Ma Bell, meet Joe Gamer:

Sony Online Entertainment Ushers in New Era OF voice chat

FOR ONLINE GAMES with powerful suite of Communication services

- SOE Gives In-Game Chat an Audio Overhaul in Agreement with Vivox^® -

San Francisco, Calif. — February 20, 2008 — Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, is poised to revolutionize the way gamers stay connected with sophisticated new voice services where fellow gamers and guild mates are never more than a shout away.

Need standard chat for groups and raids? Check. Don’t want to tie up your own bandwidth? Roger that. Want your voice to sound completely different? Done. Late for your raid but want to take part in the group setup by cell phone? Can do. Dream of having in-game voicemail? There ya go. Playing a non-SOE game but want to use this service, free of charge? Aye.

These powerful community building features and tools are coming to SOE games at no additional cost to players and go far beyond basic real-time chat with the usual headset and microphone setup that is commonly used today.

In an agreement announced Wednesday at the Game Developers Conference between SOE and Vivox Inc., an established provider of high quality voice communications, players will be able to access a suite of voice communication tools including voice mail, voice fonts to synthesize player voices into in-game character voices, and the ability to receive external calls in SOE games.

 

“We’re proud to offer this level of communication power and flexibility to gamers. These new voice services not only replace many of the voice chat options currently available but add a broad range of capabilities that streamline communication and empower gamers to maintain their online relationships in both the real and virtual worlds,” said John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment. “We are giving gamers the ultimate one-stop shop to stay in touch at all times.”

Beyond voice and guild chat channels, North American players will get a special PIN number to dial in from either a land line or cell phone and connect with fellow guild members. SOE anticipates adding additional features including voicemail, broadcast messages, SMS text messaging and an initial offering of six high-quality voice fonts that replace a player’s actual voice with something completely different.

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TURBINE and Codemasters Online gaming TO UNVEIL BOOK 12: the ashen wastes FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™

 

2007 MMO of the Year* Introduces New Free Content Update for Subscribers

WESTWOOD, MA – February 13, 2008 - Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online announced the details of the fourth free content update for subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. Book 12: The Ashen Wastes continues the epic story of The Lord of the Rings Online, adds substantial new features that provide players ability to truly personalize their heroes and an inventive new region that blends the challenge of a 12-player raid with the action of player-vs-player combat. Book 12: The Ashen Wastes will be available to subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online on February 13, 2007 in North America and February 14, 2007 in Europe.

“The Lord of the Rings Online has taken the world by storm, winning multiple awards and continuing to expand with compelling content updates such as Book 12,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “We’re very excited about the response to the new additions to Monster Play and we know that the ability for players to customize and personalize their characters by using our new outfit system or by visiting one of the many barbershops throughout Middle-earth, will add an entirely new level of fun and enjoyment to the game. We are dedicated to our continued delivery of the best persistent online experience available and we look forward to sharing our plans for the future of this franchise in the coming months.”

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John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment, to Deliver First Keynote for Seattle’s 2008 ION Game Conference

SEATTLE, Washington, January 28, 2008 – The 2008 ION Game Conference solidified its credentials as a premier online game industry event with the announcement that John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), is scheduled to deliver the Wednesday, May 13th keynote address at the conference. Mr. Smedley intends to focus on the accomplishments – past, present and future – of the renowned and successful online gaming company and of the MMO category in general. He will also highlight SOE’s Seattle studio, the powerhouse behind the development of the highly-anticipated online adventure/shooter currently in development for the PC and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, The Agency.

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TURBINE REVEALS THE THIRTEENTH ECLIPSE FOR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE®

Increased Level Cap, New Landscapes, New Crafting System and More!

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WESTWOOD, MA – January 30, 2008 - Turbine Inc. today announced the launch of the latest free content update for subscribers to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE® (DDO), The Thirteenth Eclipse. This major update to DDO brings new open landscape regions, an increased level cap, and more monsters, spells, magic items, and traditional dungeons. DDO is based on the world-renowned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® franchise of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), under license to Infogrames Entertainment S.A.
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Codemasters Online today revealed that their next MMORPG set for release in 2008, Jumpgate will be fully playable at their forthcoming 2-day community event, Codemasters Online Connect.

