse-pounding missions, killer mini-games and cool avatar customization while delving into an explosive storyline.

"The Agency: Covert Ops is unlike other Facebook games out there right now due to its stylized look and feel along with its deep story line," said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "It's a great way for Facebook users to play a casual game with exciting missions, great mini-games and even the ability to share achievements with your Facebook friends. It's the ultimate in spy-genre Facebook gaming."

Live the life of an elite agent, power up your Agency and recruit your friends to run group missions and defeat rivals together in a dynamic underworld.  The job won't be easy. Here's what you'll experience in the suave and dangerous world of The Agency: Covert Ops:

  Features
  --  Pulse-Pounding Missions: Travel the globe as a jet-setting agent
      taking down rivals and building your network of operatives.  Encounter
      a new breed of super villains and their murderous henchmen in various
      missions giving you access to new gadgets, weapons and the most
      desirable intel.
  --  Killer Mini-games: Agents need to master safe-cracking, bomb defusing,
      code breaking, evidence gathering and even rooftop parkour. Covert Ops
      has action and puzzle mini-games that put your spy skills to the test
      and push you to the limits of your intellect.
  --  You Are What You Wear: Will you be a sexy super spy or a rugged
      mercenary? The choice is yours in Covert Ops. Pick from five
      class-based abilities, each with its own special advantage when
      battling enemy forces in combat.  Customize your avatar with the
      latest in designer fashion, or deck yourself out in cutting edge
      industrial battle gear. Choose from hundreds of items and collect
      attire and aliases to access numerous locales and gain influence over
      the people within them.
  --  Pimp Your HQ: Build an Agency headquarters that your friends will
      envy! Make a statement by personalizing your HQ with a wide array of
      designer furniture, sleek electronics, and the latest security
      devices. Show off your trophies from deadly assignments in distant
      lands and visit your friend's headquarters for ideas--you'll get bonus
      items just for dropping in, too.
  --  The Black Market: Elite agents are only as good as their gadgets and
      weapons. Whatever the mission, the Black Market has what you need to
      get the job done. Browse collections of high-tech weapons,
      surveillance equipment, and home decor. Whether you're paying with
      wealth won from missions or purchased with cold, hard Station
      Cash(TM), we have what you need to care of business like a pro. Some
      of the things in here aren't exactly legal... but when you're above
      the law, it doesn't matter!
  --  Your Network of Agents: Work alone or engage in group missions with
      your Facebook friends.  Agents can also recruit the world's most
      dangerous and eccentric operatives, creating a top notch Agency of
      world renown.  Covert Ops even makes it easy to share your feats of
      stealth and style by posting your accomplishments or snapshots of your
      avatar on your Facebook wall.

Will you be brave enough to build the world's next great Agency? It can only happen if you take the challenge and start your journey.

Play The Agency: Covert Ops today at: http://apps.facebook.com/AgencyCovertOps/.

  For more information, please visit: http://www.PlayCovertOps.com

  End of transmission....

  About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) 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 devices. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends(TM), PlanetSide®, and Star Wars Galaxies, as well as the recent kids' phenomenon Free Realms(TM), SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on all entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Tucson, AZ, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development across various platforms and genres for audiences of all ages.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks and Untold Legends and Legends of Norrath are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Source: Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
   

CONTACT:  Taina Rodriguez, +1-858-577-3033, trodriguez@soe.sony.com, or
Scott Gulbransen, +1-858-577-3167, sgulbransen@soe.sony.com, both of Sony
Online Entertainment