Play, win, and escape with SEGA

SEGA launches new community and gaming site, boasting classic and newly created games exclusively available on PlaySEGA.com

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (December 4, 2008) – SEGA Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today launched PlaySEGA™, a completely new SEGA experience for all types of gaming and social networking fans. PlaySEGA is based at www.PlaySEGA.com and is a mini web game portal with a selection of arcade, word, card, puzzle, quiz, Sonic and sports titles, which are available now and completely FREE to all PC and Mac users.

PlaySEGA has an impressive assortment of titles available on the site including Brain Assist™, which was originally released for the Nintendo DS™, and the successful mobile title, Sonic at the Olympic Games™. Brand new SEGA games that have been created exclusively for PlaySEGA are also available such as Ice Shuffle, Hollywood Adventure Quiz and Aquatic Word Burst. In addition, a selection of all-new Guest Games will soon be unveiled, all entirely FREE to each PlaySEGA user.

Every game has a unique integrated system to calculate players’ highest scores, giving player’s the ability to view leader board achievements, and PlaySEGA Rings earned during each gaming session. PlaySEGA Rings are the site’s currency; the more games you play and the longer you play, the more PlaySEGA Rings you win – it’s as simple as that!

Users can use Rings to customise their site and create an Escape Area, which is essentially their very own profile page. A wide range of Escape Areas are available to purchase and can be anything from a New York apartment, Swiss chalet or Caribbean villa, to a haunted house! Consumers can also purchase luxury items using their PlaySEGA Rings and decorate their Escape Areas with items including; furniture, TVs, lights, flooring and much more. Customers can invite friends to visit their decorated Escape Areas, as well as view their favourite PlaySEGA games, highest scores, and achievements earned.

SEGA is also proud to announce a PlaySEGA VIP (Very Important Player) area of the site. This new area is coming soon and for a small charge users will be able to access and play dozens more web games, including newly acquired titles specifically created for PlaySEGA, along with fan favorites from the respected SEGA Mega Drive™ years. These titles include the genuine SEGA classics we all know and love: Columns™, Puyo Pop™, Chu Chu Rocket™, Sonic The Hedgehog™ and Super Monkey Ball Tip n’ Tilt™ among others.

“What started off as a small project within the SEGA Network Group has now caught the imagination of the entire company,” explains Nick Pili, Network Business Director, SEGA of Europe. “I have suggestions for new games filling up my in-box, from the CEO, to staff I’ve never even met over in our Japanese, European and US offices.”

“SEGA fans and new gamers alike can now come together in one place and enjoy some of our most exciting vintage and new titles,” continues Pili. “There was a story out there recently that we have a locked vault full of retro SEGA classics in Japan. Well, it’s true – and we’ve been given full access to a lot of the properties in it.”

PlaySEGA launches today and is an evolving site that will continue to keep user’s interests piqued by the many new games, social network and community elements available in the near future. To sign up and enjoy everything PlaySEGA has to offer, go to www.PlaySEGA.com .

About SEGA® Europe:
SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega-europe.com.

About SEGA of America
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com/us