Available to play across 400+ machines this will be the first chance players have to get hands on with Codemasters Online’s latest blockbuster MMORPG set for release in Winter 2008. Lucky attendees to Connect will also walk away with an exclusive BETA key for Jumpgate as part of the gift pack being distributed to all attendees at the show.

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Codemasters Online Partners with NetDevil to Bring

New MMO for 2008!

Codemasters Online set to release NetDevil’s all-new space based MMORPG Jumpgate Evolution for North America /

Europe. 29^th January (2pm GMT) – Codemasters Online have today unveiled their next generation MMORPG set for release in 2008, Jumpgate. Developed by the US-based experienced MMOG developer NetDevil, Jumpgate is a space-based MMO incorporating all-new action style gameplay like never seen before in any previous online game. ‘We are very pleased to be working with NetDevil to release this exciting project across North America & Europe. Jumpgate brings something new and fresh to the online persistent space,” commented

David Solari, Vice President, Codemasters Online. “The all-action approach and thrilling, twitch-based space combat really sets it apart from other MMOs in the market and we are very much looking forward to releasing this space epic in late 2008.”
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™: Shadows of Angmar™ NAMED One of the top 50 games of 2007

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WESTWOOD, MA – January 16, 2008 - Turbine, Inc. announced today that The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ was named one of the Top 50 games of 2007 by Game Informer Magazine, the world’s largest video game magazine dedicated to console, handheld, and PC gaming.“We’re honored that Game Informer Magazine has named The Lord of the Rings Online as one of the top 50 games of 2007,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “The Lord of the Rings Online is changing the way players experience massively multiplayer online games and we’re excited about our plans for new content that will make the game an even more enjoyable experience in 2008 and beyond.”The Lord of the Rings Online delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy adventure of all time. From the quaint surroundings of the Shire to Angmar, the vile kingdom of the Witch-king, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before.

The Lord of the Rings Online is available for purchase at major retailers across North America. For more information, or to download a free trial, visit www.lotro.com .

About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. A team of entrepreneurs formed Turbine over a decade ago with the vision of becoming a leading provider of online entertainment. Since then, Turbine has grown to become one of the largest privately-held online gaming studios in North America. Turbine has created some of the most popular and exciting online games, including The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, Dungeons & Dragons Online™: Stormreach™ and Asheron’s Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.

About Tolkien Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien’s works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

I’ve heard an incredible amount of surprise from many over their enjoyment of Tabula Rasa. Something compelled them to try the game against their jaded outlook on what the game will likely entail, and they ended up having their MMO perspective taken right out from underneath them similar to how a person loses their perch resulting in a water-dunking, after someone threw a well aimed baseball towards the target at the local fair.

With all of these surprised gamers, you would think that I would see more articles regarding the game - but everything that I’ve read up until now has been much the same - almost like someone describing what is in the informational press release after reading it too often.

For those of you who have noticed the same thing, I’d like to point your direction towards a recent blog regarding the game which will give you a good variation and twist upon the information and excitement towards Tabula Rasa.

I’m talking about within World of Warcraft.

A recent post by Bornakk, the community manager for World of Warcraft at Blizzard, includes an update to the game which is causing quite the stir within the player community.

The word out on the street is:

Wait - what?! I AFK and my account is now BANNED? WTF^^!

But there is more to it than that. After asking some who have frustrated experiences and are hailing this update as godsent - or happy developer sent, as the case may be - I’m discovering this to actually be a good thing, not a bad one - this should be embraced with the same fervor as the banning of farmers.

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SEATTLE, Washington, January 2, 2008 – With the start of a fresh new year, Evergreen Events announces the new ION Game Conference identity for the game industry conference formerly known as “OGDC”. Empowered with a new name, logo and website, the identity and schedule for ION is not only on track but infused with an even stronger focus. The ION Game Conference will take place at the well-appointed Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel in the picturesque waterfront district, from May 13 to May 15, 2008. The ION Game Conference will feature a broad array of expert-level lectures and panels, networking events and an expo area exhibiting cutting-edge technology and games for 2008 and beyond.The new ION Game Conference identity and logo reinforces the global reach of a game industry event that remains focused on top-quality networking and online game development. Last year, the conference drew nearly 20% of attendees outside the United States, such as from Korea, Germany, Japan and Australia.

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