EVERQUEST® II SHIPS TO NORTH AMERICAN RETAIL STORES

-A New Adventure Begins With More Than 100,000 Players Expected In-Game by the Weekend-

SAN DIEGO, CA – November 8, 2004 – Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, today announced that EverQuest II has shipped to North American retail stores. EverQuest II is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Sony Online Entertainment’s EverQuest, the most successful and longest-running 3D MMO role-playing game in North America. More than 100,000 people have already pre-ordered EverQuest II in hopes of being among the first to experience this massive gaming phenomenon. The CD and DVD versions of the game carry an SRP of $49.99 and include the game, an in-game item and an exclusive in-box item. Limited quantities of the EverQuest II Collector’s Edition (DVD) are available at an SRP of $89.99.

“Today is a proud day as we open our new online world to people around the globe,” said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. “Over the past five years, we’ve worked hard to ensure EverQuest II is fun, and meaningful to our players. We’ve spared no expense and we’re confident players will agree that EverQuest II is an amazing interactive online gaming experience.”

Sony Online Entertainment is delivering a truly groundbreaking MMO game in EverQuest II with pioneering firsts in advanced 3D graphics, storyline, voiceover, production values, and gameplay. EverQuest II features the most realistic graphics of any MMO game ever created, with a next-generation 3D graphics engine designed to keep pace with hardware developed over the next few years. Players can hear more than 70,000 lines of spoken dialogue in EverQuest II as non-player characters are given voiceover for the first time ever in an MMO game, bringing the story of EverQuest II to life. EverQuest II also features gameplay innovations that make EverQuest II fun and exciting for all types of players and play styles, from hardcore gamers, to new MMO players, to those who play in groups, and solo players.

EverQuest II comes in three retail versions, all of which include a 30-day subscription (excluding SOE Station Access subscriptions) to the game’s online world. The Collector’s Edition includes a number of in-game items, an exclusive art book, bonus DVD with trailers, gameplay videos and behind-the-scenes footage, a soundtrack CD, a collector’s coin with a velvet pouch, a cloth map of Norrath, and two posters. Pre-order numbers have been so high that very few copies of the Collector’s Edition will be available at launch.

EverQuest II carries a monthly subscription fee of $14.99 for continuing access to the game world. Players can subscribe using a credit card, or purchase 30-day and 90-day SOE Game Cards, which open the new world of Norrath to those who choose not to use a credit card. Additonally, EverQuest II is included as part of the Station Access subscription, which includes all SOE-published games, for only $21.99 per month. Titles included as part of the Station Access subscription include: EverQuest, PlanetSide, EverQuest Online Adventures, Infantry Online, Tanarus, Cosmic Rift, and EverQuest II (all game software sold separately).