[2] Psygnosis Enters the Winner's Circle With Formula One 99; Psygnosis Ships Formula One 99, the Latest Addition to the Ultimate Racing Series.

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--Dec. 15, 1999--

Psygnosis today announced the release of Formula One 99, the latest addition to the hugely successful Formula One racing series.

An official product of the FIA Formula One World Championship, Formula One 99 allows players to compete at the highest levels of motorsport excellence, racing against the best drivers and teams, with all the tracks and regulations of the 1999 season. Formula One 99 for the PlayStation(R) game console is now available in stores everywhere, for an estimated retail price of $39.99. A PC CD-ROM version of Formula One 99 will follow in February.

The Best Formula One Yet

Psygnosis' Formula One series has always been top of the league and Formula One 99 is no exception. As the reviews begin to come in, gaming editors everywhere agree that F1 99 provides the ultimate Formula One racing experience. With its perfect combination of ultra-realistic gameplay, intricate detail, and graphical excellence, Formula One 99 is the next best thing to competing in real-life!

"Gamers' Republic" described Formula One 99 as "the best-looking console rendition of the sport ever seen." A "GameFan" writer declared, "It's not often that I'll toss aside my Dreamcast pad in exchange for a DUALSHOCK(TM) analog controller. But Formula One 99 is just that amazing." And "PSM" -- the number one PlayStation magazine in North America -- awarded Formula One 99 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing the game as "the definitive F1 racing experience. . .a triumphant racing simulation."

Formula One 99 was developed from the ground-up by a completely new team -- Studio 33, a developer with a strong heritage in racing games. One of the most stunning new features of Formula One 99 is the game's amazing draw-distance, which allows players to see literally miles of track ahead of them with no pop-up. The game also includes working rear-view mirrors and a reverse view, which allows you to look back while you're actually driving.

To ensure Formula One 99 was as authentic as possible, the development team was able to obtain CAD (computer-aided design) files for the first time, directly from the Formula One Association, allowing the tracks to be recreated as realistically as possible. And, to further add to the realism of the Formula One experience, the game includes a full-hour qualifying simulation, which allows players to watch the race from the pit lane and react to factors such as drivers' times, changing weather conditions, etc.

Fully editable grids allow you to place drivers in any order and to replicate the season's actual races. And, for the first time ever, Formula One 99 includes Jacques Villeneuve as part of the full 1999 driver line-up, along with other high-profile drivers such as former World Champions Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill.

Formula One 99 is developed by Studio 33. Based in Liverpool, England, the company was founded in 1996 by John White, whose mission was to create a small, highly focused development house for high quality racing games that would both excite and captivate gameplayers from all over the world.

Working with a team that shares White's goal to produce only the best gaming experiences, Studio 33's aim is to push the PlayStation(R) game console's architecture to its absolute limit. The technology that was developed for Formula One 99 is considered by many industry insiders to be the most advanced and powerful around. An affinity for motorsport runs through the entire development team.

Psygnosis has created more than 130 titles in numerous game genres to critical acclaim. Best selling titles include the Wipeout(TM) series, Formula 1, one of the world's most popular racing brands, the Destruction Derby(TM) franchise, the Lemmings(TM) puzzle game series, and other highly acclaimed brands including G-Police(TM), Colony Wars(TM) and Rollcage(TM). For more information about Psygnosis, visit the Psygnosis Web site at www.psygnosis.com. Psygnosis is owned by Sony.

Formula One '99 is developed by Studio 33 in the UK. Psygnosis and the Psygnosis logo are (TM) or (R) and (c) 1990-1999 Psygnosis Limited. Formula 1, an official product of the FIA Formula One World Championship is licensed by the Formula One Administration Limited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.