Gran Turismo 4 Races Past the Three Million Mark

Sony | London, March 9, 2004 - Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) is pleased to announce that the highly anticipated racing game Gran Turismo^® 4, available today, has set a new, all-time Day One record for PlayStation^®2 software, shipping 3,182,535 units across PAL territories. In addition to the standalone software version, Gran Turismo 4 is also available as a part of a bundle featuring the newly designed slimline PlayStation 2. The game follows its highly successful predecessors, Gran Turismo and Gran Turismo 2 and Gran Turismo 3 A-spec, and the GT series has collectively sold more than 38 million units worldwide.

"The reaction to Gran Turismo 4 from retailers across PAL territories has exceeded even our high expectations," said David Reeves, President, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "This Day One number reflects the popularity and broad appeal of the series - not only with seasoned GT buyers but with driving fans, motoring enthusiasts and casual gamers alike. We expect Gran Turismo 4 to become the "must-have" title for anyone who owns a PlayStation 2 or anyone thinking about purchasing one."

"I am delighted by the enthusiasm for Gran Turismo 4," said Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the GT series. "The game has been a long time in the making and is fuelled by the passion and dedication of the team here at Polyphony Digital. My dream was to create more than a sequel - to redefine what a video game could be. I hope that when players experience the realism, variety and sheer depth of Gran Turismo 4, they will agree that this vision has been realised."

Developed hand-in-hand with the motor industry's leading marques, Gran Turismo 4 offers drivers the ultimate ride, with over 700 cars, more than 50 race tracks, new music, new manager and photo modes, better-than-real-life graphics and enhanced simulation. Built with, and tested against, the real cars, real circuits and real test drivers, every car in the GT4 paddock performs, handles, sounds and behaves exactly like its metal equivalent - giving you the chance for a no-limits test drive of the world's finest cars from the Aston Martin DB9 Coupe, Audi Le Mans Quattro, Nissan 350Z or Ford GT to the Mercedes SLR McLaren.

10 Additional Cars for the PAL Version... GT4 was released in Japan on December 28, 2004 with an extensive list of 700 cars. In Europe and Australasia, driving fans will be treated to an additional 10 cars including the stunning new Alfa Romeo GT, the beautiful Audi Nuvolari Quattro, the award-winning modified Golf IV R32 from HPA Motorsports, the record-breaking Auto Union V16 Type C Streamline Race Car, the controversial Chaparral 2J Race Car and the 1993 Le Mans-winning Peugeot 905.

The Best Tracks... GT4 boasts a 52 track line-up including world-famous circuits such as Suzuka and, for the first time, the notorious Nurburgring Nordschleife and La Sarthe at Le Mans. There are also city courses in Seoul, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Seattle, Assisi, Capri and Monte Carlo, power and speed drag-strips, original, dirt and snow tracks (including in the Swiss Alps and Chamonix) and driving parks - many of which can be driven in reverse.

The Best Settings... New technology blends real-time action with a photographic background to immerse the player in real landscapes including New York City, Paris and the Grand Canyon. Detailed vehicle and environment mapping create broadcast-quality graphics - from competitor car reflections and light on the player's vehicle to sparks flying as your exhaust pipe clips! The team spent six-weeks on location taking tens of thousands of photographs at each track to ensure realistic modelling of the track characteristics down to a 15mm level of detail.

The Best Sounds... The roar of the engine in Gran Turismo is a recording of every individual real car, based on the team's extraordinary visits to museums, factories and test tracks in their quest for audio perfection. While driving or watching a replay you can enjoy music from classic rock to drum 'n' bass with artists including British band Kasabian, rock group Eagles of Death Metal, the enigmatic DJ Freq Nasty and break-beat master Bushwacka. The widest variety of music ever in a video game is completed with classical music from Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Debussy and others.

The Best Control... consider yourself manager material? The new GT4 B-Spec Mode lets you become the race manager. This is the first time that non-gamers can take part in the gameplay by deciding on race pace, pit-stop strategy and tuning to help their drivers win. B-Spec lets back seat drivers take control in a mode that creator Yamauchi describes as "The GT you can enjoy while drinking a cup of coffee".

Best Shots... GT4's all new Photo Mode lets you shoot and print perfect photos of your favourite cars at your favourite tracks or, as a virtual tourist, at one of 15 famous city locations including the Brooklyn Bridge and the Las Vegas Strip. Budding photographers can choose their camera, add special effects and download to a memory card or USB memory stick. Photo Mode and the in-game replays achieve better-than-real-life visuals by allowing cameras to be placed close to high speed racing cars and enabling new angles to be achieved in always-perfect lighting.

The Best Tuning ... For the ultimate petrol head, GT4 offers a new engine tuning mode. Novices can select a Quick Tune Up to fine-tune the car's power and weight and adjust transmission and tyres. Enthusiasts can manually tune their vehicles at the Tuner Manufacturer Village, home to nine tuning shops that specialise in brakes, exhaust, turbo, drivetrain, suspension and tyres. Gamers can pimp their rides by adding front and rear spoilers or by switching rims.

More information about Gran Turismo 4 can be found at www.granturismoworld.com

Notes to Editors

For Further Information:

Jennifer Kong ([email protected])

Tel: 020 7911 8176 Fax: 020 7734 4926

Sony Computer Entertainment UK Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PS one and PlayStation 2 software and hardware in 102 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes games software for the two formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the PAL territories. At the end of December 2004, over 39 million PlayStation units had been shipped across these PAL territories, over 101 million worldwide. Between its European debut on 24 November 2000 and the end of December 2004, over 29 million PlayStation 2 units have been shipped across the PAL territories, over 81 million world-wide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history.

PlayStation and the PlayStation logo, PS one and PS2 are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at http://www.scee.com and www.playstation.com.

About Polyphony Digital Incorporated

Polyphony Digital Inc., based in Tokyo, is known for the design and development of the "Gran Turismo" software series for PlayStation, PS one, PlayStation 2 consoles. "Gran Turismo" is the most successful game franchise over the last ten years, and is known for its benchmark setting game design quality and as the pioneer of car physics simulation technology. As of the end of December 2004, the "Gran Turismo" software franchise has sold over 13 million copies across Europe and over 38 million copies worldwide.