Press release: 2004-01-27: SONIC HEROES SHIPS ON PLAYSTATION 2 AND XBOX; DUBBED "BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS" BY ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: Sega.com (archived)

SONIC HEROES SHIPS ON PLAYSTATION 2 AND XBOX; DUBBED "BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS" BY ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY	

SEGA's #1 Selling Franchise Runs Across all Platforms for First Time

SAN FRANCISCO (January 27, 2004) - Awarded "Game of the Month" and rated "A" by Play Magazine; billed "downright amazing" by IGN: SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced the availability of "Sonic Heroes™" on the Xbox™ videogame system from Microsoft and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The first original Sonic The Hedgehog™ console game in three years is also the legendary speed demon's first appearance on Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles. "Sonic Heroes" on Nintendo GameCube™ was released on January 6.

"Sonic Heroes" challenges gamers to control three characters simultaneously, each offering the unique individual ability of speed, power or flight. Multiple teams follow their own unique story paths across 14 massive stages. Their combined objective: to thwart the plans of Sonic's arch nemesis, the nefarious Dr. Eggman.

"We are proud to see our marquee franchise reaching the largest possible gaming audience and running at Sonic speed onto PlayStation 2 and Xbox for the first time," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of entertainment marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "We look forward to quickly establishing as strong a marketing presence on PlayStation 2 and Xbox as we have on Nintendo GameCube."

"Sonic Heroes" is designed to appeal to players of all ages and skill levels as they experiment with four unique teams comprised of classic Sonic friends and foes for a total of 12 playable characters. "Sonic Heroes" changes the face of Sonic the Hedgehog and action-platform games in general by offering innovative design while still maintaining the unrelenting action and speed that made the Sonic franchise so enduring over the years. "Sonic Heroes" also includes seven multi-player mini-games to ensure maximum replay value.

Since his birth 12 years ago, Sonic The Hedgehog has spanned several generations of videogame systems to appear in over 30 games that have sold more than 33 million units of software. Consistently a top-selling franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog continues to be a popular icon worldwide in 2004 and one of the most recognized and celebrated video game characters of all time.

"Sonic Heroes" is rated "E" for Everyone and is available at retailers nationwide for an MSRP of $49.95.

About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

SEGA and Sonic the Hedgehog are trademarks or registered trademarks of SEGA Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation" and the "PS" family logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo GameCube is a trademark of Nintendo. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries .