SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR SECOND ANNUAL G.I.R.L. GAME DESIGN COMPETITION



G.I.R.L. Scholarship Program Offers Another Educational Opportunity



SAN DIEGO, Calif. – August 4, 2009– Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announced today that Rebecca Gleason of Indianapolis, IN won the 2009 G.I.R.L. Scholarship. This marks the second year of the scholarship program, encouraging students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, ultimately resulting in the development of video games that are more enticing for women to play.



Gleason, a Game Art & Design student, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship to be applied toward tuition and other educational expenses at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and an optional paid internship of up to 10 weeks at SOE’s headquarters in San Diego, working on the newly released and highly successful free to play game, Free Realms™.



“I feel so honored to be given this opportunity,” said Gleason. “I can’t wait to make the most of it by really diving in, absorbing what I learn and working to promote the mission of the G.I.R.L. program.”



Gleason was one of more than 160 applicants vying for the scholarship. Finalists were asked to submit original concept art depicting a new game environment and new characters for Free Realms, and compose two essays discussing their art and views on women in the video game industry.



“The invaluable combination of education and experience is the exact formula Rebecca needs to become successful in this competitive video games industry,” said Torrie Dorrell, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, SOE. “We are thrilled to open yet another door for a female gamer and we plan to continue to expand the presence of women in gaming by carrying on the tradition of the G.I.R.L program for years to come.”



Julia Brasil, the first-ever G.I.R.L. Scholarship recipient, recently returned to SOE’s Seattle studio for another internship. Brasil will graduate from The Art Institute-San Francisco in 2010.



For more information about G.I.R.L., please visit girl.soe.com. To follow G.I.R.L. on Twitter, go to https://twitter.com/SOE_GIRL.



About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; Tucson, AZ and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Untold Legends and Legends of Norrath are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.