Gear Up for Racing Realism in 'Metropolis Street Racer' for Sega Dreamcast.

Business Editors/High-Tech & Entertainment Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

Ultra-Realistic Racing Game Lets Players Speed Through Cityscapes

Around the World with New Point System Based on Racing Flair

Grab the wheel and cruise into 2001 in style with Sega(R) of America's "Metropolis Street Racer(TM)" for the 128-bit, Internet-ready Dreamcast(TM) video game console. Burn luxury car rubber through ultra-real cityscapes in San Francisco, Tokyo and London in this high-speed racing game with a totally innovative point system. The goal of MSR is to accumulate "Kudos" for driving skill, speed and style. "MSR" was rated among TV Guide's "Best of the Best" in the Racing category and was given 5 out of 5 stars by Next Generation magazine. "MSR" is available at retail stores nationwide this month.

"MSR" is a unique test of skill, style and precision, with an ever-expanding series of exciting driving challenges. "Kudos" can be earned for Speed (winning a race or beating the clock), Style (doing "clean" laps or power-slides) or Skill (setting personal goals to beat). As an added challenge, players will lose "Kudos" for Bad Driving (crashing); Unfair Advantage (using other cars or barriers to gain position) or Car Swaps (although legal, this costs players a trade-in penalty).

"Sega's 40-year videogame heritage is rich with hit racing titles such as 'Hang On(TM),' the 'Daytona(TM)' racing series and 'Sega Rally(TM),'" said Gwen Marker, marketing communication manager, Sega of America. "Sega is bringing racing to a new level once again with the release of 'MSR,' with hot new features such as the revolutionary new point system, customizable driving music and an Internet ranking option, a first for console racing games."

Players can choose from 40 different luxury cars from worldwide manufacturers such as Mercedes, Toyota, Renault, Rover, Mitsubishi, Alpha Romeo and Peugeot. "Metropolis Street Racer" offers players the choice of more than 250 different routes in cities so accurately recreated that players will recognize real land marks like Big Ben and Fisherman's Warf. More than 40,000 photographs and 40 hours of video footage were used to create 20 square miles of scenery for players to check out while tearing up the pavement.

"Metropolis Street Racer" features "Real World Time," which uses the current time set to a players' Visual Memory Unit (VMU) to accurately reflect the real time zones in the cities in which they race. In addition, changing weather conditions challenge racers to adapt to changes in car physics and road-handling dynamics.

"MSR" players can groove to different radio stations in each location. The airwaves in Tokyo feature "Tokyo 1," "J Mix" and "Yamonote Broadcasting;" London stations include "West Central 1," "The Underground" and "Capital Jazz;" and San Franciscans tap toes to "K Vibe," "Rock 101" and "The Roadhouse." Players can also customize their driving soundtrack by choosing different songs and saving them on their VMU.

After the race, players can hit the Internet to see how they fared in online leagues against racers from around the globe.

"Metropolis Street Racer" is available in retail stores nationwide and at www.sega.com at a suggested retail price of $39.95. "Metropolis Street Racer" is rated "E" for Everyone.

About Sega

Sega(R) of America is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Sega Corporation, responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega video game systems and video games in the Americas. Sega Corporation is a nearly $2.5 billion company recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, offering interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega of America's World Wide Web site is located at www.sega.com.