EVERQUEST POSITIONED TO CONQUER ONLINE GAMING A THIRD TIME WITH EVERQUEST: THE SCARS OF VELIOUS EXPANSION PACK -- Expansion Pack Features an Enhanced 3D Engine, All-new Continent, and Dozens of Improvements -- SAN DIEGO, CA - August 1, 2000 - Sony Online Entertainment and Verant Interactive, announced today that its highly anticipated EverQuest™: The Scars of Velious™ expansion pack, which is the second add-on to the most successful online role playing game ever released - EverQuest - will be available in Winter 2000. The expansion pack will provide the more than 270,000 current EverQuest gamers with an all-new frozen continent, more than 16 new adventure zones, numerous new creatures, additional spells and weapons and an enhanced 3D game engine. "EverQuest has a wildly devoted fan base who are constantly craving new challenges and experiences in their online adventures," said Don Vercelli, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "EverQuest: The Scars of Velious builds upon the legacy of EverQuest and advances it even further with a more detailed world that offers 20 percent more gameplay and breathtaking new graphics." EverQuest: The Scars of Velious takes players on a mystical quest to the ice continent of Velious. Once there, players will face all-new challenges and rewards in their quest for dominance and survival. EverQuest: The Scars of Velious Key Features: · New frozen continent "Velious" located south of Antonica. · More than 16 new advanced adventure zones including: ice caves, crystal caverns, crypts, dungeons and frozen towers. · A new cast of visually stunning non-player characters including frost giants, ice dragons, snow orcs, cave bears, snowfang gnolls, storm giants and vicious ottermen. · A highly detailed world with three times the amount of polygons and larger textures than the current EverQuest world. · All-new ships that will sail to Velious. · Newly created art by famous fantasy artist Keith Parkinson. EverQuest fans can get more information and an early look at EverQuest: The Scars of Velious by visiting the EverQuest web site at: http://www.station.com/everquest/. Existing and new EverQuest players will be able to purchase the expansion pack only at retail, pricing information is currently under discussion. The most successful online role-playing game ever released, EverQuest features a multitude of adventures and quests with an interactive storyline that evolves according to a player's individual decisions. Players can choose to begin the game in any of the four continents, with more than 90 adventure zones and 13 cities. Each of these continents feature: diverse species, economic systems, alliances and politics. Throughout this adventure, players form groups, strategic alliances and gather magical artifacts in their perilous and exciting quest to conquer the world of Norrath. Verant Interactive Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Online Entertainment. Known for its best-selling massively multiplayer online role-playing game EverQuest®, Verant is committed to developing cutting-edge online games and communities such as Tanarus™, Sovereign™, Infantry™ and Star Wars Online™. Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), the online gaming division of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming. Headquartered in San Diego, California, SOE develops, publishes and distributes entertainment for the PC and online markets. With more than 10 million registered users, SOE's award-winning website, The Station® (www.station.com) hosts a variety of entertaining games and player communities spanning all genres. In addition to blockbuster hits EverQuest® and Jeopardy! Online, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as PlanetSide™, Star WarsÒ Galaxies™ and Sovereign™.